About St. Malachy · Beattie, Kansas
St. Malachy Catholic Church is a small rural parish in the town of Beattie, in Marshall County in north-east Kansas, founded in 1879 by Irish settler families and currently served from St. Gregory the Great Parish in Marysville, twelve miles to the west. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and is pastored by Fr. Quentin Schmitz. Its best-known architectural feature is the barrel-vaulted Gothic-arched ceiling of the red-brick church that was dedicated on October 24, 1924, rediscovered and restored in a 2022–2023 renovation that returned the interior to something close to its original appearance. With about 70 families today, St. Malachy's remains an active worshiping community rooted in pioneer Catholic history on the Great Plains.
- Established
- 1879
- Patron
- St. Malachy of Armagh
- Rector
- Rev. Quentin Schmitz
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas
Why belong here
St. Malachy's is a tight, multi-generational rural parish of about 70 families where the same people who worship together also plan and execute major projects like the 2022–2023 restoration of the church. Visitors are welcomed to a charming 1924 red-brick interior — now showcasing its original barrel-vaulted Gothic-arched ceiling, salvaged traditional altars, and a wood aisle inlaid with symbols of baptism, confirmation and Eucharist — and to a community that keeps the historic Catholic faith of north-east Kansas alive through Sunday and weekday Mass, regular confession, and parish events. As a mission served from St. Gregory the Great in Marysville, it offers the beauty of a small country church with the support of a larger neighboring parish.
Mass times at St. Malachy
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 8:15 a.m. – 8:40 a.m. (before Mass)
Parish History
St. Malachy was founded in 1879 by Father William Fitzgerald, pastor of Irish Creek, who organized the Beattie congregation of Irish-settler families. Mass was first celebrated in private homes and an old stone schoolhouse, and the first frame church was completed in 1880 at a cost of about $3,000 on lots donated by James Fitzgerald, the pastor's brother. Father Fitzgerald died on November 29, 1881 before the church was fully paid off, and a succession of priests — Fathers Hudson, Daily, Meile, Schmickler, Hawelka, O'Sullivan, Burk, Taton, Galvin, Ryan, McDevitt, Schwam and McInerney — served the mission over the following decades, mostly from neighboring parishes until Father M. J. Galvin became Beattie's first resident pastor in 1907. In 1879 Father Fitzgerald also purchased a ten-acre tract north of Beattie for the parish cemetery, which still exists today.
- 1879 — Congregation organized by Rev. William Fitzgerald
- 1880 — First frame church built (cost ~$3,000)
- 1881 — Father Fitzgerald dies; Fr. Bernard Hudson completes the church
- 1886–1895 — Attended from Marysville by Fr. M. J. Schmickler
- 1903 — Fr. Francis Taton begins the parish house
- 1907 (Oct. 12) — Fr. M. J. Galvin becomes first resident pastor
- 1904 — Church relocated from the creek to its present site
The 1924 Red-Brick Church
The present church is a red-brick edifice built in 1924 directly next to the 1880 frame church, which was then converted into a parish social center. The new church was formally dedicated on October 24, 1924. Its defining architectural feature is a barrel-vaulted interior ceiling with Gothic arches, original to the building. The 1971–1972 renovation concealed this ceiling under a drop ceiling of acoustical panels and removed the original main and side altars.
- Dedicated October 24, 1924
- Red-brick exterior
- Original barrel vault with Gothic arches (hidden 1971–2022)
- 1903 parish house, originally built by Fr. Francis Taton
2022–2023 Renovation
In 2022–2023 the parish undertook a major restoration aimed at recovering the 1924 interior. The decision was made under former pastor Father Jim Shaughnessy; the planning and execution spanned the tenures of two more pastors, Father Nathan Haverland and Father Quentin Schmitz. A leadership committee of five laypeople and the pastor oversaw the work, with about half the labor done by contractors and half by parishioners. The renovated church was blessed on April 23, 2023, by Bishop Emeritus Thomas J. Olmsted of the Diocese of Phoenix, who grew up on his family's farm near Oketo.
- Phase 1 (Jan–June 2022): sanctuary work
- Phase 2 (Oct 2022–April 2023): nave and finish work
- Layered barrel vault exposed and painted blue with gold stars
- New main and side altars salvaged from St. Stanislaus Kostka, Coatesville, PA
- New wood center aisle with inlays of baptism, confirmation and Eucharist
- Wood wainscoting, refreshed confessional, new HVAC, lighting and sound
- Future planned: front steps and ADA ramp
Cemetery
In 1879 Father William Fitzgerald purchased a ten-acre tract of land north of Beattie for a parish cemetery. The cemetery has been continuously maintained by the parish and remains a tangible link to the congregation's pioneer founding.
- 1879 — Cemetery land purchased by Fr. Fitzgerald
- Ten-acre site north of Beattie
Parish School and Sisters
St. Malachy's operated a parish school for many decades, taught by Benedictine sisters from Mount St. Scholastica Monastery in Atchison, Kansas. The 'Bungalow' building served as the high school from 1929 to 1938 and as the grade school from 1960; the 1959–1969 school building is now the parish hall. The Mount St. Scholastica Archive preserves photographs, class lists and the sisters' daily schedule from the school.
- Sisters from Mount St. Scholastica Monastery, Atchison
- 1959–1969 school building converted to parish hall
- The Bungalow (HS 1929–1938, grade school from 1960)
Liturgy and Sacraments
St. Malachy's currently offers Sunday Mass at 8:45 a.m. and a weekday Mass on Thursday at 8:30 a.m., with confessions heard from 8:15 to 8:40 a.m. before Sunday Mass. Weekday Mass is occasionally subject to change due to funerals or priest travel; parishioners are asked to check the bulletin or call the St. Gregory's Parish Office. The parish is served from St. Gregory the Great Parish in Marysville, twelve miles to the west, and pastoral needs such as baptisms and marriages are coordinated through the Marysville office.
- Sunday Mass: 8:45 a.m.
- Thursday Mass: 8:30 a.m.
- Confessions: Sunday 8:15 a.m. – 8:40 a.m.
- Coordinated with St. Gregory the Great, Marysville
Get Involved
St. Malachy's is a parish of about 70 families in which the same people who pray together also plan and execute major projects — most recently the 2022–2023 restoration, in which roughly half the work was done by parishioners. The St. Malachy Catholic Church Fund participates in the Pony Up Marysville Match Day, a community fund-raiser that has helped finance improvements to the church, hall, and grounds. Future planned work includes the front entry, steps and an ADA ramp, and there are ongoing opportunities for lay involvement in liturgy, music, the cemetery, and the parish hall.
- St. Malachy Catholic Church Fund (Pony Up Marysville Match Day)
- Renovation leadership committee model (5 laypeople + pastor)
- Ongoing building and grounds projects (front steps, ramp, grounds)
Visiting
St. Malachy's is located at 1012 Main Street in Beattie, Kansas, approximately 12 miles east of Marysville. Visitors are welcomed to Sunday Mass at 8:45 a.m. and Thursday Mass at 8:30 a.m., with confessions before Sunday Mass. The parish mailing address is c/o St. Gregory the Great, 207 N. 14th, Suite B, Marysville, KS 66508, and the parish office phone is (785) 562-3302.
- 1012 Main St., Beattie, KS 66406
- Mailing: 207 N. 14th, Suite B, Marysville, KS 66508
- Phone: (785) 562-3302 — parish office
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. William Fitzgerald1879–1881
Founder of the Beattie congregation; organized the parish in 1879 and began construction of the first church; died Nov. 29, 1881 before it was fully paid off.
- Rev. Bernard Hudson1881–1882
Completed the first church after Father Fitzgerald's death and took charge of the congregation for a short time.
- Rev. Daily1882–1883
Succeeded Father Hudson.
- Rev. Hudson (second tenure)1883
Returned briefly.
- Rev. M. A. Meile1883–1885
Took charge from Marysville; resigned in 1885 due to ill health.
- Rev. M. J. Schmickler1886–1895
Attended Beattie twice a month from Marysville.
- Rev. F. S. Hawelka1895–1898
Beattie attached to Axtell as a mission under his care.
- Rev. P. R. O'Sullivan1898 (briefly)
Attended Beattie from St. Bridget for several months.
- Rev. M. Burk1898–1903
Pastored from Axtell with charge of Beattie.
- Rev. Francis Taton1903–1907
Built the parish house, paving the way for Beattie's first resident pastor.
- Rev. M. J. Galvin1907–1910
First resident pastor of Beattie, from Oct. 12, 1907.
- Rev. J. J. Ryan1910–1914
Succeeded Father Galvin; left due to ill health.
- Rev. H. A. McDevitt1914–1916
Took charge March 13, 1914; served until March 8, 1916.
- Rev. Theol. P. Schwam1916–
Took charge March 8, 1916; listed as the present pastor in the 1916 Standard History of Kansas source.
- Rev. Patrick McInerneyAfter 1916
Reported to have paid off the parish debt and put the congregation on a solid financial footing.
- Rev. Jim Shaughnessy
Former pastor under whom the decision was made to renovate the church.
- Rev. Nathan Haverland
Former pastor; oversaw the early planning of the 2022–2023 renovation; later transferred to Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish, Topeka.
- Rev. Quentin Schmitz2020–present
Current pastor; also pastor of St. Gregory the Great Parish in Marysville; completed the renovation begun under his predecessors.
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