About St. Michael · Kingsley, Iowa
St. Michael Parish in Kingsley, Iowa is a Catholic parish founded in 1888 in the Diocese of Sioux City, serving the faithful of the small farming town of Kingsley in Plymouth County. Today St. Michael is part of the West Fork Catholic Community (WFCC), a two-parish grouping that also includes Immaculate Conception in neighboring Moville. As of the parish's most recent published history the community numbers about 170 families. The parish gathers for Saturday evening and Sunday Mass, weekly religious education for school-age children, prayer devotions, and the regular sacramental life of a rural Iowa Catholic parish.
- Established
- 1888
- Patron
- St. Michael (the Archangel)
- Rector
- Rev. Randy L. Schon
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sioux City
Why belong here
St. Michael offers a close-knit rural Catholic community of about 170 families in the heart of Plymouth County, with regular weekend Mass, Rosary and Confessions before Sunday Mass, weekday Mass on Tuesdays (with First Fridays also scheduled), and weekly faith formation for children in preschool through Confirmation. The parish shares a single pastor and Faith Formation program with Immaculate Conception in nearby Moville under the West Fork Catholic Community, giving parishioners the wider fellowship of two congregations while keeping the intimacy of a small-town parish.
Mass times at St. Michael
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 9:30–9:50 AM (before 10:00 AM Mass)
History of St. Michael Parish
St. Michael Parish traces its origins to 1884–1885, when priest-visitors from Marcus and Early celebrated Mass in a Kingsley skating rink. The parish was formally established in 1888 with Father M. M. Tierney as the first pastor; early missions included Neptune and Moville. The present Tudor-Gothic brick church was built 1914–1916 under Father J. J. Murphy and dedicated by Monsignor Saunders on September 7, 1916. Over the 20th century the parish added a rectory, a school (1964), a Reconciliation Room, air conditioning, a Wicks pipe organ, and a complete stained-glass refurbishment, while expanding the parish cemetery.
- Founded 1888 — first pastor: Father M. M. Tierney
- Current brick church built 1914–1916, dedicated September 7, 1916 by Rt. Rev. Mgr. Saunders of Fort Dodge
- Architect: William (J. W.) Steele of Sioux City; contractor: John Huxtable of Le Mars
- Czechoslovakian stained-glass windows depicting the life of Christ
- School built 1964, closed 1972; building now used for faith formation and preschool
- Bishop Philip J. Garrigan's 1902 visit and first Confirmation class (46 persons)
- Father Mark Stoll, pastor in 2008; led 2008 redecoration of the worship space
Vocations and Religious Life
The parish has contributed one priestly vocation and three women's religious vocations over its history.
- Father John Sheehan, son of James and Rosemary Sheehan — ordained November 1989
- Sister Mary Bernadette (Mary L. McDermott, daughter of Barney and Mrs. McDermott) — Sisters of Mary, 1913
- Sister Michaela (Mary Ann Galles, daughter of Roman and Mrs. Galles) — Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Family, 1954; taught Theology at Briar Cliff College
- Mrs. Florence Spain — Sisters of the Holy Spirit, Sioux City
Faith Formation & Religious Education
Faith Formation is shared with Immaculate Conception in Moville under the West Fork Catholic Community. Classes meet on Wednesdays at the parish's former school building.
- St. Michael-Kingsley — Preschool through Grade 4: Wednesdays 4:00–5:00 PM
- Grades 5 through Confirmation: Wednesdays 7:00–8:00 PM
- Post-Confirmation: 7:00–8:00 PM on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month
- Preschool program held in the former parish school
Sacraments
The parish celebrates the full sacramental life of the Roman Catholic Church, including Reconciliation in the parish Reconciliation Room at the rear of the church.
- Baptism — contact parish office
- First Communion and Confirmation — prepared through the Faith Formation program
- Marriage — contact parish office
- Reconciliation — Sunday 9:30–9:50 AM, with a dedicated Reconciliation Room in the church
West Fork Catholic Community
St. Michael shares its website, pastor, and many programs with Immaculate Conception Parish in Moville under the 'West Fork Catholic Community' banner, holding joint faith formation classes, a Parish Life Team, and a shared community bulletin.
- St. Michael Parish — Kingsley
- Immaculate Conception Parish — Moville
- Shared pastor under Sts. Isidore and Maria Catholic Parish (effective March 2023)
- Joint Parish Life Team Activities
- Lenten Breakfast (community-wide)
Architecture of the Church Building
The 1916 church is a Tudor-Gothic brick landmark of the West Fork region. The interior features three white-enamel-and-gold altars and matching Stations of the Cross, with stained-glass windows imported from Czechoslovakia.
- Tudor-Gothic style; Sergeant Bluff brick with Bedford stone trim
- Designed by J. W. Steele of Sioux City
- Three altars and Stations of the Cross in white enamel and gold
- Czechoslovakian stained-glass windows donated by parishioners as memorials
- Cornerstone laid 1915; dedicated September 7, 1916
- Seating capacity over 600
- Six-rank Wicks pipe organ installed in the 1970s redecoration
- Worship space redecorated in 2008
Parish Cemetery
St. Michael maintains a parish cemetery on the south edge of Kingsley that has been in use since the parish's founding in 1888. In 1975 additional land was purchased from the Don Curley family for an expansion.
- Cemetery blessed by Bishop Marty of Yankton, South Dakota, after 1888 founding
- Expanded in 1975 with land purchased from the Don Curley family
Contact & Visit
St. Michael shares pastoral and administrative offices with the rest of the West Fork Catholic Community.
- Address — 208 Brandon Street, Kingsley, IA 51028-0099
- Parish phone — (712) 873-3644
- Email — [email protected]
- Website — https://westforkcatholiccommunity.org/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father M. M. Tierney1888–1894
First pastor; built the frame church, rectory, and laid out the cemetery.
- Father Bernard O'Reilly1894–1902
Correctionville became a mission; Neptune became independent.
- Father John William Tohill1902–1912
Resigned active parish work in 1912.
- Father F. Wren1912–1913
Left in 1913 to take charge of Alvord, Iowa.
- Father J. J. Murphy1913–
Appointed by Bishop Garrigan; oversaw construction of the present brick church and rectory (1914–1916).
- Father (Janse)
Made many repairs and redecorated the church.
- Father Wieling
Built the parish school in 1964; staffed by three Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Family.
- Father Eugene Ceperley1967–1970
- Father Gerald Fisch1970–1984
- Father Joseph Nooney1984–1985
Built the Reconciliation Room at the rear of the church.
- Father Francis Staber1985–1992
- Father Gene Ulses1992–1996
All stained-glass windows refurbished during his tenure (~$69,000, parishioner-funded).
- Father James Fangman1996–2001
- Father Thomas Topf2001–2008
- Father Mark Stoll2008–
Listed as pastor of Kingsley on the parish history page (now listed by the diocese as Vice Chancellor); oversaw the 2008 redecoration of the worship space.