The First Catholic Community

In March 1856, Catholics in the Monona area organized to build a church. Michael Humphrey, Denis O’Leary, Richard Humphrey, Patrick Geraghty and James Humphrey served on the building committee. Under the supervision of Father Louis DeCailly, they built a frame church measuring 24 by 40 feet that May. 

A Growing Parish

Father Richard Nagle served as St. Patrick’s first pastor from 1857 to 1858. For many of the following years, priests based in McGregor cared for the Monona parish. The original frame church was replaced by a brick church in 1869. St. Patrick’s later had resident pastors of its own, while its priests also served Catholics in surrounding communities. 

St. Patrick School

Catholic education became an important part of parish life. During Father M. Hogan’s pastorate, which began in 1893, the parish built a school and established a program for local children. The school was staffed for many years by Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary from Dubuque. 

Generations of Parish Life

Father Hogan served St. Patrick’s for 23 years and also cared for St. Bridget in Postville as a mission for part of that time. When he left Monona in 1916, residents gathered in the city park to thank him for his service. St. Patrick’s marked its centennial in 1956, its 125th anniversary in 1981 and its 150th anniversary in 2006.

St. Patrick Today

St. Patrick later joined St. Bridget in Postville and St. Mary in McGregor as part of the Trinity Cluster. In July 2026, the cluster ended and all three parishes became part of the Waukon Area Pastorate. As part of the change, St. Patrick’s weekend schedule increased from one Mass to two.