About St. Mary · Oskaloosa, Iowa
St. Mary Catholic Church is a parish in Oskaloosa, Iowa, in the Diocese of Davenport, founded in 1908 and built in 1912. Its mission statement — 'devoted to the Eucharist — is a community of faith, love and evangelization' — sums up a small but active parish that serves English-speaking and Spanish-speaking Catholics in Mahaska County. The parish is staffed by a pastor, a deacon, a Director of Faith Formation and Youth Ministry, an office secretary and assistant, a maintenance worker, and a music director. In addition to weekend and weekday Masses (including a monthly Spanish Mass on the second Sunday), St. Mary's offers weekly adoration, weekly reconciliation, an active K-12 faith formation program, RCIA, Vacation Bible School, and a variety of parish groups such as the Knights of Columbus, the Columbiettes, a Men's Group and a Women's Group. The parish livestreams its Sunday 8:00 am Mass on YouTube.
- Established
- 1908
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Fr. Joseph Phung
- Diocese
- Diocese of Davenport
Why belong here
St. Mary is a welcoming, Eucharist-centered Catholic parish that serves the Oskaloosa area in both English and Spanish, with a full schedule of weekend, weekday, and monthly Spanish Masses. Families can enroll children in a K-12 faith formation program (with dedicated First Penance/Communion and Confirmation tracks), teens can take part in youth ministry and mission trips, and adults can grow through RCIA, the weekly Scripture and Coffee Zoom, and small groups like the Men's Group and Women's Group. Add in weekly adoration, regular reconciliation, Knights of Columbus and Columbiettes chapters, and a livestream for those who cannot attend in person, and it is a parish designed to meet Catholics of every age and stage in one parish family.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 10:30 am – 11:30 am (English) or by appointment
- 2nd Sunday of the month at 3:00 pm (Spanish & English)
Adoration times
- 1st Thursday of the month – Adoration / Holy Hour, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
- Other Thursdays – Adoration, 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Parish Staff
The parish is led by a small, full-time staff supported by a deacon, liturgical ministers and parish council members. All parish offices are located in the Parish Center at 301 High Avenue East.
- Pastor — Fr. Joseph Phung ([email protected], 641-673-6680)
- Deacon — Lowell VanWyk ([email protected], 641-780-0736)
- Director of Faith Formation and Youth Ministry — Jenny Feudner ([email protected], 641-673-0659)
- Office Secretary — Julie Yachera ([email protected], 641-673-6680)
- Office Assistant — Kate Thomes ([email protected], 641-673-6680)
- Music Director — Donna Hasso (641-673-6680)
- Maintenance — Todd Collier (641-673-6680)
- Marriage Prep / Baptismal Prep — Fr. Joseph Phung
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation at St. Mary's follows the Diocese of Davenport's guidelines and the teaching of the Universal Church, with the parish's stated mission to provide lifelong formation through Word, Worship and Service. The Faith Formation Commission (including catechists and parents) supports nurturing mature faith, proclaiming Christ's message, building community, leading people to worship and prayer, and motivating service.
- K-12 Faith Formation program
- High School Youth Ministry
- Empowering God's Children — Safe Environment training
- Family Formation registration with sliding-scale materials fee ($35 for first two children, rest free)
- Vacation Bible School for Preschool through 5th Grade
Sacramental Preparation
Sacramental preparation at St. Mary's is integrated into the faith formation program, with a dedicated summer Sacraments Camp and Confirmation track for older students. Adults enter the Church through RCIA, while parents of infants and toddlers attend quarterly baptismal classes.
- First Penance & First Communion — completed through 2nd grade Faith Formation plus Sacraments Camp (last week of July)
- Confirmation — for 7th grade and older
- Baptism — preparation classes held quarterly; contact the parish office
- Marriage preparation — coordinated with Fr. Joseph Phung
Adult Faith Formation
Adults have several ways to deepen their faith beyond Sunday Mass. RCIA welcomes the unbaptized and Christians from other traditions, while Scripture and Coffee gathers parishioners on Zoom each Wednesday morning to pray with the upcoming Sunday Gospel.
- RCIA — Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (classes begin in the Fall)
- Scripture and Coffee — Wednesdays at 8:00 am on Zoom
- Bulletin-based reflections and online study resources
Parish Groups & Fellowship
St. Mary's life is shaped as much by its small groups and lay organizations as by its liturgy. Three distinct weekly groups — Men's, Women's and the Knights of Columbus — meet in the Parish Center, and the Columbiettes offer Catholic women a parallel service organization. These groups are listed in the parish's Stewardship program as primary ways parishioners share their time and talent.
- Men's Group — meets 1st, 3rd and 5th Wednesdays of the month
- Women's Group — meets Tuesdays at 6:00 pm at the Parish Center
- Knights of Columbus — meetings listed on the parish calendar
- Columbiettes — Catholic women's service organization (recruiting)
- Kid's Spanish Rosary — listed on the parish calendar
Parish Council & Leadership
The St. Mary Parish Council meets every other month on the third Thursday and coordinates the major areas of parish life: Liturgy, Faith Formation, Social Action, Church & Family Life, and Buildings & Grounds. A Hispanic Liaison ensures the Spanish-speaking community has a direct voice.
- President — Marcia Hadden
- Vice-President — Janine Moore
- Secretary — Tom Richardson
- Faith Formation Director — Jenny Feudner
- Liturgy — Mike Collins and Tom Richardson
- Faith Formation — Greg McCaulley
- Social Action — Janine Moore
- Church & Family Life — Marcia Hadden
- Buildings & Grounds — Francisco Ramirez
- Hispanic Liaison — Tony Chavez
- Trustees — Dustin Hite (2026) and Jeri Lyn Bares (2027)
Sacraments & Devotions
Beyond the seven sacraments, St. Mary's fosters Eucharistic devotion through weekly adoration and supports Hispanic spiritual life through a monthly Spanish Mass and Kids' Spanish Rosary gatherings. The parish also participates in diocesan mission efforts and has sent high school students on a summer mission trip (e.g., June 5-10, 2023).
- Weekly Adoration on Thursdays (see schedule above)
- Monthly Spanish Mass and Spanish/English Reconciliation on the 2nd Sunday
- Kid's Spanish Rosary (recurring on the parish calendar)
- High School Mission Trip — recent trip June 5-10, 2023
- NCYC 2023 'Fully Alive' youth participation
Outreach & Social Action
Stewardship at St. Mary's includes a dedicated Option for the Poor and Vulnerable ministry, drawing on Catholic social teaching rooted in the Gospel of Matthew 25: 'a basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring.' The Parish Council's Social Action commission coordinates parish-wide responses, while individual parishioners are encouraged to participate through stewardship of time, talent and treasure.
- Option for the Poor and Vulnerable ministry (linked to USCCB resources)
- Stewardship 'Time & Talent' program — multiple volunteer paths
- Online giving through Vanco (Diocese of Davenport platform)
- Auto Tithing through MidWestOne Bank
- Personal Bank Bill Pay and mail-in giving options
- Annual Diocesan Appeal participation
Getting Involved & Stewardship
The parish outlines a simple three-step path for anyone wanting to become more involved: review the Stewardship Handbook, complete the 'Time & Talent' Form (online or printed), and wait for a parish representative to help match gifts and interests with open ministries.
- Step 1 — Read the parish Stewardship Handbook
- Step 2 — Complete the Time & Talent Form (online or printable)
- Step 3 — Connect with a parish representative to begin a ministry
- Volunteer opportunities in faith formation (Catechists and helpers welcomed)
Facilities & Contact
St. Mary's operates from three adjacent facilities in downtown Oskaloosa: the church, the Parish Center / offices and the Fellowship Center. The Parish Center handles all phone calls, registrations, and sacramental scheduling.
- Parish Center / Office — 301 High Avenue East, Oskaloosa, IA 52577
- Church — 315 1st Avenue East, Oskaloosa, IA 52577
- Fellowship Center — 311 1st Avenue East, Oskaloosa, IA 52577
- Phone — 641-673-6680
- Fax — 614-676-1766
- Parish email — [email protected]
- Facebook — facebook.com/StMaryOsky
- YouTube livestream — channel UCjj2LHQA1smjgzcS4o4o7bw