WELCOME TO ST. ELIZABETH PASTORATE
St Clement church, Bankston
We serve the Catholic community by offering resources and teaching that support faith formation for children and the people who guide them.
Welcome to St. Clement, Bankston
The History of St. Clement’s Catholic Parish and it’s Community
In the early 1850’s, Bishop Matthias Loras traveled through the Bankston area on horseback (St. Clements Parish was not organized at this time). He visited with many of the settlers; who had mostly come from Ireland, but also some from Germany and Luxemburg. Many of these settlers frequented mass at the French Settlement 10 miles northeast; which some had walked to and from, while others went by horse and buggy. This church is now the Rickardsville Parish in Rickardsville, Dubuque County, Iowa.
It is believed that Father McGauran named St. Clements Parish after Bishop Clement Smyth. This was to stop the confusion of the many various names Bankston had from 1851 to 1869 when St. Clement’s became the official name of the parish. In the first one hundred years of Existence, St. Clements has had 12 Pastors.
The first was the Reverend Dr. John Alyward who organized St. Clements Parish in 1860. He arrived in Bankston in 1859 and stayed until November 11, 1860; when he left to become a Professor at the Sinsinawa Boy’s College. Rev. Dr. Alyward said his first mass at Maurice Kirby’s house, which was just west of the church grounds. Many masses were then said at Maurice Kirby’s house until a church could be built. The church would be built a short distance from Mr. Kirby’s house, on land which was donated by Mr. Kirby. This included land for the cemetery. Read More…
Parish Council Members
- Dawn Klostermann, President
- Pat Lehmann
- Joe Kluesner
- Tim Schmitt
- Trevor Gotto (new 2021)
Liturgy Committee
- Trish Ernzen
- Ellen O’Connell
- Betty Pins
- Joyce Rauen
Rental of the Pavilion or Hall at St. Clement, Bankston is $50 rental fee and $75 deposit. If you would like to rent the facilities, please contact Lynne McDermott at St. Elizabeth Pastorate (563-876-5540).
Cemetery Board
Don Kass 563-744-3046
Jack Smith 563- 744-3863
Dan O’Connell 563-580-2454
Ed Lehmann 563-451-3060
Cemetery Guidelines
- Please contact the cemetery board through the St. Elizabeth Pastorate Office at 563-876-5540 with questions or concerns or to purchase lots.
- Headstones must follow local guidelines. Prior approval from the cemetery board must be sought before a headstone may be placed on the gravesite.
- No planting of permanent trees, shrubs, bushes, etc. or any other types of landscaping without prior approval from cemetery board.
- Decorations are allowed year-round if set directly on the headstone or cement foundation. Please place items at your own risk. Cemetery board does not monitor the grounds and cannot be responsible for any lost, stolen, or damaged items.
- Flowers or decorations not attached to monuments may be placed on grave during the following approved holidays: Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, All Souls Day and Christmas Day. These decorations may stay up for one week prior and one week past the holiday.
- Any decorations placed directly in the ground may not go beyond a 10-inch radius of the headstone during the approved holiday decorating times. All decorations must be removed at proper times. Items not removed will be discarded.
- Shepherd hooks are to be placed in the cement foundation if it is to be a permanent decoration, only one per headstone, and not more than 4 feet high.
- If you have a special occasion (birth date, anniversary) and wish to place additional decorations during a non-approved holiday time, please speak to the cemetery board prior to the date for consideration.
- Without notice, cemetery board reserves the right to prohibit or remove from lots or graves, any articles that are dead, faded, broken, create a safety hazard, cause additional maintenance burdens, or any articles not given proper prior approval.
St. Clement April 2023 Finance Report
St. Clement March 2023 Finance Report
St. Clement February 2023 Finance Report
St. Clement January 2023 Finance Report
St. Clement December 2022 Finance Report
St. Clement November 2022 Finance Report
St. Clement October 2022 Finance Report
St. Clement September 2022 Finance Report
St. Clement August 2022 Finance Report
St. Clement July 2022 Finance Report
St. Clement June 2022 Finance Report
St. Clement May 2022 Finance Report
St. Clement April 2022 Finance Report
St. Clement March 2022 Finance Report
St. Clement February 2022 Finance Report
St. Clement January 2022 Finance Report
Altar & Rosary Society Chairs
- Jeff & Theresa Chapman and Jim & Briana Cushman – Chairs
- Matt & Kristin McCarthy and Megan & Trevor Gotto – Circle Leaders
- Chad & Carrie Gotto and Sarah & Jordan Kluesner – Alternates
Prayer Request
may we pray for you?
Fr. Michael Schueller
Pastor
Fr. Scott Boone
Sacramental Priest
OUR MISSION
Remembering always that our main mission is to proclaim the Gospel to all, the St. Elizabeth Pastorate parishes seek to support the vitality of all its member parishes. The St. Elizabeth Pastorate’s mission is to nurture the Catholic faith among all parishioners, while respecting the individuality of all member parishes.
St Clement, Bankston
(563) 876-5540
Address
4287 New Vienna Rd
Epworth, IA 52045
United States