About St. Patrick · Montrose, South Dakota
St. Patrick Catholic Parish serves the small farming community of Montrose, South Dakota, as one of seven parishes in the St. Mary Magdalen Pastorate of the Diocese of Sioux Falls. The parish shares weekend Mass with its sister church St. Ann in Humboldt (SD), celebrating Saturday evening Mass at St. Patrick on even-numbered months and Sunday morning Mass on odd-numbered months, with a weekly Wednesday morning Mass. Rooted in a Catholic community that has worshipped in Montrose since the 1880s, the parish now ministers alongside St. Mary's in Salem and the other surrounding rural parishes under Fr. Melvin Kuhn.
- Established
- 1881
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Melvin Kuhn (Pastor of the St. Mary Magdalen Pastorate; parish phone 605-425-2600, email [email protected]). Fr. Steven Jones serves as Parochial Vicar in the pastorate as of early 2026.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Sioux Falls (part of the St. Mary Magdalen Pastorate, formed July 2023, grouping seven rural parishes: St. Mary of Mercy in Alexandria, St. Stephen in Bridgewater, St. Martin of Tours in Emery, Church of the Epiphany, St. Ann in Humboldt, St. Patrick in Montrose, and St. Mary in Salem).
Why belong here
St. Patrick's offers the rhythms of an intimate rural Catholic parish: a weekly Wednesday Mass, a rotating Saturday evening Mass in even months, and Sunday Mass in odd months shared with neighboring St. Ann in Humboldt. It is rooted in one of the oldest Catholic communities in the area (founded 1881), serves across the seven-parish St. Mary Magdalen Pastorate, and warmly welcomes seekers through its RCIA program for adults and children preparing for First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion in the second grade. Parishioners who join become part of a pastorate committed to discipleship, evangelization and faith formation under Fr. Melvin Kuhn, with ministries such as music, ushers, money counters and altar society open to all who want to take part.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:15–4:50 PM, when there is a Saturday evening Mass at the parish (even-numbered months)
- Sunday: 7:50–8:20 AM, before the Sunday morning Mass (odd-numbered months)
- Other times: by appointment — call the pastorate office at 605-425-2600
Adoration times
- Each pastorate church remains open all day with the light on for private visits to the Blessed Sacrament (per pastorate bulletin invitation)
Welcome to St. Patrick Parish
St. Patrick Catholic Parish is a small Roman Rite parish serving the rural community of Montrose in southeast South Dakota. The parish belongs to the Diocese of Sioux Falls and, since July 2023, is one of seven sister churches of the St. Mary Magdalen Pastorate. The parish's own website invites visitors to learn about its Mass schedule, sacraments and bulletin, and points to St. Ann's in Humboldt as its weekend-Mass partner.
History of St. Patrick Parish
Catholic life in Montrose began before the town itself: the first documented Mass gathering of local Catholics was held in a private home in 1879. A church building followed in 1882 and served as a mission church until a larger Saint Patrick's Catholic Church was erected and named. Its exterior was rebuilt around 1940. The adjacent St. Patrick's Cemetery was officially established in 1885 — though burials had already been taking place in the area for some time, as was typical of frontier Catholic communities. GCatholic lists the parish's canonical founding as 1881.
- 1879 — First Catholic Mass in a private home in Montrose
- 1881 — Canonical founding of the parish (per GCatholic)
- 1882 — First church building constructed
- 1885 — St. Patrick's Cemetery formally established
- c. 1940 — Current church exterior
- July 2023 — Joined the new seven-parish St. Mary Magdalen Pastorate under Fr. Melvin Kuhn
St. Mary Magdalen Pastorate
In July 2023 the Diocese of Sioux Falls reorganized a cluster of small rural parishes into the St. Mary Magdalen Pastorate. St. Patrick shares its pastor, parochial vicars and administrative staff with the other six churches, and weekend Masses rotate between sites so each parish receives Mass on a regular schedule.
- St. Mary of Mercy — Alexandria
- St. Stephen — Bridgewater
- St. Martin of Tours — Emery
- Church of the Epiphany — Epiphany
- St. Ann — Humboldt (St. Patrick's weekend Mass partner)
- St. Patrick — Montrose
- St. Mary (Help of Christians) — Salem (pastorate office location)
Clergy & Staff
The pastorate is led by a single pastor with parochial vicars; pastoral and administrative staff are shared across all seven parishes. St. Patrick Parish itself has its own clerical assistant to handle local needs and bulletins.
- Rev. Melvin Kuhn — Pastor, St. Mary Magdalen Pastorate (605-425-2600; [email protected])
- Rev. Steven Jones — Parochial Vicar (as of Feb 2026)
- Rev. William Hamak — Parochial Vicar
- Rev. Robert (Bob) Krantz — Senior Priest / Parochial Vicar
- Dolly Lund-Collins — Clerical Assistant, St. Patrick Parish (605-471-0583)
- Maggan Krempges — Discipleship & Evangelization / Faith Formation (serves St. Patrick and St. Mary, Salem; 605-351-0875)
- Emily Ruden — Pastorate Administrative Assistant
- Vicky Huls — Bulletin coordinator
Sacraments
St. Patrick prepares parishioners for all seven Catholic sacraments, in concert with the broader pastorate. The parish website offers catechetical summaries for each sacrament grounded in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC).
- Baptism — contact the parish priest
- First Reconciliation — 2nd grade, parental home preparation with parish resources
- First Holy Communion — 2nd grade, after First Reconciliation; also available for older children and adults via RCIA/OCIA
- Confirmation — through the diocesan program
- Anointing of the Sick — for serious illness; call the parish office
- Matrimony — engaged couples should contact the parish at least 7 months before the wedding
- Holy Orders / Religious Life — discernment conversations with Fr. Kuhn
- Funerals — call the parish office to arrange wake, funeral and burial
Becoming Catholic (RCIA / OCIA)
Adults and older children curious about the Catholic faith can enter the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (now also referenced as OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults). The RCIA program for St. Patrick and St. Mary parishes starts each fall and runs through the Easter Vigil. Coordinator Maggan Krempges can be reached at 605-351-0875 or [email protected].
- Open to anyone curious, learning or ready to join the Catholic Church
- Begins in the fall; culminates at the Easter Vigil
- No commitment required to begin inquiries
- Adults, teens and older children are all welcome
Ministries & Volunteer Opportunities
St. Patrick's is a small parish that depends on the gifts of its parishioners. The parish bulletin regularly invites volunteers to serve in liturgical roles and other parish needs, and the music ministry in particular has been actively recruiting.
- Music ministry — piano, organ and singers wanted (compensation available; contact Dolly at [email protected])
- Ushers
- Money Counters
- Gift Bearers
- St. Patrick's Altar Society
- Faith Formation / Religious Education (grades K–8, in cooperation with St. Mary, Salem)
- Parish Ham Dinner planning team (annual fundraiser)
Parish Events & Fellowship
The parish's flagship community event is the annual St. Patrick's Ham Dinner, traditionally held in the church hall on a Sunday in March from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. It is one of the longest-running parish fundraisers and a major social gathering for the parish and surrounding community.
- St. Patrick's Ham Dinner — annual, held in the church hall (most recently 11:00 AM–1:00 PM Sunday in March)
- Open churches — each pastorate church is open all day with a light on, inviting visits to the Blessed Sacrament
- Joint-pastorate Mass intentions ($10 diocesan suggested offering, with the offering going to the parish rather than the priest)
Bulletin, News & Contact
St. Patrick's parish bulletin is published jointly with the other pastorate parishes and is available on the parish website as well as at salemcatholic.org. The most recent bulletins include Mass intentions, the rotating weekend schedule, parish news and stewardship appeals.
- Bulletin online: stpatrickmontrose.org/bulletins and salemcatholic.org
- Bulletin items due Mondays at 2:00 PM (Vicky Huls, [email protected])
- Mailing address: PO Box 158, Montrose, SD 57048
- Parish office (pastorate): 605-425-2600
- Parish email: [email protected]
Cemetery
St. Patrick's Cemetery, adjacent to the parish church, was formally established in 1885 and remains an important part of the parish's heritage and ongoing ministry. (See history section for the early burials predating the formal designation.)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Steven Jonesthrough June 2023 (end of tenure as pastor)
Departed St. Patrick/St. Mary group in summer 2023; farewells were celebrated across the parishes
- Rev. Melvin KuhnJuly 2023–present
First pastor of the newly formed St. Mary Magdalen Pastorate, appointed July 2023 to lead all seven parishes