We, the faith community of ST. JOHN'S and ST. BERNARD'S, are called by our Baptism to continue the mission of Jesus Christ.

Guided by the Holy Spirit, we fulfill our mission through faith formation, worship, service, and hospitality.

We minister so that all may be one in Christ.

I welcome you to our parish of St. John, Onawa and our mission parish of St. Bernard, Blencoe.  If you are a first time visitor and are traveling through our area, thank you for stopping and worshipping with us. We wish you safety, enjoyment and peace on your journey. Please return anytime your are in the area. It is nice to see "old friends".

-Fr. Michael Erpelding

Parish History
[as of 2006]

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St. John Catholic Church
 
Onawa, Iowa

 
Before a Catholic church was established in the town of Onawa, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered in the homes of different members of the Catholic faith. The services were
conducted by various missionary priests who traveled from place to place on foot or horseback. Their visits were few and far between and at uncertain intervals. The first known Mass in this parish was celebrated in the Timothy Murphy home in the summer of 1858.

On December 16, 1870, the late Bernard D. Holbrook and C.H. Holbrook bankers and real estate dealers in Onawa, donated a lot to the Rt. Rev. John Hennessy, Bishop of Dubuque, for the purpose of its being the site for Onawa's first Catholic church and the first Catholic church in Monona County. With that as a start, interest began to develop among the parishioners who wished for the erection of a church.

On March 31, 1871, a meeting of the parishioners was held, with Father James C. McNulty, Pastor St. Mary, Sioux City, presiding for the purpose of making necessary preparations for the building of the church. Early the next year, Father McNulty was succeeded in Sioux City by Father B.C. Lenehan who immediately interested himself in the project and a new church soon became a reality. Services were held at very irregular intervals due to lack of a resident priest. This church served the Catholics of Onawa for over forty years until the erection of a new church in 1913.

In January 1900, Father D.K. Hurley was appointed first resident pastor of Onawa, and the missions of Blencoe, Hornick and Whiting were included in this charge. Father Hurley and the priests who followed thereafter stayed in the homes of parishioners or rented living
accommodations.

In October 1909, Father Zimmerman, completed the purchase of four lots and a residence on Iowa Avenue. This purchase was intended as a site for a new church and rectory.  The new church was dedicated and blessed on May 28, 1914.  In October of 1924, a building fund was begun to build a new rectory.

In 1944, under the leadership of Father Bernard Greteman, a new building fund was established; and the excavation for a new church began on May 26, 1954.  The new church was completed and ready for occupancy, and the first Mass was on the Feast of the Nativity of Mary, September 8, 1955.

A new Parish Center was built and dedicated on June 23, 2002. A new rectory was built in 2003.

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St. Bernard Catholic Church
 
Blencoe, Iowa

The first known Catholic settlers, in what is now Franklin Township, date back to 1855,
although we know Mass was offered earlier in farm homes around Blencoe.  The first recorded Mass within the limits of what is now the town of Blencoe was offered in the Peter Reily home in 1866 by Father McLaughlin, a missionary priest.

Father M.C. Daly, who took up residence at Salix in 1883 and during his Pastorage served Onawa, Blencoe, Hornick and Whiting, was responsible for organizing Blencoe as a separate parish.  In June of 1886, the Catholics of Blencoe and vicinity held a meeting at the Daly schoolhouse with Father M.C. Daly residing.  Plans were made to buy the schoolhouse, remodel it for a church and move it to Blencoe to a lot north of the present Blencoe State Bank. Father Daly held services for the first time on August 29, 1886.

In May 1903, Father T.B. Smith, who was now resident pastor for Onawa and the missions of Blencoe, Hornick and Whiting, saw the need for a larger church in Blencoe to accommodate the growing congregation.  The cornerstone was laid on July 22, 1903, and the building was completed by the following October and was dedicated October 20, 1903.

Shortly after 1903, the parish had grown, especially with the addition of a number of
Bohemian families from Nebraska.  Father Gearen, resident pastor of Onawa and Blencoe, began to make plans for a new church.  Mrs. Sarah Marley, widow of John Marley, donated $2000.00 as the initial fund for the new church.  Mrs. Julia Bassett duplicated the offer, and Timothy Bruen donated $9000.00.  In 1939, Father Gearen and the parishioners worked out a "God's Acre" plan; and that year most of the parishioners donated the receipts from one acre of com to the building fund.

In January 1941, Father Bernard Greteman, who had succeeded Father Gearen, with the
approval of Bishop Heelan, made the decision to build a new church on a comer lot a block east of the old church.  This acre site was donated by Mr. and Mrs. N.C. Gray, non-Catholics, in memory of Mrs. Gray's parents.  Blessing and formal dedication of the new St. Bernard's church was on the patronal feast day, August 20, 1942.

The last of the indebtedness on St. Bernard church was paid December 8, 1942, and the
following year the church was decorated by the Langenfeld Studios of Carroll.  A new main altar costing $1400.00 was donated in March 1945 by Sarah and Mary E. Marley in memory of the Marley family, and the altar from the old church which had been used until this time was donated to St. Joseph's church in Sioux Rapids.  That same year (1945), the stained glass windows designed by the Columbia Stained Glass Company of Milwaukee were installed at a cost of$2690.00.  At the same time, permanent rubber floor tile was installed on the floors of the entrances and in the aisles of the nave.  That completed the work on the building operations of the new St. Bernard church.

On October 31, 2004, an electrical fire caused some damage to the ceiling of St Bernard’s church.  Minimal work was done immediately; but in the absence of a Bishop, complete restoration would have to wait.

In January 2006, Walker Nickless, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Denver, was ordained Bishop of the Sioux City Diocese; and in March 2006, Bishop Nickless gave permission for the restoration of St. Bernard's church to begin.

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PASTORS OF ST. BERNARD AND ST. JOHN

Father P.P. Gearen                  1930-1940

Father Bernard V. Greteman  1940-1962

Father Thomas K. Malloy        1962-1976

Father Donald R. Smith           1976-1986

Monsignor Richard E. Zenk    1986·1995

Father Alfred E. McCoy          1995-1998

Father Francis J. Nemmers     1998-2002

Father Harry D. McAlpine      2002-2005

Father Patrick J. O'Kane       2005-2016

Father Michael J. Erpelding    2016-present