St. Mary's Help of Christians Shrine

09/21/2026

Thank you to all who were able to join us for Mass this past weekend, especially those who volunteered their time to ensure the celebration could be possible. Your support and contributions will allow this beautiful church to continue to celebrate Mass and complete restoration projects.

Here are some snips from throughout the day. Please add your photos in the comments as well!

If you were unable to attend and want to contribute, please mail donations to P.O. Box 224 Bison, KS 67520.

Thanks again for the continued support!

09/19/2026

Tomorrow is the day! St. Mary’s annual Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 AM Sunday. A cemetery visit and lunch will follow. All donations will go towards St. Mary’s Shrine for upkeep for the church.

Father Reggie Urban will be the celebrant and will be offering copies of his recently published book!

All are welcome!

08/21/2026

Check out one of our recently completed projects!

The sanctuary walls and west choir wall were in need of refinishing. The plaster was repaired where needed and a fresh coat of painted was added to these walls. Take a look at the before and after pictures!

This will be part of an ongoing project to refinish all the main walls in the church. If anyone is willing to help contribute - donations can be sent to PO Box 224 Bison, Kansas 67520. Reach out to the email listed on the account page for more ways to donate as well!

You can check out the church for yourself during the upcoming annual mass on September 20th at 10:30 am! More information is available on our page.

08/14/2026

Take a trip back in time. Here is a excerpt on the town of Loretto and how it came to be from the 1926 publishing "Golden Jubilee of the German-Russian Settlements of Ellis and Rush Counties, Kansas" by B. M. Dreiling.

This is an exceptional publication that provides detailed historical, religious, and genealogical information of the original Volga-German settlements in Ellis and Rush Counties. Below is the link to the complete document which is archived in the Fort Hays State University Scholars Repository.

https://scholars.fhsu.edu/frontiers/2/

05/28/2026

02/23/2026

01/27/2026

Mark your calendars as we begin the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Volga German settlers in Rush County, Kansas. Saturday, February 21, St. Joseph Church in Liebenthal will celebrate their Founder's Mass at 4:30pm with Bishop John B. Brungardt as celebrant. There will be a soup supper following in the Parish Hall. On Sunday, February 22, there will be a special presentation at the museum complex in La Crosse, "Building the Faith" illustrating the history and architecture of Catholic and Protestant churches in Rush County. Watch for more announcements and calendar of events coming soon.

12/12/2025

The town of Loretto was founded in 1912 by Volga Germans in north-central Rush County, 4 miles southwest of Pfeifer. The namesake was inspired by the location of the House of the Virgin Mary in Loreto, Italy. The original church was in the second story of wood-sided structure built the same year, with the main floor serving as a classroom for the school.

When the town and surrounding area continued to develop, the need for larger church became apparent. Construction on a new church was completed in 1927 and was dedicated as St. Mary’s Help of Christians Church in 1928. The auburn yellow bricks and red tile shingles reflect the Italian influence. The off-centered steeple is another unique feature of early 20th century Catholic churches in the area. The stained-glass windows were created and shipped from Germany and hold the names of the founding parishioners.

09/08/2025

Thanks to all who were able to attend today’s celebration and those who put in the effort to make it happen. It is always special to hear the bells ring in Loretto.

For those unable to attend, please reach out for opportunities to support and contribute to St. Mary’s Shrine, if able.