About St Patrick · Melrose, Iowa
St. Patrick's Catholic Church is a small, historic parish perched on a hill in rural Melrose, Iowa — a tiny Monroe County village long known as 'Iowa's Little Ireland.' The parish serves its tight-knit community with Sunday and weekday Masses, CCD religious education for children, and the ministries of its priest Fr. Ron Hodges and Deacon Ed Kamerick, who together also shepherd St. Mary's in nearby Centerville. Generations of parishioners have cared for the church, and its hilltop setting with stained-glass windows is a landmark in a town where Irish surnames, Irish street names, and an annual St. Patrick's Day parade still mark daily life.
- Established
- 1874 (resident parish; mission church predates that)
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Fr. Ron Hodges
- Diocese
- Diocese of Davenport
Why belong here
St. Patrick's welcomes visitors and newcomers with the warm simplicity of a small-town Iowa parish: weekly Mass in a landmark hilltop church, the kind of CCD religious education where every child is known by name, and a congregation whose surnames go back generations on the same pews. Fr. Ron and Deacon Ed, together with the Parish Council and the Altar and Rosary Society, keep ministries running for families, weddings, and home or hospital visits, and the annual St. Patrick's Day festival draws the wider community back to 'Iowa's Little Ireland' each March.
Mass times at St Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- By appointment — contact the parish office at (641) 726-3531 to arrange the Sacrament of Reconciliation with the priest.
Welcome & Parish Identity
St. Patrick's describes itself as a rural parish where 'parishioners live by small town values.' Located on a hill in Melrose — Iowa's 'Little Ireland' — the parish welcomes visitors to any of its scheduled Masses and offers its church and social hall as a venue for weddings and special events. The website emphasizes that Mass-goers are always welcome, and reminds visitors to watch its Facebook page for any specially scheduled Masses for Holy Days or feasts.
- Mass is celebrated Sunday and on Tuesday and Friday mornings.
- Holidays, Holy Days, and special events are also celebrated.
- The church and social hall are available to rent for weddings and ceremonial events.
History of St. Patrick's
The parish was founded before any church building existed on the hill. As local historian and parishioner Evelyn Tierney wrote in her book But of Course They Were Irish, the faith of the Irish settlers who platted Melrose in 1866 came with them 'in their hearts and souls,' and they quickly organized a log mission church just west of what would become the school site. That mission was served one or two Sundays a month by the priest from Stacyville (later Georgetown). In 1874 the congregation received its first resident pastor, the Irish-born Rev. J. J. Cadden, beginning an unbroken succession of pastors that continues today.
- Pre-1874: log mission church, served from Stacyville/Georgetown.
- 1874: First resident pastor, Rev. J. J. Cadden.
- Longest early pastorate: Monsignor W. J. McCormick, 1909–1932.
- Reference: Evelyn Tierney, But of Course They Were Irish.
Clergy & Staff
St. Patrick's is currently served by a priest-deacon team that also ministers at St. Mary's in Centerville. Office and music ministries are filled by longtime parishioners.
- Pastor: Fr. Ron Hodges (joined St. Patrick's Melrose in summer 2024)
- Permanent Deacon: Deacon Ed Kamerick (ordained 2013)
- Parish Secretary: Jane Kamerick
- Organists: Brigitte Mohler and Kristi Evans
Fr. Ron Hodges
Fr. Ron Hodges joined St. Patrick's in the summer of 2024. In his introduction on the parish website he shares his hobbies: cooking and canning, a goal of mastering sourdough bread, shooting sports, tinkering with radios (he is an amateur radio operator), and reading. He serves the linked parishes of St. Mary's, Centerville and St. Patrick's, Melrose alongside Deacon Ed.
Deacon Ed Kamerick
A southern Iowa native, Ed Kamerick — along with his wife Jane and their four children — is a long-standing member of St. Patrick's. The couple first led Melrose's CCD religious-education program; Ed was then ordained a permanent deacon in 2013 and now assists at Mass, preaches, and ministers throughout the parish and at St. Mary's, Centerville.
Parish Council
The Parish Council governs the business of the parish. Members are listed on the parish's About Us page.
- President: John Knowles
- Council Members: Steve Heffron, Tim Kasper, John Kosman, John E. Lawless, Jack Teno, Mike Teno
- Trustees: Bernie Evans, Kris Knowles
Altar and Rosary Society
The Altar and Rosary Society cares for the liturgical life of the church — altar linens, flowers, rosary devotion — and is led by elected officers from the parish.
- President: Kellie Sinclair
- Secretary: Josey Ryan
- Treasurer: Marty
Religious Education (CCD)
On Wednesday evenings from August through April, the parish social hall fills with children and volunteer catechists for CCD religious-education classes. Jane Kamerick — a retired educator and the deacon's wife — has led the program for many years alongside her husband. Classes are intentionally small and taught by volunteers, and the parish invites parents to sign children up or to volunteer by calling (641) 726-3531.
- When: Wednesday evenings, August–April
- Where: Parish social hall
- Led by: Jane Kamerick (with Deacon Ed)
- Sign-up / volunteer: (641) 726-3531
Sacraments & Pastoral Visits
Reconciliation, Baptism, and Marriage are all arranged through the parish office by appointment. The priest is also available to visit the sick at home or in the hospital — a vital ministry in a rural community where many parishioners are elderly.
- Reconciliation — by appointment with the priest
- Baptism — by appointment with the priest
- Marriage — by appointment with the priest; church and social hall available
- Visits to the homebound and hospitalized
Worship & Music
Music at Sunday and weekday Masses is led by parish organists Brigitte Mohler and Kristi Evans. The interior of the church is noted on the parish website for its stained-glass windows.
- Organists: Brigitte Mohler, Kristi Evans
- Notable feature: stained-glass windows
St. Patrick's Day Festival & Homecoming
Each March, St. Patrick's hosts a St. Patrick's Day fundraiser and homecoming event — part of the wider 'Little Ireland' celebration that turns Melrose into one of Iowa's most distinctive Irish-American gatherings. The parish website describes it as a chance to 'come join us in Iowa's Little Ireland for a St. Patrick's Day fundraiser celebration and homecoming event.'
- Annual St. Patrick's Day fundraiser and homecoming
- Held in and around the parish (and the Melrose Community Hall)
- Part of the broader Melrose 'Friendly Sons of St. Patrick' tradition
Facilities — Church & Social Hall
Beyond regular worship, the parish rents out its church and social hall for weddings and ceremonial events. The hilltop church and adjacent hall are presented as 'great places to host weddings and special events.'
- Available for: weddings and special events
- Contact: parish office, (641) 726-3531
Contact & Office
The parish office is reached primarily by phone. Callers are asked to leave a message and the office secretary will return the call as soon as possible.
- Phone: (641) 726-3531
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 200 Trinity Avenue, Melrose, Iowa 52569
- Office hours: not posted; phone is the preferred contact
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father J. J. Cadden1874–1890
First resident pastor; Irish-born.
- Father John O'Rielly1890–1901
- Father T. R. Brownrigg1901–1909
- Monsignor W. J. McCormick1909–1932
Longest early-tenure pastor.
- Father D. C. Browne1932–1937
- Father J. J. Welsh1937–1942
- Father Myles T. Gaffney1942–1948
- Father Francis Lenoch1948
- Father R. J. McGrath1948–1957
- Father John Morrissey1957–1967
- Father Eugene Hoenig1967–1978
- Father John Schmitz1978–1982
- Father George Hoenig1982–1984
- Father Ernest Braida1984–
End-date not specified on parish list.