"Saint Patrick Parish in Cedar Falls traces its history to the first Mass in Cedar Falls, celebrated by Father Patrick McGinnis in the home of Andrew Mullarky in 1855. Father John Shiels began to minister to the Catholics of Cedar Falls in 1856 and…
"In 1877 a group of settlers went to Bode, south of Algona, so seven young people could receive first Holy Communion. That was in the time when children had to be 12, 13, or 14 to receive first Eucharist. In 1877 a Britt parishioner was taken to Bode…
"In the year of his ordination to the priesthood, Father Michael Carolan went to Mason City on October 25, 1877, and remained as pastor of Saint Joseph Parish until his death on December 30, 1917. Because he extended his missionary efforts throughout…
"Saint Matthew Parish began in August 1922 when Archbishop James J. Keane sent Father DanielP. Mulcahy from Vinton to Cedar Rapids. He had no church and only a few parishioners. In 1926 a combination brick church-school-rectory was completed and…
"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…