The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-12-22
BRIEF HISTORY OF ST. MARYS
CHURCH OF SALTWATER,
MINNESOTA.

The st. Mary's of the Immaculate
Conception congregation was organ
speaking Catholic people of Saltwater
The beginning was small, but by Ger
man industry and perseverance good
foundation was laid by the first Ger
man settlers of Saltwater For a
start the old Presbyterian church on
Third Street, where now the Elliott
house is located, was bought and regu
lar services were held there by Rev
Father Aloysius Plut, the first pastor
In 1871 Mr.. Joseph Wolf, ST., who
worker for the good of this congrega
tion, bought the five lots of the present
location of st. Mary's Church for the
sum of $1,250. On this property the
present parish school building, two
story brick structure, was erected in
the year 1872, The first teachers were
the st. Josephs Sisters of ST. Paul
AS at that time the st. Michaels
Church had no Catholic school of its
own the congregation rented the great
er part of the newly erected school fol
parochial school purposes to ST. Mi
chaels congregation. The ST. Joseph
Sisters had charge of both schools; the
German ard the Irish in the same
building.
This state of affairs lasted until
1880, when a total change was made
The old church and the parsonage on
Third Street were rented out and the
second floor of the new school was
used for church purposes. In 1883 the
old church property on Third and
Chestnut Streets was sold to Daniel
Elliott for $4,000. From 1870 to 1882
the congregation engaged first a GER
tain John Goelz as teacher, then III
Schneckenberger. In 1882 the Bene
dictine Sisters of st. Joseph, Stearns
county, Mimi, took charge of the Ger
man Catholic school, and conducted
successfully the same up to the pres
ent day.
AS the congregation was rapidly in
of God was felt by all, and so the
good and generous German Catholic
people of Saltwater unanimously de.
cided, to commence with the work as
soon as possible.
Rev. Alphonse Kuisle, o. S. B., who
had taken charge of the parish June
IL, 1883, engaged at once Mr.. George
Bergman, st. Paul architect, to draw
up plans for new church. The
ground for the new edifice was broken
August l, 1888 The church was to be
built in the Romanesque style and in
size 135x50 feet. The contracts were
let for $13,255. The corner stone was
blessed by the late Bishop Thomas L.
Grace of st. Paul on Sunday, Sep
TENDER 2, 1888, on the feast of the
Holy Guardian Angels.
The church has an imposing exteri-
or. The magnificent high altar is a
personal donation of Mr.. and Mrs.
VIM. Berschen, ST., and cost $1,000.
The st. Joseph's side altar was donat-
ed by Messrs. Joseph Wolf, ST., Anton
Krenz and others. The Sacred Heart
altar was given by benefactor in st.
Paul. The cost of each was 5000. The
pulpit was donated by Mr.. and Mrs.
George Berschen of Lake Elmo, the
price of which was $500. The Com
munion Rails, at cost Of $125, were
donated by the late Mrs. Susanna
Tepass, and the Confessional is a per-
sonal gift, of Rev. Father Alphonse
KuisIe, o. S. B. Also the three bells
were donated. The biggest weighs
6,400 pounds, and was donated by Mr..
and Mrs. Joseph Wolf, Sr., at cost of
$SO4.25. The second was donated by
the St. Joseph Benevolent Society,
weighs 1900 pounds and cost $41O.95.
The third weighs 1905 pounds, cost
$231.10 and was donated by Mr..
Michael Thelen
The entire edifice, as it stands now
with its harmonizing and beautiful in
terror, cost about $4,000. The st.
Mary's Congregation shows what har-
mony and good will can accomplish.
The church was dedicated on July
20, 1884, by the Most Rev. Archbishop
John Ireland of st. Paul
II The present parsonage and the win
ter chapel were erected in 1888.
Under the passionate of the Rev.
Paulin Wiesner, o.. S. B., new pipe
organ was installed in the year 1900
BY the B. Schaefer Company of Mil
waukee, Wis.
proved inadequate an addition to the