About St. Patrick · Wall, South Dakota
St. Patrick Catholic Church is a small rural parish in Wall, South Dakota — the small town made famous by Wall Drug — serving approximately 60 households on the high plains of western South Dakota. A mission of the faith long predates the church building: for years, rotating mission priests celebrated Mass in private homes and the local Oddfellows' Hall before the parish purchased its first worship building in 1917. Now past its centennial, the parish is part of a multi-town cluster under the Diocese of Rapid City and is currently pastored by Fr. Jonathan Dillon, who also serves St. Margaret in Lakeside and (as of 2026) St. John the Evangelist in New Underwood.
- Established
- 1917
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Fr. Jonathan Dillon
- Diocese
- Diocese of Rapid City
Why belong here
St. Patrick's is the welcoming Catholic heart of Wall and its surrounding ranch country, with daily Mass available multiple days a week (Tuesday evenings with Eucharistic Adoration and Wednesday mornings), Sunday Mass, and Sunday Reconciliation before Mass. The parish is small enough that families know one another and large enough to draw from across the Wall drug-store tourist corridor, and it is pastored as part of a multi-town cluster (currently including Lakeside, Martin, Kadoka, and New Underwood) so worshippers can find Mass across the region. The parish is deeply tied to Wall's identity, including its long connection to the Hustead family of Wall Drug.
Mass times at St. Patrick
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sundays starting at 10:30 am (per official parish website)
- Sunday 10:00–10:30 am (per catholicmasstime.org mirror)
- Sunday 10:30–10:50 am (per Discover Mass)
Adoration times
- Tuesdays following the 5:30 pm Mass (approximately 6:00–7:00 pm)
Parish Identity & Diocese
St. Patrick's is a parish of the Catholic Diocese of Rapid City, serving the small western South Dakota town of Wall and the surrounding ranch country. As a rural parish with about 60 households, it is part of a multi-town pastoral cluster that combines several small communities under shared clergy.
- Diocese of Rapid City
- Wall, Pennington County, South Dakota
- Multi-parish cluster pastorate
History of St. Patrick's, Wall
Before the parish had a building, three mission priests — Father O'Hora, Father Goergen, and Father Hirsch — celebrated Mass in private homes and the Oddfellows' Hall. In April 1917 Father John Connolly arrived as the region's first resident pastor; that same year the parish purchased a former Congregational church and a rectory. The parish's current home on Norris Street dates to a 1977 dedication of a building begun under Father Craig Cower, designed with movable pews and platforms.
- 1917: Rev. John Connolly named first resident pastor (served Wall, Quinn, Wasta, New Underwood)
- 1917: Parish bought former Congregational church building ($1,000) and rectory ($1,300)
- 1925: Original church moved one block to the present Norris Street location
- 1964: Death of Father Connolly after 47 years as pastor
- 1974: Congregation began using the new building under construction
- April 1977: Formal dedication of the present church structure
Parish Cluster & Linked Communities
St. Patrick's is currently linked with three other small parishes in western South Dakota under Fr. Jonathan Dillon's pastoral care, who resides in Wall. The cluster groups small communities together so that priestly ministry can reach all of them.
- St. Patrick, Wall (parish church)
- St. Margaret, Lakeside
- Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Martin (Fr. Dillon released from this assignment under the 2026 changes)
- Our Lady of Victory, Kadoka (Fr. Dillon released from this assignment under the 2026 changes)
- St. John the Evangelist, New Underwood (added under the 2026 assignments)
Parish Life & Events
Beyond the weekly schedule, the parish posts announcements and event notices to its website, including Christmas caroling in 2025 and the centennial celebration dinner in April 2017. The small congregation is closely tied to the wider Wall community.
- Christmas Caroling (2025)
- 100-year anniversary free-will dinner (Sunday, April 23, 2017)
- Weekly parish bulletins published online
Sacraments & Pastoral Care
The parish offers the regular sacraments at the published times and welcomes inquiries about baptisms, weddings, anointing of the sick, and other rites through the parish office.
- Reconciliation: Sundays before Mass
- Eucharist: Tuesday evening, Wednesday morning, and Sunday
- Anointing and other rites: by contacting the parish at (605) 279-2542
Visit, Contact & Directions
Visitors are warmly welcomed. The parish is at 701 Norris Street in Wall, with directions from the Dairy Queen — a long-standing local landmark. The parish shares its office contact and some online ministry with the cluster parishes based in Martin.
- Address: 701 Norris St, Wall, SD 57790
- Phone: (605) 279-2542 (parish) / (605) 685-6232 (cluster office in Martin)
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: stpatrickswallsd.org
- Direction tip: turn north at the Dairy Queen
Connection to Wall Drug & the Wider Community
St. Patrick's has a unique cultural link to Wall Drug, the roadside attraction that put the town on the map. In 1931 Ted and Dorothy Hustead chose Wall as the place to buy a small drugstore in part because Father Connolly's parish offered daily Mass. The tie between the Husteads' Catholic faith, Wall Drug's success, and the parish remains a point of pride for the community.
- Wall Drug founders sought a town with daily Catholic Mass before buying the store
- Father Tyler Dennis (a later pastor) grew up in Red Owl and worked eight summers at Wall Drug
- Rosary and Catholic devotion remain a thread in the Hustead family's story, referenced by NCR reporting
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John Connolly1917–1964
First resident pastor of the Wall region; oversaw purchase of the former Congregational church building and rectory in 1917; led the parish until his death in 1964.
- Rev. James Brechtafter 1964
Succeeded Connolly; began plans for a new church building; later transferred to Deadwood.
- Father Craig Cowerthrough 1980
Donated collections of crosses and books toward the new church; oversaw construction and 1977 dedication of the present building.
- Rev. Cornelius Meadetemporary, post-1980
Temporary leader after Cower's departure.
- Rev. Peter Wilketemporary, post-1980
Temporary leader after Cower's departure.
- Rev. William Philbintemporary, post-1980
Temporary leader after Cower's departure.
- Rev. John Corry1983–1991
- Rev. William O'Connelluntil 1992
- Rev. Robert Baden1992–2004
- Rev. Patrick McCorkelltemporary
Served during the interim period after Baden.
- Father Leo Hausmanntemporary
Served during the interim period after Baden.
- Father Johnson Kuriappillytemporary
Served during the interim period after Baden.
- Father Timothy Hoag2015–
Raised in the Philip area; led Wall alongside St. Margaret in Lakeside and Holy Rosary in Interior; also served as Judicial Vicar for the diocese.
- Fr. Tyler Dennis
Native of Red Owl, north of Wall; worked eight summers at Wall Drug; per NCR reporting, served as pastor of St. Patrick's; later assigned to pastorates in Sturgis and Newell and as Diocesan Director of Vocations.
- Fr. Jonathan Dillon2024–present
Current pastor; resides in Wall; per 2026 assignments also serves St. Margaret in Lakeside and St. John the Evangelist in New Underwood.