By Cora Hermann-Wickham

St. Patrick’s Church was founded in 1870 to serve the growing Irish Catholic community on Burlington’s west side, in a neighborhood known as Hibernia. As Burlington expanded beyond the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, middle-class Irish immigrants who settled in this area sought a church closer to their homes and more down-to-earth compared to the two other Catholic churches in Burlington at the time, St. Paul’s and St. John’s. On October 6, 1870, the Burlington Hawk Eye reported that a site for a new church was selected near Murray Iron Works at 1204 Washington Street. The church was dedicated on October 9, 1870. At the dedication, a box was placed in the cornerstone that contained copies of the Burlington Gazette, Burlington Hawk Eye, some coins, a list of benefactors, and a Latin testament, an intentional record of the parish’s beginnings. St. Paul’s convent. A frame building was later added south of the church to house the sisters and provide additional classrooms and space for parish gatherings. The parish continued to expand its educational mission, and in 1915, a three-story school building was constructed across Washington Street. The school was later staffed by the Sisters of Mercy and remained in operation until 1969. As Burlington grew, so did St. Patrick’s parish, though it remained the smallest of the city’s Catholic churches.

St. Patrick’s emerged from St. Paul’s Church, Burlington’s original Catholic parish. Its first pastor was Rev. Martin Lee, formerly assistant pastor at St. Paul’s. Though his pastorate was brief due to illness, the parish took root quickly. His successor, Rev. Michael Kinsella, became one of the most influential figures in the parish’s early history. The parish participated in Burlington’s first large St. Patrick’s Day celebration in 1871, a gala event featuring a parade with American, Papal, and Irish flags, a drum corps, schoolchildren, the Hibernia Society, and local Irish citizens. The celebration culminated in Solemn High Mass at St. Patrick’s Church.

Besides enthusiastically celebrating the parish’s patron saint, education was a priority for the parish. In 1873, Father Kinsella established a parochial school in the church basement. The Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary provided instruction, initially traveling from St. Paul’s convent. A frame building was later added south of the church to house the sisters and provide additional classrooms and space for parish gatherings. The parish continued to expand its educational mission, and in 1915, a three-story school building was constructed across Washington Street. The school was later staffed by the Sisters of Mercy and remained in operation until 1969.

As Burlington grew, so did St. Patrick’s parish, though it remained the smallest of the city’s Catholic churches. Originally an Irish congregation, its membership gradually diversified as immigration patterns changed. Like many early churches, St. Patrick’s endured hardship when a fire in 1901 severely damaged the interior. Parishioners rebuilt and remodeled the church, and in 1903, a newly dedicated altar marked a period of renewal. St. Patrick’s celebrated major milestones throughout its history, including its 60th anniversary in 1930, marked by multi-day festivities and the return of former parishioners. Despite its modest size, the parish maintained a strong identity and close-knit community well into the late 20th century.

In 1998, St. Patrick’s merged with St. Mary’s Parish of West Burlington, forming a single parish with two worship sites. Structural concerns and nearby street construction led to the suspension of Masses in 2002, and the difficult decision was made to permanently close the church. The final Mass was celebrated on June 8, 2003, concluding 133 years of worship at St. Patrick’s. In 2017, SS. Mary & Patrick Parish merged with Saints John and Paul Parish to form Divine Mercy Parish, continuing the Catholic presence in Burlington and West Burlington under a new name.

Though its doors have closed, St. Patrick Catholic Church remains an integral chapter in Burlington’s history, a testament to immigrant faith, perseverance through adversity, and the enduring power of community.