St. Mary-Holy Cross Parish

A memorial service For Lawrence "Doc" Birchmier will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, April 3rd at the Bondurant Christian Church.

Bridge Replacement on NE 126th Avenue: Bridge replacement project over Interstate 35 (exit 96) east of Elkhart begins at 7:00am on Wednesday, March 29, until November 2023, weather permitting. Click here for current detour route information or call 511. 

Whenever North Polk School is cancelled, dismissed early, or evening school activities are cancelled due to weather, classes, meetings and activities here at the Parish will be cancelled as well. In most instances, Masses - both daily and weekend - will not be cancelled, so please use your own judgment. If the need arises to cancel weekend activities, it will be on TV channels 5, 8 and 17.  --Channel 13 no longer lists church cancellations. 

Pastoral Assistance

If you have a pastoral emergency, please contact  Fr. Ross Parker at 515-720-3434.  If a family member is in a care facility, home-bound, or hospitalized, and they wish a visit please contact Fr. Parker at rparker@dmdiocese.org or 515-367-2685.

Effective February 7, 2023, Fr. Ross Parker is assigned as pastor of St. Mary-Holy Cross, Elkhart, while continuing in his present role as Directory of the Vocations Office and Director of Seminarians for the Diocese of Des Moines.

Fr. Parker is a native of Indianola, Iowa. He was ordained in 2013 and has served most recently as canonical administrator at Corpus Christi Parish in Council Bluffs.  Previously he has served at St. Joseph Church in Des Moines, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Carlisle, 

and as chaplain for Catholic Youth Camp at St. Thomas More Center in Panora.

Father Parker's connection with St. Mary-Holy Cross extends to his grandmother, Kay Ross a parishioner, 

and his great uncle Monsignor John McIlhon who was pastor at the parish from 1960 to 1967.

We Are Here to Help! 

                                                        If you are, or someone you know is, in need of assistance please contact the parish office.       

Based on the CDC and in consultation with local medical experts, the Diocese states that masks are optional for the faithful and clergy during Mass and other indoor activities.  Masks are no longer required during the distribution of Holy Communion. Everyone is encouraged to discern the use of masks based on their own health and potential immunity to COVID-19.  

We continue to have masks and hand sanitizer available.

For Diocesan updates please go to https://www.dmdiocese.org/resources/worship/coronavirus.