About St. Paul · Lyons, Kansas
St. Paul Catholic Church is a robust, rural Kansas parish located in Lyons, the county seat of Rice County. Established as a mission parish on December 5, 1923, St. Paul describes itself as a united parish family of missionary disciples who have surrendered their lives to Jesus, joyfully live their faith, boldly invite everyone to an encounter with Jesus, and form new disciples. Today the parish serves approximately 231 families and 524 individual Catholics, offering Mass in both English and Spanish, weekday adoration, a Confirmation program, a vibrant youth ministry, and the diocesan Totus Tuus summer catechetical camp. The parish is part of the Diocese of Wichita and shares certain weekend Masses with neighboring Holy Name parish in Bushton.
- Established
- 1923
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Babu 'Bob' Pinninti
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wichita
Why belong here
St. Paul is a faithful, family-oriented rural parish where Catholics in Rice County can worship in both English and Spanish, with daily Mass several days a week and a full hour of Monday adoration. It is a particularly welcoming home for families: roughly 40 teens are active in the Wednesday-night youth program, Totus Tuus summer catechesis is offered for every age, Confirmation is celebrated every two years, and parish life is intentionally built around forming missionary disciples. Visitors and newcomers are explicitly welcomed by name on the parish website.
Mass times at St. Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:00–5:00pm (before Vigil Mass)
- Sunday 12:00pm (before Spanish Mass)
- 30 minutes prior to weekday Mass
Adoration times
- Monday 8:00am–9:00pm (per parish website) / Monday 8:00am–10:00pm (per diocesan directory)
Welcome to St. Paul Catholic Church, Lyons
St. Paul Catholic Church is a robust parish located in rural Kansas, situated in Lyons, the seat of Rice County. Established as a mission parish on December 5, 1923, St. Paul has always been known as a strong and welcoming parish that is called to be a united parish family of missionary disciples who have surrendered their lives to Jesus, joyfully live their faith, boldly invite everyone to an encounter with Jesus, and form new disciples. The parish welcomes all who may be visiting or may be beginning to call St. Paul home.
- Founded December 5, 1923 as a mission parish
- Part of the Diocese of Wichita
- Approximately 231 registered families and 524 individual Catholics
- Masses offered in English and Spanish
Meet Us — Clergy & Staff
St. Paul is served by a pastor who also shepherds nearby Holy Name in Bushton, supported by a small office staff. The parish's 'Meet Us' page lists the pastor and two office staff members who keep the parish running day to day.
- Fr. Bob Pinninti — Pastor
- Karla Rivera — Office Staff
- Linda Scheopner — Office Staff
Youth Ministry — Teens (Grades 8–12)
The parish places a strong emphasis on forming its teens in the Catholic faith. During the school year, 8th through 12th graders are invited each Wednesday night for Mass, prayer, faith formation, and fun. The night begins at 6:00pm with Mass, followed by dinner at 6:30 and programming that continues to 9:00pm. About 40 students currently participate.
- Wednesday Night Youth Group: 6:00pm Mass → 6:30pm dinner → formation & fellowship to 9:00pm
- Open to all 8th–12th graders
- Approximately 40 students currently attending
- Confirmation is celebrated every two years; next preparation class begins fall 2026
Summer Programs for Teens
Beyond the school-year youth group, St. Paul organizes or sponsors summer experiences for its teenagers, including travel to a Steubenville Youth Conference, free 'Lake Days' at nearby Wilson Lake, and the diocesan Totus Tuus summer catechetical camp hosted at the parish.
- Steubenville Youth Conference — Catholic youth conference for high schoolers to encounter Christ, deepen their faith, and connect with other Catholic youth
- Lake Days at Wilson Lake — free summer outings (June–August) for incoming 8th–12th graders to disconnect from technology and connect with peers
- Totus Tuus — diocesan-sponsored week-long summer catechetical camp hosted by the parish for grade-school, middle-school, and high-school-aged parishioners
Children's Faith Formation
Opportunities for the children of the parish to learn about the Catholic faith continue year-round through summer catechetical programs. The parish hosts the diocesan Totus Tuus ('Totally Yours' in Latin) summer catechetical camp, a week-long session for grade-school, middle-school, and high-school-aged parishioners. Volunteers assist by hosting the traveling team, helping organize parish facilities for activities, and monitoring classes. Details for dates, times, and registration are posted in the bulletin and made available several weeks before the camp.
- Totus Tuus summer catechetical camp hosted at the parish
- Held in the early summer
- Open to grade school through high school aged parishioners
- Volunteers help host the Totus Tuus mission team
Diocese & Sister Parish
St. Paul Catholic Church belongs to the Diocese of Wichita, which was formed in 1887 and covers Catholic parishes across central and southern Kansas. Within the diocese, St. Paul shares pastoral ministry with Holy Name of Jesus in Bushton (founded 1879), and the weekend Mass schedule rotates between the two communities — one Sunday Mass and the Friday Mass are celebrated at Holy Name, while the Saturday Vigil, two other Sunday Masses (including the Spanish Mass), and the weekday Masses are celebrated at St. Paul in Lyons.
- Diocese of Wichita (established 1887)
- Sister parish: Holy Name of Jesus, Bushton (founded 1879)
- Saturday Vigil, two Sunday Masses (English & Spanish), and weekday Masses at St. Paul
- Sunday 8:00am and Friday 8:15am Masses celebrated at Holy Name, Bushton
Visit & Contact
St. Paul Catholic Church is located in Lyons, Kansas, and can be reached by phone through the parish office. Visitors, newcomers, and those interested in registering with the parish or learning more about sacraments, youth programs, or volunteering are encouraged to contact the office directly.
- Address: 1205 S. Douglas Ave., Lyons, KS 67554
- Phone: (620) 257-3503
- Website: http://stpaulslyons.com/
- Office staff: Karla Rivera and Linda Scheopner