Parishioners from St. Joan of Arc Parish in Bettendorf enjoy coffee and croissants after Mass July 1 at the St. John Vianney campus. The former Our Lady of Lourdes and St. John Vianney parishes merged July 1 with both campuses remaining in use. Clockwise, from left, are Louise Donnelly, Mike Stokesberry, Sue Coffin, Wally Beck, Dawn Beck and Greg and Sandi Hansen.
By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger
BETTENDORF — The Catholic community in Bettendorf begins a new chapter with the formation of the new St. Joan of Arc Parish that took effect July 1. The parish campuses of Our Lady of Lourdes and St. John Vianney continue to be used.
The parish takes the same name as St. Joan of Arc Catholic School, which opened in the fall of 2025. The name was unanimously voted on by parishioners on both campuses and unveiled in 2023. The new school replaced Lourdes Catholic School in downtown Bettendorf.
“This is not an ending — it is a beginning. Two Bettendorf parish communities, each with rich histories and deep faith, are becoming one family under the patronage of St. Joan of Arc. We honor the past with gratitude, but we look to the future with great hope,” Father Rich Adam, the pastor of the parish, said after Mass July 1 on the St. John Vianney campus. “Our mission remains unchanged: to proclaim Jesus Christ, to form disciples, and to build his Church. As St. Joan of Arc famously said, ‘I am not afraid… I was born to do this,’ and we move forward with that same trust.”
St. John Vianney and Our Lady of Lourdes have shared their pastor since August 2025. So the two churches had already adapted to some change prior to this year’s merger. Daily Masses have been at one site or the other — and during the school year at St. Joan of Arc school. Some groups such as a Bible study that meets at St. John Vianney already adapted the name ahead of the merger. And weekend Masses were adjusted. Father Adam is assisted by senior priest Father Tony Herold.
Deacon Ryan Burchett, parish administrator, said discussion of a merger has been talked about for more than a decade. “We have parish council minutes documenting formal conversations as far back as 2016. At that time, it was more of a long-term vision than an immediate plan.”
“The conversation became much more serious over the past year,” Deacon Burchett said. “The opening of the school and the decision to share a pastor allowed both parishes to experience what greater unity could look like in practice. As those efforts proved successful, the merger became less of a theoretical possibility and more of a realistic goal.”
By the beginning of 2026, “it was increasingly clear that a merger was the best path forward,” Deacon Burchett said. “July 1 became the target date. This was not a merger requested by the bishop or imposed by the diocese,” he emphasized.
Strategic planning for the merger involved a lot of “listening,” he said. That process included focus groups, surveys, town hall meetings and listening sessions. “More than 1,300 people completed surveys. Hundreds participated in focus groups. And hundreds more attended listening sessions.”
The Diocese of Davenport helped design the process to allow people to be heard in “an open and transparent way — even when conversations were difficult,” Deacon Burchett said. “The feedback was thoughtful, constructive and incredibly helpful.”
Teams for the two campuses worked through governance, finances, ministries, staffing, communications, technology, facilities and long-term planning, he noted.
Bishop Dennis Walsh issued the decree on May 1 to merge the two parishes effective July 1.
Deacon Ryan Burchett and Father Rich Adam invite parishioners of the newly formed St. Joan of Arc Parish to the hall for coffee and croissants after Mass July 1 at the St. John Vianney campus. July 1 was the official merger of Our Lady of Lourdes and St. John Vianney parishes in Bettendorf.
The merger is about mission and opportunity, Deacon Burchett said. “For years, Our Lady of Lourdes and St. John Vianney have shared a common vision for Catholic ministry in Bettendorf. We already shared a school, many ministries and now a pastor. Bringing the parishes together allows us to align our resources, reduce duplication, strengthen ministries, and focus more energy on evangelization, faith formation, worship, and service.”
With the merger, no staff positions were eliminated, both buildings continue to be used and many ministry and pastoral services will be at both campuses. “Some administrative functions will be centralized where it makes sense.”
There is now one parish council, one finance council, one budget, one set of financial books and “one staff functioning together as a unified team serving two campuses,” Deacon Burchett said.
“As we look to the future of a new church building, that will mean we will move away from the buildings we have now. That will all be part of the process. But nothing happens without a clear vision and financial goals being met,” Deacon Burchett added. The long-term vision has always been a unified Catholic campus in Bettendorf.
But to get to that point, the priority is to pay off the school mortgage. Once that happens, plans can begin for a new church building next to the school.
“We recognize that people have strong emotional attachments to their parish communities, traditions, and histories,” Deacon Burchett noted. “Those feelings are real and important.” He knows difficult conversations about facilities will come up. But listening, transparency and collaboration are essential.
“One of the things I am most proud of is the way this process unfolded. It was allowed to unfold over a decade and it was not imposed from outside. It grew out of years of conversation, prayer, collaboration, and listening,” Deacon Burchett said. “The school showed us what was possible when we worked together.”
Following the July 1 Mass, Rebecca Banerjee of St. John Vianney campus, said there is a spirit of togetherness and love.
Carole Dolehanty, parish nurse from the Our Lady of Lourdes campus, looks forward parish health ministry and other ministries working together. “There is strength in numbers.”
Retired Deacon Pat Murphy said, “This is a great time for the people of Bettendorf.” He acknowledged there are people hurting on both campuses. “We pray for the future, for our priest, for future priests, but we also pray for those having a hard time letting go.”
Sue Coffin from the St. John Vianney campus said, “I love this. We are still the same. God is leading us.”
Wally Beck of Our Lady of Lourdes and Grand Knight for the St. Bernadette Council said the talk of change began years ago. “This is a wonderful form of evangelization. We have a great school. Two great parishes (sites) and a great history. We are building a new history together.”
“The coming together of Our Lady of Lourdes and St. John Vianney as St. Joan of Arc Parish is about far more than merging names or structures — it is about strengthening the mission of Jesus Christ in our community,” Father Adam said. “We don’t have every detail of the future mapped out, but we move forward with faith, trusting that the Holy Spirit is guiding us. St. Joan of Arc teaches us courage, conviction and fidelity to God’s call. We believe God is doing something new among us, and we are excited to say yes.”
