The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-04-27
ST. JoSEPH'S CATHOLIC CHURCH,
MooRHEAD, MINNESOTA.


In the old pioneer days, before the
railroads stretched across the prairies
of the Red River Valley, Catholicity
in these frontier regions was yet in it's
infancy. The Catholics were few and
far between. They were visited at
intervals by travelling missionaries
The first Catholic missionary that
traversed through the Red River Val
ley was Ri. Rev. R. L. Lefieche, D. D.,
Bishop of Three Rivers in the Prov
ince of Quebec, Canada. He travelled
from Winnipeg, Manitoba, along the
Red River to Minnesota, attending to
the Catholic Indian half-breeds. He
said the first Mass at Holy Cross in
1868, which was located on the east
side of the Red River in the south
western corner of Clay County, the
township still bearing that name
When the railroad was built through
that section of the country the village
Holy Cross disappeared, the nearest
railroad town to that place now being
Comstock. Probably Rt Rev. Bishop
Le1eche said Mass also at Moorhead
during the same year. The first Cath
Ollie missionary, however, who at
tended to the Catholic white popula-
ton scattered throughout these north
western regions was Rev. j. B. M.
Genin, of Duluth, MINI. He held
services at Detroit, Moorhead and
Holy. Cross in Minnesota and Bis
marck in Dakota Territory. 1t was
several times year that he minis
tered to the spiritual wants of the
faithful at these places. His first
visit to Moorhead was about 1872 He
secured three lots in January, 1873,
upon which he erected a church,
frame structure facing west to east,
Sc it. by 20 it., and placed it under
the patronage of st. Joseph. This
building was in later years, after the
new brick church had been erected,
used successfully as Sisters resi-
dence and a hall for the Catholic
Foresters, which purpose it serves yet
today. To the north of the church
Rev. Father Genin joined a small
frame building which, however, was
never entirely completed, having been
lathed in the interior but never plas
tered. 1t consists of two stories, one
room in the lower and couple of
rooms in the upper story. To the east
side of this building he added small
frame structure which was fitted out
for a priests dwelling, whenever one
fcff TOD {hn rscI D04h 0f
buildings served later on as a Sisters
residence. After the church had been
moved away, both structures were
torn down.
1t was in 1872 that Rev. Father
Genin also erected log church at
Holy Cross in which he said Mass for
the first time in 1874 That log church
was torn down in 1881 and the logs
were used as foundation for ST.
Benedict's Church, near Wild Rice,
Cass Co., North Dakota.
1t was in the lower story of the
building adjoining the church at
Moorhead that a certain lady, Mrs.
Parsons, who had come from the east
to visit friends at Fargo, taught
parochial school for several months
in the summer of 1876. There was
then no church choir and she taught
the children sacred hymns to be sung
during Mass. She also taught Sunday
School. She took the leading part in
bazaar which was held in nall at
Fargo, as there was no hall available
in Moorhead. The proceeds of this
bazaar were devoted towards purchas-
ing church bell, which Rev. Ignatius
Tomazin, who had then charge of the
ordered from Stuckstede & Co., st.
Louis, Mo. This bell fell from the
tower which had been temporarily
erected for its use and thereby suffered
a slight crack. 1t was afterwards in
stalled i'll the church tower and rem
dered valuable service for number
of years. But as time went on the
breach in the bell widened until there
was no more music in it's voice. In
July, 1907, new and splendid bell
was purchased from Meneely Bell Co.,
Troy, N. Y, and the old bell was sent
to this firm for the consider ton of
Csc per pound. The new bell was
blessed July Z, 1907, by Rt Rev. James
McGolrick, d. d.
The parish at Moorhead comprised
in the beginning the Catholics of both
Moorhead and Fargo. then town
across the Red River in Dakota. The
number of Catholics at both places
was about equal. On August Is, 1880,
a parish was also organized at Fargo.
Among the Catholics of Fargo were
also some Of Indian extraction.
Among the early Catholic settlers at
Moorhead may be mentioned: John