The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1922-11-25
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
FERGUS FALLS, MINI.

The Weekly-Journal of December A..
1873, enumerated eight Protestant
denominations which had organized,
OF We're organizing, congregations in
Fergus Falls, then village containing
600 souls. Catholics there were but
few in the southern part of Otter Tail
County. 1t was to the missionaries
from the Dakotas and from the Chip
.peWa missions of northern Minnesota
that these pioneers of Fergus Falls
and vicinity owed the few welcome
opportunities to hear Mass and receive
the Sacramento. In those early days
the, humble home Of some lately ar
rived settler served temporarily as the
.houseSof God.
/ In 1880, the Despatchers' Offices of
the st. Patti, minneapolis and Mani
toba RICO. were transferred to Fergus
Falls. 1t appears to have been in the
fall of that year that the first Catholic
church, frame structure, 20x70,
situated about 100 feet west of the
present church, was erected, although
the interior was not finished until
later Father Spitzelberger of Fargo,
~. d., had services on several SUM-
days. Soon, however, a parsonage was
built for resident pastor. Handi-
capped in many ways, it was only by
Fpersevering effort and great sacrifice
on the part of the priest and the peo-
pie that so much could be accom-
plished. Among the Catholics of Fer
gus Falls in 1880 and 1881 were
Anthony Klaus, Joseph Liedl, Matthias
F'rankovitz, Peter Oelschlaeger, James
K. O'Brien, P. J. Kennedy, James Nc
Crossin, e. j. Weber, John and
Charles Nangle, Enos Barbeau, John
Gander, August Mandelke and Charles
Bauer.
Rev. Joseph Moder, the first pastor,
was transferred to GAINESVILLE in 1882,
and the parish of Fergus Falls was
temporarily attended by the Benedic-
tine Fathers of st. Johns Abbey. In
1883, Rt. Rev. Rupert Seidenbusch,
D. D., then vicar apostolic of northern
Minnesota, appointed Rev. Joseph
Bower pastor Of Fergus Falls and the
surrounding missions. Father Bower,
as we'll as his immediate successors,
labored assiduously to pay the little
debt, which in those days weighed
heavily upon the small congregation.
Rev. Francis Watry was pastor from
1885 to 1886; Father Schels, 1886 to
1889, and Rev. William LANCE was
pastor from 1889 to 1893. During the
service of Father Schels the interior
of the church was completed, and dur
ing Father Lange's period the parish
was finally freed from debt. The Revs.
Joseph Stephan, G. Goebel, Charles
Pfeiffer, Anthony Artz, Emil Steinach,
Hubert Gundermann and Francis Welp
successfully had charge of the parish
during the years 1S93-1906. Rev. Will
liam Scheiner {19O6-19OS) was the
| first pastor to give his undivided care
to the Catholics of Fergus Falls, the
adjoining missions having been placed
lin charge of another priest in 1906.
Rev. George Rauch has had charge of
the Churcn since IyU4.
AS the number of families had slow
ly Increased, the need of a new church
was felt, and after some hesitation,
the work was decided upon, and was
completed with the harmonious CO
operation of priest and people. The
construction of the church, substan-
tiaI brick building, 58x116 feet, in
modified Gothic, was begun in June,
1913, by Contractor VIM. Schueller,
according to plans drawn by Architect
VIM. H. Alban of st. Paul. The cor
nerstone was laid September Z, 1913,
by Rt. Rev. James Trobec, d. ID. On
Easter Sunday of the following year
the first services were held in the new
church. The beautiful windows, pews,
EaItar-railings and stations had Just
been completed the previous week.
Bishop Trobec officiated at the dedica-
tory services on June 2, 1914. IN June,
1919, the church was completely de
stroyed by a cyclone. and in 1921, Ia
Their WessIing, who succeeded Father
Rauch, built new church. The Rev.
.assHs sss~sFSsss - srss