About St. Mary · Sac City, Iowa
St. Mary Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Sac City, Iowa, part of the Diocese of Sioux City. It is clustered with two neighboring rural parishes — St. Joseph in Wall Lake and St. Martin in Odebolt — and together they are served by a single pastor, Fr. Joe Dillinger, with the assistance of Deacon Butch Stone. Sunday and Saturday Masses rotate among the three cluster churches, with St. Mary hosting the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass. The parish maintains a prayer chain and shut-in (homebound) communion ministry that reaches elderly and homebound Catholics across the surrounding Sac County countryside.
- Patron
- The Blessed Virgin Mary (parish name: St. Mary)
- Rector
- Fr. Joe Dillinger
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sioux City
Why belong here
St. Mary offers a faithful, family-sized Catholic community in the heart of Sac County, where parishioners know one another and their priest. The cluster model with neighboring Wall Lake and Odebolt parishes means the faithful gather often for Mass and devotions across the three small communities. Practical outreach — a prayer chain, homebound communion visits, and hospital visits coordinated through the parish office — makes St. Mary a parish that walks with its members through every stage of life.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 10:00 AM – 10:25 AM (before 10:30 AM Mass at St. Mary)
- Prior to all Masses (cluster-wide practice)
Cluster Parishes & Parish Identity
St. Mary is one of three rural Iowa parishes that share a single pastor and cooperate closely across Sac and Crawford counties. The cluster allows each small community to keep its own identity and church building while sharing clergy, faith formation, and sacramental resources.
- St. Joseph Catholic Church — 102 W 5th St., Wall Lake, IA 51466; phone 712-664-2915
- St. Martin Catholic Church — 400 Hanson Blvd., Odebolt, IA 51458; phone 712-668-2690
- St. Mary Catholic Church — 600 S. 12th St., Sac City, IA 50583; phone 712-662-4371
Clergy & Staff
The cluster is led by a pastor, a deacon, and a Director of Religious Education. Hospital visits and home visits for parishioners are coordinated through the parish office and the Sac City Rectory.
- Pastor: Fr. Joe Dillinger — Sac City Rectory, phone (712) 662-7240
- Deacon: Butch Stone — cell (712) 830-3886
- Director of Religious Education (cluster-wide): Jan Clinesmith
- Diocesan Bishop: Most Reverend R. Walker Nickless, Diocese of Sioux City
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Across the cluster, lay faithful lead several ministries that keep the rural parishes connected and supportive of members who cannot easily come to church. A long-standing prayer chain responds to parishioners' intentions, and a Shut-In (homebound) Communion ministry brings the Eucharist to elderly and infirm Catholics in their homes.
- Prayer Chain (contact: Jan — 712-657-2458, listed under St. Joseph / cluster contact line)
- Shut-In Communion (contact: 712-664-2929)
- Hospital Visits (contact the Sac City Rectory: 712-662-7240)
- Faith Formation / Religious Education (DRE: Jan Clinesmith)
- Hall Reservations (St. Joseph, Wall Lake — Paul: 712-665-2596)
Location & Contact
St. Mary sits on the south side of Sac City along South 12th Street, easily accessible from the U.S. Highway 20 corridor in western Iowa. The parish shares its website, Facebook page, and many ministries with the two sister cluster parishes.
- Address: 600 S. 12th St., Sac City, IA 50583
- Parish Office Phone: 712-662-4371
- Sac City Rectory: 712-662-7240
- Cluster Website: https://stjoeswl.weebly.com/
- Facebook: St. Mary's Catholic Church-Sac City
Diocese of Sioux City
St. Mary is part of the Diocese of Sioux City, a Latin-rite suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Dubuque established on January 15, 1902. The diocese serves the Catholic faithful across northwestern Iowa. As of the most recent information published on the parish website, the diocesan bishop is Most Reverend R. Walker Nickless.
- Diocese: Sioux City (established January 15, 1902)
- Diocesan Bishop (per parish site): Most Reverend R. Walker Nickless
- Diocesan patron saints: Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec. 12) and St. Joseph the Worker (May 1)