About St. Martin · Emery, South Dakota
St. Martin of Tours is a small Roman Catholic parish located in the rural community of Emery, South Dakota, founded in 1884 and serving the Diocese of Sioux Falls. The parish is one of four faith communities in the St. Mary Magdalene Pastorate, alongside St. Mary of Mercy in Alexandria, St. Stephen in Bridgewater, and St. Mary Magdalene in Salem. Weekly Masses are celebrated in Emery and confession is offered before Mass. The parish's patron is St. Martin of Tours, the 4th-century Roman soldier-turned-bishop and patron saint of soldiers, beggars, and vintners.
- Established
- 1884
- Patron
- St. Martin of Tours
- Rector
- Reverend Melvin Kuhn
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sioux Falls
Why belong here
St. Martin of Tours offers a small-town Catholic community rooted in more than 140 years of faith in rural Emery, with weekly Mass and confession in the Roman Rite. As part of the St. Mary Magdalene Pastorate, parishioners benefit from shared clergy, shared faith formation programs (CRE) for children and youth, and combined sacramental preparation with the parishes of Alexandria, Bridgewater, and Salem. The pastorate also makes daily Mass available at the Carmelite Monastery each morning at 7:30 a.m., giving the faithful an unusually rich devotional life for a rural setting.
Mass times at St. Martin
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 7:50 AM - 8:20 AM (even months)
- Saturday 4:15 PM - 4:50 PM (odd months)
About St. Martin of Tours Parish
St. Martin of Tours is a Roman Catholic parish serving the community of Emery, South Dakota, in the Diocese of Sioux Falls. The parish takes its name from the beloved 4th-century saint, a Roman soldier who gave half his cloak to a beggar and later served as Bishop of Tours. Founded in 1884, the parish has worshipped and ministered in rural McCook County for more than a century and continues to be a center of Catholic life for farm families and small-town residents across the area.
St. Mary Magdalene Pastorate
St. Martin of Tours is one of four parishes in the St. Mary Magdalene Pastorate, sharing pastoral staff and resources with neighboring rural communities. The pastorate groups St. Martin of Tours (Emery), St. Mary of Mercy (Alexandria), St. Stephen (Bridgewater), and St. Mary Magdalene (Salem), giving each community access to regular weekend and weekday Masses, sacraments, and faith formation that would be difficult to sustain alone. The pastorate office is reached through the mailing address at P.O. Box 308, Salem, SD 57058, or P.O. Box 158, Alexandria, SD 57311.
- St. Martin of Tours — Emery, SD
- St. Mary of Mercy — Alexandria, SD
- St. Stephen — Bridgewater, SD
- St. Mary Magdalene — Salem, SD
Religious Education and Faith Formation
Faith formation for the young people of the parish is offered through the parish-based Catholic Religious Education (CRE) program, shared with neighboring St. Stephen. Classes meet on Wednesdays and are organized by grade level, with separate sessions for elementary and high school students. The pastorate also publishes additional formation resources, including Lumen Christi materials for adults, and posts regular bulletins and ministry documents online for parishioners to reference at home.
- St. Martin/St. Stephen CRE — Wednesdays
- St. Mary of Mercy CRE — Grades 1-8 (3:30-4:30 PM) and Grades 9-12 (7:00-8:15 PM)
- Lumen Christi adult formation
Sacraments
Parishioners can prepare for and celebrate all the sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church through St. Martin of Tours, with preparation guidelines published by the pastorate. The parish celebrates Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and Reconciliation, and provides downloadable PDFs that explain the expectations and process for each celebration.
- Baptism
- First Communion
- Confirmation
- Marriage
- Anointing of the Sick
- Reconciliation
Clergy and Leadership
St. Martin of Tours is served by the clergy of the St. Mary Magdalene Pastorate. The current pastor is Reverend Melvin Kuhn, supported by parochial vicar Reverend Steven Jones, both of whom minister across the four parishes of the pastorate. Parishioners are encouraged to contact the pastorate office for pastoral needs, scheduling, and sacramental requests.
- Reverend Melvin Kuhn — Pastor
- Reverend Steven Jones — Parochial Vicar
Getting Involved — Parish Ministries
Like most small rural parishes, St. Martin of Tours depends on the gifts and time of its members to keep the liturgy, faith formation, and outreach running smoothly. The pastorate posts a 'Ministry Info' document with current guidelines for liturgical and pastoral ministries, and parishioners are encouraged to sign up to serve as lectors, Eucharistic ministers, catechists, or in other parish roles described there.
- Liturgical ministries (lector, Eucharistic minister, server, sacristan)
- Religious education catechists
- Pastoral care and outreach
Bulletins and Announcements
Current and past parish bulletins are published online at the pastorate website. These bulletins contain the most up-to-date Mass intentions, ministry schedules, parish announcements, and the current pastorate Mass schedule (weekend and weekday). Parishioners who cannot attend Mass in person are encouraged to consult the bulletins for the latest information.
- Current and archived bulletins posted at mmscatholic.org/bulletins
- Monthly Weekday Mass Schedule (PDF)
- St. Mary Magdalene Pastorate Weekend Mass Schedule (DOCX)
Visiting the Parish
St. Martin of Tours is located at 342 3rd Avenue in the small town of Emery, in southeastern South Dakota. The parish is part of a wider Catholic presence in the region that includes the Carmelite Monastery, where a daily 7:30 a.m. Mass is offered and is open to all parishioners from the pastorate communities. Visitors and travelers are warmly welcomed at weekend liturgies.
- Address: 342 3rd Avenue, Emery, SD 57332
- Pastoral phone: 605-239-4578 (pastorate office)
- Diocesan phone: 605-449-4374
- Email: [email protected]