About St. Patrick's · Audubon, Iowa
St. Patrick Catholic Church in Audubon, Iowa is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Des Moines that shares pastoral life with nearby Holy Trinity Parish in Exira as a two-point rural stewardship cluster. The parish serves the small town of Audubon (pop. ~2,000) and the surrounding Audubon County farming community, offering daily and Sunday Masses in English from its 116 E. Division Street church. It is currently led by Father David Nkrumah, with a staff that includes two secretaries, a Director of Religious Education, and a Business Manager, supported by an active Corpus Christi Pastoral Council and a parish Finance Council.
- Established
- 1882
- Patron
- St. Patrick
- Rector
- Father David Nkrumah
- Diocese
- Diocese of Des Moines
Why belong here
St. Patrick's is the spiritual home for Catholics in Audubon and the surrounding Audubon County countryside, with daily Mass, a Saturday vigil, and a full sacramental life led by Father David Nkrumah and a dedicated parish staff. The parish runs an active Religious Education program, a shared Corpus Christi Pastoral Council, and a Finance Council, and it partners with neighboring Holy Trinity in Exira so that rural families across the county have a consistent schedule of Masses and devotions. Whether you're a lifelong farm family, a new arrival, or someone exploring the Catholic faith through RCIA, St. Patrick's offers a small, close-knit community where your name is known.
Mass times at St. Patrick's
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 PM (St. Patrick, Audubon)
About the Parish
St. Patrick Catholic Church, located at 116 E. Division Street in Audubon, Iowa, is a Roman Catholic parish of the Diocese of Des Moines. It shares pastoral ministry with Holy Trinity Parish in nearby Exira as part of the diocese's rural stewardship model, with a single pastor — currently Father David Nkrumah — serving both communities. The parish serves the town of Audubon and the surrounding Audubon County farming area.
History of St. Patrick's, Audubon
The first Catholic families — the Hollands, Roths, Ballmans, Thanishes, Martins, Cunninghams, Roches and others — settled in and around Audubon in the early 1880s. Around 1881 Father Gaule rode out from Atlantic to minister to them, saying the first Mass at the Holland home. The first church, a 28-by-45-foot wood-frame structure, was built in 1882 on a hill two blocks east of the park; a severe storm soon moved it off its foundation, and the parishioners hauled it back into place. The parish's first resident pastor was Father P. J. Morin in 1889, and the parish grew steadily through the 1890s and early 1900s under Fathers Jacobmeier, Gleason, Loftus, Flavin and McDonald. By 1915 the parish counted roughly fifty families and over 200 members.
- 1881 — Father Gaule of Atlantic says the first Mass at John Holland's home
- 1882 — First church erected, later moved by a storm
- 1889 — First resident pastor, Father P. J. Morin
- 1891 — Father Jacobmeier builds the parish parsonage
- 1895–1901 — Father Gleason enlarges the church with a 28×40-foot addition
- 1901–1904 — Father Flavin builds a two-story school and opens a parochial school
Two-Parish Cluster with Holy Trinity, Exira
St. Patrick's in Audubon is paired with Holy Trinity Catholic Parish in Exira, about ten miles away, as a single pastoral unit. The two communities alternate Sunday Masses: Holy Trinity hosts the 2nd and 4th Sundays at 8:30 AM and the 1st, 3rd and 5th at 10:30 AM, while St. Patrick's hosts the opposite arrangement. Weekday Masses rotate between the two churches, and a joint Corpus Christi Pastoral Council oversees shared ministry across both parishes.
- Holy Trinity address: 218 N. Kilworth St., PO Box 153, Exira, IA 50076
- Shared priest: Father David Nkrumah
- Joint Corpus Christi Pastoral Council
- Separate Finance Councils for each parish
Parish Staff & Leadership
The parish is led by Father David Nkrumah, who can also be reached on his cell phone at 712-304-5966. Two secretaries share coverage of the parish office, alongside a Director of Religious Education and a Business Manager. Governance is shared between the Corpus Christi Pastoral Council and the St. Patrick Finance Council, with elected parish trustees.
- Pastor: Father David Nkrumah (cell 712-304-5966)
- Secretary: Kathy Kerkhoff (Thursdays 2–4 PM)
- Secretary: Jennifer Mosinski (Wednesdays 10 AM–2 PM)
- Director of Religious Education: April Brand
- Business Manager: Linda Blomme (Tuesdays 8 AM–4 PM)
- Holy Trinity Bookkeeper: Judy Bintner
Religious Education & RCIA
Faith formation for the parish's children is coordinated by Director of Religious Education April Brand. For adults interested in joining the Catholic Church or returning to active practice, the parish runs an RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program. Inquiries about RCIA can be directed to Father David Nkrumah at the parish office (712-563-2283) or via [email protected].
- Children's Religious Education — directed by April Brand
- RCIA for adults — open to those entering the Church from another denomination or no faith, or returning Catholics
- Contact: Fr. David Nkrumah, 712-563-2283
Parish Councils & Trustees
The parish is governed through a Finance Council at each church and a single Corpus Christi Pastoral Council that serves both St. Patrick's and Holy Trinity. Elected parish trustees represent each parish at the diocesan level.
- Holy Trinity Finance Council: Judy Bintner, Jean Madsen, Mark Richards, Hugh Rossell, Vernie Venteicher
- St. Patrick Finance Council: Tom Chambers, Charlotte Fett, Michelle Griffith, Marty Hanson, Don Mosinski, Doug Sorensen, Kevin Wittrock
- Corpus Christi Pastoral Council: Bob Blomme, Lynda Best, Aaron Kerkhoff, Ben Hansen, Brooke Klocke, Jennifer Brabham
- Holy Trinity Trustees: Vicki Richards, Russ Crawford
- St. Patrick Trustees: Scott Hansen, Virginia Mennenoh
Contact & Visit
Visitors and parishioners can reach the parish office by phone at 712-563-2283 or by email at [email protected]. The office is staffed on Tuesdays (Linda Blomme, Business Manager, 8 AM–4 PM), Wednesdays (Jennifer Mosinski, 10 AM–2 PM), and Thursdays (Kathy Kerkhoff, 2–4 PM). The parish website at stpatrickholytrinity.org lists current Mass times, news, and ministry information.
- Parish office phone: 712-563-2283
- Email: [email protected]
- Father's cell: 712-304-5966
- Address: 116 E. Division St., Audubon, IA 50025
- Website: stpatrickholytrinity.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Gaulec. 1881 – 1883
Visiting priest from Atlantic who said the first Mass in Audubon at the Holland home and helped build the first church in 1882.
- Father Daly1883 – c. 1889
Based in Atlantic, continued visiting Audubon every four weeks for six years.
- Rev. P. J. Morin1889 – 1890
First resident pastor of St. Patrick's, served one year.
- Rev. Bernhard Jacobmeier1891 – 1894
Built the parsonage just north of the church.
- Rev. J. J. Moran1894 – 1895
One-year pastorate.
- Rev. Mathew Gleason1895 – c. 1901
Enlarged the church with a 28-by-40-foot addition to accommodate the growing congregation.
- Rev. Father Loftusc. 1901
Remodeled and rebuilt the parsonage.
- Rev. Father Flavin1901 – 1904
Built a two-story school building and opened a parochial school (later discontinued).
- Rev. James McDonald1904 – at least 1915
Long-serving pastor profiled in the 1915 county history; popular with both Catholics and Protestants.