St. Cecilia Catholic Church
503 1st Street SW
Towner, McHenry County, North Dakota 58788
503 1st Street SW
Towner, McHenry County, North Dakota 58788
St. Cecilia Catholic Church
Father Wherle, later to become the first Bishop of the Bismarck Diocese, said the first mass in a railroad section house in 1888. Not long after that Father Campeau of Willow City began making frequent trips to Towner so that the people would have mass.
In 1905 Towner became a Mission of Devils Lake and the people had mass more regularly. The first church was built by Father Burger, O.S.B. in 1905. The first recorded marriage was that of Edward Fisher and Ludovlca Taylor with the ceremony performed by Father Othmar of Fulda on July 2, 1908. Later that month, on July 25, Frances Janiskowski was baptized by Father Seibfreid, and it was the first recorded baptism.
St. Cecilla Church became a Mission of Rugby In 1910 and was taken care of by Father Kern. The growth of the Mission was rapid and in 1912 St. Cecilia became a parish with Father Bierens appointed pastor.
In June 1913 First Holy Communion was held and fifteen children were in the class. On November 22 the first Solemn High Mass was celebrated in honor of the patron saint, St. Cecilia. Father Bierens was the Celebrant assisted by Fathers Doering and Nussbouwer. In addition to Towner, Father Bierens also served churches in Bantry, Newburg, Berwick and Granville. The pastor visited those places mostly by horse and buggy but sometimes by train, riding in the caboose of freight trains at times.
In 1926 the original church was far too small for the congregation so under the guidance of Father Hart the church was enlarged over a full basement and a bell tower was added to the front of the building. The bell was donated by Mrs. Adam Haman and was in continuous use until the church was destroyed by fire on January 3, 1950. The ashes were barely cold when members of the parish held a meeting to draw up plans for a new church and the work began on July 3.
The new church is concrete block with brick exterior and has a seating capacity of 500. The full basement is well equipped and can serve banquets for 400 people. The church was dedicated July 25, 1952, by Bishop Dworschak. In 1961 the $210,000 debt was retired and the mortgage burning ceremony was held on Thanksgiving Day. Also, in 1961 plans were made to build a new and larger rectory and work began in April. The rectory is of brick to match the exterior of the church and has a large room in the basement where meetings can be held during the winter months.
Essential parts of any parish are the organizations within the parish, and these include the Christian Mothers Society, the Catholic Order of Foresters for the men, the Junior Foresters and the Knights of the Altar who are the altar boys. The requirements for the altar boys are strict. They must be In at least the second or third grade in school, neat in their appearance and be prompt and reliable in their work. Because of these requirements membership in the Knights of the altar is kept to a low number.
Father Jerome Filteau has been in charge of the Towner parish since 1949. During that time two young men, Father Ben Bachmeier, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ignatius Bachmeier and Father Leonard Burkchard, the son of Tony and Barbara Burckhard, have been ordained in priesthood.
Info from - McHenry County Its History and Its People (page 440)
Father Wherle, later to become the first Bishop of the Bismarck Diocese, said the first mass in a railroad section house in 1888. Not long after that Father Campeau of Willow City began making frequent trips to Towner so that the people would have mass.
In 1905 Towner became a Mission of Devils Lake and the people had mass more regularly. The first church was built by Father Burger, O.S.B. in 1905. The first recorded marriage was that of Edward Fisher and Ludovlca Taylor with the ceremony performed by Father Othmar of Fulda on July 2, 1908. Later that month, on July 25, Frances Janiskowski was baptized by Father Seibfreid, and it was the first recorded baptism.
St. Cecilla Church became a Mission of Rugby In 1910 and was taken care of by Father Kern. The growth of the Mission was rapid and in 1912 St. Cecilia became a parish with Father Bierens appointed pastor.
In June 1913 First Holy Communion was held and fifteen children were in the class. On November 22 the first Solemn High Mass was celebrated in honor of the patron saint, St. Cecilia. Father Bierens was the Celebrant assisted by Fathers Doering and Nussbouwer. In addition to Towner, Father Bierens also served churches in Bantry, Newburg, Berwick and Granville. The pastor visited those places mostly by horse and buggy but sometimes by train, riding in the caboose of freight trains at times.
In 1926 the original church was far too small for the congregation so under the guidance of Father Hart the church was enlarged over a full basement and a bell tower was added to the front of the building. The bell was donated by Mrs. Adam Haman and was in continuous use until the church was destroyed by fire on January 3, 1950. The ashes were barely cold when members of the parish held a meeting to draw up plans for a new church and the work began on July 3.
The new church is concrete block with brick exterior and has a seating capacity of 500. The full basement is well equipped and can serve banquets for 400 people. The church was dedicated July 25, 1952, by Bishop Dworschak. In 1961 the $210,000 debt was retired and the mortgage burning ceremony was held on Thanksgiving Day. Also, in 1961 plans were made to build a new and larger rectory and work began in April. The rectory is of brick to match the exterior of the church and has a large room in the basement where meetings can be held during the winter months.
Essential parts of any parish are the organizations within the parish, and these include the Christian Mothers Society, the Catholic Order of Foresters for the men, the Junior Foresters and the Knights of the Altar who are the altar boys. The requirements for the altar boys are strict. They must be In at least the second or third grade in school, neat in their appearance and be prompt and reliable in their work. Because of these requirements membership in the Knights of the altar is kept to a low number.
Father Jerome Filteau has been in charge of the Towner parish since 1949. During that time two young men, Father Ben Bachmeier, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ignatius Bachmeier and Father Leonard Burkchard, the son of Tony and Barbara Burckhard, have been ordained in priesthood.
Info from - McHenry County Its History and Its People (page 440)