About St. Patrick/Trinity Cluster · Monona, Iowa
St. Patrick (Trinity Cluster) is a Roman Catholic parish located at 405 S. East Street in Monona, Iowa, in the northeastern corner of Clayton County. It belongs to the Trinity Cluster, a three-parish grouping that also includes St. Bridget in Postville and St. Mary in McGregor, formed in 2003 under the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The parish traces its roots to 1856, when missionary priest Father Louis de Cailly — nephew of Bishop Mathias Loras — organized the first Catholic families and built the community's first frame church, originally named St. Richard before being renamed St. Patrick to reflect the Irish heritage of its founders. Today the cluster is pastored by Father Martin Coolidge and serves Catholics across rural northeast Iowa with daily and weekend Mass, faith formation, a parish cemetery, and a bilingual (English/Spanish) Saturday Vigil.
- Established
- 1856
- Patron
- St. Patrick (originally St. Richard at founding; renamed after the Irish immigrant founders)
- Rector
- Father Martin Coolidge
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Dubuque
Why belong here
Trinity Cluster offers a stable, mission-focused Catholic home in rural northeast Iowa, with daily and Sunday Mass spread across three historic parishes (St. Patrick Monona, St. Mary McGregor, St. Bridget Postville), a bilingual Saturday Vigil Mass in Spanish at St. Bridget, weekly faith formation classes for K–12 students, and a welcoming cluster council. The community is anchored by the long-standing Knights of Columbus Council #8178 Monona–McGregor (active in pro-life ultrasound fundraising for Hope Family Resource Centers), the Presentation Sisters' historical presence, and an incorporated Catholic cemetery system — giving families pastoral continuity across generations in the Monona area.
Mass times at St. Patrick/Trinity Cluster
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes prior to all Saturday Vigil Masses and Sunday morning Masses
- 15 minutes prior to all weekday Masses, and immediately after weekday Masses until all confessions are heard
- Every Saturday morning, 8:00–9:00 AM, at St. Patrick
- By appointment — call or email Fr. Martin
Identity & Mission
Trinity Cluster describes itself as 'a Catholic community of faith united in Christ,' committed to inviting all people to celebrate God's love through the Holy Eucharist and the living of the Gospel. The approved Cluster mission statement is published on the website and is reviewed by the Cluster Leadership.
- Cluster mission statement approved by Cluster Leadership 12-04-14
- Three parishes sharing one pastor and one Cluster Pastoral Council
Parish History
The parish was founded in 1856 as St. Richard by Father Louis de Cailly, nephew of Bishop Mathias Loras. The original frame church, built in May 1856, was destroyed by a tornado in 1871 and replaced by a brick church that Christmas under Father Charles Toner, the first resident pastor. The Presentation Sisters staffed the parish school from 1915 until 1969, and the Trinity Cluster was formally created in 2003, joining St. Patrick (Monona), St. Mary (McGregor), and St. Bridget (Postville).
- 1856 — Parish founded as St. Richard; first frame church built
- 1871 — Tornado destroys first church; brick church completed under Fr. Charles Toner, opened Christmas 1871
- 1915 — Parish school built by Fr. Michael J. Hogan; Presentation Sisters arrive
- 1969 — St. Patrick School closes
- 2003 — Trinity Cluster formed (Archbishop Jerome Hanus, OSB)
- 2005 — 1871 brick church razed
Faith Formation
Faith Formation classes meet Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 PM at each parish site, beginning September 3, 2025 and ending May 6, 2026 for the 2025–2026 year. Registration is $30 per student or $85 for three or more students from the same family, with no sacramental-preparation fee this year. A new high-school class (grades 9–12) is offered in Monona, McGregor, and Postville.
- K–8 classes at each parish site
- Grades 9–12 class offered at all three parishes
- Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation (no fee in 2025–2026)
- Cheri Moser — Administrative Faith Formation Assistant
Catholic Cemeteries
Catholic Cemeteries in the Trinity Cluster are organized as separate civil corporations under Iowa Code chapter 504A. The St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery Association in Monona was incorporated on December 22, 1999; since 2018 it has merged with St. Wenceslaus and Pioneer Cemeteries into a single civil corporation. The St. Mary Catholic Cemetery Association in McGregor was also incorporated on December 22, 1999. Each is governed by a Board of Directors that operates under the direction of the Archdiocesan Director of Cemeteries.
- St. Patrick Cemetery Association — incorporated Dec. 22, 1999
- St. Wenceslaus and Pioneer Cemeteries merged with St. Patrick in 2018
- St. Mary Cemetery Association — incorporated Dec. 22, 1999
Outreach & Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus Council #8178 Monona–McGregor is a primary lay-outreach arm of the cluster. The council is currently fundraising to purchase two ultrasound machines for Hope Family Resource Centers in Charles City and West Union, which provide free services to women facing unplanned pregnancies, as part of a broader 19-council Northern Iowa initiative with a $40,000 regional goal.
- Knights of Columbus Council #8178 Monona–McGregor
- Ultrasound Initiative fundraiser — matching funds through Knights' Supreme Council
- Donations payable to 'Council # 8178' with 'ultrasound' in the memo line
Cluster Leadership & Staff
The cluster is led by one pastor supported by a Cluster Pastoral Council and a small administrative staff. Day-to-day operations are run from the Trinity Cluster Office at 405 S. East Street, Monona, open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
- Father Martin Coolidge — Pastor & Director of Cluster Faith Formation
- Deacon Patrick Malanaphy — Permanent Deacon
- Connie Leete — Cluster Administrative Assistant
- Cheri Moser — Administrative Faith Formation Assistant
Cluster Pastoral Council & Parish Life
The Cluster Pastoral Council serves as a consultative body for the pastor and meets every other month. Following a 2024 Archdiocese-wide Discipleship Maker Index (DMI) survey administered by the Catholic Leadership Institute, the council published results showing that 88% of parishioners find Trinity Cluster welcoming and 89% would recommend their parish to others — strengths the council continues to build on while addressing lower scores for outward missionary outreach and financial transparency.
- Cluster Pastoral Council meets every other month
- DMI survey results published on the cluster website
- Financial-transparency and youth-involvement identified as growth areas
Visiting & Contact
Visitors and parishioners can reach the Trinity Cluster Office by phone at (563) 539-4442 or by mail at P.O. Box 1521, Monona, Iowa 52159. The office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Live Mass recordings are posted on the Trinity Cluster Facebook page, and recordings of the Saturday Vigil in Spanish (6 PM) and the Sunday 10 AM Mass are made available there weekly.
- Office: 405 S. East Street, P.O. Box 1521, Monona, IA 52159
- Phone: (563) 539-4442
- Livestreamed Masses: Saturday 6 PM (Spanish) and Sunday 10 AM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Louis de Cailly1856
Missionary priest, nephew of Bishop Mathias Loras; organized the parish and oversaw construction of the first frame church, originally named St. Richard.
- Father Charles Toner1871
First resident pastor of Monona; oversaw the building of the second (brick) church, completed in time for the first Christmas Mass on December 25, 1871, replacing the frame church destroyed by tornado that year.
- Father Michael J. Hogan1915
Completed the parish school building in 1915, which then housed the Presentation Sisters of Dubuque when they began their ministry in Monona.
- Fr. Nils de Jesús Hernández2014–c.2025
Assigned in 2014 as pastor of the Trinity Cluster; reappointed to a second six-year term in April 2020; later reassigned to Queen of Peace Parish, Waterloo.
- Fr. Chris Podhajskyeffective July 14, c.2025
Announced in 2025 as the new Trinity Cluster pastor, coming from Immaculate Conception and St. Wenceslaus parishes in Cedar Rapids.
- Father Martin Coolidgecurrent
Currently listed by the cluster as Pastor & Director of the Cluster Faith Formation.