Part 84 (2/2)

At this time the pastor's income was only $650.00, yet from this comparatively modest sum the good father found a modest means of doing material good for others and himself. He was a great school man and often spent hours in the school room, keeping at the cla.s.s work. He was popular with the people and accomplished much good.

Following Father Kopecky came Fr. Vrba who remained only a short time and was transferred to Protovin.

In 1900 the present inc.u.mbent, Rev. Florian Svrdlik, was installed pastor of St. Wenceslaus. Soon after his advent a new church was spoken of and being a man of action as much as of word, he began to feel the pulse of the parish on the matter. Seeing the interest and earnest manner in which the new pastor took hold the people flocked to his aid and in a short time the work a.s.sumed practical shape. Ft. Svrdlik is not a man who builds a church on paper years before he has his brick and mortar on the ground. He builds first and then talks of a reality and not of a dream. With the unanimous aid of the people, he organized a fair, and from this realized about $4,000.00.

Through the other ordinary means of collections and donations this amount was increased in a short time to the extent of $10,000.00. To this fund his grace, Archbishop Keane, of Dubuque, contributed $500.00.

At Christmas, 1903, the necessary property was secured, and on August 4, 1904, the corner stone was laid, and on October 18, 1905, the new church was dedicated with solemn and impressive ceremony. The occasion was one long to be remembered by the people of St. Wenceslaus and Cedar Rapids in general. The new church is beautiful in design and faultless in execution. It was erected at a cost of about $40,000.00, a lasting monument to the zeal and efficiency of the pastor and to the piety and generosity of the Bohemians of Cedar Rapids.

The parochial school erected in Father Kopecky's time is his imperishable monument. It is in charge of the Sisters of Mercy. It is a beautiful building, plain and substantial in its style, s.p.a.cious and well ventilated and well calculated to develop a sound mind in a healthy body. There are about 175 pupils at present attending the school and sowing the seed which will enable them to develop into st.u.r.dy men and women.

ST. PATRICK'S, CEDAR RAPIDS

St. Patrick's parish on the west side, Cedar Rapids, was organized April 18, 1886. Its first resident pastor was Rev. T. F. Richardson, who was transferred from Fairfax. The first parish church was a modest frame structure on Second avenue and Seventh street west. While its seating capacity was limited yet it gave ample accommodation for the few paris.h.i.+oners, whose interests had heretofore been attended to, from the parent church on the east side, and occasionally from Fairfax.

Father Richardson retained the charge till the time of his death, which occurred on September 12, 1888. After his demise the interests of the young and struggling parish were entrusted to Rev. M. J. Quirk, who was succeeded by the present inc.u.mbent, Rev. T. J. Sullivan who was appointed November 17, 1889.

At this time many were locating on the west side who retired from the country around to spend the evening of life in a well earned rest after enduring for years the trials and difficulties of pioneer conditions.

Soon the little frame church became inadequate to the needs of the place, and Father Sullivan, with that solicitude which has ever marked his life and labor, began to entertain the wish of a more suitable building. It did not take long for his efforts to be supported by the hand and heart of his people, and on October 18, 1891, the corner stone of the present beautiful building was laid. The late Very Rev. Father Gunn officiated and the sermon on the occasion was delivered by the Rev. C. M. Carroll, D. D.

The new church at First avenue and Fifth street, west was dedicated on August 28, 1892, by Bishop Hennessy, of Dubuque.

St. Patrick's church is one of the most sightly buildings in the city and when the frescoing which is now being done is completed it will be one of the neatest houses of wors.h.i.+p in the city.

The building when completed cost about $15,000.00. Father Sullivan took charge of the parish about November 17, 1889. The congregation is now large and representative.

Having secured a beautiful church Father Sullivan's next undertaking was the building of a school in keeping with the needs of the parish.

The corner stone of this beautiful and s.p.a.cious building was laid on May 10, 1902, by Dean Gunn.

The school is in charge of the Sisters of Charity of the B. V. M., whose mother house is at Mount Carmel, Dubuque. The Sisters of Charity as educators hold a similar place in the religious congregation of women to that occupied by the Jesuits among the male orders. They are the leaders in their respective cla.s.ses. And the pupils turned out by both orders today are an honor to their alma mater.

There are several sodalities and societies attached to St. Patrick's church and the parish is growing rapidly.

THE CHURCH AT PRAIRIEBURG

It has been a.s.serted that the first ma.s.s celebrated in Linn county was at Prairieburg. This a.s.sertion I have sought to establish, but have failed, so I take it for what it is worth. As far as I can learn the first ma.s.s was said in a log house belonging to James Brislawn, but who the priest was I have not been able to establish. The first authentic record we have is when Rev. P. J. Maher, late of De Witt, then at Anamosa, officiated in the home of Bernard McLaughlin in 1872. The present brick church on the prairie at which a goodly number wors.h.i.+p and which is in charge of Rev. Fr. I. J. Norris of Stone City, was erected by Fr. Maher in 1874. The Bohemian element who live in and around Prairieburg built a church a few years ago in the town. It is in charge of Father Ballou of Oxford Junction.

THE FAIRFAX CHURCH

The first Catholic church in Fairfax was built by Fr. John in 1875.

This cradle of christianity in the wilds was located on the state road in Johnson county about six miles southeast of Fairfax. For the construction of this primeval temple oak logs were hauled from the Henderson mills on the Iowa river below Robert's Ferry. From this same mill, which was the only one at that time in these parts, except the Snouffer mills in Cedar Rapids, the early settlers hauled the lumber for their log cabins and for the shelter sheds for their limited live stock. This pioneer church in Fairfax district was afterwards removed to Walford, later to the site of the present building.

After Fr. John came Fr. Urbin occasionally from Norway. He returned to Bohemia and died there.

Among the early settlers were John Flaherty, who came in 1855; John B.

Murray in 1858, Wm. McNamara, Andrew Stark, whose children now enjoy the fruits of his labors; the McDonalds, O'Connells, Donohues, Winekes, Wickies, Brechts, Springer, Barretts, O'Hara, P. Flynn, Foleys, Cook, Haydens, Hager, Cahill, Langan, Killeen, Kehoe, Meehan, Harrington, Lilly, Murray, Cannon, O'Brien.

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