About St. Patrick · Forest City, Missouri
St. Patrick is a small Roman Catholic mission parish located at 303 Grand Avenue in Forest City, Missouri, in rural Holt County. Founded in 1869 under the patronage of St. Bridget and rededicated under the name St. Patrick in 1907, it has been served as a mission of St. Rose of Lima Parish in nearby Savannah since the 1930s. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph and gathers the local Catholic community for a Saturday Vigil Mass and occasional devotions, continuing a tradition of rural faith that has endured for more than 150 years.
- Established
- 1869
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Joshua Barlett (Pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish, of which St. Patrick is a mission; per 2021 diocesan directory)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph
Why belong here
St. Patrick is the Catholic home for families in the rural Forest City area of Holt County, keeping a 150-year-old mission community alive in the heart of northwest Missouri. As a mission of St. Rose of Lima in Savannah, it offers a Saturday Vigil Mass, a Holy Day Vigil Mass, Confession on second Saturdays, Adoration, and monthly devotions — all in the quiet, neighborly setting of a small river town. Visitors and parishioners are welcomed by a community that treasures its history and its simple, devoted country parish life.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 PM (2nd Saturdays)
Adoration times
- Saturday 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Welcome to St. Patrick Mission
St. Patrick is the Catholic mission parish serving the small community of Forest City in rural Holt County, northwest Missouri. Its page is hosted under the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Parish website in nearby Savannah, the parish that has sponsored St. Patrick since the 1930s. The mission gathers at 303 Grand Avenue in Forest City and welcomes visitors and returning Catholics to its quiet country church.
- 303 Grand Ave., Forest City, MO 64451
- Mission of St. Rose of Lima Parish, Savannah
- Part of the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph
History of St. Patrick
The parish traces its roots to 1869, when the first church in Forest City was built under the patronage of St. Bridget for $1,500. Parishioners who lived along the railroad would ride a handcar to Mass, picking up riders along the way. Around 1907 the decision was made to build a new church; land was acquired on October 4 of that year and the parish was renamed St. Patrick in honor of the families who funded the new building. The dedication drew crowds from three local hotels, but a heavy rain turned the streets to mud.
- 1869: First church built under patronage of St. Bridget, cost $1,500
- Handcar rides along the railroad to Sunday Mass
- 1907: Land for the present church acquired October 4
- Renamed St. Patrick in honor of donating families
- Dedication attended by visitors from three Forest City hotels
- Soon after, parish received a resident priest
Mission Status and 20th-Century Growth
In the 1930s the parish resumed mission status and has been served from Savannah ever since. A 1940 parish census counted 34 Catholics with eight children in the mission, a snapshot of how small but devoted this rural community was — and remains.
- 1930s: Resumed mission status, served from Savannah
- 1940: 34 Catholics, 8 children in the parish
Vatican II Renovations and the Hidden Treasures
The Second Vatican Council brought interior renovations to the church, which had largely kept its original design. The oak-framed Stations of the Cross were among the items replaced. Parishioners, distressed at the 'tearing down and disposal' of old furnishings — feeling they were being stripped of their history — reportedly began hiding items of value so they would not be lost. This story has become a beloved piece of local parish lore.
- Post-Vatican II interior renovation
- Oak-framed Stations replaced
- Parishioners hid valued furnishings to preserve them
Becoming a Parishioner
New parishioners can register with St. Patrick by contacting the parish office at St. Rose of Lima or by downloading the St. Patrick Registration Form available on the parish website.
- Contact: (816) 324-5700, ext. 302
- St. Patrick Registration Form available on the website
Contact and Staff
Because St. Patrick is a mission of St. Rose of Lima, its day-to-day administration and clergy are coordinated through the Savannah parish office. The 2021 diocesan directory lists Rev. Joshua Barlett as pastor of St. Rose of Lima (and therefore of the St. Patrick Mission) and Tina Johnson as parish secretary, reachable at extension 302.
- Parish Office: 707 S Hall Ave., Savannah, MO 64485
- Pastor: Rev. Joshua Barlett (per 2021 diocesan directory)
- Parish Secretary: Tina Johnson, ext. 302
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: (816) 324-5700
Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph
St. Patrick Mission is one of the parishes and missions of the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph, a Latin-Rite diocese serving Catholics across western Missouri. The diocese lists St. Patrick as a mission of St. Rose of Lima, Savannah, in its official parish directory.
- Diocese: Kansas City–St. Joseph
- Listed in the diocesan parish directory under St. Rose of Lima
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Michael Coleman, JCL
Author of Further by Faith, from which the parish's published history is drawn