Welcome to St. John the Apostle Catholic Church

Parish Mission Statement

“We strive to serve our Catholic teachings through prayer, service, and love. We welcome all people with love. We are called by God to live out the message of Christ by developing followers of Christ with love and service to all people”.

Online Mass Times - Tithing Online - Information Links

You can view the following by clicking on the links below:

Daily Message - 7:00 AM

Mass - 9:00 AM daily (Tuesdays at 8:15 AM)

Rosary - 7:00 PM daily

In the Sacristy - Fridays 8:00 AM

Our Facebook Page Link: https://www.facebook.com/StJohntheApostleNorwalkIowa/

Our Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvpu23P7WtZuGJSdnvD4jjg

Reconciliation will continue to be offered from 4:00 to 6:00 PM on Saturdays at the church. Required health safety precautions will be followed.

diocesan logo Diocese of Des Moines Press Release - June 2, 2020

The Diocese of Des Moines is allowing parishes to regather for the public celebration of Mass based on consultation with local medical professionals, Iowa Department of Public Health data and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Bishop William Joensen took the unprecedented step of suspending all public Masses on March 15 as the state closed businesses and activities to stem the spread of COVID-19. An ad hoc committee of laity and clergy representing all parts of the diocese recommended to Bishop Joensen a phased-in approach for returning to the public celebration of Mass based on a consistent decline in the number of newly diagnosed cases of the coronavirus and the advice of medical professionals.

Phase 1 consists of weekday celebration of Mass. Phase 2 consists of weekday and weekend celebration of Mass; and Phase 3 includes daily celebration of Mass and a resumption of activities that are a part of parish life such as gatherings in parish halls. All phases include observing social distancing, the wearing of masks and cleaning guidelines to minimize the spread of the illness.

On May 21, parishes in 15 rural counties entered Phase 1 of regathering. They were given permission to begin weekday public celebration of Mass at the discretion of their pastors provided proper social distancing and cleaning practices were implemented. On May 25, Mills County entered Phase 1. These parishes can enter Phase 2 the weekend of June 6-7 and begin celebrating weekend Masses at the pastors' discretion.

Parishes in Shelby Audubon and Guthrie Counties, which begin Phase 1 on June 2, can move to Phase 2 celebration of Sunday Masses the weekend of June 13-14 at the pastors' discretion.

Beginning June 9, parishes in Pottawattamie County can enter Phase 1 following social distance and cleaning guidelines based on the pastor's discretion. Assuming no spike in COVID-19 cases, this group can move into Phase 2 celebration of weekend Masses June 20-21.

Parishes in Dallas, Polk and Warren Counties can enter Phase 1 as early as June 11, though pastors may choose to wait until a later date. When the bishop gives his permission, those parishes can move to Phase 2, possibly as soon as June 27-28.

Even when Sunday Masses are available in parishes, the obligation to attend will remain suspended. Vulnerable persons and those who interact with them are encouraged to remain at home and watch the celebration of Mass online.

The public celebration of Masses may be scaled back if there is a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases or on the advice of medical professionals.

Bishop Joensen asks that all parishioners wait patiently for their own parish's resumption of Masses. Because of social distancing requirements, the number of people who can attend may be limited.

"An occasional presence at Mass, and not daily, makes it possible for more parishioners to attend Mass in a safe fashion," said Bishop Joensen. "Practicing these self-disciplines is a grace-filled act of charity for others, who equally hunger for our Eucharistic Lord."

When Catholics return to church for Mass, they will find some practices have changed. To minimize the spread of COVID-19, the wearing of masks will be strongly encouraged, there will be minimized singing, and worship aids will be removed. Parishes are encouraged to continue offering Mass online in either a livestream or recorded format.

For more information and the latest developments in the Diocese of Des Moines, go to dmdiocese.org/coronavirus.

The Diocese of Des Moines includes 80 parishes in 23 counties in central and southwest Iowa.

A special message from Fr. Dan.

May 26, 2020

Dear Faithful:

Even though for the last two months our parish Church has been empty due to the coronavirus pandemic, the parish of St. John the Apostle has been “full” with faith, generosity, prayer, evangelization and togetherness. This “fullness” is a credit to all of you, the faithful of St. John’s! Your faith and courageous witness have been the ingredients for tremendous blessings, graces and good news in the parish!

Blessing, graces and good news number one: Through this challenging time parishioners have rooted themselves in faith. They have allowed their love for Jesus and His Church to help them propel during this time of challenge. I have had parishioners tell me this pandemic has strengthened their faith and made them all the more aware of its importance.

Blessing, graces and good news number two: Several people have shared with me that their prayer life has increased and have appreciated the daily Rosary, Mass, Scripture reflections and Novenas that the parish has provided.

Blessing, graces and good news number three: With the great work of office staff our parish was proactive from the beginning of the pandemic with a tremendous ministry and evangelization by using digital ministry. We have shared the Rosary, Mass, daily Scripture reflections, “In the Sacristy,” which is an adult faith initiative, and many other spiritual opportunities. Yes, digital media ministry and teaching are here to stay.

Blessing, graces and good news number four: We have witnessed the importance of togetherness in the parish during this virus. We have seen it in the interaction during our digital ministry. The comments, “likes” and suggestions have helped us stay connected with our parish family. Through the wisdom of Jonnie Phillips, we were inspired to cultivate a ministry of “drive-throughs.” We held four of them, (Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday, Mother’s Day and recognition of our high school graduates) which helped us stay connected as a faith community.

Blessing, graces and good news number five: The generosity of the parishioners towards our tithing has remained strong and we are in striking distance of making our ADA goal. What a blessing!

I am also happy to inform you, after consultation with Bishop Joensen and the Building Commission, we have been given the green light to begin construction of our building project. Phase 1 includes: site work, day chapel, entryways, office renovation, temporary youth room and improvements to the sanctuary of the Church. We are hoping to start construction very soon! This is very exciting!

We understand this building project has become a reality due to the generosity of our parish families and their ongoing commitment to fulfill their pledges. Throughout the actual construction process we will keep you informed of our building progress through Facebook, our webpage and the bulletin.

So, you see, the Church may have been empty physically these past two months, but it has been “full” with many blessings, graces and good news! Thanks be to God and God bless the faithful of St. John the Apostle!

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Dan

Fr. Dan Kirby Pastor

Tithing support to your parish is important. Please strongly consider setting up an online giving account using the Online Giving tab on the lower right corner of our main web page.

Online Giving has numerous benefits:

No need to hassle with checks or cash
24/7 web based access
Easily schedule recurring donations to coincide with your pay period
Credit card option allows you to take advantage of rewards such as air miles or cash bonuses

No need to share bank account information because you enter it directly into the Online Giving secure site
Allows you to give even if you are unable to attend parish services
Contribution amount is easily adjusted as needed
Option to remain anonymous

Please contact Tim Mineart at the parish office if you have questions.