Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1892-06-10
The French Catholic Church.
A Short Sketch of the History OF the
Parish of Little Falls.
The Church is Dedicated to the Honor
Of st, Francis Xavier.
The Corner Stone to be Laid Next Sun.
day with Appropriate
Ceremonies.

Next Sunday afternoon June II, at
three O'Clock, will witness ceremony
which will mark an impartant epoch
in the history OF Little Falls. twill
be the laying of the corner stone of
the new Catholic church of the French
people OF the Little Falls parish.
At this time a history OF the parish
may not be amiss.
THE CHURCH HISTORY.
The parish was organized some
time in 1868, with the Rev. Father
Tomazin now loca ted at Wadena, a
a secular priest, in temporary charge,
the regular pastor being the Rev.
Father Buh, also secular priest
and now vicar general of the Duluth
diocese under Bishop McGolrick.
The first place of worship Of the de-
voted few who composed the congre-
cation was the small office building
nf the LITTLE Falls Manufacturing Co.
and stood where the store occupied
10y the st. Paul Dry Goods Company
now is. Becoming inadequate for
the demands of the growing cOngre-
CATION, the present place OF worship
was in 1870 bought OF Calvin Tuttle,
with the lot on which it stands and
two adjoining lots, the reconsideration
being between $500 and $500. The
corner lot on which the new building
is being erected was not obtained by
the church until about 1878, when it
was secured Of the Congregational
society. The first male members of
the congregation comprised such
men as VIM. Butler, David Lachance,
Moses Lafond, Patrick and Thos.
Hayes and others as equally as well
known men Unidentified with the
growth of the city. Father Richard
was the next priest, and he was fol-
lowed by Father Choudonnet, De
Carufel, Fortier, a brother of DR..
FOrtier, and Payette, and finally by
Father Arthur Lamothe. These all
had, in common with the Little
Falls parish, the Belle Prairie charge,
but, in 1886 the German and English
element in the city formed church
organization of their own, erect
ed building and Father Lamothe
was placed as pastor with Father
Payette in the French church. Later
Father Lamothe officiated in both
churches but in the summer OF 30
took the passionate of this church
alone and since then has so devoted his
entire time and energy to his people
and his church, that to-day work has
so far advanced upon this edifice as
to warrant the ceremony of laying
the corner stone.
The plans and specifications, which
were made by Herman Kretz & Co.,
the architects of st. Paul, show to
even an inexperienced eye that the
building will be very handsome archi-
tecturally and the buildingcommitt
composed OF Messrs. Chas. Gravel, o.
DuclOs, L. +. Richard, Paul Gendrau,
Jos. Gendrau, J. 3. Lagesse and d.
Lafond, with DR.. FOrtier as treasurer,
will see to it that the building is not
sighted in any way. The style of
architecture is Gothic, the style in
which such buildings as the Cattle
dral OF Cologne, the Cathedral of
Notre Dame, Paris, and many others
of the most beautiful church etlitices
in the world are built, and all APP
pointments as nearly as possible will
be Gothic. The church itself will be
in the shape of cross, that always
holy emblem in the church OF Rome.
The ground floor Of the church will
be 13Ox50 feet in size with a full gran
tie basement, which will be used for
Sunday School and other purposes.
There will be the nave, a sanctuary
30x20 and a sacristy 16xN feet at
the rear and on the south. The lat
Iti, VIII lIc oCl6cSSOHttA III oAeAPS SeAO
form a corner Of the building. On
one side will be eight windows and
on the other five, and ,tlarge window
in eacIl-arm of. the cross. For the
presentzplain white glass windows
will be put in but these will, it is
hoped, as the church grows richer,
be replaced by stained glass. The
southwest corner of the structure
will be formed by an immense tower
and belfry 139 feet above the surface
of the ground and will contain a
large entrance into the building.
Another large entrance on the west
side will with the tower entrance
lead into q hall or vestibule over
which will stretch d gallery and
anotherdoo will lead into the base-
ment and still ano ther into the sac
ristX The walls Of the church
proper VIII be . feet IN height and