The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-12-13
CHURCH OF ST. DOMINIC,
NORTHFlELD, MINI.


The following is a brief sketch of
the history of the parish of ST. Dom
mic, since priest first visited North
field. The data has been gathered
from the records kept in the parish
and from reliable eye witnesses.
About the year 1865, Father Keller
visited the few Catholics located in
and around Mortified before there
was any church there, and before
there was railroad nearer than Hast
ings or st. Paul. The first place so
honored was that of Mr.. William
Ryan whose house stood then where
Mr. Ludwig Markoe's house now is, i.
e., about six blocks north of the site
of the present church. About the
year 1867 three men of Mortified can
vassed the few scattered Catholics of
the community to see if they could
not by some means, have little
church of their own. The Catholics
of HaZelwoOd had given them the eX-
ample some four or five years previ-
OuSly by building little chapel near
the Dodd Road on a site donated to
the parish by James McCabe, store
keeper. Hence Dominic Noes, Pat
rick Murphy and Robert Halford after
their work of visiting the people was
finished, were able to present to Bish-
OPP Grace of st. Paul good reasons for
establishing a parish in Mortified.
Their only request was that he place
the parish under the protection OF st.
Dominic. The little chapel was built
simple in form, without sanctuary,
sacristy or steeple; rude, unfinished
within, only a little wooden cross over
the front of the building telling the
passerby that this was the Catholic
Church, the house of God. On the
occasion of Bishop Grace's first visit
to Mortified, on August the 4th, the
1869, he dedicated the church and
gave it the name of st. Dominic.
At the same time he appointed Rev.
Rudolph Haase the first resident
priest and pastor of the parish. Faith
er Haase attended missions in Can
non Falls and Pennington. In the
next year Rev. Jas. A. McGlone was
appointed pastor, and in the month of
June, 1872, he was given charge also
of the parish of HazelWood.
In 1876 Rev. John Pavlin was as
signed as pastor to Mortified and
Hazelwood During Father Pavlin's
time some more property was pur-
chased and little cottage that
served as a priests residence until
1892 when the present house was
built under the direction of Rev.
Thomas Gleason. Father Pavlin also
secured very desirable plot of ground
for a cemetery, lying about one mile
and a half east of the church.
Rev. P. NJ. Jung, now pastor of st.
Mathews parish in st. Paul, was Civ
ell charge of Northfield when Father
Pavlin was promoted to Faribault. In
the following year, September 1883,
Father Jung was transferred to his
present parish and was succeeded
by Rev. H. Visitor for one year,
and then by Rev.. ]. J. Jacobs,
who remained in charge for six
months. In April of 1890, Rev.
Thos. F. Gleason was appointed pas
tor, and after a short acquaintance
with the people he started to build the
present substantial and comfortable
priests home. His efforts were sue
cessful and when he was transferred
in May, 1894, to his present parish
of st. John in st. Paul, the Northt1eld
parish had but very small debt.
During the year following Father
Gleeson's removal, that is from May to
December, the parish was in charge OF
Rev. Francis J. McEwan and Rev. Ed
ward T. Lee. In December 1894, Rev
Patrick Kenny was appointed to the
parish and remained until August
1910, when he was transferred to the
parish of st. Anthony, Minneapolis,
and was succeeded by Rev. p. f.
Meade, the present pastor
In 1906 Rev. Owen j. Rowan was
appointed as assistant to Father Ken
ny, the number in the two parishes,
Hardwood and Mortified, requiring
services in each place every SUNDAY
instead of only every second Sunday