About St Joseph · Montrose, Iowa
St. Joseph Parish is a small Catholic community of about 50 families in the village of Montrose, Iowa, in the Diocese of Davenport. The parish traces its origins to 1860, making it one of the oldest Catholic congregations in Lee County, and it has long been served from neighboring towns — first from Keokuk and later from Fort Madison. Today St. Joseph is clustered with Sacred Heart Church in Fort Madison under the unified Holy Family Catholic Parishes, sharing one pastor, staff, faith formation program, and youth ministry. Weekend Mass is celebrated on Saturday evening at 6:00 pm and daily Mass on Wednesdays at 5:30 pm.
- Established
- 1860
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Fr. Gary Beckman
- Diocese
- Diocese of Davenport
Why belong here
St. Joseph offers the intimacy of a small, multigenerational Catholic community — about 50 families — rooted in the oldest legal land title in Iowa. Weekend and Wednesday Masses are celebrated right in the village, while parishioners share a wider parish family with Sacred Heart in Fort Madison, drawing on a faith-formation program for children and youth in grades 2–12, a youth Bible study, liturgical ministries, and a Ministry of Care that brings Holy Communion to the homebound and hospitalized. It is a welcoming place for newcomers, visitors, and longtime Catholics alike.
Mass times at St Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm at Sacred Heart Church, Fort Madison
- Sunday: 30 minutes prior to Mass
- By appointment with Fr. Beckman through the parish office (319-372-2127)
Adoration times
- Holy Family Parish offers Eucharistic Adoration on Fridays from 2:00 pm – 5:30 pm at Sacred Heart Church, Fort Madison
- Holy Hour on the First Friday of each month from 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm at Sacred Heart Church, Fort Madison
History of St. Joseph Parish, Montrose
The first Catholic church in Montrose was established in 1860 on land acquired from Walter I. Ruddick — a title that traced back to the Spanish Land Grant issued by Lt. Governor Zenon Trudeau to the French-Canadian trader Louis Honore Tesson in 1799, the oldest legal land title in Iowa. Villagers and surrounding farmers built the church themselves with local stone, native lumber, and donated bricks; the pews were hand-hewn, the door-slab hauled from West Point, and a bell from an old steamboat was shared with the Methodists. The community remained a mission even after the Diocese of Davenport formed in 1881, served successively from Nauvoo, Keokuk, and Fort Madison. Growth forced fundraising for a new church beginning in 1961, and the present building — designed by architects Steffen and Stotz of Ottumwa and built largely by volunteer labor — was dedicated by Bishop Gerald O'Keefe on June 15, 1968, with the first Mass celebrated on Christmas Eve 1968. Father Philip Cardenzana became St. Joseph's first resident priest in 1971, and a rectory was added with parishioner labor. The modest mortgage on the original church was paid off and celebrated with a mortgage-burning party in 1972.
- 1860 — first Catholic church in Montrose built on Spanish Land Grant land
- 1881 — Montrose remains a mission after the Diocese of Davenport is formed
- 1961 — fundraising begins for a new church
- 1966 — bishop approves blueprints
- April 23, 1968 — Father L.J. Leinen breaks ground on the new church
- June 15, 1968 — Bishop Gerald O'Keefe dedicates the new building
- Christmas Eve 1968 — first Mass celebrated in the new church
- 1971 — Father Philip Cardenzana becomes the first resident pastor
- 1972 — original-church mortgage paid off, mortgage-burning party
- 2021 — Year of St. Joseph celebrated with a feast-day Mass and outdoor social
Parish Staff & Clergy
St. Joseph is shepherded together with Sacred Heart, Fort Madison, as Holy Family Catholic Parishes. Fr. Gary Beckman, a Burlington native and former law-enforcement officer ordained in 1995, became pastor on July 1, 2023. The lay staff includes a Business Manager, a Secretary, a Faith Formation Director who also serves as Ministry of Care Coordinator, and a Youth Minister.
- Fr. Gary Beckman — Pastor
- Anita Helling — Business Manager
- Andrea Hernandez — Secretary
- Kelly Giese — Faith Formation Director / Ministry of Care Coordinator (319-372-2127)
- Katie Englund — Youth Minister
Faith Formation
Faith Formation is offered as a parish-wide effort to help parishioners grow in relationship with God and deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith. Kelly Giese, Faith Formation Director, researches and coordinates programs and ministries for children, youth, and adults across both St. Joseph and Sacred Heart parishes.
- Director: Kelly Giese
- Contact: 319-372-2127 or [email protected]
- Programs span children, youth, and adult formation
Youth Ministry
Holy Family Parish Youth Ministry calls young people to be disciples of Jesus Christ, draws them into the life and mission of the faith community, and fosters their total personal and spiritual growth. The program is open to students in grades 2 through 12 and meets on Wednesdays at McAleer Hall in Fort Madison.
- Grades 6–12: Wednesdays 5:00–6:00 pm (Bible Study)
- Grades 2–5: Wednesdays 6:00–6:45 pm
- Middle School & High School Bible Study in the McAleer Hall library
- Using FOCUS Bible study materials
- Contact: Katie Englund, [email protected]
Ministry of Care — Homebound & Hospital Visits
Holy Family Parish ministers to Catholics living in Fort Madison care facilities and to those admitted to the hospital. Mass is celebrated once a month at each residential facility, with a Eucharistic Minister making Communion visits on the off-weeks. For parishioners unable to attend Mass due to age, illness, or disability, a Eucharistic Minister can be assigned to bring Holy Communion to the home. Priests and Eucharistic Ministers also visit hospitalized Catholics who have identified themselves as such up to three times a week.
- Monthly Mass at each Fort Madison residential care facility
- Weekly Communion visits on alternate weeks
- Home Communion visits arranged through the parish office
- Hospital visits by priest or Eucharistic Minister up to three times a week
Sacraments
Sacramental life is celebrated across the Holy Family Catholic Parishes cluster. Weekend and weekday Masses at St. Joseph are listed above, while Sacred Heart Church in Fort Madison offers additional Masses throughout the week. Reconciliation is available at scheduled times at Sacred Heart or before Mass at St. Joseph, with appointments available through Fr. Beckman. The Anointing of the Sick and Communion for the homebound are coordinated through the Ministry of Care.
- Eucharist — Saturday 6:00 pm and Wednesday 5:30 pm at St. Joseph
- Reconciliation — Saturdays at Sacred Heart and Sundays before Mass at St. Joseph
- Anointing & visits to the sick — by request through the parish office
Holy Family Catholic Parishes
St. Joseph is one half of Holy Family Catholic Parishes, a unified cluster grouping Sacred Heart Church in Fort Madison with St. Joseph Church in Montrose under one pastor and one staff. The parishes share faith formation, youth ministry, the Ministry of Care, and the parish office.
- Sacred Heart Church, Fort Madison — 1013 Avenue E / 2217 Avenue I, Fort Madison, IA 52627
- St. Joseph Church, Montrose — 508 Cedar Street, Montrose, IA 52639
- Parish office phone: 319-372-2127
- Office hours: Monday–Thursday 8:30 am – 4:00 pm; Friday 8:30 am – noon
Visiting & Contact
St. Joseph's historic small-town setting is in the village of Montrose in southern Lee County along the Mississippi River. The parish shares a website, office, and staff with Sacred Heart Church in Fort Madison, just upriver, where most parish business and the bulk of formation programs are administered.
- Address: 508 Cedar Street, Montrose, IA 52639
- Parish phone: 319-524-8334
- Parish office (Fort Madison): 319-372-2127
- Website: https://www.holyfamilyfm.com/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father John Daley (Farmington)Pre-1881
First priest regularly serving the Montrose church, while the community was still a mission.
- Father Philip CardenzanaFrom 1971
First resident priest of St. Joseph Parish; oversaw construction of the parish rectory.
- Father L.J. Leinen1968
Officiated the groundbreaking ceremony for the new church on April 23, 1968.
- Father David Brownfieldc. 2021
Served as priest moderator with Trevor Pullinger as parish life coordinator; supported by retired priests Fr. John Spiegel, Fr. Joe Roost, and area priests Fr. Marty Goetz, Fr. Joseph Phung, Fr. Dan Dorau and Fr. James Flattery.
- Father Joseph PhungUntil mid-2023
Pastor of Holy Family Parish-Fort Madison and St. Joseph Parish-Montrose; reassigned July 1, 2023 to St. Patrick Parish-Iowa City.
- Father Gary BeckmanFrom July 1, 2023
Burlington native, ordained 1995; former law-enforcement officer; became pastor of Holy Family Parish-Fort Madison and St. Joseph Parish-Montrose on July 1, 2023.