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"About the time this Clayton County town was looking for a name, Abd-el-Kader, an Algerian chieftain, was leading his countrymen to freedom. His bravery thrilled these Americans, and they named the town for him. Missionaries visited Elkader in the…

"In 1860 Father John J. Aylward, pastor of nearby Bankston, began a frame church at Farley Junction, about a mile from the present church site. In 1867 Father Charles McGauran, pastor of Bankston, saw to the building of a rock church, which was used…

"Saint Joseph Parish in Garnavillo began early in the history of the archdiocese. According to tradition, Father Joseph Cretin, who later became the first bishop of Saint Paul, came from Dubuque and celebrated Mass in the homes of John Barrett and…

"Michael J. Quirk and Father Michael Lynch were the first priests to visit the Greeley area to care for the early Catholic settlers in the 1860s. On those occasions the James Fitzpatrick home became a temporary chapel for the Greeley and Edgewood…

Historical documents pertaining to the history of Saint Joseph parish in Independence, Iowa.

“Catholics residing southwest of Dubuque, in Mosalem and Table Mound Townships, were organized into a parish in 1872 by Father Thomas J. O’Reilly, a priest of the Cathedral in Dubuque. Father Samuel Mazzuchelli and Bishop Mathias Loras had celebrated…

“When the railroad came to Marion, it brought the families of Irish workers. Recognizing the need for a larger church, Father Hartigan’s parishioners purchased property and collected funds. In 1905 a brick structure named for Saint Joseph was built…

“Missionaries came early to this center of agriculture, manufacturing, and railroading in eastern Cerro Gordo County, and by 1864 the Catholics were organized into a parish. Father Patrick Feely, located at Waverly after Father Murphy’s death, was…

“Under the guidance of Father Louis Cornelis of Lansing, during the winter of 1867, nine men cut and hauled logs to a site three miles southwest of the present town. The church and cemetery were dedicated in June 1867, receiving the name Holy Cross.…

"Saint Joseph Parish in New Hampton was organized on April 3, 1870 and was the first Catholic parish in the town. The first settlers came in 1854. Until the church was built in 1870, the early Catholics attended Mass in homes and business places.…