About St. Martin · Piqua, Kansas
St. Martin Oratory is a small Catholic mission church in the unincorporated community of Piqua, Kansas (Woodson County), under the Catholic Diocese of Wichita. Established in 1884 as St. Martin of Tours Parish — three years before the Diocese of Wichita itself existed — its present neoclassical brick church was dedicated on November 12, 1922, and is now classified as an oratory rather than a full parish. The building, with its iconic turquoise bells and tall steeple serving as a gateway between Allen and Woodson counties, is lovingly maintained by volunteers and remains open to the public, with a Christmas Eve Mass being its most well-known regular liturgical event.
- Established
- 1884
- Patron
- St. Martin of Tours
- Rector
- Reverend David Michael Htun (Fr. David Michael de Penha)
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Wichita
Why belong here
St. Martin Oratory offers a rare chance to participate in a living piece of southeast Kansas Catholic heritage — a 1922 neoclassical landmark that has welcomed worshippers since 1884. While regular weekly Mass is no longer celebrated, the parish family gathers each Christmas Eve for a beloved community Mass (often standing-room only), and the building remains open daily for prayer and reflection. Visitors are welcomed not only for its spiritual life but for the opportunity to care for a sacred landmark and its old cemetery, making it a special destination for those who love history, small-town Catholic tradition, and the patron St. Martin of Tours.
Mass times at St. Martin
Weekly Mass schedule
History of St. Martin of Tours Parish
St. Martin of Tours Parish in Piqua was established in 1884, three years before the Diocese of Wichita itself existed. The original church was dedicated under the leadership of Father Charles Kearful, who simultaneously served the parish at Humboldt. A two-story rectory was built next to it, with Father Buchler as its first resident priest. The name 'St. Martin' came from a parish fund-raising contest won by Mrs. Martin Klocke, who wanted to honor her husband and the saint for whom he was christened. The original church stood on the west end of town near a small cemetery in which the graves of adults and children are segregated.
- Founded in 1884, three years before the Diocese of Wichita
- First Catholic Church in Piqua dedicated under Father Charles Kearful
- Named via parish contest won by Mrs. Martin Klocke
- First resident priest was Father Buchler
- 1900 Ash Wednesday robbery: thieves stole chalices and scattered consecrated hosts
The Present Church (1922)
After years of debate and fund-raising, the present neoclassical brick church was dedicated on November 12, 1922. Designed by Wichita architects Grant Naylor and Fletcher Bird, it featured Chicago-sourced design work, plated lamps, marble tables, stained-glass windows, precious artworks, porcelain statues and turquoise bells hanging nearly 125 feet above the ground. Silver coins and newspapers were tucked into the cornerstone as time-capsule offerings. Funding the elaborate building nearly broke the parish during pre-Depression financial conditions; Father Augustine Heimann wrote of the era, "the economic situation during the past few months has become acute … We are filled with gloom and dread lest our ship might wreck."
- Dedicated November 12, 1922
- Designed by architects Grant Naylor and Fletcher Bird
- Neoclassical brick style
- Cornerstone contains silver coins and newspapers
- Turquoise bells hang nearly 125 feet above the ground
Architecture & Notable Features
The church's most recognizable feature is its tall steeple, which serves as a gateway between Allen and Woodson counties. The copper crucifix at its top has been repeatedly retrieved, repaired and repainted — including after a tornado nearly snapped it off in the 1980s and after December thunderstorm damage in later years, when a metal cross fell to the ground overnight and Boren's Roofing crew made temporary repairs. Outside the entrance stand weathered but stunning statues of Isidore (patron saint of farmers) and Martin of Tours, depicted wiping blood from his orange and pink cloak — a metaphor rooted in the saint's legendary destruction of pagan temples.
- Iconic steeple serving as gateway between Allen and Woodson counties
- Copper crucifix repeatedly repaired after tornado and storm damage
- Statue of Isidore, patron saint of farmers, at the entrance
- Statue of Martin of Tours, the church's patron
Cemeteries
The interesting old St. Martin's Cemetery is located about 200 yards behind the church and includes a priests' mound. The older cemetery on the west end of town, near where the original 1884 church stood, contains segregated adult and child graves, including a small and secluded burial ground on Violet Road usually referred to as Skeeters Cemetery. The most noteworthy person buried there is not from the local Collins family but Frederick Coleman, a young man lynched in 1858 by a vigilance committee for allegedly stealing livestock.
- St. Martin's Cemetery behind the church with a priests' mound
- Original segregated cemetery near the site of the 1884 church
- Skeeters Cemetery on Violet Road
- Grave of Frederick Coleman (lynched 1858)
Clergy
Today's St. Martin Oratory is served by Reverend David Michael Htun (also known as Fr. David Michael de Penha), who has been pastor since 2021. Born in Mandalay, Burma on November 27, 1974, he joined Nazareth Salesian Seminary in 1987, studied at Sacred Heart Theological College in Shillong, India (2000–2005), and earned a Master's in Missiology from the Università Pontificia Salesiana in Rome. Ordained January 17, 2004, he came to the Diocese of Wichita on December 8, 2013 and was incardinated there in October 2020. He simultaneously pastors St. John in Iola and St. Joseph in Yates Center, and serves the Diocese as Spiritual Director of the Serra Club (Metro Wichita), the National Conference of Burmese American Catholics, and Burmese American Catholics for Peace and Justice.
- Pastor: Reverend David Michael Htun (since 2021)
- Born November 27, 1974 in Mandalay, Burma
- Ordained January 17, 2004
- Also serves St. John, Iola and St. Joseph, Yates Center
Oratory Status & Christmas Eve Mass
Although regular Mass is no longer celebrated at St. Martin's, the building is still maintained and open to the public. It was reclassified from a full parish to an oratory by the Diocese of Wichita — a change that prompted the Diocese to drop the property insurance on the building, leaving repair costs to be raised by local volunteers. The most well-known regular event is the Christmas Eve Mass, when Piqua residents and others returning to town for Christmas gather for what has historically been a 9:00 PM celebration that often fills the church to capacity. A local advisory committee works to care for the building and organize fund-raising for repairs.
- Reclassified from full parish to oratory by the Diocese of Wichita
- Diocese dropped property insurance after the change
- Christmas Eve Mass is the primary regular liturgical event
- Building maintained by volunteers and local advisory committee
Visiting & Contact
St. Martin Oratory is located at 1368 Xylan Road, Piqua, Kansas 66761. The mailing address is 310 South Jefferson, Iola, KS 66749. The parish can be reached at 620-365-2277. The building is open to the public daily, with the Christmas Eve Mass being the principal liturgical gathering of the year.
- Street address: 1368 Xylan Rd., Piqua, KS 66761
- Mailing address: 310 South Jefferson, Iola, KS 66749
- Phone: 620-365-2277
- Open to the public; Christmas Eve Mass the main event
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Charles Kearful1884
Pastor who also served Humboldt; first Catholic Church dedicated in Piqua under his leadership.
- Father Buchler
First resident priest at the original 1884 church.
- Father Nicholas Fowler
Built St. Mary's Mission Church at Owl Creek and began raising funds for the present brick church.
- Father Augustine Heimannpre-1922
Pastor during construction; described financial struggles of the parish during the pre-Depression era.
- Reverend David Michael Htun2021–present
Also pastor of St. John, Iola and St. Joseph, Yates Center.