About St. Ignatius Loyola · Kanopolis, Kansas
St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church is a small, mission-rooted parish in Kanopolis, Kansas, part of the Catholic Diocese of Salina. It was founded in 1947 by Msgr. Ignatius Manzo, who famously had a war-surplus chapel from Camp Phillips hauled 35 miles from Salina to serve the Mexican-descent Catholic community that had grown up around the salt mines. The parish is now clustered with St. Bernard in Ellsworth and St. Joseph in Brookville under a single pastor, Fr. Stanly Basil, HGN. It is best known locally for its annual Fiesta — a Mexican-food fundraiser started by Father Manzo himself — held the Saturday before Labor Day.
- Established
- 1947
- Patron
- St. Ignatius of Loyola
- Rector
- Fr. Stanly Basil, HGN
- Diocese
- Diocese of Salina
Why belong here
St. Ignatius offers a close-knit, multigenerational Catholic community with deep roots in the Kanopolis valley and a vibrant Mexican-American Catholic heritage. Weekly Saturday Mass, Saturday confessions, and the Sunday Rosary are complemented by ongoing OCIA/RCIA, religious education, CYO youth ministry, and a Council of Catholic Women that hosts fellowship meals, a Quilt Raffle, and Christmas auctions. Visitors are warmly welcomed to join the parish family and to take part in the beloved annual Fiesta on the Saturday before Labor Day, the parish's signature fundraiser and community gathering.
Mass times at St. Ignatius Loyola
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:00–5:15 PM (before the 5:30 PM Mass), or by request
History of St. Ignatius of Loyola Church
The parish was organized in the mid-1940s and formally dedicated in September 1947, but Catholic life in Kanopolis goes back much further. Early settlers — French, Mexican, Italian, German and Bohemian — walked or took the train to Ellsworth for Mass; later, every fifth Sunday a priest from Ellsworth came to town. From 1913, Msgr. Arthur Luckey offered Mass in the public-school gymnasium for Italian Catholics working in the salt mine. By the time the parish was organized, those Italian families had been supplanted by Mexican-descent workers, and it was this community that Father Manzo organized and served. Father Ignatius Manzo, born in Mexico and raised in Goodland, first came to Kanopolis as a seminarian to teach catechism. After his 1944 ordination, he and Msgr. John A. Duskie, Vicar General of the Diocese of Salina, procured a war-sur surplus chapel from the defunct Camp Phillips air base south of Salina. George Andrews donated the church site, and the chapel was hauled 35 miles to Kanopolis — once halted for a month while Father Manzo raised the rest of the money to complete the move. The total cost to move and renovate the chapel was $27,000. The church was dedicated in September 1947, an event marked by an unusual diocesan celebration: Bishop Frank Thill confirmed 37 infants and small children along with seven adults, five of whom were converts.
- Founded 1947
- Pre-parish Mass in the public-school gymnasium from 1913 under Msgr. Arthur Luckey of Ellsworth
- Earlier still: Jesuit Father Louis Dumortier ministered at Fort Harker from 1861 and died there in 1867 serving cholera victims
- War-surplus chapel from Camp Phillips (south of Salina) moved 35 miles to Kanopolis
- Total move and renovation cost: $27,000
- Silver Jubilee: December 12, 1971 (pastor: Father Mattas)
- Parishioners refurbished the church in 1977
- Golden Jubilee: October 18, 1998 (with Father Daniel Scheetz and Bishop Fitzsimmons)
Pastor Succession
Father Manzo led St. Ignatius from its organization until his 1958 reassignment. He was followed by Father Basil Torrez (a Kanopolis native ordained in 1956), and the parish has been served by a succession of diocesan and order priests since. The current pastor, Fr. Stanly Basil, HGN, was installed on July 1, 2016, and now shepherds the St. Bernard / St. Ignatius / St. Joseph cluster.
- Msgr. Ignatius Manzo (1944–1958) — founding pastor
- Fr. Basil Torrez (1958–1960) — native son of Kanopolis
- Rev. Conklin (1982–1984) — clustered with St. Mary, Holyrood and St. Joseph, Brookville
- Father Mattas — pastor at Silver Jubilee (1971)
- Fr. Daniel Scheetz — pastor at Golden Jubilee (1998)
- Fr. Stanly Basil, HGN — installed July 1, 2016, present
Worship & Sacraments
St. Ignatius celebrates Mass on Saturday evenings at 5:30 PM. Confessions are heard Saturday 5:00–5:15 PM (before Mass) or by request, and a Rosary is prayed at 4:55 PM each Saturday in the church. The parish shares its sacramental life with St. Bernard in Ellsworth and St. Joseph in Brookville under one pastor.
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 5:30 PM
- Confessions — Saturday 5:00–5:15 PM, or by request
- Rosary — Saturday 4:55 PM
- Lenten & Advent Communal Penance Services (scheduled seasonally)
- Communal Reconciliation also offered at St. Bernard
Baptism
Ordinarily, parents seeking Baptism of an infant should be registered parishioners of St. Bernard or St. Ignatius, and are asked to contact the parish office about three months before the birth of the child. The parish encourages arranging both the priest interview and the baptism information session during pregnancy. Parents living in another parish who wish to have their child baptized at St. Bernard or St. Ignatius must secure a letter of permission from their proper pastor. Godparents must meet the requirements of the Catholic Church.
Marriage
Engaged couples are asked to contact the pastor personally at least six months before the intended wedding date. A Marriage Preparation Guide is available, and couples choosing a traditional Catholic wedding will be asked to live a traditional Catholic lifestyle.
Confirmation & OCIA (RCIA)
Confirmation preparation is integrated into the High School youth ministry program (discovery, discipleship, service). Adults who have not yet been confirmed are prepared through OCIA — the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults — which also welcomes unbaptized adults and Christians from other traditions seeking full communion with the Catholic Church. Classes typically begin in October and conclude at the Easter Vigil; sessions are held Thursdays 6:30–8:00 PM, with scheduling flexible to participants and catechists.
- 2025–26 OCIA registration opened August 1
- Catechists for 2025–26: Chuck and Tobina Norris; Pete and Bonnie Orozco
- Curriculum: Symbolon (Augustine Institute) — books provided by the parish at no cost to candidates
- Sponsors must be 18+, Catholic in Good Standing, and able to attend weekly classes
Anointing of the Sick
Parishioners are asked to call the parish office whenever someone is hospitalized or ill at home and in need of the Sacrament of the Sick.
Faith Formation & Youth
Religious education is offered for school-age children, teens, and adults, with programs available in both English and Spanish. The parish's CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) provides ongoing activities and 'gifts training' for grades 1–4, while older teens participate in a Confirmation-preparation pathway of discovery, discipleship, and service.
- OCIA (English and Spanish)
- CYO youth activities and gifts training
- Teen Faith / High School Confirmation prep
- Children's religious education
Parish Life & Fellowship
Beyond Mass and sacraments, the parish is sustained by an active lay community. The Council of Catholic Women (CCW) hosts Hospitality Sundays, plans the Quilt Raffle and Christmas Auction (held the first Sunday of December in recent years), and meets on the second Tuesday of odd months in the parish hall. The parish bulletin, The Parish Connection, keeps the cluster informed across St. Bernard, St. Ignatius, and St. Joseph.
- Council of Catholic Women (CCW) — circles and meetings
- Hospitality Sundays after Mass
- Quilt Raffle and Christmas Auction
- The Parish Connection (cluster bulletin)
- New parishioner registration via the parish office or OSV Hub
The Annual Fiesta
The Fiesta is St. Ignatius's signature fundraiser and community gathering, begun by Father Manzo himself as a way to raise money for the new parish. Held every year on the Saturday before Labor Day, it features Mexican food, games, a raffle, and bingo, with the bishop typically celebrating Mass in the morning and crowds gathering for dinner — either more Mexican food in the church basement or hamburgers and hot dogs in the tent behind the church (run by the Orozco family, who close their Portales Cafe in town so as not to compete with the parish's kitchen).
- Held annually on the Saturday before Labor Day
- Mexican food (including the popular tamales), games, bingo, raffle
- Begun by Msgr. Ignatius Manzo
- Volunteer-driven; draws families back year after year
- Recent Fiesta proceeds funded new handcrafted stained-glass windows and the sanctuary restoration project
- Bishop of Salina typically celebrates the Fiesta morning Mass
Capital Projects & Restoration
The parish has steadily reinvested in its historic chapel building. Recent Fiesta and fundraising efforts are funding new handcrafted stained-glass windows and a sanctuary restoration bid at approximately $99,000 — covering ceiling repair and painting, wall painting, and stencil work. A rededication is anticipated once the windows are installed and the altar flooring is replaced.
- New handcrafted stained-glass windows (in process)
- Sanctuary restoration — ceiling, walls, stenciling (~$99,000)
- Replacement of some altar flooring
- Future rededication planned upon completion
Cluster Parishes & Staff
St. Ignatius is pastored together with two neighboring mission parishes: St. Bernard in Ellsworth (the cluster's hub parish office, at 911 N. Kansas Avenue) and St. Joseph in Brookville (110 W. 3rd Street). The St. Ignatius parish secretary, Rita Whitmer, can be reached at 785-531-0522; the St. Bernard parish office (Stacy Warta) is at 785-472-3136. The diocese is led by Bishop Most Rev. Jerry Vincke, with the diocesan offices at 103 N. 9th Street, Salina, KS 67402.
- St. Bernard, Ellsworth — 911 N. Kansas Ave, 785-472-3136
- St. Joseph, Brookville — 110 W. 3rd Street, 785-472-3136
- St. Ignatius Secretary: Rita Whitmer (785-531-0522, [email protected])
- St. Bernard Office Manager: Stacy Warta
- Pastor: Fr. Stanly Basil, HGN ([email protected], 785-472-3137)
- Bishop: Most Rev. Jerry Vincke, Diocese of Salina
Contact & Visiting
St. Ignatius does not currently maintain a parish office on site; visitors and parishioners are encouraged to call Rita Whitmer, the parish secretary, at 785-531-0522, or email [email protected]. The mailing address is 127 N. Missouri, Kanopolis, KS 67454. New parishioners are asked to call the parish office to register or use the online registration link via OSV Hub for the cluster.
- Address: 127 N. Missouri, Kanopolis, KS 67454
- Phone (St. Ignatius): 785-531-0522
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: http://stbstistj.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/stbsti
- Bishop/Diocese: Most Rev. Jerry Vincke, Diocese of Salina
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Msgr. Ignatius Manzo1944–1958
Organizer and first resident priest; born in Mexico, raised in Goodland, ordained 1944; procured the war-surplus chapel from Camp Phillips and moved it 35 miles to Kanopolis; started the annual Fiesta fundraiser.
- Fr. Basil Torrez1958–1960
Native of Kanopolis; ordained 1956; celebrated his retirement with the hometown parish in July 1999.
- Rev. Conklin1982–1984
Pastored St. Ignatius Loyola along with St. Mary, Holyrood, and St. Joseph, Brookville, as a cluster.
- Father Mattasby 1971
Pastor at the time of the Silver Jubilee on December 12, 1971.
- Fr. Daniel Scheetzthrough 1998
Celebrated the Golden Jubilee with Bishop Fitzsimmons and former pastors on October 18, 1998.
- Fr. Stanly Basil, HGN2016–present
Installed July 1, 2016; serves the St. Bernard / St. Ignatius / St. Joseph tri-parish cluster.