The St. Patrick’s Perseveration Committee recently received word that St. Patrick’s Church west of Churdan is a recipient of a Historical Resource Development Grant in the amount of $10,338 to update the heating and cooling elements in the church. The 1920 Lennox “Torrid Zone” furnace will be retired, but stay in place as a museum piece. People will be able to view the nearly 100-year-old furnace and compare it to the new technology.
Three grant reviewers commented positively on the retention of the old furnace. “Retention of the historic furnace is highly commendable. Many would just rip it out.” “I appreciate that the structural integrity of the 1920 furnace will be maintained.” “Like that they are trying to preserve an element that isn’t normally preserved.”
When writing the grant, the need for a new system that would be efficient to operate, but also improve the ventilation during the dramatic fluctuations in temperature and humidity in Iowa, was expressed. One reviewer commented “The justification for the significance of the furnace, and the church, is clear and well-articulated.”
The Lennox “Torrid Zone” furnace is possibly the only one still in use. This became possible due to the dedication of countless volunteer hours by custodial parishioners which include the Searys , the Janssens, Robert Minnehan, John Brend, Joan Nugent, the Hardy family, other volunteers and especially Johnny Shoemaker for the last 30 years as the “go-to repairman” for the existing furnace.
The public is invited to join in the celebration of the updating of the heating and cooling units that will assist in the preservation of the only Catholic church still standing that was designed in 1915 by renowned architect William LeBarthe Steele of Sioux City. The furnace retirement ceremony and presentation of the grant proceeds will be held at 6:30 pm during the daylong 100th birthday celebration of the first brick church building in Cedar Township on Saturday, Aug. 15.
Other events that day include an open house, kids games, horse rides, “The Calling” (a friendly musical competition), a prairie trail ride, pioneer meal grilled by the Greene County Cattlemen, the first ever Team St. Pat’s Church to Church relay (bike from Lohrville, run from Churdan), an Irish beverage garden and a dance.
The Aug. 15 celebration will be of the long history, filled with trials and perseverance, of the St Patrick parish. While the church was always a mission church, never having had a resident priest, the strong Catholic faith of its parishioners kept the church a cornerstone of the community.
The church begins its history in 1852 when the first settlers came to the area. By 1863 other Catholic families had settled in the area. The first Mass was said in Cedar Township in June of 1863, by Fr. Marsh. In the fall of 1872, five acres of land was donated for the establishment of a Catholic church. The church was a white frame building with a high bell tower.
By 1915 St. Patrick Church had outgrown its small church. A new church, the one still standing today, was constructed of matt faced brick and stone designed by the now renowned architect William LaBarthe Steele. In 1916 the church was struck by lightning, causing much damage to the bell tower. On Trinity Sunday, June 15, 1919, fire damaged the building. Using the original brick foundation and walls, the design was modified by removing the side entrances and, with the help of the parishioners, the church was rebuilt by August of 1920. Suffering through the Depression, in 1934 the church property was in receivership and at a public auction. Dennis E. Hayes purchased the property. The church was able to redeem this debt from Mr. Hayes and in 1936 he returned the ownership of St. Patrick Church to the parish.
In 1988, with the decreasing number of available priests, the first cluster of the Sioux City Dioceses churches was organized and included the churches of St Patrick in Cedar Township, St Columbkille in Churdan, St John in Paton and St Bridget in Grand Junction. The parishes were used as an example for the reorganization of parish churches throughout the diocese. It was a difficult adjustment but the faithful of St. Patrick Church once again were able to share and accept the change, making the organization work far better than in other parishes as they were pressed into the same situation.
In 1992 the church was appointed to the National Register of Historic Places. In the years since this designation the parishioners have spent many tireless hours in an attempt to keep the building in very good condition. Many local artists were enlisted to recreate and reclaim various aspects of the church’s statues and structure.
In 1996, the church was officially reduced to Oratory status. This meant that only St. Patrick Day masses, Memorial Day masses, and funerals of parishioners at the time it became an Oratory could be held.
The 125th anniversary of St. Patrick Parish in 1997 was marked with a daylong celebration with a mass, dinner for hundreds and Irish music. In the years that followed, the church had not been allowed to continue the upkeep as it once was and the building interior suffered under the extreme temperature fluctuations.
In June of 2011 a group of former parishioners formed a committee to investigate the measures it would take to repair the damage. In the past four years, extensive repairs including the damaged stained glass windows, crumbling plaster, and flat roof leakage have been accomplished. The confessional has been restored to the original brick walls. The Stations of the Cross are currently being painted. A ramp was installed to the rear of the church so it is now handicap accessible.
