The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-05-22
CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE
CONCEPTION.

When Stearns county was organized
there was not a Catholic church with
in it's limits. The few Catholic set
tiers at st. Cloud were visited by Rev.
Francis X Perz, in 1855, and he Off
ciated several times in the house OF
John Schwarz in that and the follow
ing year For some time previous to
the arrival of the Benedictines he also
officiated in the house of Joseph Edel-
brock.
Among the earliest German settlers
of ST. Cloud We're .Messrs. John Ten
voorde, John SchwarZ, Anthony and
Joseph Edelbrock, Nicholas Lair,
Balthaser Rosenberger, Joseph En-
mel, Henry and Joseph Broker and
Joseph Kinder. Father Pierz organ
lied a congregation early in 1856; the
first trustees were Joseph Edelbrock,
Joseph Emmel and Joseph Burfhard.
The site for church was generously
donated by the late Hon. John Wilson,
known as the father of st. Cloud. The
property comprised one-half OF block
sc, on which the present federal build
ing stands, and block 81, except two
lots which were bought by Father
Meinulph for a parsonage. Mr.. Viii
son also donated part Of another
block west of the church.
Preparations were made in the fall
of 1856 for the building of a church,
but work was not begun before the
following spring. The entire cost Of
the building was $3.50, and this was
the cost of the lumber only, as the
building was erected by the carpen-
tiers in the congregation, who asked
no pay. 1t was not a proud temple,
but only a chapel 25X35, large enough
to accommodate the fifteen or twenty
families which were to attend it. The
building stood in the rear Of the pres
ent federal building and many years
later was turned into q residence for
the Benedictine Sisters.
Father Pierz, who was seventy years
of age, when St. Cloud was born, well
coined the arrival of younger forces
to take part Of the burden from his
shoulders In May, 1855, three Bene
dictine Fathers came from st. Vim
cents Abbey in Pennsylvania to de-
vote themselves to missionary labor
among the German Catholic settlers
of the territory of Minnesota. Father
Pierz was not in the county at the
time of their arrival, but had left
note for them at Sank Rapids, turning
over to them the little log cabin at
that place and few altar appurten-
ances. The Fathers concluded not to
remain at Sank Rapids and settled on
the other side of the Mississippi river
few weeks after their arrival.
Father Cornelius Whitman, who
had been ordained May II, 1856, was
appointed pastor of st. Cloud in sJune.
With the energy and zeal Of youth
full priest he pushed the completion of
the church begun at the instance of
Father Pierz; in the meantime he Off
ciated in the house of Joseph Edel-
brock In the fall of the same year
he opened a school in a small build
ing placed at his disposal by Mr..
Edelbrock, and personally taught his
pupils the Three RS" and the cate
chism. Shortly, however, his mission
airy duties claimed so much of his
time that he could not continue to
act as a schoolmaster. On June goth,
1857, several Benedictine Sisters from
st. Mary's, Elk County, Pa, came
upon his invitation, to teach the
school.
The first official publication read be-
fore the parishioners was the follow
ing on June 30th, 1856: "Henceforth
there will be vespers and religious in
struction at o'clock on Sundays and
holy days of obligation Next Sun
day, the Fourth of July, the anniyer-
sary of the Declaration of Independ-
ence, High Mass will be celebrated at
9 a. m" From July 1920, Rev. F. x.
Weninger, S. j., conducted mission
in the parish. In printed account
of the exercises we are told that when
at the close he had erected a mission
cross and delivered sermon in Eng
lish for the benefit of the Americans"
present, the latter presented him an
address of thanks.
In 1857 Joseph Niehaus donated ten
acres for cemetery, and bell was
bought for 5000. From 1852-1S62 st.
Cloud had no regular Sunday serv-
ices. Priests from the college south
of the village offfciated at different
times, the name of Prior Benedict
Haindl is frequently met with. So
strong had been the stream of immi-
grafton that the number of settle
ments was far in excess of that of the
priests.
A glimpse of church life of those
days is given us in a letter written
by a French priest travelling to Penn
bina with a Red River caravan.
Father Mestre, o. M. l., writes as fol-
lows of his visit to ST. Cloud: Sun
day, August 1, 1861, about o'clock
in the morning, we crossed the Mis-
sissippi, short distance above the
Rapids des Sacs (Sauk Rapids) and
half an hour later we stopped at the
little village of St. Cloud near a small
Catholic chapel in which Benedictine
Father officiates. We met the rever-
end pastor himself. When he recog-
nized us as priests, he babe us cor
dial welcome and permitted me and
my companion, Father Moulin, to say
Mass; he gave us his best altar plate
and avon ooruod mo A,,r;,,r xkn