About St. John the Baptist · Arcadia, Iowa
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church is a rural parish in the small community of Arcadia, Iowa, established in 1874 when Father John Kemper of Mount Carmel celebrated the first Mass in a town warehouse. Today the parish operates as a secondary church within Good Shepherd Catholic Parish, a cluster of seven western Carroll County parishes in the Diocese of Sioux City formed in 2021 amid declining rural population and a shortage of priests. With about 130 member households, St. John gathers for Sunday morning Mass, maintains its parish cemetery (which it doubled in size in 2018), and celebrated its 150th anniversary in August 2025. The current church, a gothic-style structure of pressed brick and dressed stone, was built in 1921 after a 1918 tornado destroyed the previous church on the same site in southwest Arcadia.
- Established
- 1874
- Patron
- St. John the Baptist
- Rector
- Rev. Terry A. Roder (Pastor of Good Shepherd Catholic Parish, residing at St. Bernard-Breda)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sioux City
Why belong here
St. John the Baptist in Arcadia is a small, close-knit rural parish with deep roots in western Carroll County dating to 1874, offering a quiet, traditional worship experience centered on Sunday morning Mass and weekly Wednesday Mass. As a secondary church of Good Shepherd Catholic Parish, parishioners benefit from shared ministry and resources across seven area Catholic churches while preserving their own historic identity, parish cemetery, and community life. The parish has produced seven priests, two brothers, and ten sisters over its history — a remarkable record of vocations that reflects the faithful Catholic heritage passed down through generations of farming families in this corner of Iowa.
Mass times at St. John the Baptist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:30 AM - 7:45 AM
Parish History
St. John the Baptist Parish traces its beginning to Feb. 8, 1874, when Father John Kemper of Mount Carmel offered the first Mass in a town warehouse. A frame church was built on the present site in southwest Arcadia in 1875 at a cost of $3,200, seating 650 people. The parish grew rapidly: by 1880-1881 the first school was built and 90 families were registered. The Sisters of St. Francis from Dubuque arrived in 1888 to teach at the school, which they would staff until it closed in 1995. A brick church was added in 1888, but it was destroyed by a tornado in May 1918. The current gothic-style pressed-brick and dressed-stone church was begun in 1921, dedicated Oct. 7, 1922, and remains the parish's spiritual home today.
- Founded 1874; current church built 1921, dedicated Oct. 7, 1922
- 125th anniversary celebrated in June 2000, closed by Bishop Daniel DiNardo on the Feast of Pentecost
- 150th anniversary celebrated Aug. 30-31, 2025, with Mass by Bishop John Keehner
Good Shepherd Catholic Parish Cluster
Since 2021, St. John the Baptist has operated as a secondary church of Good Shepherd Catholic Parish, formed by the Diocese of Sioux City to consolidate parishes in western Carroll County amid a declining rural population and shortage of priests. The cluster brings together seven parishes: St. Bernard in Breda (the primary site where the administrative offices and sacramental records are kept), Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Mount Carmel, Holy Guardian Angels in Roselle, St. Augustine in Halbur, Sacred Heart in Templeton, and St. John the Baptist in Arcadia.
- Primary site: St. Bernard, Breda (parish office and records)
- Secondary sites: Arcadia and Templeton
- Cluster formed in 2021 by the Diocese of Sioux City
Parish Staff & Clergy
The pastor of Good Shepherd Catholic Parish, Rev. Terry A. Roder, resides at St. Bernard in Breda and serves all the cluster churches including St. John the Baptist. He serves as vicar forane of the Southeast Deanery of the Diocese of Sioux City. Julie Eich is the part-time administrative assistant/bookkeeper for the Arcadia site, with office hours on Monday and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
- Rev. Terry A. Roder — Pastor (residing at St. Bernard-Breda); rectory 712-673-2351; [email protected]
- Julie Eich — Part-Time Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper (Arcadia); office Mon & Fri 7:30-11:30 AM; 712-689-2595; [email protected]
- Cindy Lawler — Bookkeeper/Administrative Assistant, Good Shepherd Parish office, Breda; 712-673-2582
Buildings & Grounds
Parish volunteers serve on the Buildings/Grounds Committee to care for the historic 1921 church, parish facilities, and grounds. Members listed on the parish website include Jerome Henkenius, Pat Vogl, and Mary Jo Berning.
- Buildings/Grounds Committee members: Jerome Henkenius, Pat Vogl, Mary Jo Berning
Parish Cemetery
Since 1874 the people of St. John the Baptist Parish have maintained a cemetery. In 2018 the parish doubled the size of the cemetery with the purchase of 2.4 acres of farm ground south of the original cemetery, thanks to donations from parishioners. Parish volunteers cleared and leveled the ground, poured the new concrete driveway, installed a new chain-link fence, and staked out every lot. The new area was blessed on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018, and the first burial (Larry Irlbeck, Section B) took place on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018.
- Cemetery maintained since 1874 (land acquired by Father F. W. Pape)
- Expanded 2018 — 2.4 acres added, blessed Oct. 28, 2018
- Sections divided into lots of two graves (12' x 10'), each grave 12' x 5'
- Burial options: one casket, OR two cremains/urns, OR one casket and one cremains/urn per grave
- Cost: $300 per grave or $600 per lot (two graves); contact parish office
Sacraments
Arrangements for the sacraments are made through the parish office. Confession is offered before Sunday Mass. Marriage preparation, baptism, and anointing of the sick are coordinated through the Good Shepherd Catholic Parish pastoral staff; with fewer priests now serving the cluster, retired priests often assist with anointing in emergencies, weddings, funerals, and anniversaries.
- Baptism — contact parish office
- Marriage — contact parish office
- Anointing of the Sick — available through Good Shepherd pastoral care
- Confession/Reconciliation — Sunday 7:30-7:45 AM
Vocations & Heritage
Over its 150-year history, St. John the Baptist Parish has produced an extraordinary number of religious vocations from a small rural community: seven men became priests, two became brothers, and ten became sisters. The Sisters of St. Francis from Dubuque served St. John's School from 1888 until its closing in 1995, with approximately 100 sisters assigned to the school across those 107 years. In June 2000, then-Bishop Daniel DiNardo (later Archbishop of Galveston-Houston) closed the 125th anniversary celebration with a parish Mass on the Feast of Pentecost, and in August 2025, Bishop John Keehner celebrated the 150th anniversary Mass.
- 7 priests, 2 brothers, 10 sisters from the parish
- Sisters of St. Francis from Dubuque taught at St. John's School 1888-1995 (~100 sisters)
- 125th anniversary: 2000, closed by Bishop Daniel DiNardo
- 150th anniversary: 2025, closed by Bishop John Keehner
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father John Kemper (Kempker)1874-1875
First Mass in Arcadia on Feb. 8, 1874, celebrated in a warehouse; built the first frame church in 1875 at a cost of $3,200, seating 650.
- Father F. W. Pape1876-1880
From Carroll; bought land for a cemetery and built the first rectory.
- Father John Urbany1880-1881
From Carroll; first school built during his tenure; 90 families registered.
- Father J. B. Fendrick1881-1886
First resident pastor of St. John's, arrived Aug. 15, 1881.
- Father M. C. LenihanMay-Dec 1886
From Vail; first 11 recorded baptisms written during his tenure.
- Father H. J. Hemesath1886-1887
- Father Joseph Hellirigl (Hellrigl)1887-1893
Built a new brick church in 1888 at a cost of $8,555; converted frame church into school.
- Father J. A. Schultes1893-1916
Wrote a brief history of the parish used as a source for later accounts.
- Father M. Ruemmele1916-1920
- Father M. J. Mallinger1920-1921
Began building the current church after the 1918 tornado.
- Father J. G. Mallinger1921-1929
Continued construction of new church, school, and convent.
- Father Mathias Stork1929-1956
- Father Cletus Ahmann1956-1984
Long-serving pastor.
- Father Richard Remmes1984-1988
- Msgr. James K. Lafferty1988-1999
- Father William Schreiber1999-2001
- Father John Thomas2001-
Began sharing a pastor with St. Ann's Parish in Vail in July 2001.
- Father Timothy Friedrichsen
Listed among past/previous priests invited to the 150th anniversary.
- Father Timothy Pick
Listed among past/previous priests invited to the 150th anniversary.
- Father Mark Stoll
Listed among past/previous priests invited to the 150th anniversary.
- Father Gary Snyder
Listed among past/previous priests invited to the 150th anniversary.