Independence Area Pastorate - Meet Fr. David Beckman, Pastor

Biography: Fr. David Beckman

     I was born on October 30, 1959 the son of Evroul and Germaine (Brincks) Beckman of Ossian, Iowa. I attended St. Francis de Sales Catholic School through eight grades. I graduated from South Winneshiek High School in 1978. After working in my father’s Ace Hardware store for 5 years after high school, I then attended Loras College with the intention of going on to major seminary. I graduated from Loras College with a business management major and a philosophy minor in 1988. From there I attended the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul Seminary School of Theology) where I graduated with a Master of Divinity degree in 1992. I was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Dubuque on May 23, 1992.

     My first assignment was for three weeks filling in for Fr. Griffin as chaplain at Mercy Medical Center in Mason City. From there I was assigned to St. Pius X in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in August 1992 to July 1996 where I served as associate pastor under Fr. Joseph O’Brien for one year and Fr. Donald Klein for three years. In July of 1996 I was assigned as associate pastor to Holy Family in Mason City, Iowa under the pastorate of Fr. John Kremer for one year and Fr. Dennis Cahill for two years. I was also chaplain and teacher at Newman Catholic High School during that period.

     Having completed my two assignments as an associate pastor, I was then assigned to my first pastorate, a newly formed cluster in Wright County, which included the parishes of St. Francis Xavier in Belmond, St. John’s in Clarion and Sacred Heart in Eagle Grove, known as the Wright County Catholic Community (WCCC) in July of 1999. After my six-year term I was assigned to three linked parishes in Northeast Iowa that included Holy Trinity in Protivin, St. John Nepomucene in Fort Atkinson, and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Little Turkey in July of 2005. In July of 2008 those three parishes along with Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Lawler, St. Luke in St. Lucas, and St. Mary in Waucoma joined together to form the six-parish cluster of Christ Our Hope of which I became pastor on December 10, 2008. In July of 2010 I became pastor of St. Matthew in Cedar Rapids. In July of 2016 I became pastor of the St. John Paul II Cluster, which included St. John the Evangelist in Independence, St. Patrick in Winthrop, and an oratory St. Patrick in Monti. Now, in July of 2026 we begin the new Independence Area Pastorate arrangement. I look forward to serving as pastor the people of this nine-parish pastorate with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. May God bless you all!

     My personal interests are travelling, especially to national, state, and county parks particularly to photograph flora and fauna and walk the nature trails. I enjoy reading a wide range of books and periodicals, especially theology and spirituality, and historical novels in my leisure. I am an avid sports fan as well, loyally following, since my childhood, the baseball St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins, the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL, the St. Louis Blues NHL team, and all teams in Iowa college sports. I enjoy all fruits and vegetables with the exception of bananas (yucky mushy). Any dessert as long as it has chocolate in it, especially no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies and chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. Also, I enjoy Schlager music (German/Austrian in the Dolomite region) especially Kastelruther Spatzen, Hansi Hinterseer, and Dorfrocker all of which I came across after following James Last. Hopefully I piqued your interest to check them out on Youtube. You won’t be disappointed. May God bless you all!

Fr. David Beckman July 2026