St. Joseph's Church, Bellevue

PERRODIN, HEALY, MCCORMICK, JEAN, RENSEN, DUNN, MCCABE, VAHEY, KENNEY, BRAZILL, MALONEY, WHEELER, BRENNAN, HARDING, SCHIFFMACHER, BIES, HAGEMANN, VALLASTER, WAGENER, MANTERNACH, MAUER, LINKENMEYER, MEYER, BOHR, DAUGHTERY

Posted By: Anne Hermann (email)
Date: 7/3/2008 at 15:09:06

CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF THE ARCHDIOCES OF DUBUQUE,
Rev. M. M. Hoffmann, 1938

ST. JOSEPH’S CHURCH, BELLEVUE

St. Joseph’s Church is one of the pioneer churches of Bellevue and also of the State of Iowa. As early as 1841 there was a small body of Catholics, principally immigrants from Ireland, together with a few German and French families, in the community.

In the fall of 1841 Bishop Loras bought a lot on Water Street (sometimes called Front Street), from the government for the purpose of erecting a church thereon. He also purchased a large lot for cemetery purposes. The following year, 1842, a little frame church, 20 by 28 feet, was constructed at Dubuque and shipped down the river on a raft ready to be put up. The church, called St. Andrew’s, was a gift of Bishop Loras at the cost of about eight hundred dollars.

After that there were occasional services conducted by priests who came from Dubuque. Father J. C. Perrodin came from Garryowen almost monthly during 1844 and 1845, when the Rev. F. J. Healy, stationed at the Cathedral at Dubuque, took charge of the little mission, coming every second Sunday of the month. He was followed in 1848 by the Rev. Francis McCormick, and in 1850 the parish received the first resident pastor in the person of the Rev. Frederick Jean, who remained until October, 1853, when the little church was destroyed by fire. There was no resident priest then for some years, but the parish was attended as before from the Cathedral. The parish rented a room in the building known as the Kennedy Block, where Father Rensen said Mass for a short time. In 1855 the old site (lot 38) was sold to Patrick Dunn and two other lots, corner Fifth and Jefferson Streets, were bought of Anthony Tracy, and a brick church, St. Andrew’s, 34 by 65 feet, costing $2500, was constructed, it being completed under the administration of the Rev. Patrick McCabe, 1855-1856.

The Rev. John Vahey was here in 1857, being succeeded by the Rev. Edward Kenney in 1858. In 1859 and in 1860 the Rev. John B. Brazill was the first resident pastor since the old building was destroyed. The Rev. R. F. Maloney was here the latter part of 1860, a short time only, followed by the Rev. Dennis Wheeler, who died about a year after, while on his way to Dubuque.

From 1862 to 1863 the Rev. George Brennan was pastor; in 1864 the Rev. Dennis Brennan; in 1865 to 1866 the Rev. James Harding. During the latter part of his administration in 1868 the German speaking portion of the congregation having become quite strong, formed a society under the patronage of St. Joseph, rented a frame building on the lots owned by Maier Brothers, for a meeting hall and school combined. The same year they also began the erection of the old St. Joseph’s Church, 50 by 90 feet, costing about $10,000, the intentions being to have two churches, the old for the English-speaking Catholics and the new one for the German-speaking Catholics. But when Father Harding was succeeded by the Rev. Theodore M. Schiffmacher, in 1868, he completed the new stone church and also united the two nationalities into one church, the present St. Joseph’s Church. He had charge until October, 1879. His successor was the Rev. Peter Portz, who died of small pox during an epidemic in the second year of his pastorate, November 29, 1881, while in discharge of his pastoral duties. The parish was then attended for six months from the neighboring parishes, Spruce Creek and Springbrook. June 11, 1882, the Rev. Nicholas J. Bies began his duties as pastor. The parish having increased in numbers and Spruce Creek no longer having a resident priest, an assistant was sent to Bellevue on January 21, 1889. This was the Rev. Joseph Hagemann, who also attended the church at Spruce Creek every other Sunday. The Rev. John P. Wagener succeeded the Rev. Joseph Hagemann, January 1, 1903. He remained assistant in the parish until June 1, 1910. The Rev. Frank Vallaster succeeded the Rev. John P. Wagener.

A fine new Gothic church of stone was built in 1910. It was 60 by 140 feet; the cost, $40,000.00. During the construction of the new building, Mass was said in the Columbia Hall.

In 1923 the acting pastor, the Rev. Nicholas J. Bies, due to ill health asked for an administrator. The Rev. William J. Cremer came in the fall off 1923, and acted as administrator until October, 1929. He was succeeded by the Rev. Joseph E. Linkenmeyer in October, 1929, who was appointed pastor by the Most Rev. James J. Keane, D. D., Archbishop of Dubuque.

Priests who have been assistants of Father Bies besides those previously mentioned were: Rev. Matthias J. Manternach, 1913-1921; Rev. Stephen J. Mauer, 1921-1923.

The present pastor is the Rev. Joseph E. Linkenmeyer. His assistants were: Rev. John H. Meyer, 1929-1930. The present assistant is the Rev. Joseph W. Bohr.

During the World War no less than sixty-five young men of the parish were enlisted in the United States’ service (one, John Daugherty, was killed in action).

Two priests, the Rev. Peter Portz and the Rev. Father Meagher, were native sons of the parish. At least fourteen young ladies of the parish entered religious orders. Among these is Sister Mary Engelbert (formerly, Katies Kamp) of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, La Crosse, Wisconsin, a golden jubilarian of the year, 1936.

The first baptism recorded is that of Anthony Neimyer, son of Anthony and Mary Ann Neimyer, baptized September 4, 1859, by Father John B. Brazill. We say here parenthetically, that the original baptismal records very likely date back to the time of the first church. A fire in the time of the Rev. Peter Portz destroyed some of the early records and other early records were burned at the time of the death of Father Peter Portz to prevent further spread of the black small pox; and the remaining records are fragmentary, that is to say, from the year 1859-1875. From the year 1875 the baptismal records are complete and intact.

The old members of St. Joseph’s parish, realizing the importance of Catholic education, established a Catholic school in 1868; its foundation differed from most Catholic schools in this that it was established by laymen. This occurred in the latter part of the pastorate of the Rev. James Harding. The German-speaking people of St. Andrew’s parish rented a frame building on lot 191, Second Street. This served both as a meeting house and as a school.

The following year, 1869, a church was built on the corner of Franklin and Fifth Streets, the location of the present St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Father Theodore M. Schiffmacher prepared a room in the basement of the church, which served as a school. Mr. Charles Schmaeger, Miss Clotilda Clarke, Mr. Lang, and Mr. Goeble were the respective lay teachers. They were assisted by misses Anna Lucke and Elizabeth Reiling. Sometime later an adjoining room was prepared for school purposes and used for classes.

The parish school was permanently established by Father Theodore M. Schiffmacher. He procured the services of three Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration from La Crosses, Wisconsin. These succeeded the lay teachers in 1878. In 1886 the Franciscan Sisters donated lot 405 and part of 404 to the parish. A frame building consisting of four rooms was built in 1886; the entire cost was three thousand dollars. At first three rooms were used, and the fourth room became a classroom only in 1910. Again, in 1913, the school was enlarged.

On June 2, 1924, the Iowa State Board of Secondary School Relations placed St. Joseph’s High School, Bellevue, on the list of approved high schools.

In October, 1928, Father Joseph E. Linkenmeyer became pastor. Due to crowded conditions in the high school department, plans were made for a new school building. The new brick school building is 98 by 117 feet and two stories high, and was erected at a cost of $58,000. The new edifice was dedicated by His Excellency, the Most Rev. Francis Joseph Beckman, S. T. D., Archbishop of Dubuque, in the fall of 1930.

The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, La Crosse, Wisconsin, have been in charge of the school since its administration was first given to other than lay instructors. The faculty grew from three Sisters in 1868 to ten in 1936.

The official school history, published in 1935, indicates a continuous and gradual growth in the Catholic school enrollment from 1875 to 1936. For example, in 1875 there were 100 pupils in the grades of St. Joseph’s School; in 1936 there were 270 in the high school and grades, combined.