The First Catholic Community

French and Irish Catholic settlers came to the Postville area before 1870. Priests traveled from Prairie du Chien, crossing the Mississippi River to serve them. In the late 1860s, Postville’s Catholics organized a Catholic Society under the supervision of Father Charles Toner. 

The First Church

In 1872, the community built a frame church measuring 36 by 70 feet at a cost of $2,500. They dedicated it to St. Bridget. Father James Brady, the first resident pastor at St. Francis de Sales in Ossian, also ministered to Catholics in Postville beginning in 1873. 

A New Church

Nearly a century after the first church was built, parishioners undertook construction of a new St. Bridget Church. It was dedicated on December 13, 1970. More than 500 people attended the dedication, according to newspaper accounts preserved in the parish’s historical collection at Loras College. 

A Community Offering Help

St. Bridget has served Postville through worship and through the work of its parishioners. Following the 2008 immigration raid in Postville, the church provided shelter, food, clothing, information and other assistance to affected families. Its pews and gathering spaces became a place of support during a difficult time for the community. 

St. Bridget Today

St. Bridget later joined St. Patrick in Monona and St. Mary in McGregor as part of the Trinity Cluster. In July 2026, the cluster ended and the three parishes became part of the Waukon Area Pastorate. Weekend Mass at St. Bridget ended with that change, while the church continues to serve the Postville Catholic community. Join us at St. Bridget on Friday morning's at 8:30 AM for Daily ​Mass.