About St. Patrick · Atchison, Kansas
St. Patrick Catholic Church is a small historic rural parish located about eight miles south of Atchison, Kansas, near the old Mt. Pleasant settlement in Walnut Township. Founded in 1857 by Benedictine missionary Father Augustine Wirth, OSB, it is the second-oldest Catholic community in northeast Kansas and has been served continuously by St. Benedict's Abbey. Its present stone church, built in 1866, is the oldest Catholic church still in use in Kansas and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today St. Patrick's is one of three worship sites of the unified St. Benedict Parish (alongside St. Benedict Church and St. Joseph Church), which is pastored by Benedictine monks of St. Benedict's Abbey in Atchison and welcomes a mix of town and Benedictine College community members.
- Established
- 1857
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Fr. Jeremy Heppler, OSB
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas
Why belong here
St. Patrick's offers something increasingly rare: the experience of worshipping in the oldest Catholic church still in use in Kansas, a humble 1866 limestone landmark on a hilltop in rural Atchison County. Because it is part of the unified St. Benedict Parish with St. Benedict, St. Joseph and Benedictine College, parishioners share a deep Benedictine spirituality, perpetual adoration downtown, a robust OCIA program, faith formation for K–8, an active Life Teen youth ministry, and the warm hospitality of a community that mixes generations of Atchison farm families with college students. It is a quiet, beautiful place to pray — and a living link to the Irish pioneer Catholics who built Kansas's first parishes.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
History of St. Patrick Parish
St. Patrick was founded in 1857 by Benedictine missionary Father Augustine Wirth, OSB, who walked fourteen miles from Doniphan to offer the first Mass in the home of John Knowles. The Irish pioneer families who settled the Mt. Pleasant district near Atchison pooled money to buy him a horse so he could return. The parish's first frame church, built in 1859, was destroyed by a windstorm in June 1860 and nicknamed the 'Balloon church'; a log church replaced it the same year. By 1865 the congregation had outgrown even the log structure, and Father Timothy Luber, OSB — the first resident pastor — oversaw construction of the present native-limestone church. The walls rose twenty feet high by fall 1866, Bishop Miege blessed the church and cemetery within a few years, and the bell tower was completed in 1875. Many of today's parishioners are descendants of the original Irish settlers.
- Founded 1857 by Fr. Augustine Wirth, OSB (missionary from Doniphan)
- First regular pastor Fr. Timothy Luber, OSB, arrived 1865
- Present limestone church built 1866; tower completed 1875
- Stonework by Edward McCourt; roofing by Thomas Wallace of Atchison
- Continuous Benedictine pastoral care since 1857
The 1866 Limestone Church
The present-day church is a one-story, gable-front, single-room vernacular limestone building with Gothic Revival detailing — a form typical of 19th-century Kansas farmstead churches. Its walls, two feet thick, are built of native limestone hauled from local quarries; the dimensions are 28 by 80 feet and the spire reaches 45 feet. Notable original features include a bell-tower east entrance, ten Gothic lancet windows, a circular art-glass window above the high altar (donated by the Glancy family), a small lancet window in the tower, an 18-foot choir loft at the rear, and a half-basement beneath the western third of the nave. The exterior was nominated to the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C for architectural significance and added November 25, 1998.
- Architectural style: Vernacular limestone with Gothic Revival detailing
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1998), NRHP #98001358
- Period of significance: 1866–1875
- Architect/Builder: Edward McCourt (mason); Thomas Wallace (roofer)
Worship at St. Patrick
St. Patrick's is one of three worship sites of the unified St. Benedict Parish in Atchison. Sunday Mass is offered in the historic church at 8:30 a.m. Confessions are scheduled at St. Benedict Church (5:45–7:00 p.m. Wednesdays and 3:45–4:45 p.m. Saturdays) or by appointment through the parish office. Because St. Patrick's is a smaller rural site, weddings, funerals and special liturgies are scheduled in coordination with the parish office.
- Sunday Mass — 8:30 AM at St. Patrick Church
- Daily Mass — 8:15 AM Monday through Saturday at St. Benedict Church
- Saturday Vigil Mass — 5:00 PM at St. Benedict Church
- Sunday Masses — 7:00, 9:00 and 11:00 AM at St. Benedict Church; 10:30 AM at St. Joseph Church
Faith Formation & OCIA
Faith formation for the unified parish runs on Wednesday evenings from 6:45 to 8:00 p.m. at St. Benedict Catholic School (lower level). The 'Family of Faith' track serves children in kindergarten through seventh grade, with parents attending alongside their children; sacramental preparation for First Reconciliation and First Communion begins in January of the second-grade year. Confirmation is conferred in eighth grade with weekly classes led by catechist April Hoopes.
- Family of Faith (K–7) — 1st and 3rd Wednesdays
- First Communion Preparation — begins in January
- Confirmation (8th grade) — weekly with April Hoopes
- OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) — Thursdays 7:00–8:30 p.m., mid-September through post-Easter, directed by Justin West
OCIA — Becoming Catholic
The parish offers the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) for anyone discerning becoming Catholic. The four-step process — Inquiry, Catechumenate, Purification and Enlightenment, and Mystagogy — runs Thursday evenings from mid-September through Pentecost, with the Rite of Election at the cathedral and full reception at the Easter Vigil.
- Inquiry — sharing life experiences and asking questions about the faith
- Catechumenate — weekly classes focused on Catholic teaching
- Purification & Enlightenment — Lenten scrutinies and deeper conversion
- Mystagogy — reflection and evangelization after Easter
Youth Ministry
St. Benedict Parish youth ministry welcomes all high-school students regardless of background. Students gather for a Life Teen Mass at Maur Hill–Mount Academy, the Sunday Night Youth Group at 7:15 p.m. in 'The Hideout,' and a Wednesday Night Men's Group and Girls Group in the St. Hildegard Room beneath St. Benedict Church (with Compline prayed alongside the Benedictine monks). The Servants of St. Gianna is a student-led pro-life group. Annually students travel to Steubenville Mid America and the National Catholic Youth Conference, and the parish supplies representatives on the Rural Youth Council for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
- Sunday Night Youth Group — 7:15 p.m., The Hideout, Maur Hill–Mount Academy
- Life Teen Mass — Sundays at 6:00 p.m., MHMA chapel
- Wednesday Night Men's Group — 7:00 p.m. (with Compline)
- Wednesday Night Girls Group — 7:30 p.m., St. Hildegard Room
- Servants of St. Gianna (student pro-life group)
- Coordinator: Christian Wessel — 913-426-3914
Liturgical Ministries
Parishioners of St. Benedict Parish — including those who worship at St. Patrick's — serve as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (also taking Communion to nursing homes, the hospital and the homebound), Lectors, Greeters, Ushers, Sacristans, Altar Servers, members of the Art & Environment committee, Church Cleaning teams, and Cantors or Accompanists. Virtus training is required for any minister who takes Communion into the community.
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC)
- Lector
- Greeter / Usher
- Sacristan
- Altar Server
- Art & Environment
- Church Cleaning
- Cantor and Accompanist
Parish Staff
The unified St. Benedict Parish staff is led by Pastor Fr. Jeremy Heppler, OSB, with Fr. Luke, OSB assisting. Three permanent deacons — Charles Welte, Frank Contreras and Nicolaas tenBroek — minister to the three worship sites. Parish Administrator Nicolaas tenBroek oversees operations, with Cheryl Contreras and Sandy Fitzmaurice supporting administration, Lindsay Koester serving as administrative assistant and archivist, Catherine Peitsch in operations, Laura 'Sox' Cross managing the Sacred Heart Variety Store, and Stan Sluder as facilities manager.
- Pastor: Fr. Jeremy Heppler, OSB
- Fr. Luke, OSB
- Deacons: Charles Welte, Frank Contreras, Nicolaas tenBroek
- Parish Administrator: Nicolaas tenBroek
- Director of OCIA: Justin West
- Youth Ministry Coordinator: Christian Wessel
- Faith Formation contact: Diane Liebsch
Sacred Heart Variety Store
Sacred Heart Variety Store is a parish-run retail ministry managed by Laura 'Sox' Cross. It supports the work of the unified parish and serves as a community gathering spot in Atchison.
Plan Your Visit & Contact
Visitors to St. Patrick's rural church are welcome at the 8:30 a.m. Sunday Mass. For sacraments, weddings, funerals, records, or to reach any of the parish staff, contact the central parish office in Atchison: 1001 North 2nd Street, Atchison, KS 66002-1497, (913) 367-0671, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Parish Office: 1001 N. 2nd Street, Atchison, KS 66002-1497
- Phone: (913) 367-0671
- Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
- St. Patrick Church: 19384 234th Road, Atchison, KS 66002
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Augustine Wirth, OSB1857–1865
First Benedictine missionary to the Mt. Pleasant settlement; walked from Doniphan to celebrate the first Mass and was given a horse by the grateful parishioners.
- Fr. Timothy Luber, OSB1865–
First resident pastor; oversaw construction of the present limestone church in 1865–1866.
- Fr. Ambrose Keating, OSBserved in early 20th century
Lived in the rectory when the Atchison County histories were compiled; celebrated Mass in the rock church still standing today.