About St Patrick · Ottumwa, Iowa
St. Patrick Catholic Church is a Catholic parish located at 222 North Ward Street in Ottumwa, Iowa, part of the Diocese of Davenport. The parish was founded in 1879 and its current church building was constructed in 1956. As of July 1, 2025, St. Patrick was merged with neighboring St. Mary of the Visitation parish by decree of Bishop Dennis Walsh to form the new St. Joseph Parish; both historic church buildings are retained as worship sites under the united parish. The parish community is served by a pastor, parochial vicar, director of religious education, and director of evangelization, and worship is offered in both English and, at the St. Mary campus, Spanish.
- Established
- 1879
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph Sia
- Diocese
- Diocese of Davenport
Why belong here
St. Patrick welcomes all to a historic Ottumwa parish that has worshipped at 222 N. Ward Street since 1956, offering daily Mass Tuesday through Friday, a Saturday vigil, and a Sunday Mass, with regular confession on Friday and Saturday mornings. Today the parish shares a pastor, religious education, and evangelization team with neighboring St. Mary of the Visitation under the new St. Joseph Parish, so members benefit from combined resources and a richer, multilingual worship life offered in English, Spanish, and Chuukese.
Mass times at St Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Friday 7:15 a.m. – 7:45 a.m. (St. Patrick Reconciliation Room near the Baptismal Font)
- Saturday 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. (St. Patrick)
About St. Patrick Catholic Church
St. Patrick Catholic Church is an English-language Catholic parish of the Diocese of Davenport, located at 222 North Ward Street in Ottumwa, Iowa. Founded in 1879, the parish has served generations of Catholic families in southeast Iowa, and the present church building was constructed in 1956. Under its vision statement the community commits itself to worshiping God through common liturgy and sacramental celebrations, growing in faith through continuous religious formation, sharing its faith with those seeking the Church and those alienated from it, and serving others through time, talents and resources. The parish identifies itself as a presence of Jesus Christ in the Ottumwa area.
- Founded 1879; current church building 1956
- 222 North Ward Street, Ottumwa, IA
- Diocese of Davenport — Ottumwa Deanery
History and the 2025 Merger into St. Joseph Parish
St. Patrick has been a fixture on the Ottumwa Catholic landscape since 1879. Over its history the parish shared ministries with the neighboring St. Mary of the Visitation (founded 1849, current building 1931), and by 2023 the two parishes had already consolidated staff, sharing a pastor, parish office, secretary, director of religious education, a common bulletin, and several organizations. Bishop Dennis Walsh decreed on July 1, 2025, that the two parishes unite canonically as St. Joseph Parish, while the historic church buildings retain their identities as worship sites.
- Founded 1879 in Ottumwa, Iowa
- Built / rebuilt into the present church building in 1956
- Merged with St. Mary of the Visitation to form St. Joseph Parish on July 1, 2025 by decree of Bishop Dennis Walsh
- June 29, 2025 — 1.3-mile Eucharistic procession from St. Patrick to St. Mary of the Visitation, ending with Benediction in Central Park
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Religious education is shared across the three-site cluster of St. Mary of the Visitation, St. Patrick, and St. Mary Magdalen in Bloomfield. The program is supported by all three churches and administered by Director of Religious Education Ana De La Torre. In Ottumwa, classes meet on Wednesday evenings from September through April; in Bloomfield they meet on Sundays the same months. Sacramental preparation for Baptism, Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation is also coordinated through the same office.
- Director of Religious Education: Ana De La Torre (641-680-2797, [email protected])
- Wednesday evening Religious Ed in Ottumwa, September–April
- Sunday Religious Ed in Bloomfield, September–April
- Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation
- Confirmation preparation for 8th-grade students; ceremony alternates between St. Mary of the Visitation and St. Patrick
Evangelization and OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
The merged parish family employs a Director of Evangelization to coordinate outreach and the OCIA (formerly RCIA) process for adults seeking to enter or return to the Catholic Church, as well as evangelization to those alienated from the Church — a stated pillar of St. Patrick's Vision Statement.
- Director of Evangelization: Anna Maria Billy (641-682-4559, [email protected])
- OCIA / RCIA adapted for English, Spanish, and Chuukese-speaking inquirers
- Parish-wide bulletin and outreach resources
Liturgy and Devotions
St. Patrick's published worship life centers on the regular schedule of weekday and Sunday Masses and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The clustered parish family is also intentional about multilingual worship and devotions such as the rosary — including the Glorious Mysteries prayed during the June 29, 2025 Eucharistic procession — and Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament in the public square. The Wednesday Bible-study or group reflection and parish bulletin are coordinated across the cluster.
- English daily Mass (Tue–Fri)
- Saturday vigil and Sunday Mass
- Confessions in Reconciliation Room near the Baptismal Font
- Multilingual worship in English, Spanish and Chuukese
- Rosary, Benediction, Eucharistic Adoration and devotions as scheduled in the bulletin
Parish Staff and Leadership
The parish is currently led by the same staff team serving the unified St. Joseph Parish community of Ottumwa, drawn from the Diocese of Davenport. The pastor and parochial vicar serve the worship sites at St. Patrick, St. Mary of the Visitation, and St. Mary Magdalen, supported by the lay directors of religious education and evangelization.
- Pastor: Rev. Joseph Sia — [email protected]
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Isaac Doucette — [email protected]
- Director of Religious Education: Ana De La Torre (641-680-2797)
- Director of Evangelization / OCIA: Anna Maria Billy (641-682-4559)
- Parish Office: 641-682-4559 — [email protected]
Parish Vision and Mission
St. Patrick's Mission Statement reads: 'We, the community of St. Patrick Church, gather to know Jesus Christ and to proclaim his gospel as members of the Roman Catholic Church.' Its Vision Statement names four commitments — Worship God, Grow in Our Faith, Share Our Faith, and Serve Others — and frames the parish as 'a presence of Jesus Christ in the Ottumwa area.'
- Worship — common liturgy, prayer and sacramental celebrations
- Grow in Faith — continuous religious formation
- Share Faith — evangelization to those seeking the Church and those alienated from it
- Serve Others — sharing time, talents and resources
Staying Connected — Bulletins, News and Social Media
Weekly bulletins and parish news are posted on the parish website under the News/Events tab, and a parish Facebook page keeps the community connected with announcements and the readings of the day. Visitors and parishioners can also subscribe to the Word on Fire blog featured on the parish homepage.
- Weekly bulletin — posted at stpatrickottumwa.com under News/Events
- Parish Facebook page
- Word on Fire daily reflections
- Today's Mass readings linked on the homepage