St. Rose of Lima

About St. Rose of Lima Catholic Parish

St. Rose of Lima is a Roman Catholic parish in Council Grove, Kansas, in the Diocese of Wichita, led today by Rev. Andrew J. Seiler. The faith community gathers for Mass four times a week, with confession before the Vigil Mass and ongoing Eucharistic Adoration shared with the cluster's sister parish. As a smaller rural parish, St. Rose plays an outsized role in preserving Council Grove's Catholic heritage — most visibly through the surviving 1883 stone chapel that stands on the campus alongside the 1995 church.

Parish History

Catholic worship in the Council Grove area began before there was a permanent church; Mass was likely first celebrated in private homes. In 1883 the first church — the stone building now known as St. Rose Chapel — was erected, and it served the parish for more than a century. The parish was originally staffed by Franciscan priests coming from Emporia until 1902, when the newly formed Diocese of Wichita (established 1887) took over responsibility and assigned Fr. Michael Casey as St. Rose's first diocesan priest. Corpus Christi Church in Skiddy was at that time a mission of St. Rose and remained so until it closed in 1950. The parish marked its 142nd year of continuous ministry in 2025.

• 1883: First church built (now St. Rose Chapel)
• Pre-1902: Served by Franciscan priests from Emporia
• 1902: Fr. Michael Casey becomes first diocesan priest
• 1943: Vestibule addition to the chapel built by German POWs from Camp Fremont under stone mason Bill Krause
• 1950: Corpus Christi mission in Skiddy closes
• 1951: Rectory built from a converted rural school
• 1955: New brick school opens east of the church (enrollment up to 56)
• 1963: St. Rose School closes; building becomes parish hall
• 1995 (Oct. 29): Current church dedicated by Bishop Eugene Gerber
• 2008: New rectory built north of the church
• 2015: Old school/hall razed; new St. Rose Parish Hall built
• Winter 2024–25: Frozen-pipe flood forces Mass into the parish hall
• Aug. 31, 2025: Sanctuary reopens with first Mass after renovations

Campus, Buildings & Historic Chapel

St. Rose of Lima's campus grew incrementally over more than a century. The original 1883 stone chapel has been preserved on site and is open as part of Council Grove's Santa Fe Trail Symposium, reflecting the parish's deep ties to local pioneer and trail-era history. The current church, completed in 1995, contains the sanctuary and sacristy, church offices, eleven classrooms, a choir loft and balcony, restrooms, and storage. A new rectory was added north of the church in 2008, and the current St. Rose Parish Hall — built in 2015 — replaced the original 1955 school building.

• St. Rose Chapel (1883) — surviving pioneer-era chapel open during the Santa Fe Trail Symposium
• Main church (1995) — sanctuary, sacristy, choir loft/balcony, 11 classrooms
• Rectory (2008) — north of the church
• St. Rose Parish Hall (2015) — on the site of the 1955 school
• Two large parking lots (north and south of the church)

Clergy & Parish Leadership

St. Rose of Lima is currently served by Reverend Andrew J. Seiler, who also pastors the cluster's sister parish, St. Anthony, in Strong City. Fr. Seiler was born April 19, 1961 and ordained to the priesthood on May 28, 1988. He previously served as parochial assistant at Our Lady of Lourdes in Pittsburg and as pastor of St. Joseph in Arma before assuming his current assignment.

• Reverend Andrew J. Seiler — Pastor (ordained 1988; current)
• Diocesan priests who have served St. Rose since 1902: 31

Cluster Parish: St. Anthony, Strong City

St. Rose of Lima shares its pastor with St. Anthony Catholic Church in Strong City, Kansas. The two parishes operate as a cluster: the same office phone and mailing address serve both communities, and adoration is offered continuously across the two churches from Sunday evening into Wednesday morning.

• Mailing address: 300 Spencer, Council Grove, KS 66846
• Phone: 620-767-6412
• Shared pastor: Rev. Andrew J. Seiler
• St. Anthony address: 602 Cottonwood, Strong City, KS 66869

Ministries & Parish Life

As a smaller rural parish, St. Rose of Lima's ministries center on faith formation, liturgical music, parish hospitality, and stewardship of its historic chapel. The 1995 church building includes eleven classrooms that support ongoing religious education. The choir is anchored in a dedicated choir loft/balcony. Parish-wide fellowship finds its home in St. Rose Parish Hall — recently celebrated with an indoor parish picnic and bingo to mark the return to the renovated sanctuary.

• Religious education classes (11 classrooms on site)
• Parish choir (choir loft/balcony)
• Parish hall hospitality (St. Rose Parish Hall, 2015)
• Historic chapel stewardship and tours
• Cluster ministry with St. Anthony, Strong City

Recent Sanctuary Restoration & 30th Anniversary

Work on the 2025 restoration began in earnest after frozen-pipe flooding during the previous winter forced the parish to celebrate Mass in St. Rose Hall for months. The renovations — new tile on the altar, new carpeting throughout, refinished pews with new upholstery, fresh paint, new exterior doors, and a remodeled women's restroom — were completed in time for the first Mass back in the sanctuary on August 31. The date was deliberately chosen: it also marked the 30th anniversary of the 1995 dedication of the current church. Parishioners gathered afterward in St. Rose Hall for an indoor picnic and bingo.

• Aug. 31, 2025: First Mass in restored sanctuary
• 30th anniversary of 1995 dedication
• Renovation scope: altar tile, carpet, pew upholstery, paint, exterior doors, women's restroom

Visiting & Directions

From Hwy. 56, turn north onto Spencer Street; the church sits on the east side of the street. St. Rose has two large parking lots — one north and one south of the church — that together accommodate the weekend congregation. Visitors seeking confession before the Vigil Mass should arrive by 5:00 PM on Saturday.

• Address: 300 Spencer Street, Council Grove, KS 66846
• Phone: (620) 767-6412
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: strosestanthonyks.com
• Parking: two lots (north and south of the church)