Browse Items (254 total)

"The two Catholic parishes of Cresco - Assumption and St. Joseph's - were officially merged into the unified parish of Notre Dame on Thursday, July 1. The birth of the new parish was celebrated on July 3-4 during masses offed by Archbishop Jerome…

'“As the Czech population of Cedar Rapids grew early in this century, many had to find homes farther from Saint Wenceslaus Church. It was the only Czech-speaking Catholic church in the city and it was on the east side of the Cedar River. Some of the…

"Saint Jude School opened in September 1962 with 370 students. It was staffed by six Sisters of Charity B.V.M. and five lay teachers. Archbishop James J. Byrne dedicated the church-school to Saint Jude the Apostle on September23. Mary Green, the…

"Czech families of the 1850s and 1860s were served by missionaries who knew their language. Father Anthony D. Urban was certainly one of them, but his extensive missionary travels make it difficult to determine where he took up residence at any…

"Father Hanley supervised the building of the first church. On January 3, 1883, the church was dedicated to Saint John the Evangelist by Father Toohill. Father John Egan came to Belmond in 1887 and also cared for Clarion until 1900. When a tornado…

Historical documents pertaining to the history of Saint John XXIII parish in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

"Saint John Parish in the Benton County town of Blairstown came into being in 1945 as a mission of Saint Patrick Parish in Watkins, only five and a half miles away. Father Nicholas U. Keffeler, pastor of Watkins, recognized the prospects for a parish…

"A basement for the future church was completed in 1870 and was used for Mass and other services until 1885, when the Gothic style brick church was completed on that early foundation. This building was damaged twice by fires. In 1968 a tornado almost…

““In 1853-54 I offered Mass in Cedar Rapids,” wrote Father Mathias Hannon of Iowa City. “I was the first priest to say Mass there.” The Mass Father Hannon celebrated in the Dubuque House, a small hotel, was the beginning of Immaculate Conception…

"In 1875 Timothy Ahern arranged with Father Daniel H. Murphy of Ossian to come to Calmar twice a month to celebrate Mass, at first in the Ahern home and then in the public school at three dollars a month rent. Father Murphy made the trip to Calmar by…