The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-06-05
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CHURCH,
STAPLES.

Nearly thirty years ago The officials
of the Northern Pacific Railroad Co.
decided to shorten their line from St.
Paul to Portland by Strengthening the
road between Little Falls and the site
OF what today is the city Of Staples,
thus saving run of thirty miles for
all through passenger trains. The di-
vision was then moved from Brainerd
10 the village of Staples, and the in
huX of railroad men, business men,
merchants and labOrerS caused the lit
lie town to boom" There were many
Catholics among the new arrivals. and
these made known their spiritual
wants to the kindly Father Tomazin,
then pastor of Wadena. He cheerfully
responded to the request of The unor-
ganized mission and said the first
Holy Mass in a room over John Gil
lespie's store, in April, 1890. The
trustees then elected to represent the
parish were w. J. Lewis, John Giles
pie, Frank Schmelz, and Sam st.
Pierre.
The Bishop of st. Cloud, Rt. Rev.
otto Zardetti, d. D.. granted permits
sion for the erection OF a church, for
the construction of which, the contract
was awarded to II. C. Miller on All
gust is, 1890. The growing parish OF
Wadena demanded the undivided at
tentiOn Of Father TOmaZin and Bishop
Zardetti appointed Rev. +. Zumbush
the first resident pastor Of Staples in
1892
Willing hands and interested mem
bers of the parish provided the means
to procure the interior furnishing OF
the church. a rectOry was built by
II. c. Miller in 1894. The debt on
the church property was gradually be
ing paid when, on February "a, 1898
the church was destroyed by fire.
1t had been insured for $4,000 anC
this sum formed the nucleus of the
building fund, for the work for the
building of a new church was begun
at once. The building committee, con
sisting of J. c. Kinkele, Jos. Guth
w. ]. Lewis, r. Klemm, c. Backer, W
Bartraw. and A. Mertens, approved 0
the plans drawn by Herman KTetz o
St. Paul and awarded the contract tt
build the church to the lowest bidder
Frank Wasielewki of Minneapolis. Ri
Rev. Bishop Trobec presided at tn
dedicatOry services on the 28th of Au
gust, 1898.
Father Peter Cans was pastor Of TIL
Tbnro[, from +,
1903, being absent few months in tn
year 1900 His Jealous labOrs wer
rot without results. He was succeed
ed by Rev. William Scheiner durin
whOst incumbency the greater part @
the parish debt was cancelled. L
1905 Bishop Trobec appointed Rev. c
J. Goebel to Staples, and he RENAME
with us till his death in 1913, dom
good in his quiet and kindly way.
The coming to Staples in 1913 c
Rev. Francis Zitur, was the begil
ming of an new era for the Sacre
Heart parish. The building of me-
rectory was begun on the 5th of Al
gust. and completed on the oath c
December of the year 1913. The oil
church was moved from the corne
of the church block to the middle c
this block 1t was converted into
school. services being conducted in
temporary chapel in the basemen
The school was opened Sept. Is, 1917
with an enrolment of ~ pupils. Th
present enrolment is nea, 200 and
who have observed the persistent an
efficient work of the venerable Sister
cannot praise too highly the incalcu
able good that is being done in tn
Sacred Heart parochial school. TIL
year 1917 was to witness the begll
ming of the execution of the plan
for a new church, which had bee
prepared three years previously b
w. l.. Adams of st. Paul. In JAM
airy of this year building committe
consisting of the following member
was elected: Rev. FIR. Zitur, w.
Lewis, c. A. Remillard, M. Durkin,
F. eastman. S. H. Desmarais, A. |
Mertens, Jas. Mutually, and c. !
Wirtz. This committee opened tt
bids and let the contract to Willia