About St. Michael Mission · Collyer, Kansas
St. Michael Mission in Collyer, Kansas, is a historic parish founded in 1878, serving a rural Catholic community with deep roots in faith and labor. Built by missionary priests and later expanded with parishioner contributions, its current Italian Renaissance-style church was dedicated in 1942 after a community-driven construction effort. The parish once included a school operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph, which closed in 1968. Today, it continues to offer Mass, sacraments, and community ministries under the leadership of its current pastor, Fr. Joshua Werth.
- Established
- 1878
- Patron
- St. Michael
- Rector
- Fr. Joshua Werth
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Salina
Why belong here
Join a parish with a legacy of community-driven faith, where parishioners have historically contributed to church construction and maintenance. Experience a welcoming, rural Catholic community that offers regular Mass, sacraments, and active ministries including Eucharistic celebration, faith formation, and parish outreach.
Mass times at St. Michael Mission
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before Mass
History
Founded in 1878, St. Michael Mission was established shortly after Collyer’s founding on the Kansas Pacific Railroad. The first church was built by missionary priest Father John Fogarty. Capuchin priests from Hays served the parish for several years before the first resident priest arrived in 1906. A new church was built in 1909, and a school opened in 1917, staffed by Sisters of St. Joseph from 1926 until its closure in 1968. In 1939, parishioners began construction of a new stone church, hauling 190 truckloads of limestone from a quarry 17 miles south of town. Father Carl Engbarth designed and supervised the project, which was completed in 1942. The old church was razed in 1941, and the new rectory was finished in 1948. Restoration work occurred in 1982–83 due to wind and water damage.
Current Leadership
The current pastor is Fr. Joshua Werth, who serves from the rectory in Salina, KS. The parish is part of the Catholic Diocese of Salina, which was established in 1887 and moved its seat to Salina in 1944.