The effort to build a church in Buckeye Township in Ellis County was lead by James Ross and John Miller. Consecrated to St. John the Baptist, the Catholic church was dedicated on 29 November 1906 after three months of construction.

The families headed by the following men were the founders of the new parish:

James Ross
John Miller
Cornel Stecklein
George Schmidt
Alex Geist
Adam Pfeifer
Michael Geist
Peter Schoenfeldt
John O'Laughlin
Andrew Pfeifer
Lawrence Maschka
Alex Royer

Emmaus Lutheran Church was organized in Hoisington in 1910. Emmaus began English-language services in about 1935.

Emmaus merged with St. John Lutheran Church north of Susank to form Concordia Lutheran Church in Hoisington in 1955.

Emmanuel Lutheran Church is part of the Seeds of Faith Lutheran Parish founded in 2007 that includes, along with Emmanuel, First Lutheran Church in LaCrosse, Hope Lutheran Church in Rush Center, and Peace Lutheran Church in Albert.

Concordia Lutheran Church was established in 1955 by the joining of two Lutheran congregations, St. John's in Susank and Emmaus in Hoisington.

Former Location:

5th & Vine
Hoisington, KS

Current Location:

460 W. 9th Street
Hoisington, KS 67544
620.653.4644

The Parish of St. Joseph traces its history back to the early days of Fort Hays, when Father F. Fogarty of the parish in Solomon and Father Adolf Wibbert from Salina would come to minister to the Catholic settlers at the Fort. Beginning in 1876, Rev. Martin Huhn came out from Epiphany Parish in Leavenworth to minister to the growing number of Volga Germans in the county.

The earliest known date that Mass was said in Ellis was in 1872 by Fr. John Fogarty, a diocesan priest from Solomon City. This Mass was said for men working on the railroad. Between 1876 and 1878, a large number of Volga Germans settled in Ellis and Rush Counties. Fr. Adolph Wibbert from Salina, Kansas, was sent to visit the Catholic settlers of Ellis County in May 1876. Fr. Wibbert came once a month. He was accompanied in October 1876 by Fr. Valentine Sommereisen who became the first resident priest in Ellis County, living in Hays. He moved to Victoria in 1877. Since the arrival of Fr.

Trinity Lutheran's history dates back to 1872 when a group of German Lutherans arrived in what was then called Town Berlin (later called Great Bend). A congregation was organized in 1875 under the leadership of missionary Pastor Winkler.

The first church building was located on what is now the congregational cemetery. The cornerstone of the present facility was laid on 21 September 1919 and construction completed the following year.

An organizational meeting was held on 27 April 1952 to form St. Mark Lutheran Church. The Rev. Fred W. Henkel was installed as its first resident pastor. The cornerstone of the congregations current facility was laid on 4 October 1953 and the new building was dedicated on 24 January 1954. The congregation was accepted into the United Lutheran Church in America. In 1988, it became part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

In 1999, St. Mark joined with St. Paul Lutheran Church in Galatia to form a joint parish served by one pastor.

In 1898, the following members of St. Fidelis Catholic Parish in Victoria petitioned for the establishment of a new parish in Emmeram: