About St. Mary · Hartford, Kansas
St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception is a small Roman Catholic parish in Hartford, Kansas, in the rolling Lyon County countryside along the Neosho River valley. The parish's mission statement describes it as 'a Roman Catholic parish dedicated to the patroness of our nation... committed to worshiping Almighty God Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to building a culture of evangelization, to strengthening marriage and family life, and to cultivate relationships by engaging in corporal and spiritual works of mercy.' Today the parish is served by diocesan priests of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and maintains the long-held traditions of a 19th-century Irish-Catholic prairie community: a parish rosary before weekend Masses, the May Crowning of the Blessed Mother, Lenten Stations of the Cross, and regular parish socials.
- Established
- 1877
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception
- Rector
- Fr. Anthony Mersmann
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas
Why belong here
St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception is a deeply rooted prairie parish where almost 150 years of Catholic life remain visible in the brick church built in 1890, the original 1877 structure now used as the parish hall, and the three bells named Santa Maria, Sanctus Joseph, and Sanctus Franciscus in the tower. Parishioners worship together in long-held traditions — a parish rosary before weekend Masses, the May Crowning, Lenten Stations of the Cross, First-Tuesday Adoration, monthly parish socials, and a functioning parish school of formation (Catechesis of the Good Shepherd) — and serve their neighbors through the Altar Society, Prayer Chain, funeral dinners, cemetery care, and a parish endowment with the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas. It is a small community where everyone has a role in keeping the parish alive.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Twenty-five minutes before Mass (by request)
- Available on request following Mass
- Available during Adoration on the 1st Tuesday of the month
Adoration times
- 1st Tuesday of each month — Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at 5:00 PM, followed by evening Mass at 6:15 PM
History of St. Mary Parish
St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Hartford, Kansas, was built by Irish Catholic pioneers in the 1870s and formally organized with the dedication of its first church in 1877 — the first church building in the small prairie town. The present brick church, the second on the site, had its cornerstone laid on November 7, 1890 and was solemnly dedicated on July 26, 1893. Parish history is preserved in detail on the parish website's History page, which traces the parish from Fr. Ponziglione's horseback missions through Fr. Perrier's resident pastorate, the long Franciscan pastorate (1880–1993), and the diocesan era that followed.
- Founded 1877 by Irish immigrant Francis Brogan after a letter to the Boston Pilot
- Franciscan Fathers served as pastors for 113 years (1880–1993)
- Present church cornerstone laid November 7, 1890; dedicated July 26, 1893
- Solemn Dedication celebrated by Fr. Leonard Nurre, OFM
Devotions & Parish Traditions
St. Mary maintains devotions characteristic of a 19th-century rural parish transplanted into modern life. The May Crowning of the Blessed Mother and the Lenten Stations of the Cross are celebrated each year, and Stations are followed by a meat-free Soup Supper during Lent. The parish Rosary is prayed 25 minutes before each Mass, and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is held on the first Tuesday of each month.
- May Crowning of the Blessed Mother
- Lenten Stations of the Cross — Fridays at 6:00 PM, followed by Soup Supper
- Parish Rosary — 25 minutes before each Mass
- First-Tuesday Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at 5:00 PM
Parish Ministries & Service
Ministry life at St. Mary is organized around a tight circle of lay leaders who staff the councils, formation, altar service, and outreach. Parishioners keep the church cleaned and decorated through the Altar Society, support one another through the Prayer Chain, and host monthly 2nd-Saturday socials after the evening Mass.
- Parish Council — Fred Schwinghamer (620-392-5835)
- Finance Council — Lori Herrman (913-262-3993)
- Altar Society — Karen Zoglman (620-481-6281)
- Prayer Chain — Amy Wilson (620-392-5827)
- Funeral Dinners — Loraine Zweimiller (620-342-2258)
- Cemetery — Brian Zweimiller (620-342-2258)
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (children's faith formation)
- Lectors, Gift Bearers, Monthly Social Hosts
- St. Mary Endowment through Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas
- St. Mary Grotto Committee
Faith Formation: Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
St. Mary offers the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a Montessori-based Catholic catechetical program for children, as its parish religious education offering. Details, schedules, and enrollment are published in the parish bulletin and on the website.
- Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program for children
- Watch weekly bulletin for class schedule and signup
Buildings, Cemetery & Physical Plant
The present brick church dates to the 1890 cornerstone and was thoroughly restored between 1999 and 2001 with central air, repainted interior, restored tabernacle, and new oak altar and ambo handcrafted by parishioner Les Stein. The original 1877 church, moved to the present lot in 1885, is now used as a parish hall for parish socials. The parish cemetery, a gift of Francis Brogan in the early 1880s, sits on a hill southeast of town and is cared for by the Cemetery Committee.
- Present brick church — cornerstone 1890, dedicated 1893
- 1999–2001 restoration under Fr. Tim Haberkorn (A/C, paint, tabernacle, oak altar/ambo, stained-glass doors donated by Helen Gasche)
- Original 1877 wooden church — now the parish hall
- Parish cemetery on a hill southeast of town — given by Francis Brogan, early 1880s
- St. Mary Grotto — completed phase 3 in recent parish life
Clergy, Staff & Pastoral Leadership
St. Mary is led pastorally by Fr. Anthony Mersmann and a small group of lay staff and ministry leaders. The clergy-and-staff page on the parish website lists each ministry contact by name and phone number. A bulletin notice from Fr. Anthony reminds parishioners that he will never solicit gift cards and that any parish support requests will come through the Parish Council or in person.
- Fr. Anthony Mersmann — Pastor
- Janel Wiederholt — Book Keeper (620-392-5773)
- Edward Winn — Web Page (620-366-1559)
Bulletin, News & Calendar
The parish maintains an active online presence with a current weekly bulletin (PDF), a news page for parish announcements and events, and a running ministry schedule. Recent bulletins have covered the First-Tuesday Adoration change to a new month-day schedule starting September 2025, a Parish Soup Feed/Raffle (March 1, 2026), the Lenten Stations schedule, and a scam-alert notice from Fr. Anthony about imposters using email or text to ask for gift cards.
- Weekly PDF bulletin with Mass intentions, lectors, gifts, and collection totals
- News page for announcements and events
- Ministry Schedule page
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Ponziglione (Jesuit missionary)1870s–early 1880s
First Catholic priest to say Mass in Hartford; served out of the Osage Mission (St. Paul, KS).
- Fr. Perrier (French missionary)from 1873
First full-time priest to serve Emporia and surrounding towns; first resident priest after the 1877 church was built.
- Fr. Matthews
Drove the campaign for a new, larger church; cornerstone laid November 7, 1890.
- Fr. Athanasius Lingermann, O.F.M.1890–1893
Preached at the cornerstone laying and again at the Solemn Dedication on July 26, 1893.
- Fr. Leonard Nurre, O.F.M.1893 (dedication)
Celebrant of the Solemn Dedication; assisted by Fr. Matthew Schmidt, OFM (deacon) and Fr. Laurence Long, OFM (subdeacon).
- Fr. Berthold1903–1907
Last of the church debt was paid off; the bells (Santa Maria, Sanctus Joseph, Sanctus Franciscus) were installed in 1905.
- Franciscan Fathers (O.F.M.) collectively1880–1993
Served St. Mary as pastors for 113 years.
- Fr. Tim Haberkorn
Directed the major 1999–2001 restoration of the church (A/C, interior repaint, statues, tabernacle, oak altar and ambo, entrance doors).
- Fr. Mohan
Blessed the graduates of 2024.
- Fr. Anthony Mersmanncurrent (as of parish bulletins)
Current pastor of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.