Humboldt - St. Mary

HUMBOLDT - The founding members of St. Mary's were hardy settlers whose courage  and zeal impelled them to face the rigors of the northwest Iowa prairie and to establish their homes and plant their Catholic faith amid the trials and sacrifices of pioneer life.

Tradition has it that the first priests to serve Humboldt were Father J. J. Smith of Emmetsburg and Father T. M. Lenihan of Fort Dodge. The first Mass in Humboldt County was celebrated in 1862. The Eucharist was celebrated occasionally in farm homes; children were baptized and the dying were anointed. The first homes in which Mass was celebrated were those of Thomas Owens, east of Dakota City, Iowa, and John Dunphy, northeast of Dakota City, in 1875. The time of the priest's visit was announced by riders going by horse from house to house.

From the fall of 1877 to December of 1889, the parish was served by Father James Zigrang during his pastorate at St. Joseph's near Bode. The first church in Humboldt was procured in 1878. When Father Zigrang was transferred, Dakota City became a mission church of Livermore.

A new church was built in Humboldt in 1904. Articles of incorporation were filed in 1912. The first resident pastor was Father Thomas J. Davern in 1916. He supervised the building of St. Mary's School which opened in September of 1920. For most of its years, it was a grade school, but included a high school for a time. Sisters of the Presentation from Dubuque were in charge of the school.

A rectory was purchased in 1917 at a cost of $4,000. When Father Thomas Parle was pastor, the church was moved from the corner of Third Avenue South to the block where the school was built. It was rededicated by Bishop Edmond Heelan in 1926.

The present church was built by Father Sylvester Grady. It cost $153,000 and was completed in March of 1961. Father Grady also built the convent. The rectory was built in 1948 during the pastorate of Father Joseph T. Fitzpatrick.

Msgr. Joseph Tolan was pastor from 1963 to 1974. He was especially interested in the youth of the parish, as well as a better working relationship with other churches. Msgr. Tolan renovated the school, put an addition on the rectory and a new roof on the church.

Father Richard Macke, 1974-1979, redecorated the church interior, put in a new sound system and installed a new pipe organ. A new St. Mary's Elementary School was opened in 1983 under the direction of Father Mervin Hood.

Msgr. Louis Kollasch and Father Michael Larkin served the parish before Father Gene Ulses came in June of 1997. Improvements in the parish since that time include new playground equipment, sound abatement in the school gym, a new church roof and air conditioning in the school classrooms.

St. Mary's is clustered with St. John's in Gilmore City. St. Mary's School is still under the direction of the Sisters of the Presentation; Sister Louise Scieszinski is the principal. Enrollment in the fall of 2001 was 124 students in grades K-8.