About St. Wenceslaus · Tabor, South Dakota
St. Wenceslaus is a historic Roman Catholic parish in the small town of Tabor, in southeastern South Dakota, belonging to the Diocese of Sioux Falls. The parish was founded in the 1870s by Czech (Bohemian) immigrants who began settling in what was then Dakota Territory in 1868, with church services underway by 1871. Its striking red-brick church, completed in 1898 and built by contractor August O. Goetz in a Czech folk architectural style, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the 'Thematic Nomination of Czech Folk Architecture of Southeastern South Dakota.' Today the parish shares pastoral ministry with nearby St. Martin of Tours and no longer offers regular weekend Masses, but weekday Masses, weekday confessions, Eucharistic adoration, vespers, and other devotions continue to be celebrated.
- Established
- 1874
- Patron
- Saint Wenceslaus (Svatý Václav), Duke of Bohemia (10th century), patron saint of the Czech Republic and the Bohemian people
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls
Why belong here
St. Wenceslaus remains a living parish and a touchstone of Czech Catholic heritage in southeastern South Dakota, with its 1898 red-brick church still open for worship and devotion. Even after weekend Masses were discontinued in 2024, parishioners continue to gather for weekday Masses (Wednesday evening and Friday morning), Wednesday confessions and Vespers, Sunday confessions and Eucharistic adoration, the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. It is a small, deeply rooted community where families can receive the sacraments, pray with neighbors, and keep alive a heritage that stretches back to the Bohemian settlers of 1868.
Mass times at St. Wenceslaus
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM
- Sunday 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (most Sundays — check bulletin)
- 3rd Tuesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Confessions & Exposition)
Adoration times
- Sunday 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- 3rd Tuesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Exposition, with confessions)
History of St. Wenceslaus Parish
Czech immigrants from Bohemia began arriving in the Tabor area, then part of the Dakota Territory, in 1868, and Mass was being celebrated locally by 1871. The first church, a chalk-rock structure built with donated immigrant labor, was completed in 1874 but was quickly outgrown. The current red-brick church, built in 1898 by contractor August O. Goetz in the Czech folk style, has served the community ever since.
Founding and the Bohemian Settlement
The parish traces its roots to the Bohemian Catholic families who began arriving in the rolling farmland of southeastern Dakota Territory in 1868. Within just a few years they had organized regular worship, and by 1874 they had raised their first church — a chalk-rock building constructed with donated labor from the immigrant community.
- 1868 — First Czech (Bohemian) settlers arrive in the Tabor area, Dakota Territory.
- 1871 — Church services are being held in the community.
- 1874 — First chalk-rock church completed with donated immigrant labor.
The 1898 Red-Brick Church and Parish House
As the Czech-American farming community grew, the original 1874 church was outgrown. Contractor August O. Goetz built the current red-brick church in 1898, and a matching parish house in the same Czech folk style followed in 1910. Together these two buildings form one of the recognized examples of Czech folk architecture in southeastern South Dakota.
- 1898 — Current red-brick church built by August O. Goetz.
- 1910 — Matching parish house built in the same Czech folk style.
- Contractor: August O. Goetz.
Parish School
Catholic education has been part of parish life since the early twentieth century. A brick schoolhouse and dormitory was built in 1903–04. The school later moved to a new campus in 1960 and continued to operate until 1970; the building is now leased to the Bon Homme School District.
- 1903–04 — Brick schoolhouse and dormitory built.
- 1960 — School moved to a new campus.
- 1970 — School closed; facility leased to Bon Homme School District.
National Register of Historic Places
The church and parish house were jointly listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 13, 1984, as 'St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church and Parish House.' The listing was made as part of a 'Thematic Nomination of Czech Folk Architecture of Southeastern South Dakota,' recognizing the cultural and architectural significance of Czech-American sacred buildings in the region.
- NRHP reference number: 84000579
- Added to the National Register: December 13, 1984
- Nomination theme: Czech Folk Architecture of Southeastern South Dakota
2024 Pastoral Restructuring
As part of a Diocese of Sioux Falls pastoral plan effective July 1, 2024, regular weekend Masses were discontinued at St. Wenceslaus and at St. John the Baptist in Lesterville, while Sacred Heart in Yankton consolidated to three weekend Masses. Diocesan leadership stressed that the Tabor church was not closed: it continues to host weekday Masses, confessions, adoration, funerals, baptisms, religious education, the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. Pastoral care is shared with nearby St. Martin of Tours.
Patron: Saint Wenceslaus of Bohemia
The parish is named for Saint Wenceslaus (Svatý Václav), the 10th-century Duke of Bohemia who is widely recognized as the patron saint of the Czech Republic. His feast day is celebrated on September 28, and his name was carried into the Dakota Territory by the very Bohemian immigrant families who built this church.
- Patron: Saint Wenceslaus, Duke of Bohemia.
- Feast day: September 28.
- Also patron of the Czech Republic.
Devotions
The parish continues the traditional Catholic devotions associated with its Czech Catholic heritage, including Vespers before Wednesday Mass, the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet.
- Vespers (Wednesday 5:30 PM – 5:55 PM)
- Rosary
- Stations of the Cross
- Divine Mercy Chaplet
Sacraments
Even without regular weekend Masses, St. Wenceslaus continues to celebrate the sacraments of Baptism, Matrimony, and Funeral rites by arrangement, alongside the ongoing schedule of Confession and Eucharistic Adoration.
- Baptism — by arrangement
- Matrimony — by arrangement
- Funerals — by arrangement
- Confession — see confession schedule
- Eucharistic Adoration — see adoration schedule
Parish Address, Phone & Contact
Parish mail, phone, and email are handled through the partner parish office of St. Martin of Tours.
- Address: 205 N. Lidice Street, Tabor, SD 57063
- Phone: (605) 463-2336
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://stmartintours.org/
Diocese
St. Wenceslaus Parish belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls, which oversees Catholic parishes and ministries across the eastern two-thirds of South Dakota.
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls