The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-08-25
the janitor's quarters, and boiler ana
Catholicism in Billings.

| pastor of st. Francis Xavier's church
mass here. The first baptism was
performed by Father Barcelo, in No
vember, 1884. About this time Father
Halton of the Dallotas, who became q
priest of the diocese of Helena. for Il
short time, was appointed pastor oi
Livingston. with Billings as a mission
attached thereto. During one of his
visits to Billings he secured two lots
the ones on which the old church
stands. and the people of Billings
erected thereon a building costing
$4,000. The names of the men who
made up the building committee OF
this church We're Doctor Rinehart
still an honored citizen of the COM
munity; Patrick Gogerty. now residing
| in Washington state. and Thomas Hoo
gam Il well-to-do and much respected
rancher of Carbon county. The church
was blessed August 81, 1887. under the
title of St. Joachim. For some time
| previous to the building of the church,
up to the spring of 1883, Billings was
attended by the Jesuit fathers from
st. NavierS mission among the Crows.
At this time it became Il dependency
of Miles City parish and was attended
every fourth Sunday from there by
E>.l J,Ap I1.l,,i s,IH.S, T,, l~.,tl,
Pauwelyn was promoted to Butte, and
| Billings was for the second time at
tached to the Livingston parish.
Father CoOpman was pastor of Liv-
ingston at that time and attended
Billings regularly until the spring of
1897, when Father Van Clarenbeck
was appointed as the first resident
pastor, coming direct from kalispelI.
He remained the pastor till December.
town. where he is at present working
for the material. as well as the spir-
itual advancement of his people and
the community. During Father Van
Clarenbecks pastorate of almost eight
years he purchased the two lots upon
which the rectory stands. and also
built the rectOry. He also had a tower
built on the old church and secured a
bell for it. He it was who finished the
church and made it fit for divine SER
vices. 1t was during his pastorate
that st. Finccnts hospital was built.
In December, 1904. Father Thomas
f. Stack was appointed pastor COM
ing direct from Red Lodge. In the
May following. seeing that a larger
church was needed for the people and
better site required, he purchased
at a cost of $4,000 the six lots on Thir-
ty-tirst street and Third avenue north.
and there he is having built the beau
tful Gothic church, the corner stone
of which is now laid.
Father Stack is being assisted in
this grand and great work by the
following building committee ard
board of trustees: The Honorable
Thomas S. Hogan. chairman: Frank
X. n. Radelnaker. William NJ. McCor-
mick and Henry Gerharz
With these four men to advis" him
and with Il united and generous poo.
pie behind him, Father Stack feels
that he has NO reason to fear, an:l does
not fear that his new church will he
finished in Il reasonable tim, and with
little. if any debt.
The Reverend Thomas +. Stack
merits recognition amnn-, others Il
the earnest workers in the priesthood
of the Roman Catholic church i'll Mon
tana. Thomas Francis Stack is Il ma
tive of Listowel County Kerry. ire
land, where he was bJrn. October s.
1874, the son of Thomas and HOnora
(Donoghue) Stack. both Of wnom
We're likewise born in old County
Kerry and still reside In the Emerald
Isle. tl:r father being a merchant. For
Is years a resident OF the United
States he eventually returned to his
native land and of hi. seven childrc,;
Thomas +. was the sec,n: Father
Stack received a preliminary cduca-
ton in the national and parochial
schools and thereafter entered ST.
Michael's college. a preparatory in
stitution, where he completed a three
years. course. gradrat:n In the class
of 1898. The same year he matricu-
lated in All Hallows college, Dublin,
where he devoted special attention to
philosophy.
In this we'll equipped institution,
governed by the Vincencian fathers.
he studied for five years. Coming to
America In 1898. he completed his
studies at st. Bonaventures college,
at Allegany, New York. Two years
later Father Stack had finished. the
prescribed course and he was there
ordained to the priesthood. July Is.
1900. by Archbishop Quigley, the pres
ent archbishop of Chicago. He forth
with started for Montana. arriving at
Helena August Is, and reporting 10
Bishop Brondel. At the expiration of
ten days he was assigned as assistant
priest at Deer Lodge. where he le-
manned six months and, Mar:h Ii.
1901. he became assistant pres, I'M