Welcome to St. Patrick, Epworth
History
Council & Committee
Hall/Pavillon Rental
Cemetery Info
History of St. Patrick’s Parish – Epworth, Iowa
Father Commerford was ordained in Ireland on June 20, 1878. On April 5, 1879, he was appointed pastor of St. John’s Church in Placid, Iowa. Soon after his arrival in Placid, he began to minister to the few scattered Catholic families residing in and around Epworth. Three families formed that original group: the Timothy O’Connors, the Florence McCarthys, and the William Jennings – nineteen persons in all. Once a month Mass was offered in the O’Connor home, but since the rooms were too small to accommodate the group, a larger room was later rented in the Finnessey house. Mr. Finnessey was not Catholic.
Later that same fall, the small Catholic congregation began construction of a church. Laying of the cornerstone took place on November 9, 1879. The Daily Herald in Dubuque carried the following story on November 12, 1879:
“The work of erecting the church has been undertaken by Rev. Commerford, the young clergyman who has charge of the parish from Pleasant Grove where a church is also located, about five miles from Epworth. Taking into consideration the limited number of Catholics who reside in the near vicinity of the town where the foundation of the new church has been laid, one cannot help according to the young priest who has inaugurated the worthy work more than an ordinary amount of courage and determination… The ceremony of laying the stone was performed by Rev. Father Burke, assisted by Revs. Commerford, Brady, Farley, Heer and Kelley.”
Rev. J. Brogan served both St. John and St. Patrick from 1900 – 1905. Rev. Patrick McNamara served from 1905 – 1930. After serving both parishes for five years, Rev. Mathias J Meyerhofer was appointed the first resident pastor for St. Patrick Parish in 1935.
The Catholic Daily Tribune printed the story above of the history of the parish in its issue on August 15, 1937. The article continued:
“Arrangements had been made to resume work earlier in spring. However, no definite information is available as to when the church was completed or when it was dedicated. Mr. J.J. Hamilton, a member of the original group and also present at the time revealed that ‘Father Commerford himself on a Sunday morning blessed it after its completion and there were about ten persons present’.” Read More…
Parish Council Members 2024-25
- Billy Ostwinkle, Chair (2022)
- Andy Kramer (2023)
- Joyce McDermott (2023)
- Tom Wilgenbush (2022)
- Lori Smith (new 2021)
- Melinda Burds (new 2021)
Liturgy Committee
- Deacon Nick Elliott
- Bonnie Hancock
- Carol Heying
- Kathy Lahey
- Dianne McDermott
- Mindi McDermott
- Sheila Pitts
- Connie Wilgenbusch
- Linda Wolf
Hall and Pavillion Rental
If you would like to rent the facilities, please contact Lynne McDermott at St. Elizabeth Pastorate (563-876-5540).
Rental of the Pavilion or Hall at St. Clement, Bankston is $50 rental fee
$75 deposit.
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. Patrick Cemetery Plot increase on March 1, 2024
On March 1, 2024, cost for a single plot for a parishioner will increase to $400.00. The non-parishioner rate will increase to $700.00 for a single plot. Inquiries on purchasing a plot before the new rate begins can go to Wayne Demmer at 563-876-3094 or Dave Bries at 563-590-1072.
Cemetery Board
- Wayne Demmer 563-876-3094
- Dave Bries 563-590-1072
Altar and Rosary
Coming soon…
Coming soon…
Coming soon…
Back Office
/coming soon…
PRAYER REQUEST
may we pray for you?
Fr. Michael Schueller
Pastor
St. Patrick Parish, Epworth
(563) 876-5540
Address
104 1st St SE
Epworth, IA 52045
United States
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.