About St Patrick · Delmar, Iowa
St. Patrick is a small Roman Catholic parish in the rural town of Delmar, Iowa, in Clinton County. It is one of five parishes in the northern Clinton County pastoral cluster served by a single pastor, and belongs to the Diocese of Davenport. The parish was incorporated under Iowa law in April 1912 and today gathers a close-knit farming-community congregation at its church on Delmar Avenue, sharing liturgical and faith-formation life with neighboring parishes in Charlotte, Sugar Creek, Petersville and Lost Nation.
- Established
- 1912
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Robert (Bob) Cloos
- Diocese
- Diocese of Davenport
Why belong here
St. Patrick in Delmar is a small, family-sized parish where the Catholic faith is lived out in close connection with the surrounding farming community. Despite its size, parishioners enjoy a real liturgical life — weekend Mass in Delmar, weekday Masses, and the wider cluster's shared Advent and Lenten retreats — along with religious-education programs for children, a combined evangelization team and a Knights of Columbus council that serves soup-and-sandwich meals after major events. Joining this parish means becoming part of a faithful cluster of five northern Clinton County parishes that intentionally support one another while keeping each parish's own identity and traditions alive.
Mass times at St Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
About St. Patrick Parish, Delmar
St. Patrick Catholic Church sits at 405 Delmar Avenue in the small rural community of Delmar, Iowa, in northern Clinton County. It is one of five parishes in the northern Clinton County pastoral cluster of the Diocese of Davenport. The parish was incorporated in Iowa in April 1912 and today remains an active worship site and parish corporation, retaining its own identity while sharing clergy with sister parishes in Charlotte, Sugar Creek/Bryant, Petersville and Lost Nation.
- Address: 405 Delmar Ave., Delmar, IA 52037
- Phone: (563) 674-4240
- Diocese of Davenport
- Roman Rite (Latin)
History
St. Patrick's roots lie in the Irish-Catholic settlement of Clinton County in the 19th century. Before the Diocese of Davenport was created in 1911, the area was served from the Diocese of Dubuque. The parish was formally incorporated under Iowa law on April 27, 1912. Over the twentieth century a succession of diocesan priests led the parish, including Fr. James M. Janssen (administrator in 1959) and Fr. Francis E. Bass (pastor 1981–1992). As rural populations declined, Delmar joined neighboring parishes in a clustering arrangement that today groups five parishes under one pastor while letting each keep its own liturgical and community life.
- Founded/incorporated 1912
- Transferred from Diocese of Dubuque to Diocese of Davenport in 1911
- Clustered with four other northern Clinton County parishes
- Pastor Fr. Francis E. Bass served 1981–1992
Pastoral Cluster of Northern Clinton County
St. Patrick is part of a five-parish cluster in northern Clinton County that shares a single pastor and deacons. The other parishes in the cluster are Assumption & St. Patrick in Charlotte, Ss. Mary & Joseph in Sugar Creek, Immaculate Conception in Petersville, and Our Lady of the Holy Rosary in Lost Nation. Each parish keeps its own Mass schedule, finance and parish councils, and church building, but the cluster councils meet together twice a year and collaborate on retreats, evangelization and faith formation.
- Pastor: Fr. Robert (Bob) Cloos
- Deacon Jeff Schuetzle
- Deacon Andrew Hardigan
- Cluster parishes: Charlotte, Sugar Creek, Petersville, Lost Nation
- Joint Advent and Lenten retreats held at cluster parishes
Faith Formation, Evangelization & Youth
Religious education for the parish's children is organized at the cluster level. The cluster's Evangelization Team runs an annual Advent retreat and an annual Lenten retreat that draw children and adults together from all five parishes. At the 2024 Advent retreat held at St. Patrick in Delmar, more than 110 people attended, with religious-education students leading an Advent-wreath prayer service and contributing food for the parishes' food pantries.
- Advent Retreat 'Rejoice in Hope' (cluster-wide)
- Lenten Retreat (cluster-wide)
- Religious-education program for children
- Cluster Evangelization Team
Parish Life & Outreach
Parishioners at St. Patrick are active in parish council, finance council and outreach. The local Knights of Columbus council works with parishioners to serve soup, sandwiches and dessert in the parish hall (Grossman Hall) after cluster events. The parish also operates a food pantry supported by donations gathered at retreats and other gatherings. When major building projects arise — such as the recent installation of a new furnace in the parish hall — the finance and parish councils work directly with the pastor to keep the historic church property in good repair.
- Parish Council
- Finance Council
- Knights of Columbus
- Food pantry
- Grossman Hall (parish hall used for meals and events)
Clergy
The parish is currently served by pastor Father Robert (Bob) Cloos, who leads all five parishes in the northern Clinton County cluster. He is assisted by two deacons: Deacon Jeff Schuetzle and Deacon Andrew Hardigan. Fr. Cloos has emphasized open communication with parishioners through both formal council meetings and informal 'sidebar' conversations after Mass.
- Pastor: Rev. Robert (Bob) Cloos
- Deacon Jeff Schuetzle
- Deacon Andrew Hardigan
Visiting & Contact
Visitors are warmly welcomed at St. Patrick. The church is located at 405 Delmar Avenue in Delmar, Iowa, and can be reached by telephone at (563) 674-4240. Because schedules can change — especially with seasonal cluster events and holy days — parishioners and visitors are encouraged to call the parish to confirm current Mass times, retreat dates and other parish activities.
- 405 Delmar Ave., Delmar, IA 52037
- Phone: (563) 674-4240
- Roman-Latin Rite, Diocese of Davenport
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James M. Janssen1959 (Administrator)
Temporarily administered the parish in early 1959 after a period of suspension; later laicized in 2004 by the Vatican.
- Rev. Francis E. Bass1981–1992
Pastor of Delmar St. Patrick 8/18/1981 to 10/27/1992; concurrently pastor of St. Anne, Welton 10/16/1984 – 10/27/1992; former Director of Vocations; later laicization requested in 2004.