History

Welcome to Holy Name of Jesus Parish! Our parish was founded on August 16, 1955, when the Catholic Community of Watertown was divided into two parishes. Holy Name Parish was set apart from Immaculate Conception on that date by Bishop William O. Brady. The new parish, which was to be headed by Father Myron Martin, consisted of areas in northeast and northwest Watertown. The new parish at first held Sunday Masses in the city auditorium, with baptisms, funerals and weddings being held at Immaculate Conception Church.

In 1957 the new school and auditorium were completed and the liturgical services were held there. The Holy Name School was staffed by the Bernadine Sisters from Reading, Pennsylvania. In August, 1963, Father Francis Dillon became the second pastor of  the parish and remained in that position until 1973. In 1966 the school was closed when the nuns were forced to depart because of a lack of vocations within their Order. Under Father Dillon's pastorate the new church and rectory building was built; being blessed by Bishop Lambert A. Hoch on March 3, 1968.

In 1973 Father James Wolf became the parish's third pastor and remained here until May, 1982 when Father Robert L. Flannery became the fourth pastor. Father Flannery remained in the parish until July 1988 when Father Joseph E. Murphy became the fifth pastor of Holy Name Parish. 

 Father Jerome Holtzman was assigned to Holy Name Parish in 1992, and during his time at Holy Name  he added the Angelus Center in 1999  as well as having  several pieces of art commissioned throughout the church and also the Holy Family Shrine on the west side of the  rectory. 

In July, 2000, Father John Lantsberger became pastor and in 2004 the Parish Center (Holy Name School Building) was completely renovated.

Father Michael Wensing,  became Pastor in July of 2013. He led both Watertown parishes into consolidating our Catholic school into the Watertown Catholic School Corporation. Though the separate non-profit parochial school continues with its traditional name of Immaculate Conception School.  In 2015, he completed new landscaping and a New Life shrine with an original bronze statue by sculptor Timothy Schmalz titled "return of the unborn."

Father John M. Fischer joined Holy Name Parish in July 1, 2020, in the midst of the COVID 19 Pandemic.

On July 5, 2023 a new pastorate was formed as a result of the Set Ablaze program.  The goal for Set Ablaze is to set on fire the Catholic faithful of the Sioux Falls Diocese. And to find innovative ways to serve the people with decreasing vocations.

Because of the changes required to implement Set Ablaze a new district was formed in the Watertown area.  This district includes Holy Rosary, Kranzburg, Immaculate Conception and Holy Name Parishes, Watertown, Blessed Sacrament, Florence, St. Henry, Henry, St. Mary's, Bryant and St. Michael's Clark.  

Four priests are responsible for the care of these seven parishes:

Father Shaun Haggerty, Pastor

Father John Fischer, Parochial Vicar

Father Richard Baumberger, Parochial Vicar

Father Christopher Hughes, Parochial Vicar