About St. Mark the Evangelist · Colwich, Kansas
St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church is a historic rural parish in Colwich, Kansas, founded in 1875 by German Catholic immigrants and now serving 373 families (1,162 individual Catholics) in the Diocese of Wichita. The parish is best known for its striking 1903–1906 church — built from blueprints sent from Germany using salvaged material from the old Wichita watch factory — and for being the first Sedgwick County property outside of Wichita named to the National Register of Historic Places (1991). St. Mark continues a vigorous parish life of weekly Mass, weekday Eucharistic adoration, religious education for grades 1–12, the long-running Sunday rosary tradition, and active youth and adult faith formation.
- Established
- 1875
- Patron
- St. Mark the Evangelist
- Rector
- Reverend Brian D. Nelson
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wichita
Why belong here
St. Mark is a parish where more than 150 years of Catholic heritage is still actively lived. Daily Mass, weekday Eucharistic adoration from Monday noon through Tuesday evening, and a parish tradition of Sunday rosary before Mass give parishioners a deep rhythm of prayer. Families raising children will find weekly grade-school PSR (grades 1–8), high school formation (grades 9–12) and the summer Totus Tuus program, all coordinated by Director of Faith Formation Jessie Schoech, while adults can join book studies and small groups throughout the year. Add a warmly welcoming small-town community, a National Register-listed 1906 church with imported German artwork, and the living Marian devotion of the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, and St. Mark offers a distinctive blend of frontier Catholic history and present-day parish life.
Mass times at St. Mark the Evangelist
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00–5:00 pm (and by appointment)
- Wednesday 5:30–6:00 pm
Adoration times
- Monday 12:00 pm through Tuesday 10:00 pm (24-hour Eucharistic Adoration)
History & Heritage
St. Mark the Evangelist has been a living Catholic community on the Kansas prairie since 1875, when German immigrants — drawn by the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Homestead Act — built a small frame church on land donated by the August Wilkus family. Early Masses were celebrated by Father John Schurz in parishioners' homes as early as 1874. Within a decade the parish had grown to 135 families and a larger church had been built (1885); on Easter Sunday 1888 more than 1,000 people attended Mass. German was the language of homily and confession into the 1940s.
- 1874 — first Masses celebrated in parishioners' homes by Father John Schurz
- 1875 — parish established; first frame church built on Wilkus-donated land
- 1885 — larger church erected; enlarged 1886
- 1888 — Easter Sunday Mass attended by more than 1,000
- 2000 — 125th anniversary celebrated
- 1991 — named to the National Register of Historic Places under Msgr. George Schmidt
The Present Church (1903–1906)
The present church was begun on June 18, 1903 when Bishop Hennessy blessed the cornerstone — inscribed "Soli Deo In Honorem S. Marci Ev. A.D. 1903" — and was completed in 1906 under Father Bernard Schmiehausen. Blueprints came directly from Germany, building materials were salvaged from the old Wichita watch factory, and parishioners hauled the material by horse or ox-drawn cart and donated much of the labor. Stained glass windows were ordered from Mainz, Germany, and the wooden altar, pulpit, communion railings and baptismal font were built of white walnut ("butternut") at the Dubuque Altar Manufacturing Company and shipped by rail to Colwich. The church was consecrated on February 25, 1906 in the presence of 2,000–3,000 faithful, at a total cost of $35,124.54.
- Dimensions: 137 ft long × 55 ft wide; 24 ft ceilings; 30 ft nave; 125 ft bell tower
- Stained glass imported from Mainz, Germany (installed 1905)
- Altar, pulpit, communion railings and baptismal font: white walnut from Dubuque Altar Manufacturing Company
- Salvaged material from the former Wichita watch factory (purchased 1900 for $4,516.50)
- Statues: high altar, side altars, Pieta, and an exterior statue of St. Mark
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in May 1991
Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto & Marian Tradition
Just a few yards from the church stands the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, begun by Msgr. John Hackenbroich (pastor 1941–1951) in thanksgiving for the safe return of the 47 men from St. Mark who served in World War II — some wounded, some decorated for valor, one a two-year prisoner of war, but all alive. It is built of petrified wood, quartz and granite from Msgr. Hackenbroich's collection, parishioner-donated rocks, stones brought back from overseas, and Flint Hills limestone. The same devotion was renewed through the Korean and Vietnam wars. Today, parishioner families continue to take turns leading the rosary before each Sunday and weekday Mass — one of the parish's most cherished traditions.
- Marian devotion started by Msgr. John Hackenbroich during WWII
- Rosary before Sunday Mass and hymn 'Mary, Help Our Valiant Soldiers' still prayed/sung
- Renews of Marian devotion during Korean and Vietnam wars
- Grotto built of petrified wood, quartz, granite, parish stones, overseas stones, and Flint Hills limestone
Renovations Through the Decades
The church has been carefully stewarded through several major renovations. In 1983 Msgr. George Schmidt directed a redecoration that refinished the walls, statuary and altars. In 1991 the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places under his pastorate. In 2010, under Msgr. John Gilsenan, the Capital Improvements Committee oversaw a complete interior restoration: plaster repair and repainting, period-appropriate pews (modeled on the originals removed in the early 1960s), and new flooring selected to complement the original artistic decorations over the main altar and throughout the sanctuary.
- 1983 — interior redecoration (Msgr. George Schmidt)
- 1991 — named to National Register of Historic Places
- 2010 — full interior renovation back to early-1900s period look under Msgr. John Gilsenan
Parish Life Center (2003)
To meet the needs of a growing parish, in December 2002 construction began on a Parish Life Center on 14 acres the parish had purchased for expansion. Bishop Thomas Olmstead dedicated the new building on October 12, 2003; Father Shawn McKnight and Father David Lies were pastors during the construction phase. The Parish Life Center houses the parish offices, eight classrooms for religious education, and a hall for parish events.
- Construction began December 2, 2002
- Dedicated October 12, 2003 by Bishop Thomas Olmstead
- Houses parish offices, eight religious-education classrooms, and a parish hall
Staff & Leadership
St. Mark is led by a small, dedicated parish staff and supported by a parish secretary. The pastor also serves the Diocese of Wichita as Tribunal Judicial Vicar (since 2016), Chancellor, and a member of the Bishop's Leadership Team (since 2020).
- Rev. Brian D. Nelson — Pastor (since 2015)
- Jessie Schoech — Director of Faith Formation and Coordinator of Youth Ministry
- Greta Maples — Director of Music
- Renee Seyfert — Parish Secretary
Faith Formation for Children, Youth & Adults
Religious formation at St. Mark is structured to walk with parishioners from grade school through adulthood. Programs are coordinated by Director of Faith Formation Jessie Schoech.
- Grade School PSR (Parish School of Religion) — grades 1–8, Wednesdays 6:30–8:00 pm in the parish classrooms (covers faith, Mass, adoration, and sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation)
- High School Formation — grades 9–12, every other Wednesday 6:45–8:00 pm in the CYM room (prayer, formation, and small group discussion with adult leaders)
- Totus Tuus — summer Catholic youth program for grades 1–12, hosted by St. Mark's every other summer
- Catholic Youth Ministry (CYM)
- Adult Formation — book studies and small groups year-round (e.g. Lenten Gospel Reflections by Bishop Barron)
- RCIA / 'Become Catholic' inquiry for those exploring the faith
Sacraments
Sacramental preparation is woven into the parish's PSR curriculum and parish life. Families preparing for First Reconciliation, First Eucharist or Confirmation do so through the grade-school PSR program; inquiries about Baptism, Marriage preparation and other sacraments are welcomed by contacting the parish office.
- First Reconciliation, First Eucharist, and Confirmation — prepared through Grade School PSR
- Baptism
- Marriage preparation
- Anointing of the Sick and pastoral care by appointment
Music & Liturgy
Liturgical music at St. Mark is led by Director of Music Greta Maples. The Sunday Mass retains the parish's signature closing hymn, 'Mary, Help Our Valiant Soldiers,' a Marian hymn adopted by Msgr. Hackenbroich during WWII that remains part of the regular liturgy — a vivid living link between the parish's wartime Marian devotion and its worship today.
- Director of Music: Greta Maples
- Sunday rosary before Mass, often sung
- 'Mary, Help Our Valiant Soldiers' sung at the close of Sunday Mass
Parish Cemetery & Memorials
To the north of the church lies the parish cemetery, the resting place of several former pastors and of young men from the parish who later went on to become priests. Three memorials mark the grounds: a Children's Memorial, a Priest Memorial, and a CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) Memorial — a physical reminder of the parish's deep roots in both family life and priestly vocations.
- Children's Memorial
- Priest Memorial
- CYO Memorial (Catholic Youth Organization)
Visit, Contact & Get Involved
Visitors and parishioners are warmly welcomed. The parish office is open Monday–Friday 8:30 am–12:30 pm and can be reached by phone, fax, or email. The parish's bulletin and religious-formation calendar are kept up to date on the website.
- Parish office hours: Monday–Friday 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
- Phone: 316-796-1604 — Fax: 316-796-0511
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 19230 W. 29th St. N., Colwich, Kansas 67030
- Registration fee for PSR/Formation: $25/child or $50/family
- Online giving available via https://abundant.co/stmark/give
- Directions available on the Contact Us page of stmarkks.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father John Schurzfrom 1874 (first resident pastor 1876)
Celebrated the first Masses in parishioners' homes in 1874 and became the first resident pastor in 1876; helped found the new frame church on land donated by the August Wilkus family.
- Father Bernard Schmiehausenearly 1900s
Supervised construction of the present 1903–1906 church, drawing blueprints from Germany.
- Msgr. John Hackenbroich1941–1951
Started the Sunday rosary and 'Mary, Help Our Valiant Soldiers' devotion during WWII and built the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto in thanksgiving for the safe return of 47 servicemen.
- Msgr. George Schmidtby 1983 through 1990s
Directed the 1983 interior redecoration and began the process that placed St. Mark on the National Register of Historic Places in May 1991.
- Father Shawn McKnight & Father David Liesaround 2002–2003
Pastors during the construction and 2003 dedication of the Parish Life Center.
- Msgr. John Gilsenanthrough ~2010
Led the 2010 interior renovation that restored the church's early-1900s period look, including plaster repair, period pews and new flooring.
- Rev. Brian D. Nelson2015–present
Current pastor, also serving as Tribunal Judicial Vicar (2016), Chancellor, and on the Bishop's Leadership Team (2020) for the Diocese of Wichita.