Palo Alto Co, Iowa USGenWeb Project

CHURCHES OF PALO ALTO COUNTY

HISTORY OF SACRED HEART CHURCH
RUTHVEN, IA
The Globe
Thurs, April 4, 2002
Submitted by Pat Martin with the kind permission of editor, Daniel F DeLong

Ruthven [Palo Alto Co, IA] Sacred Heart has Irish Ancestry

     Predominately Irish ancestors settled in the Ruthven area in the late
1880's and were instrumental in establishing Sacred Heart Parish.
     A church was erected in 1889 under the direction of Father L.J.
Carroll. The wood frame church cost $3,500. The rectory was built the
following year. At that time, 12 families and their relatives made up the
congregation.
     The Sacred Heart Guild was formulated in the early years as a spiritual
and financial aid to the parish. They have promoted many projects as
fundraisers to serve their various causes.
     In the 1950's, Father Elmer Thom had the foresight to start a building
fund. From that campaign, the present brick structure became a reality. It
was completed in December 1963 at a cost of $105,000. The bell tower was
completed two years later for $8,000.
     Father Al Loeffelholz is credited with directing the planning and
completion of the present brick rectory in 1983 for a cost of $167,000.
     Sacred Heart in Ruthven celebrated its centennial in 1989. Father
Gerald Zeman was the pastor at the time and a book committee compiled the
church centennial book. A parish dinner was held for the 114 households that
were registered.
     Presently Ruthven shares its pastor, Father Ben Jensen with Sacred
Heart Church in Ayrshire. Along with Ayrshire, Immaculate Conception of
Graettinger and Emmetsburg Holy Family are clustered with Ruthven.
     These ladies from the parish entered the convent: Sister Macrina (Agnes
Currans), Sister LaSalette (Catherine Ruddy) and Sister Christopher
(Catherine Noonan). Sisters Macrina and LaSalette entered the Sisters of
Mercy and Sister Christopher joined the Dominican Order.
     There have also been men to enter the priesthood from Sacred Heart:
Father James M. Nolan, Brother John Slagle, Father Francis Schuler, Father
James Fransco, Father Thomas Geelan and Father Michael Wempa.
     Sacred Heart has 430 registered members and serve as a spiritual refuge
for many vacationers and summer residents of Lost Island Lake area.
     Numerous pastors have served Sacred Heart, Ruthven: Father L.J. Carrol
(1887-1899), FAther D.F. McCaffery (1899-1907), Father J. Bigauette
(1907-1908), Father Damouette (1908), Father E. W. Fowler (1908-1910),
Father J. Bigauette (1910), Father A.G. Schaefer (1911-1913), Father Mathias
Stork (1913-1916), Father James Kelly (1916-1917), Father L.J. Carrol
(1917-1918), Father George Hicky (1918), Father P.J. Connolly (1918-1921),
Father Dennis Clark (1921-1922) and Father A.J. Lynott (1922-1923)
     Also, Father George Hicky (1923-1924), Father A.J. Neul (1924-1926),
Father T.A. Coleman (1926-1930), Father E.L. McEvoy (1931-1941), Father D.K.
Hurley (1941), Father George O'Brine (1941), Father Henry Meyer (1941-1943),
Father Charles Kneip (1943-1944), Father James A. Kane (1944-1950), Father
A.A. Bausch (1950-1952), Father E.D. Thom (1952-1960), and Father M.J. Hood
(1960-1967).
     Also, Father Robert Waters (1967-1968), Father Wm. Wingert (1968-1973),
Msgr. Robert Joynt (1973-1978), Father Wm. Devine (1978-1979), Father Al
Loeffelholz (1979-1983), Father Henry Weimer (1983-1988), Father Gerald
Zeman (1988-1995), Father Allen Reicks (1995-1998), Father Donald Slaven
(1998), Father Ben Jensen (1998-2001) and Father Verne Stapenhorst, present.

Further Notes from
Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Ruthven, Iowa
1889-1989

The beginning history of Sacred Heart Parish may be found in the Iowa
Catholic Historical Review, May of 1935, Volume VIII, Beginnings of the
Catholic Church in Northwest Iowa, with special references to Emmetsburg and
Palo Alto County by Msgr. E.L. McEvoy.
     One of the original parish families that settled east of Ruthven, is
James Currans' family. Mr. Currans arrived in 1869 and Mrs. Currans arrived
in 1870. They were followed by Patrick and James F. Nolan, who arrived in
1883, and later by the Browns, Brennans, Geelans, Caseys, Flemmings,
Donlons, Doyles, Morans and the Washingtons.
     Prior to 1885, the Catholic people of Ruthven and vicinity traveled to
Emmetsburg for Mass. In March of 1885, Father Smith of Emmetsburg,
celebrated the first Mass in Ruthven, at the home of James P. Nolan. Shrotly
thereafter, Father N.D. Norton, who was in charge of the Spencer, Milford
and Estherville parishes, took over the Ruthven Mission, Father Norton
celebrated Mass at the homes of J.P. Nolan and P.J. Nolan, at the Brennan
School in Highland township and later at a hall in Ruthven, that was used as
a skating rink.
     .....Local history reveals that two pioneer women of the parish were
instrumental in the cause to build a church. Every Sunday morning, the women
of the parish would prepare the hall to make it presentable for divine
service. Often, these women were confronted on Sunday morning with the
unseeming evidence of what took place in the hall the previous evening. It
would seem that the men of the parish were less concerned about the
condition of the hall on Sunday morning, so two of the parish women, Mrs.
Susan Currans and Mrs. P.J. Nolan began collecting money for the fund that
resulted in the building of the church.
     ...One of the early nuptial Masses at Sacred Heart Catholic Church was
a double wedding ceremony held at Mr and Mrs John Brown's home. The name of
the couples cannot be recalled; however, one bride was a niece of Mrs.
Crowley and the otehr bride was a niece of Mrs. Nicholas Geelan.

PEW RENT LIST OF SACRED HEART CHURCH-1914
Barnett, Dan; Brennan, Jas; Brennan, Thos., Brown, J.H.; Brown, J.J.; Brown,
Mary; Brown, Wm.; Burditt, S.S.; Burke, Mrs. M.; Burns, Jas.; Callahan,
Jno.; Callahan, M.; Clear, Thos.; Currans, Mrs. Jas; Currans, Henry;
Currans, Jno; Currans, Mary; Currans, Ruth; Currans, Thos.; Currans, Wm.;
Daniels, Chas.; Dodge, Mrs. F; Dolan, Jno.; Dolan, Mary; Donlon, Anna;
Donlon, Mary; Dunn, P.J.; Eaton, F.; Fleming, Anna; Fleming, Jno.; Fleming,
M.; Foley, M.; Foley, Neil; Geelan, F.; Geelan, M.; Geelan, N.; Geelan,
Rose; Geelan, Tom; Geelan, Wm.; Goff, Mrs. L.G.; Grady, Thos.; Grady, Jos.;
Grady, Leo; Grady, Louis; Greene, J.; Handy, Bernice; Horan, Thos.; Hughes,
Tim; Keenan, Ed; Lee, Mrs.; Metz, Chas.; Meyerhofer, S.; Moan, W.A.; Monk,
Jas.; Moran, Jas.; Moran, Jos. Sr; Nolan, Con.; Nolan, J.F.; Nolan, Mrs.
W.C.; Radigan, P.; Redden, Jno.; Ruddy, Ed; Schade, J.B.; Slagle, Mrs.;
Torphy, Jas.; Torphy, John; Torphy, Josephine; Washington, Ed; Washington,
M.T.; Welsh, Mrs.; Wilcox, Mrs.

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