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“Holy Cross is one of several parishes that began about the same time. Bishop Mathias Loras mentions in an 1842 letter that he was called to the Sweeney home in Concord Township to minister to a dying man. While there, he was asked to bless some…

Historical documents pertaining to Holy Cross parish in Keystone, Iowa.

"Although Holy Cross Parish began with a resident pastor in 1928, it has been served by neighboring pastors during most of its history. The Catholics of the area had longed for a parish of their own. Perhaps Father Thomas Ballon, pastor of Vining in…

“Parishioners of Mason City’s second Catholic parish gathered with their founding pastor, Father Edward J. Dougherty, in the public library for their first Mass on an October Sunday in 1908. Construction of the church began the following spring and…

"When Father Henry P. Rohlman, a member of the Archdiocesan Mission Band, conducted a two weeks’ mission in a borrowed church in January 1909, the area Catholics decided to form a parish. Before Father Rohlman left Rockford, the people appointed Paul…

Historical documents pertaining to the history of Holy Family parish in New Hampton, Iowa.

“Holy Family Parish owes its beginning and many years of its existence to its close neighbors, the monks of New Melleray Abbey. Because the people had little funds and the monastery wished to help them have their own church, one of the monks appealed…

"As the “north end” of Dubuque grew during the 1880s, Archbishop John Hennessy found it necessary to establish Sacred Heart Parish. Continued growth in that area inspired the Archbishop to found another parish, Holy Ghost, on Central Avenue. Holy…

“The first resident pastor was Father Patrick McMahon, coming to West Union in April 1879. It was he who began sacramental records. He lived with the John Owens family during his one-year pastorate. Father Laurence H. Burns came in May 1880 and…

"While pastor of Parkersburg, Father B. W. Coyle served Shell Rock for nine years, from 1882 to 1891. He led them to build a church in 1891 and dedicated it to the Holy name of Jesus. From Father Coyle’s time, the Holy Name Mission continued to be…