Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-02-19
PIONEER CHURCH
is REDEDICATED|
Parish Established by Rev. Father John
Kreckle at Tyrone Rebuilds.,

st. Bridget by Mrs. ]. j, Flattery,
$4,000
Pity by Mr.. and Mrs. Stephen Carr
ST., $4,000.
Jesus in the Garden of Olives, Mrs.
Anna Grail, $4,000.
Two Angels, Miss Mary A. Kirby,
$4,000.
A Short History Of the Catholic
Church in Monroe County, Iowa.
Away back in the pioneer days,
while yet the red man roamed the
praries Of Iowa and the deer sprang |
from the long swale grass that be-
decked the Cedar Creek bottoms a
few hard pioneer Irishmen, who had
fled from Mother Erin because of
political and religious oppression
heaped upon them by the British
government, sought out place to
build new homes and establish the
the foundation upon which to build
Irish settlement. Here in the heart
of Monroe county they found an ideal
spot and here they took up the NOM
entous burden of conquering the rug
ged wilderness that they found ready
for their hands. Among the first
things, thing most commendable,
they did was to hew from the forest
the logs for church which they erect |
ed about a mile east of the present
village of Stacyville, known now as
Georgetown post Office and thus es-
tablishing the first Catholic parish in
Monroe county at that time. Those
good, rugged men, whose faith was
as sublime as their struggles were
trying, have, all of them, long since
passed from the world but upon the
broad foundation which they laid.
these who are following in their foot
steps have erected the organizations
of which the pioneer dreamed. Father
]. j. Kreakle of Ottumwa was one of
the first missionary priests who visit
ed the settlement and said mass in the
humble structure that served as a
church and which today fingers in the
memory as the "Old Log Church"
Father Clifford was the first resident
pastor and he conceived the idea of
erecting large stone church for the
accommodation Of the large and grow
Ing membership, for the Irish people
from the eastern states had begun to
seek out Iowa as land of promise
for their energy and industry and the
'Rookery" was destined to receive
It's share Along In 1858 or 1889 Faith
er Clifford's idea began to crystalline
and the foundation of the present
church at Georgetown was laid and
work commenced looking toward it's
completion. The rock material being
quarried by the members of the parish
from quarry about four miles from
| Cit Nf hn h,,i1
by OK teams. The civil war coming
on in short time, work on the build.
ing, owing to the high price Of skilled
mechanical labor, was suspended and
it remained in this condition, with the
walls about eight feet high until 1857
when work was starting anew under
the direction of the late Rev. b. P.
McMennony, Father Clifford having
been transferred to another parish.
Many New Parishes.
One might say that the labor of COM
plotting the church extended from 1853
to January A. 1907. Since the estab-
fishing of the parish, new, parishes
have been set off therefrom, thus max
ing st. Patrick's of Georgetown the
parent parish in the county. The
Melrose parish was first set off, then
a parish was established at Abba, as
mission, and was attended by the
Georgetown pastor for number of
years, then followed Weller and re-
Gently parishes were established at
Lovila and Hiteman, all of which have
4 nice, new, costly church buildings and
parochial residences, with the excep-
\ ton of Hiteman and Weller, at which
points they have good church build,
ings, but they are attached to the AL
bia and Lovilia parishes respectively
i and are attended by the resident
priests of those parishes. Thus it
will be seen that the affairs Of the
Catholic people of Monroe county are
in thriving and healthy condition.
Keeping alive the spirit of their an
cestry and the traditions and history
of the island from which they sprang,
the Irish of Monroe county have four
good, thriving, healthy divisions of
the Ancient Order Of Hiberians and
two divisions of the Ladies Auxiliary
A. o. H., in which our people are pro-
foundry interested. We are particularly
proud of the part that our people have
played in building up the wealth and
, resources of Monroe county and the
efforts of the Monroe County Irish
Catholics is indicative only of what
his brethren has done and is doing to
help up the greatest nation on earth.