606 E. 8th Street,
Dell Rapids, SD 57022

The Catholic Church began mission services in Dell Rapids in 1880, with Father Maher of Sioux Falls. It was not until the arrival of Father M.J. Martyn in February of 1898 that plans of building a church in Dell Rapids came to fruition.

In April of 1899, Father Martyn moved to Dell Rapids as the first resident priest. The first Mass in the new church was celebrated in August of 1899!

More History Coming Soon! 

46402 245th Street
Colton, SD 57018

St. Joseph’s parish of Huntimer, SD was founded in 1889, however the history of the parish dates back much farther.   As a structure is built upon a foundation, also was a foundation built for a future church by the strong faith of a few early pioneers in a strictly rural community.

The earliest of these settlers came in 1878, one year before the Vicarate Apostolic of Dakota was established within the boundaries of Dakota Territory.  The Rev. Martin Marty was consecrated the first Bishop on May 1, 1880.  Father Thomas Flynn of Madison was the first ordained priest in Dakota Territory on June 29, 1881.  

Pioneers Charles B. Huntimer and his wife Ellen Sweeney, born to German and Irish immigrants, and their infant daughter, Susan, settled near Huntimer in 1878.  They traveled from Wisconsin to Dakota Territory in an oxen-drawn covered wagon to this area. Some years later they were joined by relatives, friends, and former neighbors who also settled here.

Many of these pioneers were members of the Roman Catholic faith.  Church services were held in family homes, but in 1886 a request was made for a priest to be sent to conduct Mass. The request was granted with Masses held in family homes or the schoolhouse.
In the fall of 1888, St. Joseph’s Parish was organized with eleven families under the direction of Father Thomas Flynn.   A year later in the spring of 1889, a small church was built on the site of our present-day cemetery for the cost of $1500.00.  The first baptism to be held at St. Joseph’s was for Martin Huntimer, the infant son of Charles and Ellen Huntimer.

In 1891, the cemetery grounds were developed for the parish.

In 1907, the rectory was built on land donated by Charles B. Huntimer. Father Matthew Trainor was assigned as the first resident pastor.
Within twenty years, the first church was outgrown.  The parish now numbered 43 families and 8 single people.
In 1909, the second larger church was built on the corner lot by the church rectory for a total cost of $5000.00 and seating capacity of 170 people.

By 1950 the church was again getting too small to serve the growing parish, so plans were discussed to enlarge the present church, however the plans did not materialize as the parishioners felt the plans proposed were impractical.

By 1960 it was decided that a third church should be built northwest of the present location.  After many meetings with parishioners, several priests, and architect friends from Sioux Falls a new church featuring large, laminated beams and exposed decking for its main structural form was chosen.  Father Thomas Ryan was the priest assigned to the Huntimer parish in August 1963 who helped greatly with this project. The church would seat 270 people. There would also be a kitchen, dining hall, office, and classrooms.

After Mass on May 2, 1965, Father Ryan blessed the ground of the new church and witnessed a cross erected on the site of the new altar.  Work progressed through the summer and on August 1, 1965 the first Mass was celebrated in the new structure.  On Labor Day, September 6, 1965, the new St. Joseph’s Church was solemnly blessed by The Most Rev. Lambert A. Hoch, Bishop of the Sioux Falls diocese.
St. Joseph parish in Huntimer was one of the first parishes in the diocese to have Mass on Saturday evenings, which could fulfil the obligations of attending Mass on Sunday morning.

The Huntimer parish community continued to grow and at the centennial year, 1989, there were 130 families actively participating in the many various stewardship opportunities.

In July of 2023 the Diocese of Sioux Falls kicked off their Set Ablaze Pastoral Planning mission.  This mission reorganized every parish into a pastorate model. St. Joseph the Workman is now a part of the Queen of Peace Pastorate.

In the Fall of 2024, Bishop Degrood granted permission for St. Joseph the Workman to embark on an extensive remodeling project including all new pews, carpet throughout the church and dining hall, luxury vinyl tile on the altar floor, and some new woodwork. We are blessed to have a beautiful structure to worship.

105 S. Bates Street
Flandreau, SD 57028

The parish of Saints Simon & Jude was founded in 1878 in Flandreau, Dakota Territory, with Father Koeberl as the first pastor.  Church services were held once a month in Morse’s Hall in 1879.  In later years Mass was offered in a private home and in a public hall.

The first church, a wood frame structure built in 1882, was credited to the work of Missionary Father Thomas A. Flynn. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered in this new church beginning in June of 1882.  

On March 23, 1915, Fr. George E. Kelly came as pastor and was responsible for building the present church building in 1916 for $40,000. The interior finish was elaborated in 1936 with a complete redecoration.      

Effective July 1, 1954, Father Felix McCabe was appointed pastor.  Shortly after he arrived the church was completely redecorated. 

In the summer of 1966, construction began on a building for religious education.  It was finished in April of 1967 for $98,500. Previously, Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) classes had been held in the church, in the old house behind the church, and the old Corcoran house (the current site of the education unit).  In 1954 classes were organized for Saturday mornings and the Presentation Sisters from Dell Rapids came to Flandreau to teach.  In 1971, with the decline in the number of available sisters, volunteer lay teachers of the parish took over the teaching.  

Sts. Simon & Jude and St. Peter's (Colman) were linked in 1994 under Fr. Roehrich.  In 1998, Our Lady of Good Counsel (Elkton) was added to the linkage of Sts. Simon & Jude and St. Peter's (Colman), thus forming the former tri-parish linkage. 

In July of 2023 the Diocese of Sioux Falls kicked off their Set Ablaze Pastoral Planning mission. This mission reorganized every parish into a pastorate model. The tri-parish linkage St. Peter's had known for over 20 years was dismantled. St. Peter's now is recognized as a part of Queen of Peace Pastorate with Sts. Simon and Jude (Flandreau), St. Joseph the Workman (Huntimer), and St. Mary's (Dell Rapids).

200 N. Allen Avenue
Colman, SD 57017

St. Peter’s was founded in 1905 by Bishop Martin Marty. The first church building was built by Father McNally, then pastor of Dell Rapids.  From 1907 - 1911, St. Peter's parish was in care of Charles City (Colton) and Huntimer, SD. The first resident pastor, Father Clement Caine, built a rectory.  

The desire for a new church to accommodate the growing needs of the parish took shape under Father J.M. Rueter around 1944. Members of the parish donated a tallied count of 28,000 hours of labor of all kinds.  The cornerstone of the new structure was laid by His Excellency Most Rev. Wm. O. Brady on May 17, 1952. Throughout 1952-1954 the work continued at an unhurried pace because of the desire to utilize as much volunteer labor as possible. The church was finally dedicated, and the main altar was consecrated on May 18, 1954, by Bishop Brady.   

Relics of the martyrs Saint Conneritus and Saint Verecunda are sealed in the marble mensa of the altar.

Sts. Simon & Jude and St. Peter's (Colman) were linked in 1994 under Fr. Roehrich.  In 1998, Our Lady of Good Counsel (Elkton) was added to the linkage of Sts. Simon & Jude and St. Peter's (Colman), thus forming the former tri-parish linkage.

In July of 2023 the Diocese of Sioux Falls kicked off their Set Ablaze Pastoral Planning mission. This mission reorganized every parish into a pastorate model. The tri-parish linkage St. Peter's had known for over 20 years was dismantled. St. Peter's now is recognized as a part of Queen of Peace Pastorate with Sts. Simon and Jude (Flandreau), St. Joseph the Workman (Huntimer), and St. Mary's (Dell Rapids).