About St. Paul · Worthington, Iowa
St. Paul Catholic Church is a small rural parish in Worthington, Iowa, part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque and one of five parishes that make up the Spires of Faith Cluster (alongside the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Dyersville, St. Joseph in Earlville, St. Boniface in New Vienna, and SS. Peter & Paul in Petersburg). The parish traces its origin to 1868 when Irish, German, and English settlers of the Worthington area laid the cornerstone of a brick church dedicated to Saint Paul; the present-day church, with its distinctive 140-foot spire, was begun in 1883 and dedicated on December 3, 1889. Today the parish shares its pastor, Fr. David Schatz, with the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Dyersville and continues to serve a faithful rural community in Dubuque County with weekend and weekday Mass, reconciliation, faith formation, an active parish council, and a historic parish cemetery.
- Established
- 1868
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Fr. David Schatz
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Dubuque
Why belong here
St. Paul is a small, historic rural parish with deep roots in the Worthington community dating to 1868, and its Sunday and weekday Masses, parish council, and volunteer ministries keep it a close-knit faith family. As part of the Spires of Faith Cluster, parishioners benefit from shared clergy and programs with the nearby Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Dyersville — including faith formation, First Communion preparation, and a wider liturgical schedule — while still preserving the intimate, generations-old character of their own church. The parish also maintains an active cemetery and an open, welcoming church building (8:00 am–4:30 pm daily) where visitors and travelers are always welcome to stop in and pray.
Mass times at St. Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sundays at 8:30 am (before the 9:00 am Mass) at St. Paul, Worthington
- By appointment — call the parish office at (563) 875-7325
Parish History
The parish was established in 1868 when the Catholic settlers of the Worthington area — originally English, later joined by German and Irish families — laid the cornerstone of their first brick church on November 1, 1868. Until 1875 it was served from Dyersville by Rev. Anton Kortenkamp, who visited about once a month. The first resident pastor, Rev. John S. Baumann, arrived in 1875 and began organizing parish life; the present church was begun in 1883 under his successor, Fr. George W. Heer, and dedicated on December 3, 1889.
- Cornerstone laid November 1, 1868
- First resident pastor: Rev. John S. Baumann (1875)
- Present church begun 1883, dedicated December 3, 1889
- Statue of St. Paul over the entry — gift of Fr. Baumann
- Construction cost of present church: about $12,000
Buildings & Grounds
The campus surrounding the church grew steadily across the 20th century. Major projects listed by the parish include a convent in 1914 (the Sisters' Home), a chapel addition in 1916, a new rectory in 1921, a new school building in 1954, and a parish gym in 1992. The church's 140-foot spire has long been a landmark of the Worthington skyline, and the interior was frescoed under Fr. James Zigrang in the late 19th/early 20th century.
- Convent (Sisters' Home) — 1914
- Chapel addition — 1916
- Rectory — 1921
- School building — 1954
- Parish gym — 1992
Spires of Faith Cluster
St. Paul is one of five parishes in the Spires of Faith Cluster, which shares clergy and ministries across rural Dubuque County. The cluster also operates joint faith formation, a shared parish office, and shared livestreamed Masses from the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Dyersville.
- Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, Dyersville
- St. Joseph, Earlville
- St. Boniface, New Vienna
- SS. Peter & Paul, Petersburg
- Cluster office: (563) 875-7325
Parish Leadership & Staff
The parish is led by Fr. David Schatz with the support of an elected Parish Council and Finance Committee, and a parish secretary in the cluster office. Council minutes are posted on the parish website for transparency.
- Pastor — Fr. David Schatz
- Parish Secretary — Janet Fitzgerald
- Parish Council — Fr. David Schatz, Patrick White, Jeff Thier, Diane Even, Chris Kurt, Matt Tobin, Jill Klaren, Craig Heims
- Finance Committee — Brian Kramer, Becky Lansing, Lois White
- Coordinator of Faith Formation (cluster) — Tami Kelchen (ext. 233)
Faith Formation & Sacraments
Sacramental preparation is coordinated across the cluster. First Reconciliation and First Communion are typically celebrated together in Grade 2, either through the grade school curriculum or the parish Faith Formation program. Families may sign up via the cluster's online form, and the parish also brings communion to homebound parishioners who cannot attend Mass. Those discerning a call to the priesthood or diaconate are encouraged to contact Fr. David Schatz, Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Dubuque.
- First Communion / First Reconciliation — Grade 2 preparation
- Coordinator of Faith Formation — Tami Kelchen (ext. 233)
- Homebound communion visits — contact parish office
- Holy Orders / Vocations — Fr. David Schatz (Vocation Director, Archdiocese of Dubuque)
- Baptism, Reconciliation, and other sacraments — contact Fr. David Schatz at (563) 875-7325
Parish Ministries & Volunteer Opportunities
Like most small rural parishes, St. Paul's runs on the time and talent of its members. The parish currently has an open volunteer sign-up form on its website inviting parishioners to sign up for ministries — a reflection of how much the parish depends on lay involvement for liturgy and parish life.
- Liturgical ministries (sign-up form on parish website)
- Parish Council and Finance Committee
- St. Paul Cemetery — volunteer committee and regulations
- Cluster-wide faith formation and sacramental prep
- Homebound ministry
St. Paul Cemetery
The parish maintains its own cemetery on the grounds of the historic church complex — the same cemetery where long-serving pastor Fr. James Zigrang (who served 1889–1913) is buried. Regulations and monument rules are published on the parish website and updated regularly.
- St. Paul Cemetery regulations (PDF on parish website)
- Monument Regulations 2025 (PDF on parish website)
- Final resting place of Fr. James Zigrang (d. 1913)
St. Paul's School (1874–2015)
St. Paul's parish school was founded around 1874 and was originally staffed by the Sisters of St. Francis secured by founding pastor Fr. John Baumann. A larger school building was added in 1954, and the school continued to serve local families for generations before closing in 2015, when it had 26 students. By 2016 the city of Worthington was exploring options to repurpose the building.
- Founded c. 1874; taught by the Sisters of St. Francis from 1875
- New school building constructed 1954
- Closed in 2015 (26 students at closure)
Visiting & Contact
The church is open every day from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm for prayer and quiet visits. Tours can be self-guided during those hours or scheduled in advance through the cluster office.
- Address: 301 2nd Ave SW, Worthington, IA 52078
- Phone (cluster office / parish): (563) 875-7325
- Open daily 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
- Website: http://spiresoffaith.com/st-paul
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Anton Kortenkamp1862–1875
Served Worthington Catholics from Dyersville, traveling once a month until the first resident pastor arrived.
- Rev. John S. Baumann1875–1880
First resident pastor; organized the parish school, brought the Sisters of St. Francis, added to the first church, and built a rectory. Later became a professor at Columbia College (now Loras College). Gifted the statue of St. Paul over the church entry.
- Rev. George W. Heer1880–1889
Began construction of the present church (1883) and the present 60x60-foot school; church dedicated December 3, 1889.
- Rev. James Zigrang1889–1913
Frescoed the church interior, installed new Stations of the Cross, and provided the pipe organ (still in use) after a 1907 pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Died in 1913; buried in the parish cemetery.
- Rev. J.H. Schilmoeller1913–1952
Long-serving pastor (39 years); enlarged the church and directed construction of the 1914 Sisters' Home — the first convent in Iowa in which every nun had her own private room.
- Fr. David Schatzpresent
Current pastor; shared with the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Dyersville as part of the Spires of Faith Cluster.