The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-10-15
OUR CATHOLICS

OUR CATHOLICS
Just at this time when there Is SO
much being said regarding religious
denominations in the country, 1t IS
truly refreshing to turn to the local
Catholic Priest Rev. FIR. J. G. Sailer,
who has been here since 1900 and has
become a fixture in the moral uplifting
forces of the community. There is no
man who makes occasional visits to
this Office who expresses a broader
view of religious matter, or who has a
cleaner appreciation of the various
movements for the lettering of livins
conditions, nor who denounces more
forcefully the various evils that threat
en- the young folks here and elsewhere
at the present time, than Father Sail
err His untiring energy in performing
the duties of his calling and his sue
cession building up his church is COM
mendable, but not more SO than his
happy disposition, love for humor and
unfailing broad-mindedness in meeting
all conditions as they appear. In this
connection a bit of history might not
be out of place.
The church history, like the history
of many other parishes of North Dako'
ia, had its beginning in trials and pow.
erty. In the year 1878 a few Catholics
gathered around the visiting mission
airy who celebrated the first mass in
the section house at the Northern Pac>
idc Railway, then in its infancy. Soon
the tiny station grew into mission
regularly visited by priests from Far
go and Bismarck. Among the early
settlers appear such names as Heimes,
Gassman, Koch, Winkler, Hannag, Tul
Illus, Tracy, Pasmel, Starke, Thilmony,
Ertelt, Miller, O'Malley, and others. A
church was started A. D. 1882, Rev. S.
Maddox collecting funds of $1,617.21
toward the erection of the building
still occupying the old site as the pre-
sent parish hall. Rev. H. Jasper ano
Peter Flanagan continued successfully
in the charge of this newly erected
brick church, one of the three solio
church buildings in the state at tina,
time. In the autumn of 1887 Father +.
Schmitz, a Jealous pioneer priest, took
charge of the field. The sanity Indian
missionary, Bishop Marty, o. S. B., or
Sioux Falls, S. D., visited Saint Cath
crimes in July "a, 1888, and confirmed
a large class of young Catholics, man,
of whom are the successful men ana
women of today, looking back to those
days OF mutual cheer and kindness,
when planks were their seats in the
church and oxen or footwear the only
means of locomotion They were per
haps more content than the men OF
luxury are today.
The following are the early priests
in their order:
1898 Rev. J. B. Wilhelm.
1894 Revs. F. j. Connolly, B. Hoer.
ernaars, Thos. Egan and P. McPhee.
1858 Rev. r. A. Heinzemann. Dur.
ing this time the priesthouse was fur
nished and many missions and station,
became attached to the home or moth.
er church of Saint Catherine, namely,
Flngal, Courtenay, Wimbledon, San:
born, later Saint Mary's $4,000, Lftch-
vile, Q9O2) and Buffalo, 1903).
Rev. J. Buehler serving the fourth
from 1898 to 1900.
The present rector Rev. FIR. Sailer
was called here from Minot, in June
1900
The corner stone for the present
church was laid on July 2, 1905. The
dedication of the new church was BY
1T. Rev. John Stanley, D. D. on july
1, 1906.
Father Sailer says, Our parish his,
tory is closely entiwined with the
early hopes and struggles or our beau
tlful city; a spirit OF fairness and tole,
alton pervades all classes. May Div,
vine Providence continue to bless on,
people, our homes and our dear coun,
try
A MUNICIPAL SLAUGHTER HOUSE.
| The Agricultural Dona rim ont Cnoo;o1