About St. Mary · Stickney, South Dakota
St. Mary Parish is a small Catholic congregation in the rural community of Stickney, South Dakota, part of the Our Lady of Grace Pastorate within the Diocese of Sioux Falls. The parish traces its origin to 1908 and today worships in a church that was built and dedicated in 1910 on Main Street, now augmented by a parish hall added in the mid-1990s. It is served by a pastor and parochial vicar shared with four neighboring Our Lady of Grace parishes, offers Sunday and weekday Mass, Religious Education for grades K–12, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation before each Mass.
- Established
- 1908
- Patron
- Blessed Virgin Mary
- Rector
- Rev. Richard D. Fox
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sioux Falls
Why belong here
St. Mary's offers the rhythm of a country Catholic parish: a yearly schedule of Sunday Mass (with a Wednesday daily Mass during the warmer half of the year), the Sacrament of Reconciliation a half-hour before each Mass, and grade-school religious education (K–6 in Stickney on Wednesday evenings; 7–12 in Plankinton). Because St. Mary's now belongs to the five-parish Our Lady of Grace Pastorate, parishioners share clergy and programs with sister communities in Plankinton, White Lake, Kimball, and Chamberlain, giving a small rural church the resources of a much larger parish family.
Mass times at St. Mary
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- ½ hour before each Mass
Parish History
St. Mary's was organized as a Catholic congregation in Stickney in 1908 and, until October 1909, was served by Fr. Kelly of Plankinton. A 30-by-40-foot church was built during that period and dedicated on August 17, 1910, with its bell consecrated on the same day. Pioneer families included the Wallaces, Kellys, Smiths, Magonegils, Bohrs, Zimmers, Haases, Kochs, Ungers, and Steffeses. Fr. Unger became the parish's first resident pastor in October 1909 and completed the parish house in December 1911.
Growth, Mission Years, and the Parish Hall
Between 1918 and 1926 the original church was enlarged and improved. From 1937 to 1940 Stickney was a mission of St. John's in Plankinton, and in the 1980s the parish was united instead with Armour. A new parish hall, built in the mid-1990s, remains in active use by parishioners today.
Our Lady of Grace Pastorate
St. Mary's now worships and ministers within the Our Lady of Grace Pastorate, a single community of five parishes in the Diocese of Sioux Falls that share clergy, faith formation, and sacramental programs.
- St. James – Chamberlain
- St. Margaret – Kimball
- St. John – Plankinton
- St. Mary – Stickney
- St. Peter – White Lake
Clergy & Staff
The parish is currently served by a pastor and parochial vicar assigned to the Our Lady of Grace Pastorate, together with dedicated local faith-formation staff.
- Rev. Richard D. Fox – Pastor
- Rev. Randy Phillips – Parochial Vicar
- Sally Engler – Director of Religious Education
- Angie Feenstra – Coordinator of Religious Education
Religious Education / Faith Formation
Faith formation for parish children is offered through the pastorate on Wednesday evenings during the school year, split by grade level across the linked parishes.
- Grades K–6: Wednesdays, 6:30–7:45 pm, in Stickney
- Grades 7–12: Wednesdays, 7:00–8:00 pm, in Plankinton
- Director of Religious Education: Sally Engler
- Coordinator of Religious Education: Angie Feenstra
Visit, Contact & Location
Parishioners and visitors may reach St. Mary's by phone, email, or through the pastorate website. The address on the official pastorate page is 414 Main St., Stickney, SD 57375 (other directories list the church at 411 E. Main St.).
- Address: 414 Main St., Stickney, SD 57375
- Phone: (605) 942-7125
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.ourladyofgracesd.com/st-marys
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. M. Kelly (of Plankinton)1908 – October 1909
First priest to serve the Stickney congregation; from Plankinton; oversaw the building and dedication (Aug 17, 1910) of the first small church.
- Fr. UngerOctober 1909 – after 1911
First resident pastor of St. Mary's; completed the parish residence in December 1911.