About St Patrick · Brooklyn, Iowa
St. Patrick Catholic Church is a small Roman Catholic parish located at 215 Jackson Street in Brooklyn, Iowa, a town in Poweshiek County. The parish is part of the Diocese of Davenport and shares its pastor and office staff with neighboring St. Mary Parish in Grinnell. St. Patrick offers one Sunday Mass, two weekday Masses, weekly confession opportunities, and Friday Eucharistic Adoration with Benediction, serving as a country parish community in south-central Iowa. The parish shares a joint bulletin and website with St. Mary, Grinnell, and is supported by an office manager who oversees administration for both communities.
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Duoc "Dominic" H. Nguyen (Parochial Administrator, effective July 2025)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Davenport
Why belong here
St. Patrick is a welcoming, small-town Catholic parish that makes the Eucharist, confession, and Eucharistic Adoration the center of its life. Sunday Mass at 8:00 a.m., weekday Masses on Wednesday and Friday, regular confession times each week, and Friday Adoration with Benediction give parishioners a steady rhythm of prayer and sacramental life. As a parish linked with St. Mary in Grinnell, St. Patrick's parishioners enjoy shared pastoral care, bulletins, and resources, while remaining a distinct community — actively building its own parish council and inviting parishioners to help shape its future mission in Brooklyn and the surrounding Poweshiek County countryside.
Mass times at St Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 7:00am–7:45am
- Wednesday: 4:15pm–5:15pm
- Friday: 4:15pm–5:15pm
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Friday: 11:00am–12:00pm, ending with Benediction
Parish Overview & Identity
St. Patrick Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Brooklyn, Iowa (Poweshiek County), within the Diocese of Davenport. The parish takes its name from St. Patrick, the 5th-century missionary bishop and primary patron saint of Ireland. Worship is offered in English, and the parish shares pastoral and administrative staff with St. Mary Parish in nearby Grinnell. The community gathers for one Sunday Mass, two weekday Masses, weekly confession opportunities, and Friday Eucharistic Adoration with Benediction.
- Patron: St. Patrick of Ireland
- Feast Day: March 17
- Diocese: Davenport
- Address: 215 Jackson Street, Brooklyn, IA 52211
- Phone: (641) 236-7486
History
St. Patrick's roots in Brooklyn go back to the 19th-century Catholic settlement of south-central Iowa. Father James Garrity, previously assigned in Knoxville, served as pastor of St. Patrick, Brooklyn, and died there on December 7, 1949. In 1957, Father Philip Ryan offered his first Mass at St. Patrick Church on June 2, before going on to other Davenport Diocese parishes. The parish has long shared resources with neighboring Catholic communities; in July 2023, Father Scott Foley, pastor of St. Mary, Grinnell, was additionally assigned as pastor of St. Patrick, Brooklyn, formalizing a shared-staff arrangement. That arrangement continued under Father Duoc 'Dominic' H. Nguyen, who was named parochial administrator in 2025.
- Father James Garrity — pastor at St. Patrick, Brooklyn; died December 7, 1949
- Father Philip Ryan — offered his first Mass at St. Patrick Church, Brooklyn, on June 2, 1957
- Father Scott Foley — added St. Patrick, Brooklyn, to his pastorate in July 2023
- Father Duoc 'Dominic' H. Nguyen — became parochial administrator effective July 2025
Clergy & Staff
St. Patrick is currently served by parochial administrator Father Duoc 'Dominic' H. Nguyen, who also serves St. Mary, Grinnell, under the pastoral care of the Diocese of Davenport. Office manager Jay Deitrich, who has served St. Mary since 2005, took on responsibility for St. Patrick's administrative needs in 2023. The parish shared its previous pastor, Father Scott Foley, with St. Mary, Grinnell, from 2023 until Father Foley's assignment was concluded in 2025 so that he could discern a vocation with the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception.
- Rev. Duoc 'Dominic' H. Nguyen — Parochial Administrator (effective July 2025)
- Rev. Scott Foley — Pastor of St. Patrick–Brooklyn and St. Mary–Grinnell, July 2023 to mid-2025
- Jay Deitrich — Office Manager for St. Patrick (since 2023) and St. Mary (since 2005)
Sacraments
St. Patrick celebrates the central sacraments of Catholic life at the parish church in Brooklyn. Beyond Sunday and weekday Masses, confession is heard multiple times each week, and the Anointing of the Sick is available — per the pastor's announcement — to any Catholic in any stage of sickness, treatment, or surgery, and can be received more than once. Parishioners are encouraged to contact the pastor early in any health-care journey to receive this sacrament.
- Eucharist — Sunday and weekday Masses
- Reconciliation — Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — available on request; may be received more than once
- Eucharistic Adoration with Benediction — Fridays
Parish Life & Discernment
St. Patrick is a small, active community that has worked in recent years to build out its own parish structures alongside its partnership with St. Mary, Grinnell. On May 11, 2025, the parish hosted an all-parish meeting in its parish hall at 6:00 p.m. to continue discerning the establishment of an active parish council and other items to advance the parish's mission. Nine St. Patrick parishioners also attended the December 2024 Parish Social hosted jointly with St. Mary.
- All-Parish Meeting — Monday, May 11, 2025, 6 p.m., parish hall
- Active discernment of a new Parish Council (2025)
- Joint social events with St. Mary, Grinnell
Bulletins, Giving & Communication
Because the parish is closely linked with St. Mary, Grinnell, it shares a unified communications and stewardship program. Weekly bulletins are published on the parish website for both communities, and online giving is available for St. Patrick through the shared site. The parish office is reachable through the main St. Mary phone line.
- Joint weekly bulletin with St. Mary, Grinnell
- Online giving available through stmarygrinnell.com
- Bulletin archive published weekly on the parish website
- Office contact: (641) 236-7486
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James Garrityto 1949
Previously served in Knoxville; assigned to St. Patrick, Brooklyn, where he passed away on December 7, 1949.
- Rev. Philip Ryan1957 (first Mass)
Offered his first Mass at St. Patrick Church, Brooklyn, on June 2, 1957, after ordination; subsequently assigned to other Davenport Diocese parishes.
- Rev. Scott Foley2023–2025
Williamsburg native; assigned as pastor of St. Patrick, Brooklyn, in July 2023, in addition to his pastorate at St. Mary, Grinnell; relieved of assignment in April 2025.
- Rev. Duoc "Dominic" H. Nguyen2025–present
Born in Vietnam, came to the U.S. in 2014; named parochial administrator effective July 2025.