St. Patrick

Parish Overview

St. Patrick Catholic Church in Nevada, Iowa is a Roman Catholic parish in the Archdiocese of Dubuque and the lead parish of the Story-Marshall Catholic Cluster, which unites four rural Story County congregations (St. Patrick/Nevada, St. Joseph/State Center, St. Mary/Colo, St. Gabriel/Zearing) — and historically five with Sacred Heart/Melbourne — under a single rotating pastor. The parish church is located at 1110 11th Street in Nevada; weekday and Sunday Masses, sacraments, and faith formation are coordinated through the cluster office.

History of St. Patrick Parish

According to Rev. Msgr. Edgar Kurt's 1990 Parish Profile (The Witness, Archdiocese of Dubuque), the first Catholic church in Story County was built in Nevada in 1870 under Father Delaney and that same year dedicated to Saint Patrick. Father Patrick Smith lived in Nevada for some months thereafter and moved the original church to its present site, though he was never formally appointed pastor. In 1882 Father Matthew S. Murphy became Nevada's first resident pastor; from then until 1957, pastors jointly served Nevada and Colo. The Loras College Center for Dubuque History preserves a 149-year parish history (1870–2019) covering the priests, parishioners, and growth of the community.

• 1870 — First Catholic church in Story County built in Nevada under Father Delaney, dedicated to St. Patrick.
• Father Patrick Smith moved the original church to the present site.
• 1882 — Father Matthew S. Murphy becomes Nevada's first resident pastor.
• 1882–1957 — Pastors jointly served Nevada (St. Patrick) and Colo (St. Mary).
• c. 2000 — Parish joins the Story-Marshall Catholic Cluster of five parishes under one pastor.

The Story-Marshall Catholic Cluster

St. Patrick is the lead church of the Story-Marshall Catholic Cluster, which today unites St. Patrick (Nevada), St. Joseph (State Center), St. Mary (Colo), and St. Gabriel (Zearing) — parishes covering four small towns in Story and Marshall counties. A fifth parish, Sacred Heart (Melbourne), was part of the original cluster formed in 2000. Under the cluster model, one priest serves all the parishes on a rotating schedule, with weekend Masses, weekday Masses, and Reconciliation distributed across the four churches. The cluster also maintains a single secretarial office and shared communications (website, Facebook, bulletin).

• St. Patrick Church — Nevada (Story County)
• St. Joseph Church — State Center (Marshall County)
• St. Mary Church — Colo (Story County)
• St. Gabriel Church — Zearing (Story County)
• Sacred Heart Church — Melbourne (Marshall County, original cluster member 2000)

Staff and Clergy

The Story-Marshall Cluster is currently served by Fr. Jim Secora as Pastor, supported by a Cluster Coordinator and Cluster Secretary based at the Nevada parish office. The parish draws on lay leaders and a Faith Formation Commission to run religious education and adult faith-sharing opportunities across the cluster.

• Fr. Jim Secora — Pastor (cluster-wide) — 641-382-2974
• Cluster Coordinator (Ken Michaels, per 2017-18 handbook)
• Cluster Secretary (Vickie Wirth, per 2017-18 handbook)
• Faith Formation Commission: Chair, PC Liaison, Secretary, Treasurer, PR (per St. Patrick parish handbook)

Faith Formation and Religious Education

St. Patrick's Faith Formation Family Handbook (2017-18) describes a robust program for grades K–12 designed to help parents pass on the Catholic faith. Classes meet on Wednesdays on parish grounds, using 'Alive in Christ' (K–6, Our Sunday Visitor), 'Discovery' and 'Total Faith Initiative' for older youth (St. Mary's Press), and Ascension Press's 'Theology of the Body' for middle and high school students. All catechists are VIRTUS trained and background-checked in compliance with the Archdiocese of Dubuque's Policy for the Protection of Minors.

• Kindergarten–Grade 5: Wednesdays, 6:30–7:30 PM
• Grades 6–12: Wednesdays, 7:45–8:45 PM
• Curriculum: 'Alive in Christ' (OSV); 'Discovery' / 'Total Faith Initiative' (St. Mary's Press)
• Theology of the Body — Middle School (8 sessions) for Grade 7; High School elective in odd years
• Safe-environment training for Grades 1, 3, 5, and 9 (Dubuque requirement)

Adult Faith Sharing and Devotions

The cluster maintains Adult Faith Sharing opportunities across its four churches, and is connected to wider Catholic media via Word on Fire, Life Teen video reflections, and ChurchPOP articles. The St. Patrick parish Facebook page ('Story Marshall Catholic Cluster') keeps parishioners informed of up-to-date cluster events, devotions, and announcements.

• Adult Faith Sharing — see cluster page 'adult-faith-formation'
• Word on Fire daily reflections (homilies)
• Life Teen video reflections
• ChurchPOP Catholic articles
• Cluster Facebook page: Story Marshall Catholic Cluster

Parish Office and Contact

The parish office serves as the cluster headquarters for the Story-Marshall Catholic Cluster. Inquiries about Mass intentions, sacraments, faith formation registration, and pastoral needs can be routed through the cluster secretary at the Nevada office.

• Address: 1110 11th Street, Nevada, IA 50201
• Phone: (515) 382-2974
• Email: [email protected]
• Pastor: Fr. Jim Secora — 641-382-2974
• Cluster Website: http://www.storymarshallcluster.org/

Sources and Heritage Records

The parish's 150-year history is preserved in two important sources used for this profile: the Loras College Digital Collections, which hosts a 149-year parish history (1870–2019) compiled from parish records and local newspapers; and the Archdiocese of Dubuque's parish profile series in The Witness (1990), authored by Rev. Msgr. Edgar Kurt. Together these archives provide the foundation for understanding St. Patrick as Iowa's first Catholic church in Story County and the heart of the Story-Marshall Catholic Cluster.

• Loras College Digital Collections — 'St. Patrick (Nevada, Iowa)': https://digitalcollections.loras.edu/items/show/6278
• Rev. Msgr. Edgar Kurt, 'Parish Profile #164: Saint Patrick Parish, Nevada,' The Witness (Dubuque), March 4, 1990
• GCatholic — Church of St. Patrick, Nevada, Iowa (ID 35928)
• Archdiocese of Dubuque — cluster parish listing