Since the establishment of the diocese in 1889, rural and urban parishes have dotted the landscape of eastern South Dakota. Over the course of our history, some 302 parishes have been erected. Today, 117 remain—a sign of continuous change. Though the parish landscape has changed, the faith of the Catholics in those parishes has remained an enduring legacy of the prairie we inhabit.

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The Catholics east of the Missouri River have shown time and again that no matter
what life throws at them, they find a way to unite with those around them and sustain their faith and their commitment to each other as people of God. Whether a new parish
is being built in a growing area, or parishes are connecting to each other to share a
pastor, the people in them have done their best to support their church, each other
and their families.