About St. Mary, Our Lady of Fatima · Portsmouth, Iowa
St. Mary, Our Lady of Fatima is a small rural Catholic parish in Portsmouth, Iowa (Shelby County), part of the Diocese of Des Moines. It serves Portsmouth and the surrounding farmland of western Iowa as one of five clustered parishes in the Harlan Deanery — linked with St. Peter (Defiance), St. Joseph (Earling), St. Mary of the Assumption (Panama), and St. Boniface (Westphalia). Originally built in 1890 of locally fired brick, the church was destroyed by a tornado in 1940 and rebuilt in 1951, when an outdoor Our Lady of Fatima Shrine was added on the grounds using Ozark stone, Tennessee flagstone, and white Carrara Marble statues imported from Italy. The interior was renovated in 1982. It is one of the heritage churches highlighted along Iowa's Western Skies Scenic Byway.
- Established
- 1890
- Patron
- Our Lady of Fatima (parish title); church also carries the older dedication of St. Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Michael Antoh (Canonical Administrator of St. Mary, Our Lady of Fatima, Portsmouth; St. Mary of the Assumption, Panama; and St. Boniface, Westphalia)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Des Moines
Why belong here
St. Mary, Our Lady of Fatima offers a faithful rural Catholic community in the heart of Shelby County, with weekend and weekday Mass and Saturday confessions. As one of five clustered parishes in the Harlan Deanery (alongside Panama, Westphalia, Defiance, and Earling), worshippers share a priest, a common sacramental life, and an active parish identity rooted in the German-Catholic farming heritage of the old Cologne Settlement. The annual St. Mary's Parish Picnic each summer is a beloved tradition that gathers the wider community.
Mass times at St. Mary, Our Lady of Fatima
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 5:55 PM – 6:10 PM (after the 5:00 PM Saturday Mass) or by appointment
History of the Parish
Portsmouth grew out of the 'Cologne Settlement' — German Catholic immigrant families who settled Shelby County farmland beginning in the 1860s. They built the first St. Mary's church in 1890 out of locally fired brick. On April 11, 1940 a tornado destroyed that building; the parish rebuilt in 1951 and at the same time erected the outdoor Our Lady of Fatima Shrine using Ozark stone, Tennessee flagstone, and white Carrara Marble statues imported from Italy. A 1982 interior renovation completed the present Romanesque sanctuary.
- Founded 1890 in the German-Catholic Cologne Settlement
- Original church of locally made brick
- Destroyed by tornado, April 11, 1940
- Rebuilt 1951 with the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine
- Interior renovated 1982
Architecture & the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine
The current church is described in Shelby County historical literature as Romanesque in style. Its most distinctive feature is the adjacent Our Lady of Fatima Shrine — a devotional outdoor structure built of Ozark stone and Tennessee flagstone, with white Carrara Marble statues imported from Italy. The 1951 rebuilding of the church itself marked a substantial artistic commitment by a small rural congregation in the early post-war period.
- Romanesque church interior
- Our Lady of Fatima Shrine built of Ozark stone and Tennessee flagstone
- White Carrara Marble statues imported from Italy
- 1982 interior renovation
Parish Family in the Harlan Deanery
St. Mary, Our Lady of Fatima belongs to Parish Family #1 of the Harlan Deanery in the Diocese of Des Moines. It shares its priest with four neighboring parishes in Shelby and western Harrison counties: St. Peter (Defiance), St. Joseph (Earling), St. Mary of the Assumption (Panama), and St. Boniface (Westphalia). Mass times across the cluster rotate seasonally so that every member of the family has regular access to Sunday Mass.
- Diocese of Des Moines — Harlan Deanery
- Clustered with St. Peter, Defiance
- Clustered with St. Joseph, Earling
- Clustered with St. Mary of the Assumption, Panama
- Clustered with St. Boniface, Westphalia
- Rotating seasonal Mass schedule across the five parishes
Clergy & Staff
The cluster is currently served by Rev. Michael Antoh, who serves as Canonical Administrator of St. Mary, Our Lady of Fatima (Portsmouth), St. Mary of the Assumption (Panama), and St. Boniface (Westphalia). Father Antoh is a priest of the Diocese of Sekondi-Takoradi in Ghana. In April 2026 the Diocese of Des Moines announced his reassignment back to Ghana effective July 9, 2026.
- Rev. Michael Antoh — Canonical Administrator
- From the Diocese of Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana
- Reassignment back to Ghana announced for July 9, 2026
Parish Life & Community
A long-standing tradition of the parish is the annual St. Mary's Parish Picnic, held each summer to celebrate both the church and the broader Portsmouth community. The picnic, together with Sunday worship and the surrounding farming community, forms the social backbone of the parish. The church also draws visitors as Cultural Heritage Resource #14 along Iowa's Western Skies Scenic Byway, which highlights historic churches across Shelby and western Harrison counties.
- St. Mary's Parish Picnic — held annually each summer
- Stop on the Western Skies Scenic Byway
- Designated Cultural Heritage Resource #14
Contact & Visiting
St. Mary, Our Lady of Fatima is located at 502 Fourth Street in Portsmouth, Iowa, with a mailing address of PO Box 98, Portsmouth, IA 51565. The parish phone is (712) 743-2625, and the parish email is [email protected]. The parish is listed through the Diocese of Des Moines at parishesonline.com.
- Address: 502 Fourth St., Portsmouth, IA 51565
- Mailing: PO Box 98, Portsmouth, IA 51565
- Phone: (712) 743-2625
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Diocese of Des Moines website listing: parishesonline.com/find/st-mary-church-51565