1954
Christ the King Catholic Church - Dayton
Parish History
Christ the King Parish in Dayton was established May 20, 1954. The original parish consisted of 25 families from the towns of Dayton. Harcourt, Stratford, Boxholm, Gowrie and Lanyon. Father Raymond J. Pick served as the first pastor. Prior to the building of the new church, the people of Dayton attended Mass at Lehigh. Mass was also celebrated in the local movie theater until the parish purchased land and bought the old Methodist church and renovated it. This became the parish hall after the new church was built in 1956. Records show that the first building committee was made up of Louis Murphy. Albert Blanchet and Merrill Schlief. Contracts totalling some $43,000 were let in August of 1955 for the church. The Catholic Church Extension Society contributed $25.000 to the total cost of the church. The new building was dedicated on September 18. 1956.
The parish house has had various repairs made to it over the years, and the older church has been torn down. It was used as a parish hall until the Dayton Community Building was finished in 1995.
The Immaculate Conception Parish in Lehigh merged with Christ the King Parish in 1989.
Christ the King became part of the Catholic Team Parishes of Webster County in 2003.
2006 - 150 years of faith in Webster County.
2006 - Bishop Nickless decrees that the Parish of the Holy Trinity be established. Holy Trinity Parish is now the official name of our parish in Webster County while maintaining the existing names of each church worship site.
2016 - Diocese of Sioux City's Ministry 2025 is implemented a year early and Holy Trinity Parish is reduced to two priests and that the worship sites of Christ the King, Dayton, St. Matthew, Clare and Our Lady of Good Counsel be moved to non-active worship site status.