The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-02-23
FRANCISCAN ORDER
PROGRESSES HERE

The following excerpt from recent
issue of the San Franciscan Monitor, a
catholic publication of that city, shows
an active progress Of the Franciscan
order in this vicinity:
Upon the urgent invitation of the
Right Rev. Charles j. O'Reilly, DID,,
the first Bishop of Baker City diocese
in Oregon, the Franciscan Fathers
took charge of Hood River, Hood River
County, Oregon, and missions in Hood
River County in the year 1906. The
Very Rev. FIR. Theodore Arentz, o. F.
NJ, then Commissary Provincial on the
Pacific Coast, and Rev. FIR. MaXimilian
Klein. o. F. NJ, to be local superior
and pastor, arrived in Hood River,
Ore, September 7, 1906. The Sunday
following being the feast of the Holy
Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
the Rev. Pastor, Father Maximilian
Klein, 0. f. NJ, conducted the first
parochial service, after having been
introduced by the present Vicar Cen
eral of the Diocese Of Baker City, the
Right Rev. Monsignore A. Bronsgeest,
pastor of The Dalles, who had attended
Hood River as a mission about twenty
five years.
A neat little church, 62 by 26, had
been built during the year 1905, but
remained more or less unfinished on
the inside. At once the inside finishing
was begun by the REV. Pastor, new
and neat aItars were made by Bro.
Quirinus Kremer.
On the 9Th of December, 1906, the
feast of the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the church
was dedicated by the Right Rev. Charles
}. O'Reilly, d. D., as the Immaculate
Church, standing on a bluff on the
northwest corner Of Montello avenue
and Seventh street.
Immediately7after the arrival of the
fathers a nice piece of property, 2l7 by
200, south of the church on Seventh
street, between Montello and Prospect
avenue, was purchased. This piece of
property faces the beautiful valley of
Hood River, extending about seventeen
miles towards the south and Mount
Hood snow-capped the year aroud. 1t
is a valley Of delicious fruit, as straw
berries, apples, etc, grow abundantly.
A small house, one story, "a by "a,
looking like stable, was on the place
and had to serve temporarily as the
dwelling place of the Fathers and
brothers.
A piece of property toward the city
limits, about one ard one-half miles
from the church, was bought to be the
Catholic cemetery.
In April or May, 1908, charge of the
Catholics in Klickitat County, Wash,
was given the Franciscan Fathers of
Hood River. In August the same year,
His Lordship, the Right Rev. Charles
J. O'Reilly, d. D., of Baker City,
rendered the charge of Harvey County,
Ore, to the Franciscan Fathers.
The Rev. Fr. Roman Wolf, o. F. M,
retured to Hood River, Ore, in March,
1910, to take the place of Rev. FIR,
Aegidius Herkerath, 0. f. M, and the
Rev. Father Plus Nierman, 0. F. NJ,
came to Hood River, Ore, March 81,
1910, to succeed the late Rev. FIR.
Pacidus KreeIer, o. f. M.
In spite of the difficulty considering
the small congregation of the lmmacu-
late Conception of the Blessed Virgin
Mary in Hood River, to contend with,
nevertheless it was considered obvious
by the higher superiors to move the
church from the northeast corner Of
Seventh street and Montello avenue to
the southeast corner of Seventh and
Montello avenue and have it paved
toward the Columbia River and also
moved the very small house and put
an addition of a two-story building, 28
by 28, and have church and residence
connected by hallway. This improve
ment meant to incur an expense of
about $4,000, a great deal for this small
congregation. Bro. Quirinus Kremer
superintended the entire work Of
church and residence.
A bell for the church, obtained from
the firm of Henry Stukstede Belel
foundry, st. Louis, Mo-, arrived here
September 10, 1910. The so-called
sponsors Of bell were Mrs. T. A.
Jamme and Mr.. Michael Pendergast.
On the Monday following, September
10, 1910, the bell was put in the steeple
of the church and at IL m. the first
angelus bell was sounded in Hood
River. Ore. Mr.. Peter Mohr, who had
collected the money for paying for the
bell, had the honor of ringing this
| first angelus bell.