Welcome To St. Joan of Arc!
A new chapter has begun for Catholics in Bettendorf. As of July 1, 2026, Our Lady of Lourdes and St. John Vianney have officially united to form St. Joan of Arc Parish. We are now one parish family serving our community through two vibrant campuses.
While our name is new, our mission remains the same: to lead people to Jesus Christ through worship, formation, service, and community. We invite you to explore all that St. Joan of Arc Parish has to offer and join us as we build this exciting future together.
Bettendorf Catholic Parishes Unite to Form St. Joan of Arc Parish
Bettendorf, Iowa – July 1, 2026 – A new chapter in Catholic life in Bettendorf begins on July 1, 2026, as Our Lady of Lourdes Parish and St. John Vianney Parish officially unite to form St. Joan of Arc Parish.
Approved by the Diocese of Davenport and Bishop Dennis Walsh, the combination brings together two vibrant parish communities into one parish family serving the people of Bettendorf through two active worship campuses.
The new parish will operate under the name St. Joan of Arc Parish of Bettendorf, Iowa, with worship, ministry, faith formation, outreach, and sacramental life continuing at both the Lourdes Campus and the Vianney Campus. The newly formed parish will serve more than 3,000 registered households, making it one of the largest Catholic parish communities in eastern Iowa.
“This is not the closing of parishes, but the beginning of something new,” said Father Rich Adam, pastor of the new parish. “By bringing our communities together, we can better steward our resources, strengthen our ministries, and continue our mission of forming disciples of Jesus Christ for generations to come.”
While the merger becomes official July 1, parish leaders say the process has been underway for years. The two parishes have increasingly shared ministries, staff, programs, and long-range planning efforts over the past decade. That collaboration reached a historic milestone in 2025 when the communities joined together to open St. Joan of Arc Catholic School, a state-of-the-art facility designed to serve families across Bettendorf and the surrounding region.
Both parishes shared equally in the planning, fundraising, and construction of the new school, creating a partnership that demonstrated what could be accomplished when communities work together toward a common mission. The success of that effort helped make St. Joan of Arc a natural choice for the name of the newly united parish.
Parish leaders see the merger as part of a broader vision for the future of Catholic ministry in Bettendorf. As residential growth continues to expand in the city’s northeast corridor, the Catholic Church is positioning itself to serve future generations through a unified parish structure and a thriving Catholic school. Looking ahead, parish leaders hope one day to construct a new church adjacent to St. Joan of Arc Catholic School, creating a unified campus for worship, education, faith formation, and community life.
“Bettendorf continues to grow, and we believe the Church should be present at the center of that growth,” Father Adam said. “This merger allows us to think not only about where we have been, but where we are going. We are creating a strong foundation for future generations of Catholics who will live, work, worship, and raise their families in this community.”
The merger is intended to strengthen Catholic ministry in Bettendorf while providing greater long-term sustainability and opportunities for growth. At its founding, St. Joan of Arc Parish will continue worship and ministry at both the Lourdes and Vianney campuses, operating as one parish with two worship sites. The parish’s long-term vision is focused on serving future generations of Catholics and supporting the continued growth of the Bettendorf community.
“At the heart of this transition is a simple truth,” Father Adam said. “Buildings, names, and organizational structures may change, but the mission of the Church does not. We are here to proclaim the Gospel, celebrate the sacraments, form disciples, serve those in need, and lead people into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. This merger gives us an even stronger foundation to carry out that mission as Bettendorf continues to grow.”