About Sts. Peter and Paul · Clay Center, Kansas
Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church is the only Catholic parish in Clay County, Kansas, and one of the oldest parishes in the Diocese of Salina. Founded in 1879, the parish grew from the missionary work of Father Joseph Rimmele (Remele), who first celebrated Mass in the homes of Catholic settlers in 1870. Today the parish is served by Father Mike Leiker and is supported by two deacons, a Director of Religious Education, and a faithful lay staff. In addition to its own worship life, Ss. Peter and Paul operates St. Anthony Parish in Miltonvale as a mission church, and its parish center in Clay Center hosts shared religious education for both communities.
- Established
- 1879
- Patron
- Saints Peter and Paul (Apostles)
- Rector
- Father Mike Leiker
- Diocese
- Diocese of Salina
Why belong here
Ss. Peter and Paul is the only Catholic parish in Clay County and welcomes worshippers from across the region, including mission communities at St. Anthony in Miltonvale and St. Peter in Aurora. Daily and weekend Masses, Saturday confessions, Thursday all-day Eucharistic Adoration, and a full K-12 religious education program (including HSRE, Jr. CYO, Confirmation prep, and OCIA for adults becoming Catholic) give parishioners of every age a place to grow in faith. Active music ministry, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to the sick and homebound, and small-group Bible studies (such as the Lenten study of St. Peter) make this a parish that lives its mission of Christian unity and family life.
Mass times at Sts. Peter and Paul
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:45 PM – 5:15 PM
Adoration times
- Thursday: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Parish History
Catholic presence in Clay County began in 1865 when Father Joseph Rimmele (Remele), a Jesuit from St. Mary's, Kansas, first celebrated Mass in the homes of settlers Daniel Duhig and Carl Holzang. By 1870 he counted ten Catholics in the area. In August 1877 six lots of land were deeded by Alonzo F. Dexter to Bishop L.M. Fink of the Diocese of Leavenworth, and the original wooden church was completed in 1879 under the care of the first resident pastor, Reverend Casper Hospenthal. The parish quickly became the center of Catholic life for surrounding communities including Clifton, Cuba, Clara, Riley, Kimeo, Longford, Bala, and Wakefield.
- Founded 1879
- First priest: Father Joseph Rimmele (1865)
- First resident pastor: Rev. Casper Hospenthal (1879)
- Original diocese: Leavenworth, then Concordia, now Salina
Church Building
The original wooden frame church served the parish for thirteen years before being replaced by the present stone church, which was completed in 1892. In 1958 east and west wings finished in matching stone, along with a basement, were added to expand the worship space. A parish center, completed in 1991, provides office space, meeting rooms, and K-12 religious education classrooms shared with the mission parish of St. Anthony in Miltonvale.
- Stone church completed 1892
- East/west wings and basement added 1958
- Parish center completed 1991
Mass and Worship Schedule
Ss. Peter and Paul offers daily Mass four mornings a week plus a Wednesday evening Mass during the school year, along with a Saturday vigil and Sunday morning Mass. The Saturday vigil Mass at 5:30 PM is preceded by confessions from 4:45–5:15 PM. Sunday Mass at the parish is at 10:30 AM, and the mission church St. Anthony in Miltonvale offers Mass at 8:30 AM on Sundays.
Clergy and Staff
The parish is served by Father Mike Leiker as pastor, assisted by two deacons — Deacon Walt Slingsby and Deacon Mike Robinson. Tomi Moos serves as Director of Religious Education. The office is staffed by Amy Glaves (administrative assistant) and Virginia White Bean (parish office); Tessie Hanson handles finance. Music is led by Chris Wolf, Ryan Rourke, and Jessica Kern at Ss. Peter and Paul, with Debra Cyre serving St. Anthony. Shelly Robinson and Deb Coleman serve as sacristans; Brad and Catherine Girton lead CYO; and Katie Woods and Mark Charbonneau handle custodial and maintenance duties.
- Pastor: Fr. Mike Leiker
- Deacons: Walt Slingsby, Mike Robinson
- DRE: Tomi Moos
- Music: Chris Wolf, Ryan Rourke, Jessica Kern
Religious Education and Youth Ministry
The parish runs a full K-12 faith formation program. K-8 Religious Education lays a foundation in prayer, Scripture, and the sacraments for children. Junior CYO serves middle schoolers, while High School Religious Education (HSRE), CYO, and Confirmation I/II engage older teens in deeper formation, fellowship, and service. Adults inquiring about becoming Catholic join the OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) process. The parish also uses FORMED for online faith content and offers Small Group Bible Studies — including a Lenten study of St. Peter using Tim Gray's 'Peter: Cornerstone of Catholicism' — that meet on Monday evenings at 6:30 PM.
- K-8 Religious Education
- HSRE / CYO
- Jr. CYO
- Confirmation I/II
- OCIA (Becoming Catholic)
- FORMED
- Small Group Studies
Music and Liturgical Ministries
Liturgical music at Ss. Peter and Paul is led by Chris Wolf, Ryan Rourke, and Jessica Kern; Debra Cyre serves as musician at the St. Anthony mission. Shelly Robinson serves as sacristan for Ss. Peter and Paul and Deb Coleman for St. Anthony. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion take the Eucharist to parishioners who are sick or homebound — an important ministry in this rural parish that covers a wide geographic area.
- Music ministers at SSPP and St. Anthony
- Sacristans
- Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to the sick/homebound
Outreach and Parish Life
The parish sustains several outreach efforts: visits to the hospitalized and homebound by Father and the deacons (arranged through the parish office at 632-5011), support for parish missions through annual fundraising (a parish auction whose proceeds have supported youth pilgrimage), and promotion of broader Catholic events such as the Midwest Catholic Family Conference. Volunteers serve as collection counters, catechists, and RE aides, and bulletin notices regularly invite new help for these roles.
- Hospital & homebound visits
- Parish auction (supports youth pilgrimage)
- Volunteer catechists and collection counters
- Midwest Catholic Family Conference
Mission Parish — St. Anthony, Miltonvale
St. Anthony in Miltonvale is a mission church of Ss. Peter and Paul, sharing the same pastor, office (located at the SSPP Parish Center in Clay Center), and K-12 religious education programs. The parish dates back to 1883 when the first Mass was celebrated in settlers' homes, and was formally founded in 1910. Sunday Mass is offered at St. Anthony at 8:30 AM.
- Founded 1910
- First Mass in settlers' homes: 1883
- Sunday Mass 8:30 AM
- Address: 612 W. 4th, Miltonvale, KS 67466
Contact and Visiting
The parish office is located at 730 Court Street, Clay Center, KS 67432. Phone: 785-632-5011. Email: [email protected]. Office hours are Monday 8:30 AM–12:30 PM and 1:30–4:30 PM; Tuesday–Thursday 8:30 AM–12:30 PM; closed Friday and on Holy Days and holidays. (The Diocese of Salina directory lists 785-632-3914 for parish business.) The parish's primary website is https://www.sspeterandpaulcc.org/, with a legacy page still mirrored at sspeterpaul.weconnect.com.
- 730 Court St., Clay Center, KS 67432
- Phone: 785-632-5011
- Office: [email protected]
- Website: sspeterandpaulcc.org
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Joseph Rimmele / Remele1865–1870s
Jesuit missionary from St. Mary's, Kansas; first priest to serve Clay County Catholics, celebrating Mass in settlers' homes (Daniel Duhig and Carl Holzang).
- Reverend Casper Hospenthal1879–
First resident pastor of Saints Peter and Paul, assigned when the original wooden church was completed.