About St. John Catholic Church · Blairstown, Iowa
St. John Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish in the rural Benton County town of Blairstown, Iowa, and one of five parishes that make up the Queen of Saints Cluster in the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The parish traces its origins to August 19, 1945, when its first Mass was celebrated in the American Legion Hall while a permanent church was under construction; the church was dedicated in 1948 by Archbishop Henry P. Rohlman. Today St. John shares a single pastoral team with sister parishes in Norway, Watkins, Newhall, and Van Horne, and weekend Mass rotates among the cluster's churches, reflecting the close-knit rural character of east-central Iowa Catholicism.
- Established
- 1945
- Patron
- St. John (the Baptist, per the parish's rural Iowa tradition; the church is simply 'St. John')
- Rector
- Rev. Jacob Dunne (Fr. Jake)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Dubuque (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dubuque)
Why belong here
St. John offers the warmth of a small rural parish backed by the resources of a five-parish cluster. Mass and the sacraments rotate through Queen of Saints Cluster churches (Blairstown, Norway, Watkins, Newhall, and Van Horne) so parishioners can worship close to home, attend weekday Mass in any of the five towns, and still have one pastor — Fr. Jacob Dunne — and one pastoral team caring for the whole family of parishes. A Prayer Chain ministry, RCIA/OCIA process for adults, Youth Faith Formation, online giving, and a printed bulletin keep parishioners connected, while Stations of the Cross with Eucharistic Adoration during Lent give the cluster a shared devotional rhythm across its five communities.
Mass times at St. John Catholic Church
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM (before the first weekend Mass)
- Sunday 7:30 AM – 8:00 AM (before the first weekend Mass)
- Fr. Jake is available to hear confessions before the first Mass each weekend until quarter-till the hour
Adoration times
- Monday 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM — Stations of the Cross with Adoration at Immaculate Conception, Van Horne
- Tuesday 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM — Stations of the Cross with Adoration at St. John, Blairstown
Parish Identity & Heritage
St. John Catholic Church is the Catholic parish of Blairstown, Iowa, in rural Benton County. Founded in 1945 as a mission of St. Patrick's in Watkins and dedicated in 1948 by Archbishop Henry P. Rohlman, it grew out of a Catholic community that had been served as a mission from Tama in the 1890s and from Watkins since 1912. The parish exists today as one of five communities in the Queen of Saints Cluster of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.
- Founded 1945; first Mass in American Legion Hall, August 19, 1945
- First Mass in church basement, 1947
- Dedicated 1948 by Archbishop Henry P. Rohlman
- Member of the Queen of Saints Cluster (formed 2003) with St. Michael (Norway), St. Patrick (Watkins), St. Paul (Newhall), and Immaculate Conception (Van Horne)
Cluster History
St. John has experienced several pastoral configurations. After remaining independent from 1945 to 1986 — with a brief interlude in 1950 when it was served from Newhall — the parish joined the 5-Alive Parishes with Norway, Watkins, Newhall, and Van Horne (1986–1993). In 1993 it became part of a Tri-Parish with St. Paul's and Immaculate Conception, and in 2003 it was re-clustered with all five communities as the Queen of Saints Cluster under one pastoral team.
- 1950 — brief service from Newhall
- 1986–1993 — 5-Alive Parishes
- 1993–2003 — Tri-Parish with St. Paul's and Immaculate Conception
- 2003 to present — Queen of Saints Cluster (five parishes, one pastoral team)
Pastor & Parish Staff
The Queen of Saints Cluster is served by one pastor and one staff team that cares for all five parishes. The pastor is Rev. Jacob Dunne (Fr. Jake). A deacon, a business manager/webmaster, a secretary/bulletin editor, and a team of OCIA coordinators round out the parish's paid and volunteer leadership.
- Rev. Jacob Dunne — Pastor; parish phone (319) 228-8131 ext. #303; cell (319) 389-2202; residence (319) 227-7169; [email protected]
- Deacon Robb Pailthorpe — (319) 439-5327; [email protected]
- Jaci Chambers — Business Manager / Webmaster; ext. #305; [email protected]
- Kellee Jurgens — Secretary / Bulletin Editor; [email protected]
- Mark & Ann Frese — OCIA Coordinators; (319) 899-0468; [email protected]
- Office Hours: Monday–Thursday 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM; closed Friday
Devotions
During Lent, the cluster gathers for Stations of the Cross paired with Eucharistic Adoration, rotating between two of the five churches so that parishioners in Blairstown and Van Horne can each worship close to home.
- Monday 6:00–6:30 PM — Stations of the Cross with Adoration at Immaculate Conception, Van Horne
- Tuesday 9:00–9:30 AM — Stations of the Cross with Adoration at St. John, Blairstown
- Prayer Chain — six cluster-wide contacts listed on the parish website for prayer requests
Sacraments & Becoming Catholic
The Queen of Saints Cluster offers the full range of parish sacraments. Adults who wish to become Catholic, complete their sacraments, or learn more about the faith journey through the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly RCIA) process coordinated by Mark and Ann Frese. Parishioners preparing for marriage, baptism of children, or returning Catholics are invited to contact Fr. Jake directly.
- OCIA / RCIA — Journey in Faith; contact Mark & Ann Frese (319) 899-0468 or Fr. Jake
- Baptism, Marriage — contact Fr. Jacob Dunne
- First Eucharist & Confirmation — through Youth Faith Formation
- Return to the Church — confidential welcome back from Fr. Jake
- Reconciliation — Saturday 3:15–3:45 PM and Sunday 7:30–8:00 AM
Faith Formation for All Ages
Faith formation is offered through the cluster for both children and adults. Two dedicated Facebook pages — Traditional Faith Formation and Summer Faith Formation — extend the parish's youth ministry into a year-round rhythm, while Journey in Faith and OCIA serve adults who want to grow in their relationship with Christ or join the Catholic Church.
- Youth Faith Formation (linked from St. John parish site)
- Traditional Faith Formation — Facebook page
- Summer Faith Formation — Facebook page
- Journey in Faith — adult formation
- OCIA — coordinated by Mark & Ann Frese
Parish Life, Communications & Giving
Parishioners stay connected through a printed weekly bulletin, a shared online calendar across all five cluster churches, published ministry schedules (lectors, cleaning, etc.), and an Online Giving portal dedicated to St. John. Parish councils and committees meet to organize the work of the parish, and a Prayer Chain of six volunteers across the cluster fields prayer requests by phone.
- Weekly bulletin edited by parish secretary Kellee Jurgens
- Cluster calendar published on the Queen of Saints website
- Ministry Schedules (lectors, cleaning, etc.) published per church
- St. John Online Giving portal
- Councils and Committees page on the parish website
- Prayer Chain — six contacts covering the cluster
Parish Archive & Historical Records
St. John's parish records have been preserved by the Archdiocese of Dubuque and digitized through the Loras College Kucera Center for Catholic Thought. The collection includes the parish's 50th Anniversary Jubilee materials, its decree of erection, original legal files for the reincorporation of the church, annual financial reports, bulletins, correspondences, pastor lists, and a parish profile by Rev. Msgr. Edgar Kurt published in The Witness on August 13, 1989.
- Loras College Digital Collections — 'St. John (Blairstown, Iowa)' collection
- Housed in the Frank and Ida Goedken Series on 'Spiritual Life in the Upper Mississippi River Valley'
- Includes 50th Anniversary Jubilee (3 documents), Decree of Erection (3 documents), Original Legal Files (21 documents), Pastor Lists (3 documents), Annual Financial Reports (4 documents), Bulletins, Correspondences, and News Articles
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Nicholas U. Keffeler1945 (mission founder; pastor of Watkins)
Recognized the prospects for a parish in Blairstown; organized the new mission that became St. John.
- Father Joseph A. Sullivan1945
Came as assistant in the founding year.
- Father Nestor B. Goedken1946
Arrived the year after founding; the Loras College archive holds the Frank and Ida Goedken Series connected to the parish.