About St. James · Le Mars, Iowa
St. James Catholic Church in Le Mars, Iowa is part of All Saints Parish, a combined Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Sioux City that unites the historic St. James (English-speaking) and St. Joseph (historically German-speaking) congregations of Le Mars. St. James itself was organized on September 23, 1883 by 200 Irish Catholic families who had previously worshipped at St. Joseph's. The parish's original frame church was destroyed by a tornado in 1885; the present brick-and-stone church was built on Front Street and remains the home of the Sunday 8:00 AM English Mass and the 11:30 AM Spanish Mass. All Saints Parish celebrates over 125 years of combined history and serves the Le Mars community with daily Mass, faith formation for all ages, Eucharistic Adoration, sacramental preparation, and a strong network of parish ministries.
- Established
- 1883
- Patron
- St. James the Greater (the Apostle)
- Rector
- Rev. Doug Klein
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sioux City
Why belong here
All Saints Parish offers daily and weekend Mass in both English and Spanish at the historic St. James and St. Joseph worship sites, with live-streamed Sunday Mass for the homebound, sick, and those in military service. The parish runs a robust faith-formation program (Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for ages 3-6, sacramental prep, Confirmation for grades 9-10, Edge for middle schoolers, and a teen Discipleship Group), plus active men's and women's ministries (TMIY and SHE), an Evangelization team with a parish fair booth, a Cemetery Board, and close ties to Gehlen Catholic School — a regional K-12 Catholic school it helped found in 1954. A warm welcome to new parishioners and a bilingual worship life make it a natural home for both longtime Le Mars families and the area's Hispanic Catholics.
Mass times at St. James
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 PM to 8:00 AM (per catholicchurch.directory listing) or by appointment
Adoration times
- Eucharistic Adoration available — schedules linked from the parish Adoration/Ministry page; sign-up forms available in English and Spanish
Welcome & Parish Identity
All Saints Parish is the home of both St. James and St. Joseph churches in Le Mars, Iowa — a unified Roman Catholic community in the Diocese of Sioux City. The parish's homepage greets visitors with 'Welcome to All Saints Parish, Home of St. James & St. Joseph' and links to a myParish App for ongoing communication. The I'm New page notes that 'All Saints Parish celebrates over 125 years of history, but this history continues to be written with each visitor and new parishioner we welcome.'
- All Saints Parish — Home of St. James & St. Joseph
- Diocese of Sioux City
- myParish App available for parishioners
- New Parishioner Registration form on the Forms page
Sacramental Life
The parish website provides dedicated forms for Baptism, Wedding, and Adult Initiation (RCIA), as well as sacramental preparation for children. First Reconciliation and First Communion are prepared using the Signs of Grace curriculum from the Augustine Institute, with weekly Wednesday-evening classes. Confirmation is a two-year program beginning in 9th grade (Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth, St. Mary's Press), with the sacrament celebrated in the fall of 10th grade.
- Baptism Information & Forms
- First Reconciliation & First Communion prep (Signs of Grace)
- Confirmation (grades 9-10, fall celebration in 10th grade)
- Wedding Request Form
- Adult Initiation Request (RCIA)
Faith Formation Programs
All Saints Parish runs one of the most extensive faith-formation programs in the Diocese of Sioux City. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS), a Montessori-based program for ages 3-6, is led by catechists with 90 hours of training. Family of Faith supports parents of 1st-5th graders with at-home lessons plus monthly Wednesday-evening family sessions in early (4:30-5:45 PM) or late (6:45-8:00 PM) blocks at St. Joseph Church / Gehlen School. Middle schoolers use the Edge program, while 6th graders learn the Bible through God's Plan in Scripture.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (ages 3-6)
- Family of Faith (1st-5th grade)
- 6th Grade — God's Plan in Scripture
- EDGE Middle School (7th-8th)
- Confirmation Prep (9th-10th)
- Discipleship Group (7th-12th grade)
Evangelization & Outreach
The parish Evangelization Team coordinates a booth at the Plymouth County Fair, staffing it with clergy, religious, seminarians, and lay volunteers from All Saints. Fairgoers are invited for blessings, rosaries, medals, and faith conversations. The parish is also bringing Papal Missionary of Mercy Fr. Jim Sichko for a '60 Minutes for Jesus' mission January 23-26, 2027, with parishioners invited to help organize lead-up and follow-up events. The parish maintains a Prayer Chain ministry for prayer requests.
- Parish fair booth at Plymouth County Fair (clergy, religious, seminarian, and lay shifts)
- Fr. Jim Sichko '60 Minutes for Jesus' mission, January 23-26, 2027
- Prayer Chain ministry
- New Parishioner Registration
Men's & Women's Ministries
All Saints Parish launched two new ministries — That Man Is You (TMIY) for men and SHE (a Paradisus Dei program) for women — open to all ages and stages. Both feature large-group socials, inspirational Catholic speakers, and trusted small-group conversations. The parish co-sponsors the Diocesan Men's Conference and is building leadership teams for both groups.
- TMIY Men's Ministry (Paradisus Dei)
- SHE Women's Ministry (Paradisus Dei)
- All Saints Men's Ministry (Diocesan Men's Conference co-sponsor)
- Core leadership teams being formed for both groups
Gehlen Catholic School
Gehlen Catholic School is the regional K-12 Catholic school founded in 1954 through a joint venture of St. James, St. Joseph and surrounding parishes (Neptune, Assumption-Merrill, Struble, Ellendale, Granville, Alton), raising $375,000 in pledges to build it. The Gehlen School Board, chaired by the pastor, includes parish representatives. Fr. Doug Klein serves as Priest President. The school remains central to the parish's mission of faith formation and evangelization.
- Gehlen Catholic School (founded 1954)
- Principal: Bryan Paulson
- President: Amanda Anderson
- Multiple parish/regional board representatives
Parish Committees & Governance
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Doug Klein and supported by a Finance Committee, an Endowment Committee, a Cemetery Board (Calvary Cemetery of Le Mars), and a Gehlen School Board. The committees are staffed by parishioners with a mix of professional and parish-life expertise, and minutes/membership are listed publicly on the parish website.
- AS Finance Committee — Rev. Doug Klein, Tom Rohe, Mark Vonnahme, Dick Ahlers, Mike Clarey, Steve DeRocher, Kelly Puhl, Debra Ahlers, Margie Augustine, Mark Theisen, Nancy Schlichte, Janelle Johnson
- AS Endowment Committee — Rev. Doug Klein, Jim Klein, Kelly Puhl, Kim Clarey, Alice Ruhland, Russ Holzman, Matt Washburn
- Cemetery Board — Steve DeRocher, Paula Langel, Mike Clarey, Chad Ruhland, Robin Klemme, Tom Schlesser, Mike VanderMolen, Jim Tentinger
Music & Liturgy
Music is central to the parish's liturgical life. The parish recently posted an opening for a Director of Music and Liturgy, described as 'a missionary disciple in service of the Church, evangelizing through their participation in music and liturgy' and 'responsible for building a robust culture of music at All Saints Parish.' Candidates must be practicing Catholics in good standing. Applications are submitted to Fr. Doug Klein at [email protected].
- Director of Music and Liturgy (position open)
- Live-streamed Sunday Mass production
- Liturgical music at both St. James and St. Joseph sites
Contact & Getting Involved
The parish office can be reached at (712) 546-5223 or [email protected]. A New Parishioner Registration Form and Ministry Sign Up Form are available on the Forms page, along with a Grain Ownership Transfer Form, Faith Formation Registration (English and Spanish), Wedding Request Form, Adult Initiation Request, and Prayer Chain Request. Bulletins and Giving links appear in the main navigation.
- Phone: (712) 546-5223
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 109 6th Ave SW, Le Mars, IA 51031 (St. James site)
- Fr. Doug Klein: [email protected]
- Faith Formation: [email protected]
Calendar & Notable Dates
The parish follows the Diocese of Sioux City liturgical calendar. Notable annual observances tied to the parish include the Feast of St. James the Apostle (July 25) and the parish's late-June tornado anniversary (June 14, 1885). The parish maintains a year-round schedule of faith-formation classes, the annual Vacation Bible School ('Wilderness Adventure'), the parish fair booth in late July, and the Diocesan Men's Conference in early spring.
- Feast of St. James the Apostle — July 25
- Tornado anniversary of original church — June 14, 1885
- Annual Vacation Bible School
- Plymouth County Fair — late July (parish booth)
- Diocesan Men's Conference — early spring
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James P. (J. P.) Barron1883–1902
Founding pastor; organized the parish in 1883 with ~200 families, built the original frame church (destroyed by tornado 1885), oversaw construction of the current brick-and-stone church; served 20 years.
- Rev. E. O'Farrell1902–1923
Built the rectory, paid off parish debt, converted the convent to a rectory.
- Rev. Cooper1923–1945
Long pastorate during which the 1940 redecoration and stained-glass replacement occurred.
- Rev. Linus LaVelle1945–1969
Oversaw the 1951 sanctuary/winter chapel addition dedicated in 1954 and the founding of Gehlen Catholic School (1954).
- Rev. Turza1969–1972
Recarpeting, sanctuary remodeling and altar update to comply with Vatican II.
- Rev. George McFadden1972–1987
- Msgr. Michael Sernett1987–1994
Opened the 102-year-old cornerstone in 1988 and led the three-stage 1988-91 renovation project.
- Rev. Ries1994–
Pastor noted in 2002 history article; later St. James joined to form All Saints Parish.
- Rev. Doug Kleincurrent
Current pastor of All Saints Parish; also Priest President of Gehlen Catholic School.