About St. Joan of Arc · Harper, Kansas
St. Joan of Arc Catholic Parish is a tri-community Catholic parish in Harper County, Kansas, in the Diocese of Wichita. Formed in 1998 by merging the historic churches of St. Patrick in Harper, Immaculate Conception in Danville, and Sacred Heart in Anthony, the parish continues to celebrate Mass and the sacraments across all three worship sites. The parish's stated mission is to lead all people to Jesus Christ through the Eucharist, faithful teaching of the Catholic Church, and active stewardship, inspired by the courage and faith of its patron, St. Joan of Arc.
- Established
- 1998
- Patron
- St. Joan of Arc
- Rector
- Father Babu R. Pinninti (Fr. Bob)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wichita
Why belong here
St. Joan of Arc is a tri-community Catholic family rooted in the farming towns of Harper, Danville, and Anthony. Despite a small-town footprint, the parish offers a full sacramental life: weekend Mass in English and Spanish, weekday Masses at all three sites, regular Eucharistic Adoration, Reconciliation before every weekend Mass, faith formation for children and adults, and active lay ministries — including three parish altar guilds and a Knights of Columbus council — all under the steady pastoral care of Father Bob. Joining or visiting here means becoming part of a tight-knit rural Catholic community that still treasures its historic prairie churches.
Mass times at St. Joan of Arc
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM (Harper)
- Sunday: 7:30 AM – 8:00 AM (Harper)
- Sunday: 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM (Harper)
- 30 minutes before every weekend Mass
- During Adoration or by appointment
Adoration times
- Tuesday: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Danville)
- Wednesday: 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM (Anthony)
- Thursday: 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM (Harper)
- First Friday: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Harper)
Parish History
St. Joan of Arc Parish was canonically established on August 3, 1998, in the Diocese of Wichita, uniting three long-standing Catholic communities in Harper County — St. Patrick in Harper, Immaculate Conception in Danville, and Sacred Heart in Anthony — into a single parish while keeping all three church buildings in active liturgical use. Father Michael Peltzer was named founding pastor and served the parish faithfully for 20 years before retiring on health grounds in 2020. The roots of the merged congregations go back much further: Immaculate Conception in Danville traces to 1887, and the present Gothic-Romanesque church there was dedicated on November 21, 1907.
- Parish established: August 3, 1998 (Diocese of Wichita)
- First pastor: Father Michael Peltzer (1998–2020)
- Immaculate Conception, Danville: original St. Rose of Lima church built 1887; present church built 1904–1907
- Current pastor: Father Babu R. Pinninti (Fr. Bob)
Worship Sites
Because St. Joan of Arc is a merged rural parish, Mass and the sacraments are celebrated across three historic worship sites in three different towns, with weekend Masses rotating between them and weekday Masses held at a fixed site each day. Visitors should check the parish bulletin to confirm which church is hosting a given weekend liturgy.
- St. Patrick — 1023 W Main St., Harper (parish office and mailing address)
- Immaculate Conception — 102 Ashman St., Danville (Gothic-Romanesque, 126-ft tower, 'Gem of the Prairies')
- Sacred Heart — Anthony
Parish Staff
St. Joan of Arc is served by a small, dedicated pastoral team. Father Babu R. Pinninti (known to parishioners as 'Fr. Bob') is pastor. Anna Ruth Blanchat is the Director of Religious Education, Pat Kerschen assists in parish leadership, and Maxine Olivier serves as Parish Secretary. Lay faithful also lead three altar guilds — one per worship site — and the local Knights of Columbus council.
- Father Babu R. Pinninti (Fr. Bob) — Pastor
- Anna Ruth Blanchat — Director of Religious Education (DRE)
- Pat Kerschen — parish leadership
- Maxine Olivier — Parish Secretary
- Sacred Heart Altar Guild President (Anthony)
- St. Cecilia Altar Guild President
- Immaculate Conception Altar Guild President (Danville)
- Knights of Columbus Grand Knight
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation for children and youth is coordinated parish-wide by Director of Religious Education Anna Ruth Blanchat, who can be reached at 620-962-5219. Families across Harper, Danville, and Anthony participate together in religious education classes and sacramental preparation.
- Director of Religious Education: Anna Ruth Blanchat
- DRE phone: 620-962-5219
- Parish-wide sacramental preparation across three worship sites
Ministries & Organizations
Lay ministry is the backbone of St. Joan of Arc. The parish maintains three altar guilds (one for each worship site — Sacred Heart in Anthony, St. Cecilia, and Immaculate Conception in Danville), an active Knights of Columbus council, and a vibrant Spanish-language Mass community that gathers every Saturday at 4:00 PM in Harper.
- Sacred Heart Altar Guild (Anthony)
- St. Cecilia Altar Guild
- Immaculate Conception Altar Guild (Danville)
- Knights of Columbus council (Grand Knight identified on staff page)
- Spanish-language Mass ministry (Saturday 4:00 PM, Harper)
Parish Bulletin & News
The parish publishes a weekly bulletin that keeps parishioners connected to parish life. It carries Mass intentions, ministry updates, event announcements, and formation opportunities, and an online archive lets visitors browse past issues.
- Weekly parish bulletin (online)
- Bulletin archive of past issues
- Mass intentions listed each week
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone or email, and the parish publishes a weekly bulletin online with the most up-to-date schedule information — important for weekend Masses, which rotate between Harper, Danville, and Anthony.
- Parish office: 1023 W Main St., Harper, KS 67058
- Phone: (620) 896-7886
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stjoanofarcharper.org/
- Check the weekly bulletin before traveling for weekend Mass
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Michael Peltzer1998–2020
First pastor of the newly formed St. Joan of Arc Parish (appointed Aug. 3, 1998). Served 20 years over the three Harper County worship sites before requesting semi-retirement on health grounds in 2020.
- Father Babu R. Pinninti (Fr. Bob)
Current pastor of St. Joan of Arc of Harper County.