Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1922-11-15
SOME EARLY HISTORY And NAMES OF e. s. =. :.
PRIESTS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
First Catholic Church Built wilma Fifty Years Ago The
Church Has Been used to the Present Time When the New
Edi6ce Was Completed s~ 49,

When the first Catholic pioneers,
John Haley and Daniel Leary, came
to this county there were no such mo-
dern conveniences as we find today.
The railroads had not penetrated as
yet this wild country and the people
had to travel from place to place with
teams of oxen or go on foot. Willmar
at that time was very small village
with only few stores. The surround
ing county was sparsely settled at
this time.
Father Burns, missionary priest,
was driven over from Litchfield to
the McDermott home in Kandiyohi
some time before 1870 and said mass.
This was the first mass to, be said in
Kandiyohi County that there is any
record of. The people that attended
these services had to drive for miles
behind yoke of oxen in order to
reach the services at the McDermott
home.
Rev. Father Hurley was the first
priest to say mass in Willmar. Ser
vices were first held in 1871 in the
grocery store of NJ. P. Moran.
The people of Willmar We'd with
those OF Kandiyohi for the church
with resident pastor. A vote was
taken and Kandiyohi won. The peo-
Of h
the action taken so they erected a
church of their own. The people of
Kandiyohi elso built a church at the
same time St. Patricks Catholic
Church was the name given to the
church at that place. The priest at
Willmar also served the congregation
at Kandiyohi.
PARISH ORGANIZED
The railroad was built as far as
Willmar in December 1859. In 1871,
the first congregation was organized
under the name of St. Mary's Catholic
church. The original members Of the
Michael Kennedy, Daniel Leary, John
Haley, John Maher, Peter Donoyer
with their families and a number of
railroad employees that were temp
orarily living in Willmar at the time
Father Hurley was the first priest OF
the new parish.
In 1871 lot on the corner Of Litch-
field avenue and Eighth Yas donated
by. the Great Northern Railway for the
purpose Of erecting new church in
order to help build up the town. A
church was built on the lot the same
year The materials cost about $780,
The work was done mostly by mem.
bers OF the congregation who could
spare few days from their work at
home. The business men of Willmar
subscribed to a fund which also help.
ed to pay the cost of erection. The
church was completed the same year
but improvements were made from
time to time.
The church at the time Of erection
was a part Of the DeGraff charge and
was served in succession by Father
Cahill, Father Kinney, Father Ryan
FIR. H. McDevitt, FIR. McDermott. In
1888 the parish was transferred to the
Litchfeld charge under FIR. P. J. Bo
land. The parish at Kandiyohi which
was organized at nearly the same time
as the one in Willmar and was also
a charge of the Litchfeld parish anG
was served by Father Boland. Father
Boland served until 1900 when he wa:
succeeded by Father j. J. Malloy. Fa
Their Mal!oy was the first Catholic
priest to have his residence in Will
mar. The little parish prospered un
der the guiding hand of. Father Nal
10y. He also had charge of the par
ish at Kandiyohi
The present parish house was pur
chased in 1900 for the consideration
of $4,000. In 1905 six lots were Dough
on the corner of Litchfeld avenue ant
Seventh Street for $4,000. The church
was later moved to this corner.
CHURCH MOVED
In June 1905 Father Malloy wa
succeeded by Rev. Cornelius McDev
lit. In 1910 the church was move,
from the original site to the presen
location on Litchfield avenue and I'll
Street. A full! basement was put il
and the furnace installed which mad
the church much more comfortable
and place where socials and coffee
could be given for the benefit of tn
parish in securing funds to carry o.
the work Of the church and to ad
improvements from time to time. TIL
church was moved to the new locatio!
as the lots nthe corner of Litchfiel
avenue and Seventh Street were pull
chased and parish house erecte
during the time Of Father Malloy. ]
was then desirable to have the churc,
and the house near together in orde
to make it more convenient.
In November 1919 Father McDevit
was transferred to the parish a
Marysburg and he was succeeded b
Father Holland who remained in tn
parish for two years. He was succeed