Early History

Since its inception July 16, 1999, St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Parish has grown into a vibrant faith community with more than 2,500 families as registered members. Our beginnings In March 1999, Archbishop James P. Keleher announced the founding of a new Catholic parish in southern Johnson County.  He directed that the educational facility be developed first to meet the growing demand for Catholic education.  And, he named Father Bill Porter as founding pastor. Interest in the new parish exceeded expectations, and the yet unnamed parish began holding weekend Masses on Aug.14/15, 1999, at Prairie Star Middle School.  On September 29, 1999, Archbishop Keleher announced that parishioners had chosen the name St. Michael the Archangel. At Town Hall Meetings held in October 1999, parishioners voiced needs and opinions that helped create a mission statement and goals for the parish. Recently, the original mission statement was updated with a VISION STATEMENT  to better express the goals and priorities of our parish:

St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Parish is a Eucharistic community dedicated to the joyful and reverent worship of the Blessed Trinity. We seek to deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ as his disciples. We offer a loving welcome to all, joyfully sharing the gospel and bringing others to know Jesus. We give generously of our time, talent and treasure in service to the Church and all people.

The nearly 500 families that founded St. Michael the Archangel immediately began giving generously of their time and talent to develop and implement a number of committees, ministries, social activities and outreach programs, which continue today. Parishioners look forward to the years ahead, celebrating many more milestones in their journey together as a faith community.

Our Parish School Building

One year after launching its first Capital Campaign, Archbishop Keleher joined in the ceremony to break ground for the St. Michael Parish Worship and Education Center on Sept.28, 2001. The Worship and Education Center opened its doors for Holy Week and Easter Masses in 2003. And the 85,122-square-foot facility, built around a courtyard, was officially dedicated on April 26, 2003 with nearly 1,400 families making it their new spiritual home. The building immediately became home to a number of Parish education programs including Religious Education classes, Vacation Bible School, middle-school and high-school youth ministries, faith-based adult education classes, the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), and our parish school.  Today, more than 600 students attend religious education classes in the School building. It houses our parish school with 650 students and preschool with 125 children. A number of Parish groups, councils and committees continue to meet regularly in the facility.
 

The Rectory

On January 16, 2004, an early-1950s vintage ranch-style farmhouse was moved from its original location on 143rd Street between Nall and Mission and donated to St. Michael Parish. Renovated by parishioners into the parish rectory, work was completed by December 2004.
 

Our New Church

With the growth of the St. Michael community expected to reach 2,500 families in the year 2010, the parish launched its "Building our Traditions" capital campaign (in 2005) to construct a permanent church.  Parishioners gathered on June 9, 2007, as Archbishop Joseph Naumann blessed the grounds, and church officials broke ground for the new church building. Construction commenced shortly thereafter. Two years later, the new St. Michael the Archangel Parish Church opened  its doors with a design reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance, yet very much a building of its day. The church was dedicated by Archbishop Naumann on June 13, 2009. Our original capital campaign pledges continue through 2010 and beyond. In Fall 2009, we renovated the old worship space into a gymnasium which was officially opened in October.