About St. Rose of Lima · Columbus, Kansas
St. Rose of Lima is a small Catholic parish in Columbus, Kansas, part of the Diocese of Wichita and one of several parishes clustered in Cherokee County under the ckcocatholics.org pastoral grouping. With 62 registered families and roughly 101 individual Catholics, it is a tight-knit rural community serving southeastern Kansas. The parish's roots trace back to an 1858 Jesuit mission founded among the Osage, making it one of the oldest Catholic outposts in the region. The present-day church was built in 1965 of Miami stone and stands at the corner of Walnut and Pennsylvania Streets.
- Established
- 1887
- Patron
- St. Rose of Lima
- Rector
- Reverend C. Jarrod Lies
- Diocese
- Diocese of Wichita
Why belong here
St. Rose of Lima is a small, multigenerational Catholic community in the rolling hills of Cherokee County, Kansas, with Sunday Mass at 11:00 a.m. and weekday Masses on Tuesday evening and Friday morning. It is one of the historic parishes of the Diocese of Wichita, with Catholic roots going back to an 1858 Jesuit mission, and offers Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays as well as Sunday confessions before Mass. Visitors and parishioners are welcomed into a parish that combines deep regional history with the warmth of a rural congregation of about 60 families.
Mass times at St. Rose of Lima
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday: 10:30 AM – 10:50 AM (before Mass)
- By appointment
Adoration times
- First Friday: 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM (Noon)
History of St. Rose of Lima Parish
St. Rose of Lima's roots stretch back to 1858, when the Jesuit Father Paul Ponziglione stopped in the Columbus area and recorded in his journal that he had established a mission 'among Osage half-breeds' at the house of a man named LaForce. Although the parish was formally founded in 1887, it remained a mission — served by priests based in Galena, Baxter Springs, and Mineral — for more than sixty years. The first church building went up in 1916 under Father Thomas Groman. The first resident pastor, Father Francis O'Donoghue, moved into the new rectory in 1949. The present-day church was built in 1965 under Father Daniel Mulvihill and continues to serve the small but devoted Catholic community of Cherokee County.
- 1858 — Jesuit Father Paul Ponziglione founds mission among the Osage at Mr. LaForce's house.
- 1887 — Parish formally established.
- 1916 — First church building constructed under Father Thomas Groman.
- 1923–1936 — Father J.P. Flynn and Father Forrest Barker tend Columbus and Baxter Springs from Galena.
- 1949 — Father Francis O'Donoghue becomes the first resident pastor; new rectory built.
- 1953–1963 — Father Robert Pepe's first term as pastor.
- 1959 — St. Rose School of Columbus launched as an interparochial project under Bishop Carroll's blessing.
- 1963 — Father Daniel Mulvihill arrives as third resident pastor.
- 1965 — Present church of Miami stone built at Walnut & Pennsylvania Streets; cost $64,000.
- 1976–1986 — Father Robert Pepe returns for a second term as pastor.
- 1993–1995 — Father Mulvihill returns, also pastoring St. Bridget, Scammon.
Parish Leadership & Clergy
St. Rose of Lima is currently served by Reverend C. Jarrod Lies as Parochial Administrator, according to the Diocese of Wichita's official parish directory. The parish operates within the Diocese of Wichita and is clustered with neighboring Cherokee County Catholic parishes under the ckcocatholics.org pastoral grouping, sharing resources and ministry across the small rural communities of southeastern Kansas.
- Parochial Administrator: Reverend C. Jarrod Lies
- Diocese: Diocese of Wichita
- Parish grouping: Cherokee County Catholics (ckcocatholics.org)
Patron Saint: Rose of Lima
The parish takes its name from St. Rose of Lima (1586–1617), the first person born in the Americas to be canonized as a saint. Born Isabel Flores de Oliva in Lima, Peru, she became a Dominican lay tertiary known for her care of the sick and poor, selling her embroidery and lace to support her family and those in need. She was beatified by Pope Clement IX in 1667 and canonized by Pope Clement X in 1671. Her feast day is celebrated on August 23 throughout most of the world. She is the patroness of Latin America, the Philippines, Peru, gardeners, florists, and embroiderers.
- Born: April 20, 1586, Lima, Peru
- Died: August 24, 1617, Lima, Peru
- Canonized: April 12, 1671 by Pope Clement X
- Feast Day: August 23
- Patronages: Latin America, Peru, Philippines, gardeners, florists, embroiderers
The Church Building
The present St. Rose of Lima church was built in 1965 under the supervision of Father Daniel Bernard Mulvihill, who arrived as the parish's third resident pastor in 1963. The structure is built of native Miami stone at a cost of $64,000 and is situated at the corner of Walnut and Pennsylvania Streets in Columbus. It replaced the earlier 1916 church that had served the mission since Father Thomas Groman's day.
- Built: 1965
- Architectural material: Miami stone
- Construction cost: $64,000
- Location: Corner of Walnut & Pennsylvania Streets, Columbus, KS
- Supervising priest: Father Daniel Bernard Mulvihill
Diocese of Wichita
St. Rose of Lima is a parish of the Diocese of Wichita, which covers much of southern and central Kansas. The parish is part of the diocese's Cherokee County pastoral region and shares clergy and resources with neighboring parishes through the ckcocatholics.org grouping. The diocesan directory lists the parish with 62 registered families and approximately 101 individual Catholics.
- Diocese: Diocese of Wichita
- Registered families: 62
- Individual Catholics: 101
- Pastoral region: Cherokee County
Visiting & Contact Information
Visitors are warmly welcomed at St. Rose of Lima. The parish office and rectory are located at 115 West Walnut Street, Columbus, Kansas 66725. The parish phone number is (620) 429-2639. The parish's website and the diocesan directory are the best sources for the most current Mass, confession, and adoration schedules, as well as any announcements about parish life and events.
- Address: 115 West Walnut Street, Columbus, KS 66725
- Phone: (620) 429-2639
- Website: ckcocatholics.org/saint-rose-columbus-kansas/
- Diocesan directory: Wichita Diocese
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Paul Ponziglione, SJ1858
Jesuit missionary who established the original mission among the Osage at Mr. LaForce's house.
- Father Thomas Groman1916
Built the first church in Columbus.
- Father J.P. Flynn1923–1936
Tended Columbus and Baxter Springs from his pastorate at Galena.
- Father Forrest Barker1930s
Continued the arrangement of caring for Columbus and Baxter Springs from Galena.
- Father Luke Carroll
Pro-tem pastor at Columbus and Mineral until the first resident pastor arrived.
- Father Francis O'Donoghuefrom 1949
First resident pastor; also cared for Immaculate Conception at Mineral.
- Father Robert Pepe1953–1963, 1976–1986
Served twice as pastor; launched the interparochial St. Rose School in 1959 with Bishop Carroll's blessing.
- Father Daniel Bernard Mulvihill1963–1966, 1993–1995
Third resident pastor; oversaw construction of the present Miami-stone church in 1965; later returned to pastor Columbus and St. Bridget, Scammon.