About St. Ignatius Catholic Community · Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
St. Ignatius Catholic Community is the Roman Catholic parish serving the soldiers, families, civilians, and retirees of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas — the oldest continuously active U.S. Army installation west of the Missouri River. The community gathers across two chapels on Main Post: Pioneer Chapel (the former Main Post Chapel) hosts weekday noontime Mass, while the newer Frontier Chapel, dedicated in 2010, hosts Sunday Mass and confessions. Pastoral care is overseen by an active-duty Army Catholic chaplain under the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, with additional Benedictine priest-chaplains serving the Catholic population at the adjacent U.S. Disciplinary Barracks. The parish is named for St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits).
- Established
- 1871
- Patron
- St. Ignatius of Loyola
- Rector
- Father (Maj.) Jason Hesseling (Catholic chaplain, U.S. Army — the chaplain assignment rotates with military duty; the pastor at any given time is the active-duty Catholic chaplain serving Fort Leavenworth)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (the parish also appears on the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas roster)
Why belong here
St. Ignatius offers a ready-made Catholic family for soldiers and families arriving at Fort Leavenworth — a place where newcomers can plug into faith, formation, and fellowship almost immediately. The community gathers around Sunday Mass in Frontier Chapel, daily weekday Mass in Pioneer Chapel, Life Teen for teens, first Communion and Confirmation retreats, the Women of St. Ignatius (WOSI) and Catholic Women of the Chapel Bible study, and the St. Ignatius Council 13354 of the Knights of Columbus — all programs designed to keep military families spiritually rooted through every PCS move.
Mass times at St. Ignatius Catholic Community
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:30 AM – 9:15 AM (Frontier Chapel)
Parish History
The Catholic presence at Fort Leavenworth predates the current St. Ignatius Catholic Community. Construction of the first Catholic church on the post began in the fall of 1871, with General Morgan and Ordnance Sergeant Cornelius Kelly helping raise $3,000 in seed money and the Quartermaster's Department providing logistical support. The completed church was dedicated under the title of St. Ignatius in honor of the founder of the Jesuits. The present Gothic church — a stone's throw from today's Pioneer and Frontier chapels — was laid cornerstone by Bishop Fink on August 18, 1889 and dedicated December 22, 1889 at a cost of $15,233.85. That 1889 building (St. Ignatius Chapel, Building 170) served the post for 112 years until it was destroyed by fire on December 16, 2001, shortly after the attacks of September 11. The site is now a park; a historical marker on the grounds commemorates the chapel and the Jesuit missionaries, Benedictine monks, and U.S. Army chaplains who served there since 1827.
- 1871 — First Catholic church begun on post
- 1889 (Aug 18) — Cornerstone of present Gothic chapel laid by Bishop Fink
- 1889 (Dec 22) — Chapel dedicated
- 1967 (July) — Title transferred to U.S. Army by Archbishop Edward J. Hunkeler
- 2001 (Dec 16) — St. Ignatius Chapel destroyed by fire
- 2008–2010 — Frontier Chapel constructed ($15.5 million)
- 2010 (Oct 18) — Frontier Chapel dedicated in ecumenical service
Clergy & Pastoral Succession
Because St. Ignatius is a military parish, its clergy are largely active-duty Army chaplains whose tours of duty rotate every few years. In the early decades the parish was served by diocesan priests, then by Benedictine fathers from Sacred Heart Abbey (Oklahoma) and later by contracted Benedictines from St. Benedict's Abbey in Atchison serving the prison population. Since at least 2021, Father (Maj.) Jason Hesseling has served as the Catholic chaplain for the active-duty community while also working at the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate; Benedictine Fathers Roderic Giller and Duane Roy handle sacramental ministry at the Disciplinary Barracks.
- Father Ambrose Butler (early pastor)
- Rev. James O'Reilly (paid off parish debt)
- Rev. T. F. Kinsella (first resident priest, 1884–1892)
- Rev. Alexander Jennings (1892–1895)
- Rev. Thomas McCaul (1895–1905)
- Rev. William Ospital, O.S.B.
- Rev. J. M. Dougherty, O.S.B. (1908–)
- Father (Maj.) Jeffrey Whorton (recent predecessor)
- Father (Maj.) Jason Hesseling (current Catholic chaplain)
- Father Roderic Giller, O.S.B. (Disciplinary Barracks)
- Father Duane Roy, O.S.B. (Disciplinary Barracks)
Worship Schedule
The parish gathers for Sunday Mass at 9:30 AM in Frontier Chapel, with confessions heard beforehand from 8:30 to 9:15 AM. Tuesday through Friday Mass is celebrated at noon in Pioneer Chapel. The two chapels are shared with the post's Protestant community — a long-standing ecumenical arrangement that includes the parish's custom of starting Palm Sunday Mass ten minutes early so the blessing of palms is complete before the Protestant service that follows.
- Sunday 9:30 AM — Mass, Frontier Chapel
- Sunday 8:30–9:15 AM — Confessions, Frontier Chapel
- Tue–Fri 12:00 PM — Daily Mass, Pioneer Chapel
Chapels on Main Post
Worship today is split between two shared Main Post facilities. Pioneer Chapel — the former Main Post Chapel that absorbed Catholic services after the 2001 fire — hosts the weekday noontime Mass. Frontier Chapel, dedicated in October 2010 at a cost of $15.5 million in federal funds, houses the Sunday Mass and offers a 600-seat sanctuary, an adjacent 591-seat activity center, 15 classrooms, a combination choir room, and handicapped-accessible entrances.
- Pioneer Chapel — former Main Post Chapel; weekday Mass site
- Frontier Chapel — built 2008–2010 at corner of Pope and Thomas Avenues; dedicated Oct 18, 2010
- Original St. Ignatius Chapel (Building 170) — 1889–2001; destroyed by fire; site now a memorial park
Faith Formation & Youth
Religious education for children and youth is directed by the parish's religious education director (Dorothy Ling has served in that role), with annual retreats that combine Scripture, family prayer services, bread-making and banner crafts for First Communicants, and Confirmation retreats for older students. Life Teen meets every Sunday morning after Mass and follows the Life Teen curriculum with a heavy dose of current-events discussion; the group also goes on retreats and has traveled to the March for Life in Washington, D.C.
- First Communion retreat and formation (annual)
- Confirmation retreat and formation
- Life Teen — Sunday mornings after Mass
- March for Life trip (annual)
Women & Men's Groups
Lay community life is anchored by three enduring organizations. Women of St. Ignatius (WOSI) is the parish's Catholic women's support group, while the Thursday-morning Bible study at Pioneer Chapel is part of the national Catholic Women of the Chapel (CWOC) program under the Military Council of Catholic Women — a network that helps military Catholic spouses plug in immediately at any new duty station. The Knights of Columbus St. Ignatius Council 13354, founded in summer 2003, brings together active-duty, retired, and civilian Catholic men for faith, fellowship, and outreach to the parish and broader Fort Leavenworth community.
- Women of St. Ignatius (WOSI)
- Catholic Women of the Chapel (CWOC) — Thursday Bible study at Pioneer Chapel
- Knights of Columbus, St. Ignatius Council 13354 (founded summer 2003)
Prison Ministry at the Disciplinary Barracks
Because Fort Leavenworth is home to the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks and the Midwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility, St. Ignatius's pastoral footprint extends behind the wire. Contracted Benedictine priests from St. Benedict's Abbey in Atchison, Kansas — Fathers Roderic Giller, O.S.B., and Duane Roy, O.S.B. — rotate between six pods of roughly 60 inmates each, offering Mass, confessions, counseling, baptisms, confirmations, and preparation for reception into the Catholic Church. Their work frees the active-duty Catholic chaplain to focus on service members and families on the post proper.
- Mass celebrated in multiple pods
- Baptisms, confirmations, RCIA preparation for inmates
- Counseling and confessions
Contact & Visiting
St. Ignatius Catholic Community can be reached at 913-684-8992 (parish) or 913-684-8991 (chapel office, fax 913-684-1684), and by email at [email protected]. The parish maintains a Facebook page at facebook.com/St.Ignatius.Ft.Leavenworth/, which serves as its primary online presence. Because the parish sits inside an active Army installation, visitors should plan to enter Fort Leavenworth through the main gate with a valid military ID or an arranged visitor pass.
- Phone: 913-684-8992
- Chapel: 913-684-8991 (fax 913-684-1684)
- Email: [email protected]
- Web/Facebook: facebook.com/St.Ignatius.Ft.Leavenworth/
- Address: 500 Pope Ave / 625 Thomas Ave (mailing 600 Thomas Ave, Unit 13), Fort Leavenworth, KS 66027
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Ambrose Butler1870s
One of the early day pastors of the fort parish
- Rev. James O'Reillyafter Butler, ~5-year tenure
Paid off the parish's initial indebtedness and furnished the church handsomely
- Rev. T. F. Kinsellaordained July 17, 1884; served into 1892
First resident priest of Fort Leavenworth; also chaplain of the U.S. Military Prison; oversaw building of the present Gothic church (cornerstone 1889, dedicated Dec 22, 1889)
- Rev. Alexander JenningsJanuary 1892 – April 18, 1895
- Rev. Thomas McCaulApril 18, 1895 – November 12, 1905
Continued prison chaplaincy; first priest to receive the $300 annual chaplaincy salary
- Rev. William Ospital, O.S.B.after 1905
Monk of Sacred Heart Abbey, Oklahoma
- Rev. J. M. Dougherty, O.S.B.August 27, 1908 onward
Benedictine priest of Sacred Heart Abbey; still in charge per the period's account
- Father (Maj.) Jeffrey Whortonserved in recent years before 2021
Previously pastor/chaplain of the St. Ignatius Catholic Community
- Father (Maj.) Jason Hesselingarrived by 2021; current as of last verified reporting
Active-duty Army chaplain; also supports Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate