About St. Peter · Willowdale, Kansas
St. Peter Parish is a small rural Catholic community in Willowdale, a once-thriving German-Catholic farming settlement on the Kansas prairie founded in 1882 by 26 German Catholic families. The parish is part of the Diocese of Wichita and today is one of 'Our Four Parishes' — a cluster ministry (with St. Leo, Sacred Heart in Cunningham, and St. John in Zenda) served by a single priest, Reverend Daryl W. Befort. The current white clapboard church with its tall steeple, completed in 1904, still stands as the tallest structure across the surrounding prairie.
- Established
- 1882
- Patron
- St. Peter (the Apostle)
- Rector
- Rev. Daryl W. Befort
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wichita
Why belong here
St. Peter offers what its first settlers came looking for: a tight-knit, faith-centered rural Catholic community where the Mass and the sacraments remain the heartbeat of life. Even as the surrounding farming population has dwindled, the parish still keeps a regular weekly Mass and the Sacrament of Confession before every liturgy, and parishioners share their pastor with three neighboring small parishes so that no one is left without a shepherd. Visitors are warmly welcomed at the historic 1904 church that still rises above the prairie.
Mass times at St. Peter
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 20 minutes prior to Mass (per the Wichita diocesan directory listing for St. Peter)
- 30 minutes prior to early weekend Masses and 30 minutes following late weekend Masses (combined 'Our Four Parishes' schedule)
Parish Identity
St. Peter Parish is a small rural Catholic community in Willowdale, Kansas, in the Diocese of Wichita. It is one of four parishes currently sharing a single pastor under the joint title 'Our Four Parishes — One Priest. Four Parishes. One Faith Community.' The parish belongs to the Roman (Latin) Rite and serves about 29 registered families today.
- Patron: St. Peter the Apostle
- Diocese: Wichita
- Rite: Roman-Latin
- Cluster: 'Our Four Parishes' (St. Peter Willowdale, St. Leo, Sacred Heart Cunningham, St. John Zenda)
History of Willowdale and St. Peter
Willowdale was born in 1882 when 26 German Catholic families — many from Prussia and Luxembourg — settled on the Kansas prairie, some traveling as far as 150 miles by covered wagon because they wanted to live in a German Catholic community. They celebrated Mass in private homes until the first church was built in 1884. The town grew slowly, suffered through hard times in the 1890s, and rebounded by 1901, when a post office opened and the parish could support a resident priest. The present St. Peter church was built 1903–1904 and remains the visual landmark of Willowdale.
- 1882 – 26 German Catholic families settle on the prairie and found Willowdale.
- 1884 – First church built.
- 1901 – Post office opens in the general store; resident priest arrives.
- 1903–1904 – Current St. Peter church constructed.
- 1917 – Parish has more than 85 families.
- 1924 – Lightning destroys the parish school.
- 1925 – School rebuilt; about 119 students in grades 1–8 at its peak.
- 1927 – First native son of Willowdale ordained a priest.
- 1963 – New convent built.
- 1970 – Last eighth-grade graduating class.
- 1976 – Parish school closes with 22 students.
- Today – About 29 families and 62 individual Catholics are registered.
Pastoral Leadership
St. Peter's pastor is Reverend Daryl W. Befort. Father Befort was born July 29, 1968, and was ordained May 27, 1995. After early assignments in Wichita (St. Francis of Assisi) and diocesan work in youth ministry and rural life, he served as pastor of St. Patrick, Kingman (1998–2002), St. Francis of Assisi, Wichita (2002–2015), and St. Joseph, Andale (2015–2024). In 2024 he was named pastor of the four-parish cluster that includes St. Peter, Willowdale.
- Rev. Daryl W. Befort — Pastor (since 2024)
- Birth date: July 29, 1968
- Ordination: May 27, 1995
- Contact: (620) 246-5370 · [email protected]
Cluster Ministry: Our Four Parishes
Since 2024 St. Peter, Willowdale, has been served as one of 'Our Four Parishes' — a single-pastor cluster that also includes St. Leo (St. Leo), Sacred Heart (Cunningham), and St. John (Zenda). The cluster publishes a combined weekend Mass and confession schedule, with the tagline 'One Priest. Four Parishes. One Faith Community. LED BY FAITH. UNITED IN CHRIST. SERVING OUR COMMUNITIES TOGETHER.'
- St. Leo (St. Leo, KS) — Sunday 10:00 AM
- Sacred Heart (Cunningham, KS) — Saturday 5:30 PM
- St. Peter (Willowdale, KS) — Saturday 4:00 PM vigil
- St. John (Zenda, KS) — Sunday 8:30 AM
- Confession: 30 minutes before/after weekend Masses; 20 minutes before weekday Masses
Worship & Sacraments
The parish celebrates the Mass in English on a small but consistent schedule, with a Friday morning Mass during the week and a Saturday vigil Mass for the weekend. As a member of the four-parish cluster, St. Peter's Mass times can rotate, so parishioners and visitors are advised to call the parish office for the current week's schedule. The Sacrament of Confession is offered 20 minutes prior to every Mass at St. Peter.
- Weekday Mass: Friday 8:00 AM
- Saturday vigil Mass: 4:00 PM
- Sunday Mass: Rotating schedule (call for times)
- Confession: 20 minutes before each Mass
- Funeral and family pastoral care provided through the four-parish cluster
Parish Buildings & Grounds
The current St. Peter church is a white clapboard-frame building with a tall steeple, completed in 1904. Of the original town — which once included a store, priest house, convent, school, blacksmith, pool hall, ice house, saloon, and livery stable — only the church, the convent (rebuilt 1963), and the community building still stand. A well-kept parish cemetery is part of the grounds.
- St. Peter church — built 1903–1904, white clapboard with tall steeple
- Convent — rebuilt 1963, still standing
- Community building — still in use
- Parish cemetery — on or adjacent to the grounds
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Daryl W. Befort2024–present
Assigned as pastor in 2024 as part of the 'Our Four Parishes' cluster (with St. Leo, Sacred Heart–Cunningham, and St. John–Zenda); born July 29, 1968; ordained May 27, 1995.