About St. Joseph · Parnell, Missouri
St. Joseph Catholic Church is a small, rural parish serving the farming community of Parnell, Missouri, in the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph. The parish was organized in 1890 at the urging of Bishop Hogan and its present brick church was formally dedicated on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1925. Today the parish draws roughly 100 registered families from Parnell, Ravenwood, Grant City, and the surrounding countryside, and is pastored by Conception Abbey Benedictine Father Peter Ullrich, OSB. Sunday Mass is offered at 10:00 a.m. and Thursday Mass at 8:00 a.m., with religious education for children on Wednesday evenings.
- Established
- 1890
- Patron
- St. Joseph
- Rector
- Rev. Peter Ullrich, OSB
- Diocese
- Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph
Why belong here
St. Joseph is a tight-knit, century-old rural parish where the same farming families have worshipped for generations — about 100 households now draw from Parnell, Ravenwood, Grant City, and the surrounding countryside. Worship is offered twice weekly in the historic 1925 brick church, with a Sunday 10:00 a.m. Mass and a Thursday 8:00 a.m. Mass, plus Wednesday-evening religious education for children. The parish also runs a women's Altar Society that hosts a Lenten fish fry, a fall dinner, and an ice cream booth at the Parnell Duck Race, and the community cares for its cemetery each Memorial Day with more than 120 flags — small, concrete ways of belonging that make the church a true anchor of the area.
Mass times at St. Joseph
Weekly Mass schedule
Parish History
Catholic life in the Parnell area predates the parish itself. The mother congregation of Seven Dolors was established in 1858, and a first church was built five miles south of Parnell on land donated by Jacob and Margaret Schmitz in 1872 with help from Conception Abbey missionary Father James Powers. After years of traveling to that mission by horse and wagon, local families organized St. Joseph Parish in August 1890 at the urging of Bishop Hogan. The founding fourteen families seceded from the Dolorosa Mission at Grand River and built a 60-by-20-foot frame church dedicated in June 1891. The current brick church was constructed in 1924–1925 and formally dedicated on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1925, by Bishop Gilfillan of St. Joseph, with Abbot Philip of Conception Abbey and visiting clergy present. The parish marked the 100th anniversary of that dedication on November 23, 2025, with Bishop James V. Johnston Jr. of the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph as celebrant.
- Mother congregation of Seven Dolors established 1858
- First parish church dedicated June 1891
- Current brick church dedicated Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1925
- 100th anniversary of current church celebrated November 23, 2025
Building the Present Church (1924–1925)
On August 17, 1924, the last services were held in the old frame church, which was then wrecked to make way for the new one on the same site. Excavation for the 83-by-40-foot basement began a week later, and by November 9 the basement was finished and served as a temporary worship space. Work resumed on the superstructure on March 25, 1925. The church is of brick construction with cement copings, designed by E. Gray Powell of St. Joseph, with Ed Warren of Sheridan as foreman and Chas. Baublits of Parnell executing the frescoing planned by Father Innocent, OSB. Holy Mass was first celebrated on the new St. Joseph Altar on September 4, 1925; the formal dedication was Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1925. The basement cost $5,686.07, materials $9,763.59, and labor $7,965.40 — roughly $25,000 in total, with most work done by parishioners themselves.
- Plans by E. Gray Powell of St. Joseph
- Construction foreman Ed Warren of Sheridan
- Frescoing by Chas. Baublits of Parnell
- Altars and communion railing of 'Rigalico' marble-finish composition
- Light-oak pews and stained-glass windows
Renovations Over a Century
The well-built structure has needed only modest updates. The rectory was refurbished in the late 1940s–early 1950s, and the basement was remodeled in the 1950s with a new kitchen, floor, and ceiling. Glass entrance doors and a north sacristy entrance were added in the late 1960s, the lot across the street to the west was purchased for parking, and a two-car garage was built. The sanctuary was updated to new liturgical standards in the 1970s, with a new altar, painting, and stenciling completed in 1978. The 1980s brought further basement renovation and east- and west-side additions to the rectory that became the Father Regis Probtsfield Learning Center, plus an accessibility ramp. In the 1990s the parish tuckpointed and sealed the building and repaired stained-glass windows for its centennial, and in the mid-2000s the main entrance was carpeted, south steps refloored, and restrooms remodeled. Stained-glass doors were added in 2007 in memory of John E. and Marilyn Runde; a new organ was donated in 2012 in memory of Richard Runde; and a basement-entrance accessibility ramp was added in 2013.
- Glass front entrance doors and north sacristy entrance (late 1960s)
- Parking lot across the street purchased (late 1960s)
- Sanctuary updated to new liturgical standards (1970s)
- Father Regis Probtsfield Learning Center addition (1980s)
- Stained-glass memorial doors (2007)
- New organ in memory of Richard Runde (2012)
- Accessibility ramp to basement (2013)
Pastor and Clergy
St. Joseph Parish is served by Conception Abbey Benedictine Father Peter Ullrich, OSB, who also pastors neighboring St. Columba Parish in Conception Junction. Father Peter — born William Michael Ullrich in St. Joseph, Missouri on June 25, 1950 — was baptized the following month, attended St. James parochial school, and St. John's Diocesan Seminary in Kansas City before entering Conception Abbey in 1973, where he took the name Peter. He was ordained May 23, 1987 and has served in a variety of pastoral and administrative roles, including Newman Chaplain at NWMSU in Maryville, and pastorates in Savannah and Forest City, before his current assignment. The Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph also appointed him, briefly in 2024, Parochial Administrator of St. Peter Parish, Stanberry and St. Patrick Mission, Ford City.
- Rev. Peter Ullrich, OSB — Pastor; Conception Abbey Benedictine
- Ordained May 23, 1987
- Jubilee: 50 years professed (2024) at Conception Abbey
- Previously Newman Chaplain at NWMSU, Maryville
Mass and Worship Schedule
The parish offers a simple weekly schedule centered on Sunday and Thursday Mass. Children gather for religious education on Wednesday evenings. The current schedule is published on the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph parish locator and on the parish's Facebook page.
- Sunday Mass: 10:00 a.m.
- Thursday Mass: 8:00 a.m.
- Wednesday evening: Religious education for children
Parish Ministries
Beyond worship, the parish runs a small set of ministries that knit the rural community together. The Altar Society (sometimes called the women's society) traditionally cared for the altar linens and now also helps with parish dinners and events. Religious education for school-age children is held on Wednesday evenings.
- Altar Society (women's society) — hosts Lenten fish fry, fall dinner, and Parnell Duck Race ice cream booth
- Parish School of Religion (K-8 and 9-12) — Wednesday evenings
- Memorial Day cemetery flag tradition — begun 2014, now 120+ flags annually
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the usual sacraments of a Roman Catholic parish. Diocesan pastoral-plan data for 2016–2022 records infant baptisms, youth First Communions and Confirmations, youth and adult catechumens, marriages, and funerals at the parish each year.
- Baptism (infant)
- First Communion (youth)
- Confirmation (youth)
- Marriage
- Funeral rites
Parish Community and Demographics
Father Ullrich has noted that about 100 families from Ravenwood, Parnell, Grant City, and all the areas in between now call St. Joseph their parish home. Many members are involved in agriculture, and the parish counts numerous young families with many children. Recent diocesan pastoral-plan data put average Mass attendance in the mid-80s with roughly 104 registered Catholic households.
- About 100 families from Ravenwood, Parnell, and Grant City area
- Many families involved in agriculture
- Numerous young families with children
Diocese and Pastoral Planning
St. Joseph is one of the smaller parishes in the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph and has historically been cared for by Benedictine priests of Conception Abbey. The diocese's June 2023 Pastoral Plan recommended that St. Joseph consider a merger with St. Columba in Conception Junction, with shared finances, a single pastoral council and finance council, and the Easter Triduum celebrated at one site. The projected combined community would have roughly 524 households and revenues of about $336,000.
- Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph
- Conception Abbey Benedictine pastoral tradition
- 2023 Pastoral Plan: recommended merger with St. Columba, Conception Junction
Cemetery and Memorial Traditions
The parish cemetery, acquired in August 1891, remains an important focus of community devotion. In 2014 the Philip Auffert family began placing flags there for Memorial Day in memory of Patricia Auffert; the tradition has grown and now displays more than 120 flags each year in memory of or in honor of loved ones.
- Cemetery acquired August 1891
- Memorial Day flag tradition begun 2014 by Philip Auffert family
- More than 120 flags displayed annually
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Berthold Jaeggle, OSB1891
Built the first 60x20-foot frame church, dedicated June 14, 1891
- Rev. Joseph Zuendt, OSBAugust 1891 – 1916
Shepherded the young mission for ~25 years; oversaw new rectory in 1916
- Rev. Ildephonse Kuhn, OSBJanuary 1917 – 1920
First resident pastor; fell ill and died February 7, 1921
- Rev. Ambrose Bucher, OSBApril 21, 1920 – August 1922
Second resident pastor; returned Army chaplain; oversaw electric plant and cistern
- Rev. Odilo Schieber, OSBAugust 1922 –
Built the present brick church dedicated Thanksgiving Day 1925
- Rev. Rene Guesnier1990 – 1993
Returned to Diocese of Dodge City; military chaplain veteran
- Rev. Peter Ullrich, OSBcurrent
Conception Abbey Benedictine; also pastor of St. Columba, Conception Junction