Catholic School CompassTrue north for Catholic families.
Aerial view of St. Mary's School
Aerial imagery: U.S. Geological Survey (public domain). USGS

Catholic high school

St. Mary's School

  • LocationRemsen, IA
  • Type and sizeDiocesan school · Grades PK–12 · 195 students
Official website

Remsen St. Mary's High School in Remsen, Iowa, is part of Remsen St. Mary's Schools, which runs preschool through grade 12. The school's faith page lists a weekly school Mass on Wednesdays at 8:15 a.m. at St. Mary's Church, reconciliation services during the school year, prayer at the start of the day and of each class, and a Christian Leadership Team. Pro-life activities and service projects, including a mission trip to Honduras, are listed.

Catholic churches nearby

Map of St. Mary's School, its Catholic center and nearby Catholic churches0.25 miSaint Marys Roman Catholic Church: 0.3 mi1St. Mary's Church, Remsen (where the weekly school Mass is held): 0.2 miSt. Mary's School (campus)N0.1 mi
CampusCatholic centerCatholic church (numbered below)Open a street map ›
  1. Saint Marys Roman Catholic Church — 0.3 mi

Within 3 miles, as mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The map may be incomplete. Confirm with the parish or diocese.

Faith scorecard

Each line is one thing we looked for. A check means yes, a half means partly, a dash means no. “Not enough information” means official sources did not say.

BSacramental life: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.

Sacramental life

74 of 100 points on what we could document.

  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    All-school or class Masses during the school yearWeekly (The faith page says weekly liturgies for grades 2 to 12 are held on Wednesday mornings at 8:15 a.m. at St. Mary's Church. The faith page is undated, and its calendar section shows 2023-24 dates.)
    Sources (1)
    1. How We Live our Faith | Remsen St. Mary's Schoolsrsmschools.org/how-we-live-our-faith · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “weekly liturgies for grades 2-12 will be held on Wednesday mornings at 8:15 a.m. at St. Mary's Church”
      The school holds weekly liturgies for grades 2 to 12 on Wednesday mornings at 8:15 a.m. at St. Mary's Church.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Daily Mass available to students on campusNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Confession offered to students during the school yearSeasonally (Advent, Lent) or a few times a year (The faith page says reconciliation services are available throughout the school year.)
    Sources (1)
    1. How We Live our Faith | Remsen St. Mary's Schoolsrsmschools.org/how-we-live-our-faith · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “Reconciliation services for students and staff will be available throughout the school year.”
      Reconciliation services are available for students and staff throughout the school year.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Eucharistic adoration offeredNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Priest chaplain serving the schoolVisiting or shared priest (A school Mass is confirmed. The staff directory names the pastor as school president.)
    Sources (2)
    1. How We Live our Faith | Remsen St. Mary's Schoolsrsmschools.org/how-we-live-our-faith · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “weekly liturgies for grades 2-12 will be held on Wednesday mornings at 8:15 a.m. at St. Mary's Church”
      The school holds weekly liturgies for grades 2 to 12 on Wednesday mornings at 8:15 a.m. at St. Mary's Church.
    2. Staff Directory | Remsen St. Mary's Schoolsrsmschools.org/staff-directory · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “Very Rev. Timothy Pick St. Mary's Pastor School President”
      The school's staff directory lists the pastor as school president; no priest is named as chaplain.
N/ATheology and curriculum: Not enough information. Official sources do not cover enough of this to grade it yet.

Theology and curriculum

Not enough information: official sources cover less than 60% of this area.

  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Years of theology or religion requiredNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Theology courses follow the USCCB Curriculum FrameworkNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Philosophy, apologetics, or ethics course offeredNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Faith integrated across the curriculum (stated in the program of studies or mission)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
N/ACampus culture: Not enough information. Official sources do not cover enough of this to grade it yet.

Campus culture

Not enough information: official sources cover less than 60% of this area.

  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    RetreatsNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Campus ministry staffNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Partly: the school meets some of this item and earns part of the points.
    Faith-based student groups or clubsOne (The Christian Leadership Team is a student group that promotes faith formation and plans liturgies and prayer services. The pro-life activities are counted under HV3 only.)
    Sources (1)
    1. How We Live our Faith | Remsen St. Mary's Schoolsrsmschools.org/how-we-live-our-faith · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “Christian Leadership Team’s purpose is to help students learn about the skills necessary for positive, healthy leadership according to Christian values, as well as to provide opportunity for the students to discover those skills within themselves and to practice those skills in a position of responsibility. The goal is to promote faith formation and the spirituality of St. Mary’s School community”
      The Christian Leadership Team is a student leadership group that promotes faith formation in the school community.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Daily prayer and liturgical life built into the school dayYes (The school says the day and each class begin with prayer.)
    Sources (2)
    1. How We Live our Faith | Remsen St. Mary's Schoolsrsmschools.org/how-we-live-our-faith · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “St. Mary's faculty, staff, and students begin and end the day, and begin each class with prayer.”
      Faculty, staff and students begin and end the school day, and each class, with prayer.
    2. Welcome to St. Mary's | Remsen St. Mary's Schoolsrsmschools.org/welcome-to-st-marys · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “Each day begins with prayer, and every class is opened with petitions and guidance.”
      Each school day begins with prayer, and every class opens with petitions and guidance.
N/AService and Catholic social teaching: Not enough information. Official sources do not cover enough of this to grade it yet.

Service and Catholic social teaching

Not enough information: official sources cover less than 60% of this area.

  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Required service hoursNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Catholic social teaching taught in theology coursesNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Pro-life engagement (club, March for Life, or similar)Yes (The faith page lists Pro-Life Activities as a school program, and the welcome page says the school is passionately pro-life.)
    Sources (2)
    1. How We Live our Faith | Remsen St. Mary's Schoolsrsmschools.org/how-we-live-our-faith · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “Pro-Life Activities”
      Pro-life activities are listed among the school's faith and service events.
    2. Welcome to St. Mary's | Remsen St. Mary's Schoolsrsmschools.org/welcome-to-st-marys · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “St. Mary’s is proud to be passionately pro-life.”
      The school describes itself as passionately pro-life.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Justice and solidarity programs (immersions, service trips, justice clubs)Yes (The school lists a mission trip to Honduras, a service project run with Gehlen Catholic School.)
    Sources (1)
    1. How We Live our Faith | Remsen St. Mary's Schoolsrsmschools.org/how-we-live-our-faith · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “Mission Honduras (service project in conjunction with Gehlen Catholic School)”
      The school lists a Mission Honduras service project in conjunction with Gehlen Catholic School.

Grades come from the documented indicators under the published rubric. “Not enough information” does not mean the school lacks it.

Strengths

  • A weekly school liturgy on Wednesday mornings at 8:15 a.m. is held for grades 2 to 12.
    Sources (1)
    1. How We Live our Faith | Remsen St. Mary's Schoolsrsmschools.org/how-we-live-our-faith · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “weekly liturgies for grades 2-12 will be held on Wednesday mornings at 8:15 a.m. at St. Mary's Church”
      The school holds weekly liturgies for grades 2 to 12 on Wednesday mornings at 8:15 a.m. at St. Mary's Church.
  • The school says each day and each class begins with prayer.
    Sources (2)
    1. How We Live our Faith | Remsen St. Mary's Schoolsrsmschools.org/how-we-live-our-faith · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “St. Mary's faculty, staff, and students begin and end the day, and begin each class with prayer.”
      Faculty, staff and students begin and end the school day, and each class, with prayer.
    2. Welcome to St. Mary's | Remsen St. Mary's Schoolsrsmschools.org/welcome-to-st-marys · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “Each day begins with prayer, and every class is opened with petitions and guidance.”
      Each school day begins with prayer, and every class opens with petitions and guidance.
  • A Christian Leadership Team promotes faith formation among students, and pro-life activities and a Honduras mission project are listed.
    Sources (1)
    1. How We Live our Faith | Remsen St. Mary's Schoolsrsmschools.org/how-we-live-our-faith · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “Christian Leadership Team’s purpose is to help students learn about the skills necessary for positive, healthy leadership according to Christian values, as well as to provide opportunity for the students to discover those skills within themselves and to practice those skills in a position of responsibility. The goal is to promote faith formation and the spirituality of St. Mary’s School community”
      The Christian Leadership Team is a student leadership group that promotes faith formation in the school community.
      “Pro-Life Activities”
      Pro-life activities are listed among the school's faith and service events.
      “Mission Honduras (service project in conjunction with Gehlen Catholic School)”
      The school lists a Mission Honduras service project in conjunction with Gehlen Catholic School.

Concerns

  • The staff directory lists the pastor as school president.
    Sources (1)
    1. Staff Directory | Remsen St. Mary's Schoolsrsmschools.org/staff-directory · verified Oct. 13, 2026
      “Very Rev. Timothy Pick St. Mary's Pastor School President”
      The school's staff directory lists the pastor as school president; no priest is named as chaplain.

Know something we missed? Suggest a correction.

Campus ministry home

St. Mary's Church, Remsen (where the weekly school Mass is held)

  • Address: 121 E. 4th Street, PO Box 509, Remsen, IA 51050
  • Distance from campus: 0.2 mi (straight line from the campus point in federal IPEDS data)

View on map ↗

Source: rsmschools.org, verified Oct. 13, 2026, mostholynameofmary.org, verified Oct. 13, 2026

Catholic clubs and student life

4 groups and regular activities · 0 on campus, 1 off campus, 3 location not published

Service 2

  • Mission HondurasOff campus
    Service project run in conjunction with Gehlen Catholic School.
    rsmschools.org
  • Pro-Life Activities
    Pro-life activities listed among the school's faith and service events.
    rsmschools.org

Clubs and groups 1

  • Christian Leadership Team
    Student leadership team that promotes faith formation and plans liturgies, community service, prayer and reconciliation services.
    rsmschools.org

Liturgy and prayer 1

  • Weekly school Mass
    Wednesdays at 8:15 a.m. (usually)
    Weekly liturgy for grades 2 to 12 at St. Mary's Church, with students serving in liturgical roles.
    rsmschools.org

Everything listed is published by the school, its campus ministry, or the parish. Ask the campus minister what’s happening this semester.

Campus ministry

Sources (2)
  1. How We Live our Faith | Remsen St. Mary's Schoolsrsmschools.org/how-we-live-our-faith · verified Oct. 13, 2026
    “weekly liturgies for grades 2-12 will be held on Wednesday mornings at 8:15 a.m. at St. Mary's Church”
    The school holds weekly liturgies for grades 2 to 12 on Wednesday mornings at 8:15 a.m. at St. Mary's Church.
    “weekly liturgies for grades 2-12 will be held on Wednesday mornings at 8:15 a.m. at St. Mary's Church”
    The school holds weekly liturgies for grades 2 to 12 on Wednesday mornings at 8:15 a.m. at St. Mary's Church.
  2. Contact Us | St. Mary's Parish, Remsen, IAmostholynameofmary.org/contact-us-directions · verified Oct. 13, 2026
    “St. Mary's Remsen Business Office: 121 E. 4th Street, PO Box 509 Remsen, IA 51050”
    The St. Mary's parish business office in Remsen is at 121 E. 4th Street, PO Box 509.
    “St. Mary's Remsen Business Office: 121 E. 4th Street, PO Box 509 Remsen, IA 51050”
    The St. Mary's parish business office in Remsen is at 121 E. 4th Street, PO Box 509.

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Academic Excellence

DAcademic Excellence: Limited (grade D): 40 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.
51 of 100
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduates going to four-year colleges 75% of scoreThis measure counts for 75% of the Academic Excellence score.75%
  • Students per teacher 25% of scoreThis measure counts for 25% of the Academic Excellence score.8.9 to 1

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed. Federal data on private high schools is limited to these two measures.

Source: NCES Private School Survey (2023–24 school year)

School facts

TypeDiocesan school
DioceseDiocese of Sioux City, IA
GradesPK–12
Students (all grades)195
Students in grades 9–1255
Coed or single-sexCoed
Student–teacher ratio8.9 to 1
Graduates going to 4-year colleges75%
SettingRural

Source: NCES Private School Survey 23-24 public-use file (school year 2023–24). The college-going rate and student–teacher ratio feed Academic Excellence; nothing here changes the faith grades.

Local Church

Diocese of Sioux City

The Most Reverend John E. Keehner Jr., Bishop of Sioux City

Formal address: “Your Excellency”

Source: usccb.org, verified Oct. 7, 2026.

About this school’s data

Questions families ask

Is St. Mary's School a Catholic high school?
Yes. St. Mary's School is a Catholic high school in the Diocese of Sioux City.

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