About St Mary · Sigourney, Iowa
St. Mary of the Assumption is a Roman Catholic parish in Sigourney, Iowa, part of the Diocese of Davenport and now linked in pastoral partnership with Holy Trinity Parish in Keota under the umbrella title 'Keokuk County Catholic Churches.' The parish traces its roots to the first Catholic church built in Sigourney in 1873 and worships today in a mid-century building that Bishop Ralph Hayes dedicated on December 8, 1953, and that was once described as one of the most unusual church properties in the Midwest. The faith community celebrates a traditional Sunday Mass at 10:30 AM and gathers around a clear mission of lifelong faith formation, outreach to the marginalized, and reverent prayer and worship.
- Established
- 1873
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary (under the title Our Lady of the Assumption)
- Rector
- Rev. Robert (Rob) Lathrop
- Diocese
- Diocese of Davenport
Why belong here
St. Mary's Sigourney is a small-town Iowa parish where the faith community explicitly describes itself as family — a place that prioritizes lifelong faith formation for every age, reaches out to the marginalized and poor in Keokuk County, and centers prayer and worship as 'who we are.' With weekday and weekend Masses, regular Reconciliation before Sunday Mass, on-site Religious Education, a Marian Shrine for devotion, and a pastor shared with neighboring Holy Trinity–Keota, the parish offers the kind of personal, intergenerational Catholic life that small communities are known for. Visitors are welcomed to simply 'celebrate Mass with us' and to join a parish that has served Sigourney Catholics continuously since 1873.
Mass times at St Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 9:30 AM – 10:25 AM (before 10:30 AM Mass)
- Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 8:55 AM (before 9:00 AM Mass)
- Thursday: 8:00 AM – 8:55 AM (before 9:00 AM Mass)
Parish Overview & Mission
St. Mary's is one of the two Parishes of Keokuk County, sharing a pastor and a bulletin with Holy Trinity in Keota. The parish's published mission statement commits the community to lifelong faith formation, reaching out to all members as family, caring for the marginalized and poor, centering prayer and worship, celebrating each person's importance, and using parish resources wisely to remain viable and to fulfill the Gospel.
- Parish Mission: lifelong faith formation, family-style community, outreach to the poor, prayer and worship
- Pastoral partner: Holy Trinity, Keota (shared bulletin and pastor)
- Worship is celebrated in English under the Roman-Latin rite
History of St. Mary's Sigourney
Catholic life in Sigourney dates to 1873 with the town's first Catholic church. A second church followed in 1889 and was enlarged three times before being replaced. The present church was built 1952–53, opened on December 8, 1953, and quickly earned regional notice for its unusual design. Major parish milestones include the 1963 school building, the 1995 Marian Shrine, the 2002 handicap-accessible entrance renovation, and the 50th anniversary community celebration in 2003.
- 1873 — First Catholic church built in Sigourney
- 1889 — Second parish church built (enlarged three times by 1908)
- 1944 — Fund drive for a new church and rectory launched
- 1950 — Property purchased from the R. D. Kelly family
- October 1952 — Cornerstone laid
- December 8, 1953 — Bishop Ralph Hayes dedicates the present church
- Summer 1963 — St. Mary's School built; 125 students enrolled that fall (grades 1–8)
- August 1995 — Marian Shrine of the Blessed Virgin and Child dedicated
- Fall 2002 — Front entrance rebuilt for handicap accessibility
- August 17, 2003 — 50th anniversary of present church celebrated with community BBQ
- May 18, 1912 — Parish formally incorporated in Iowa as 'St. Mary Church of Sigourney, Iowa'
Pastor — Rev. Robert Lathrop
Father Robert Lathrop became pastor of Holy Trinity–Keota and St. Mary–Sigourney in 2019. Born in Orlando, Florida, he moved frequently as the child of a military family. After high school he served in the U.S. military from 1977 to 1995, taking early retirement to pursue his vocation. He graduated from St. Ambrose University and completed his theology studies at the University of St. Mary of the Lake / Mundelein Seminary. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 9, 2001 by Bishop William Franklin at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport.
- Ordained: June 9, 2001 by Bishop William Franklin at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Davenport
- Parochial vicar, Ss. Mary & Mathias, Muscatine (2001–02)
- Parochial vicar, Our Lady of Victory, Davenport (2002–04)
- Parochial vicar, All Saints–Keokuk and St. Joseph–Montrose (2004–06)
- Administrator, then pastor, St. Patrick–Georgetown, St. Peter–Lovilia and St. Patrick–Melrose (2006–09)
- Pastor, All Saints–Keokuk (2009–2019)
- Pastor, Holy Trinity–Keota and St. Mary–Sigourney (2019–present)
- Email: [email protected]
Parish Staff
Day-to-day parish operations at St. Mary's are supported by a small staff working alongside Fr. Lathrop.
- Rev. Robert Lathrop — Pastor (shared with Holy Trinity–Keota)
- JoEllen O'Rourke — St. Mary Parish Secretary / Bookkeeper; office phone (641) 622-2316; email [email protected]; fax (641) 622-2389
- Debbi Fritz — St. Mary Parish Religious Education
- Kara Sobaski — Holy Trinity Parish Secretary / Bookkeeper (319-461-4501)
- Shannon Greiner — Holy Trinity Parish Religious Education
- Dave Shemans — Holy Trinity (role not specified on the staff page)
Religious Education & Faith Formation
Faith formation for parish youth is coordinated by Debbi Fritz, St. Mary's Religious Education leader. The parish's own mission statement names 'lifelong faith formation opportunities for our parish members' as a top priority, signaling an intentional commitment to catechesis at every age, not just sacramental preparation.
- Director: Debbi Fritz
- Scope: lifelong faith formation for parish members of every age
- Connection to parish school history: St. Mary's School educated 125 students in grades 1–8 when it opened in 1963
Parish Outreach
The mission statement of St. Mary's explicitly names outreach to the marginalized and poor of the wider Keokuk County community as a core parish commitment — not just an internal activity. The parish frames this work in family terms: 'We will reach out to all members of our parish and community as family. Our concern will lead us to provide for the needs of the marginalized and poor in our community.'
- Care for the marginalized and poor in Keokuk County
- Family-style outreach to all members of parish and community
Building, Grounds & Devotions
The parish maintains not just the church but also a devotional Marian Shrine and accessible facilities. The Shrine of the Blessed Virgin and Child was dedicated on the church grounds in August 1995, giving parishioners an outdoor place for Marian prayer. The main entrance was rebuilt in 2002 to provide handicap accessibility, and the present church itself was recognized regionally as architecturally distinctive when it was dedicated in 1953.
- Marian Shrine of the Blessed Virgin and Child — dedicated August 1995
- Handicap-accessible main entrance — rebuilt fall 2002
- Current church — recognized as one of the most unusual church properties in the Midwest when dedicated in 1953
- Buildings otherwise remain closed outside of scheduled Mass times; access by appointment with Fr. Lathrop
Visiting & Contact Information
St. Mary's parish office is located at 415 East Pleasant Valley in Sigourney. Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 AM to 12:00 noon. Anyone wishing to visit the church outside scheduled Mass times should contact Fr. Lathrop in advance, since the buildings are otherwise kept closed.
- Address: 415 East Pleasant Valley, Sigourney, IA 52591
- Parish office phone: (641) 622-2316
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Fax: (641) 622-2389
- Pastor email: [email protected]
- Parish office hours: Monday–Thursday, 8:30 AM – 12:00 noon
- Shared website: https://www.holytrinity-stmary.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Francis Ward
Early pastor
- Fr. James Cleary
- Fr. Joseph Hauser
- Fr. James Makin
- Fr. William Snell
- Fr. Francis Lollich
- Msgr. Edward Greer
- Fr. Ernest Braida
- Fr. Phillip Ryan
- Fr. Marty Goetz
- Fr. Charles Fladung
Immediately preceded Fr. Lathrop
- Fr. Robert Lathrop2019–present
Current pastor; also serves Holy Trinity-Keota as part of the Keokuk County Catholic Churches partnership