About St. John · Adair, Iowa
St. John is a small Roman Catholic parish in Adair, Iowa, part of the Diocese of Des Moines and tightly twinned with All Saints Catholic Church in nearby Stuart. The two communities share a pastor, faith-formation programs, a combined parish calendar, and a single parish office run out of Stuart, so 'All Saints & St. John' functions as one pastoral family serving Guthrie and Adair Counties. Worship at St. John centers on a Sunday morning Mass and a Wednesday evening Mass, with Reconciliation offered before Sunday Mass and a prayer-chain and Rosary devotion sustaining weekly parish life. The parish was formally incorporated as 'St. John's Roman Catholic Church of Adair, Adair County, Iowa' on November 26, 1912, and more than a century later it continues as a faithful, welcoming mission church served from Stuart.
- Established
- 1912
- Patron
- St. John the Evangelist (parish name)
- Rector
- Rev. Antony Mathew
- Diocese
- Diocese of Des Moines
Why belong here
St. John offers a small, neighborly Catholic home in Adair with Sunday Mass, weekday Mass on Wednesdays, and confessions before Sunday Mass — all the essentials of parish life wrapped in a tight-knit rural community. Because it shares clergy, faith formation, and a parish office with All Saints in Stuart, members have access to a broader set of ministries, including an Altar & Rosary Society, Knights of Columbus council, RCIA, adult religious-education classes, and a parish prayer chain, while still gathering as a recognizable Catholic presence in Adair. The parish's mission — 'Rejoicing with gratitude in God's blessings, we invite and welcome all to share in the fullness of the Catholic faith' — is lived out through worship, teaching, and serving one another, making it a welcoming place both for lifelong Catholics and for those inquiring about becoming Catholic.
Mass times at St. John
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 7:30–7:50 a.m. at St. John, Adair (also listed as 7:15–7:50 a.m. on some directories)
Parish Identity & Mission
St. John in Adair is a Roman Catholic parish in the Diocese of Des Moines, formally incorporated on November 26, 1912 as 'St. John's Roman Catholic Church of Adair, Adair County, Iowa.' It shares its pastor, parish staff, and parish life with All Saints Catholic Church in Stuart, and together the two form one combined pastoral family serving rural Guthrie and Adair Counties. The shared mission statement reads: 'Rejoicing with gratitude in God's blessings, we invite and welcome all to share in the fullness of the Catholic faith. We live our baptismal call through worship, teaching, and serving one another.'
- Diocese: Des Moines
- Rite: Roman-Latin
- Served from Stuart
- Pastor: Rev. Antony Mathew ([email protected])
- Parish Secretary / Bookkeeper (shared, Stuart): Wilma Ernesti — 515-523-1943
Combined Parish Schedule (All Saints, Stuart)
St. John parishioners are full members of the All Saints / St. John family and may attend the full combined schedule at All Saints in Stuart, which is the administrative home of the parish.
- Saturday Vigil — 4:30 p.m.
- Sunday — 10:00 a.m.
- Tuesday — 5:30 p.m.
- Thursday — 10:00 a.m. at the Care Center
- Friday — 8:30 a.m.
- Reconciliation — Saturday 3:30 p.m., or anytime by appointment
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith formation for both St. John and All Saints is coordinated out of Stuart under a single catechetical leader, and adult faith formation is led directly by the pastor. RCIA / OCIA inquiries (for those wishing to become Catholic) are welcomed through the parish office, and the parish bulletin regularly promotes Catholic devotional and Bible-study resources such as Magnificat, The Word Among Us, EWTN News, and Catholic Answers.
- Catechetical Leader (shared, listed for St. John): Elizabeth Moreland — [email protected]
- Adult Faith Formation: Rev. Antony Mathew
- RCIA / OCIA contact: parish office, 515-523-1943
- Faith-formation students (2017, combined): 97
- Combined faith-formation calendar held at All Saints, Stuart
Ministries, Prayer & Service
Although small, the parish is sustained by an active set of lay-led ministries that cut across both St. John and All Saints. A parish Prayer Chain lifts up intentions sent in by email or phone, and Mass Intentions can be requested through the church office. The Altar & Rosary Society, Knights of Columbus council, and the Catholic Foundation of Southwest Iowa all support the spiritual and material life of the parish.
- Parish Prayer Chain — [email protected] or 515-523-1943
- Mass Intention requests — contact the church office
- Altar & Rosary Society (combined)
- Knights of Columbus (combined) — Grand Knight (current): Sean Bovinett, [email protected], 712-574-3886
- Catholic Foundation of Southwest Iowa stewardship
Sacraments
St. John celebrates the core sacraments in the usual Roman Catholic way, with Reconciliation offered before Sunday Mass and arrangements for the other sacraments handled through the shared parish office in Stuart. The parish bulletin specifically invites anyone interested in becoming Catholic to call the church office for information about the OCIA / RCIA process.
- Eucharist — Sunday 8:00 a.m. and Wednesday 5:30 p.m. at St. John; additional Masses at All Saints, Stuart
- Reconciliation — Sunday 7:30–7:50 a.m. at St. John; Saturday 3:30 p.m. or by appointment at All Saints
- Becoming Catholic (OCIA/RCIA) — call 515-523-1943
- Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick — arranged through the parish office
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Raymond Higgins
Listed as pastor of the combined All Saints / St. John family in an earlier Des Moines diocesan directory.
- Rev. Antony Mathewpresent
Current pastor of St. John, Adair, and All Saints, Stuart; email [email protected].