Two diocesan offices relocate

Unseasonably warm temperatures were presumably extra welcome in the beginning of January as two of the Catholic Diocese of Wichita’s offices – the Office of Marriage and Family Life and the Office of Hispanic Ministry – relocated their headquarters. The move took both offices from the St. Joseph Pastoral Center, which adjoins Wichita’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, and went a bit south and west across the parking lots shared by the cathedral and chancery to the St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Center, which houses the diocese’s Catholic School and Faith Formation offices. The offices’ new address is 400 N. Broadway St in Wichita. Phone numbers have not changed.

Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia Fr. John F. Jirak indicates the move is not merely spatial or logistical, but strategic, and he expresses hope that bringing the respective offices under the same roof will promote collaboration.

Office of Marriage and Family Life Director Jake Samour concurs. “This move directly supports one of our curia’s key strategic anchors, as Fr. Jirak reminds us: Catholic education at the service of the family, the domestic church,” Samour said. “Our diocese is rightly known for excellence in Catholic education. We form children well in our schools – but we believe the next horizon is working together more intentionally to equip parents as the primary educators of their children. The home is the first school, where children learn about love, respect, forgiveness, and faith, and where discipleship takes root for life.

“Sharing space at St. Rose creates a natural opportunity to align our vision, share expertise, and collaborate on how schools, parishes, and families can work in deeper harmony,” Samour continued. “We see this as more than a logistical move – it is a chance for a cultural shift toward creating fully alive families, thriving schools, and vibrant parishes, grounded in strong domestic churches.”

Office of Hispanic Ministry Director Danny Krug acknowledges that she will miss sharing a building with the staff at Catholic Charities, but expresses confidence that her office will continue to serve the faithful from a new location.

“I am excited about the opportunity to collaborate with other diocesan offices at St Rose Center,” she said. “We will continue to serve the Hispanic community in our diocese under the guidance of our Vicar General, Fr. Jirak, and Bishop Kemme. I am looking forward to what God has prepared for us this year.”