About St. Isaac Jogues · Rapid City, South Dakota
St. Isaac Jogues is a Jesuit-staffed Catholic parish in Rapid City, South Dakota, founded in 1951 in collaboration with the Jesuits of Holy Rosary Mission to minister to Lakota and other Native American people who had relocated to the city after World War II. Today it remains a recognized urban intertribal parish whose congregation includes Brulé, Hunkpapa, Oglala, Sans Arc and other tribal members alongside visitors and residents from every background. The parish is part of the Diocese of Rapid City and is staffed by priests of the Society of Jesus, including a pastor and a priest in residence. It is known for its 11:00 a.m. Sunday inculturated Mass, which integrates the Lakota Azilya ritual — a sage smudging and eagle-feather blessing led by Native ministers — with Catholic worship.
- Established
- 1951
- Patron
- St. Isaac Jogues (the French Jesuit martyr, canonized in 1930, who ministered to the Mohawk and other Native peoples in 17th-century New York)
- Rector
- Rev. Phillip Cooke, SJ (effective September 1, 2025)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rapid City
Why belong here
St. Isaac Jogues offers something rare in American Catholicism: a parish whose very DNA is Native American and Jesuit, where the Sunday 11 a.m. Mass weaves the Lakota Azilya ritual of sage and eagle feather into Catholic worship, and where the round altar and Native-designed vestments visibly honor that heritage. At the same time it is a welcoming, multi-racial community that draws vacationers visiting the Black Hills as well as long-time parishioners. Active ministries include RCIA, Edge and Alpha youth programs, Life Teen, Children's Liturgy of the Word, a choir, a Nicholas Black Elk devotion group, a Liturgy Committee and Parish Council — all run by a small but committed staff and a parish family rooted in the Jesuits' long apostolic history on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations.
Mass times at St. Isaac Jogues
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before each Mass
- By appointment
Parish Identity & Jesuit Heritage
St. Isaac Jogues is a Jesuit parish of the Diocese of Rapid City. Its name honors the 17th-century French Jesuit martyr who ministered to the Mohawk and other Native peoples in New York and who was canonized in 1930. The parish is staffed by priests of the Society of Jesus and is closely tied to Holy Rosary Mission on Pine Ridge, from which the Jesuits first administered it. Its mission statement acknowledges 'our rich Native American history and Jesuit identity' and calls the community to be empowered 'by the Holy Spirit, the sacraments and prayer.'
- Diocese of Rapid City parish
- Staffed by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
- Historically administered from Holy Rosary Mission / Pine Ridge
- Named for St. Isaac Jogues, SJ, Jesuit martyr
History: From Mother Butler Center to Knollwood Drive
Before there was a church, Native Catholics in Rapid City gathered at the Mother Butler Center, which opened in 1950 with Jesuit staff living on the second floor. The first St. Isaac Jogues church was a wooden chapel moved from Ellsworth Air Force Base. On the night of June 9–10, 1972, the Black Hills Flood destroyed both buildings and killed the pastor, Fr. Francis J. Collins, SJ. The parish rebuilt on a former Lutheran property at 221 Knollwood Drive, where a new Mother Butler Center rose within two years. Marquette University's archives preserve the parish records as a window into urban intertribal Catholic life in western South Dakota.
- 1949–1951: Founded in cooperation with the Diocese of Rapid City and Holy Rosary Mission
- 1950: Mother Butler Center opens (named for Marymount's Mother Joseph Butler)
- 1972: Black Hills Flood destroys church and Mother Butler Center; Fr. Francis J. Collins, SJ, dies
- Post-1972: Parish re-established on Knollwood Drive site (former Lutheran property)
- Parish records housed at Marquette University Raynor Library
Inculturated Liturgy: The 11:00 a.m. Sunday Mass
Every Sunday at 11:00 a.m., the parish celebrates an inculturated Mass that integrates Lakota spiritual tradition with Catholic worship. The Azilya, an incensing prayer led by Lakota men and women, asks God to cleanse, purify and bless. As the Lakota Four Directions song is sung, a Native minister passes through the congregation carrying burning sage, fanning the smoke with an eagle feather. The ritual is a purification and a giving of honor and glory to God, and is performed alongside the regular Catholic Mass.
- Azilya ritual with sage and eagle feather
- Lakota Four Directions song
- Round altar — 'the circle is key for Native people' (Fr. Ed Witt, SJ)
- Vestments featuring Native designs
Parish Staff & Clergy
The parish is small but fully staffed, with a Jesuit pastor, a Jesuit priest in residence, a deacon who also directs religious education and liturgy, an office manager and a maintenance team.
- Pastor: Fr. Phillip Cooke, SJ (since September 1, 2025)
- Pastor Emeritus: Fr. Edward Witt, SJ (released September 1, 2025)
- Priest in Residence: Fr. John Hatcher, SJ
- Deacon / DRE / Liturgy / Safe Environment: Deacon Luis A. Usera Sr.
- Office Manager: Sharon Harpel
- Business Manager / Parish Council Chair: Bruce Rook
- Maintenance: Kookie Ramos, Glenn Holst
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
Faith formation at St. Isaac Jogues covers the full lifespan, from children's Liturgy of the Word through middle school Edge, high school Life Teen and the adult RCIA process. Adult Baptism preparation and marriage preparation are also offered.
- Children's Liturgy of the Word during Sunday Mass
- Edge — middle school youth (grades 6–7)
- Life Teen — high school teens, 1st and 3rd Saturdays in the parish hall
- Alpha Youth
- RCIA — adult initiation
- Adult Baptism Preparation (by appointment, Deacon Lou)
- Marriage Preparation (6–12 month process)
Parish Life, Ministries & Nicholas Black Elk Devotion
Parishioners come together through the choir, liturgy committee and parish council, and they share a special devotion to Nicholas Black Elk, the Pine Ridge medicine man and catechist (1907) whose cause for canonization the parish prays for alongside other western South Dakota Catholics. The parish also organizes retreats (such as the May 2024 weekend at Sioux Spiritual Center led by Fr. John Hatcher) and supports pastoral care for the sick.
- Choir — Wednesday 5:30 p.m. practice
- Liturgy Committee — third Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
- Parish Council — first Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
- Nicholas Black Elk group — first Thursday, 5:15 p.m., Coffee Room
- Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist
- Annual parish retreats at Sioux Spiritual Center
Visit, Office & Location
The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mountain Time. Visitors are very common — the convenient Knollwood Drive location near the intersection of two major highways makes the parish a frequent stopping point for those traveling to the Black Hills National Forest and Custer State Park.
- Address: 221 Knollwood Drive, Rapid City, SD 57701
- Mailing: PO Box 1304, Rapid City, SD 57709-1304
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
- Phone: (605) 343-2165; Fax: (605) 343-3257
- Email: [email protected]
- Handy for travelers heading to the Black Hills
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Francis J. Collins, SJ
Pastor who died in the 1972 Black Hills Flood.
- Rev. Lawrence E. Edwards, SJ
Survived the 1972 flood after being swept away in the current.
- Rev. John Hatcher, SJ
Has served as priest in residence at the parish (also lead a 2024 parish retreat at Sioux Spiritual Center on 'A Closer Walk with Thee').
- Rev. Edward Witt, SJ
Pastor who spoke about the round altar and Native-designed vestments in a 2023 Jesuits Magazine feature.
- Rev. Phillip Cooke, SJeffective September 1, 2025
Current pastor; returning to South Dakota from a provincial assignment outside the country; previously served at Holy Rosary Mission.