The Catholic Church in the Cologne–Benton area dates back to 1856. Nineteen families
gathered together at the John Mohrbacher home for Mass. The first recorded baptism
was in 1859. The parochial school was built in 1876, and the current church structure was
completed in 1877. The school was in operation from 1876 to 2015. It was served by the School
Sisters of Notre Dame and the Sisters of Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) from India.
The new addition to the church, including gathering space, new sacristy, meeting rooms and
rest rooms, was built in 2008 under the supervision of Fr. Martin Shallbetter.
What began as a small mission church in the late 1850s has developed into a
long-standing institution serving about 230 families.