Parish History

The Catholic Church in Eastern Kansas took root in the humble communities of Native Americans who were moved to this area in the 1820's. The early Jesuit missionaries, known as Black Robes, expanded their service to include pioneer farmers and town builders when families of European descent opened the territory for settlement. On February 2,1860, the first recorded Mass was celebrated in the home of Olathe resident, Terence Cosgrove. Kansas, in 1860, was still a territory, a loosely defined area stretching from the Missouri border to the Continental Divide, created by the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854. Since 1851 Bishop John B. Miege, S.J., had been ministering to Catholics in the region, as well as in the areas now known as Nebraska, Colorado and New Mexico. His see was located in St. Mary mission near present day St. Mary's, Kansas. Olathe Catholics continued to have Mass in homes until 1864 when plans were made to build a church. The Olathe town company donated a lot for the church six blocks east and two blocks north of the public square. Farmers dug the foundation and hauled rock and timbers for a small church, 30 by 40 feet. On October 8,1868, Father Alois Mayer celebrated the first Mass in the completed St. Paul's Church. The furniture was simple with an altar donated by a more prosperous parish and seats purchased secondhand from the Methodist-Episcopal Church.

In 1876, the bishop bought four lots at the southwest corner of Santa Fe and Chestnut streets for $400.00. The ground was to be used for a new, larger church. The first Holy Mass celebrated in the completed church was on the Feast of All Saints, November 1,1884.

Saint Paul's families assembled in 1901 for the first Mass of Father Bernard S. Kelly, the first vocation to the priesthood to come from the parish. In 1907, Father Hugh Herron recognized the needs of the Kansas School for the Deaf, located in Olathe since 1886. His first objective was to learn sign language and soon he was giving instructions to the deaf pupils and preaching to them in sign language each Sunday morning. In the fall of 1913, a parochial school was opened in a residence at the northwest corner of Santa Fe and Chestnut Streets. Classes were held in this location until February, 1916, when the new building [located on the west side of the church, facing Santa Fe Street] was completed. Bishop Ward of Leavenworth blessed, "Our Lady of Victory School" on February 6,1916.

A $5,500 brick rectory was built in 1914 and new gothic altars were installed in the church in 1917. Through World War I and the Great Depression the parish survived and fostered organizations like the Altar Society, Holy Name Society, Young Ladies Sodality and the Children's Sodality.

After the United States entered World War II, the federal government opened the Olathe Naval Air Station west of town in July, 1942. The great influx of service families to the Naval Air Station and, after the War, completion of 1-35 to Kansas City, transformed Olathe into a suburb and prompted a building boom and an expansion in St. Paul's facilities.

In 1950, Father Patrick Smith, looking forward to necessary future development and expansion, bought and gave to the parish a five-acre tract - now the site of our present church and school. Construction was begun on the site donated by Father Smith, and in 1959 the transfer of the school was made and the name was changed to "St. Paul's School."

In 1963, construction on a new convent for the sisters began at 832 Larkspur, across the street from the school. The contract for the new church was awarded in October of the same year, and soon thereafter, the rectory was built at 840 Larkspur. Vatican Council II opened in Rome in 1962. Significant changes in many aspects of parish worship and administration were implemented during the 1960's and 1970's. To name a few, Mass in the United States was now celebrated in English and not Latin; the altar now faced the people; the order of the Mass invited all to share in a sign of peace; lay people assisted the priest in distributing the Eucharist and reading some of the scriptures at Mass; parish councils were formed; children were taught their religion using modern teaching techniques; CYO created social programs for youth; confession became known as reconciliation and communal penance services became common; many national social justice programs standardized the way the church looked after the material needs of the poor.

Throughout the 1980's St. Paul's continued to serve God by reaching out to people through expanded Religious Education programs, marriage preparation groups, the Rite of Christian initiation for adults, the Catholic Women of St. Paul's and St. Mary's Food Kitchen program. During this time the church re-instituted the opportunity to receive the Eucharist in the hand and under both species of the Body and Blood of Christ.

In 1993, St. Paul's activity center opened. The 152 by 80 foot addition to the school includes a gymnasium, restrooms, meeting room, storage area, kitchen, religious education resource center and the Knights of Columbus Hall. This facility makes it possible to host events such as wedding receptions, athletic events, community gatherings and our annual dinner auction to benefit the school and church. In the late 1990's a new parish administration building at 900 Honeysuckle was dedicated. Housing all of the church offices, a board room, a great room with side kitchen and two meeting/classrooms, it facilitates our gatherings with greater ease.

Father John M. Torrez leads the parish community today with a vision for the people of St. Paul's to grow, remaining a pillar of historic Olathe.