A brief Vitae of St Mary of the Purification -- Marystown

 The Church of Saint Mary of the Purification was found on February 2, 1855, by the Benedictine priest, Father George Keller and about 30 families.  While the first church burned down even before it was finished, the hearty pioneers immediately set to work on its replacement, thought to have been located where the parish house now sits.

Father Bruno Riss, O.S.B., followed Father Keller and left behind a book with a parish census.  He noted that the parish consisted of 30 acres of land, one half-log, half-frame church building, one log priest’s dwelling, a church bell, a portable altar and an iron to make hosts.

Father Benedict Hiendl was the third Benedictine to be pastor at Marystown, and it was while he was pastor, in 1864, that the first school was begun.  Mr. John Theis who owned a saloon taught the first children in his place of business.  It is said that one of the boys, being punished for misbehavior, was sent to the cellar of the saloon.  While there he pulled on one of the stoppers on a barrel to taste the contents.  After this, John Theis no longer used the cellar as a place of punishment.

Father George Sherer, O.S.B., was the fourth Benedictine to serve as pastor.  Then the Franciscans came in the 1870’s.

Father Rufinus Mohle, O.F.M., was pastor from 1876 to 1887.  In 1877 the Milwaukee Franciscan Sisters took charge of the school; and, in 1882, the parish, now with 80 families, decided to build the present stately stone church.

Originally the plans were to enlarge the existing church.  A rear section was to be added to give the church the shape of a cross.  While the excavating was being done, the old wall weakened, unbeknown to the workers.  A parishioner coming to watch the construction noticed that the wall was ready to collapse, and he warned the workers in time for them to escape unharmed.

At that point it was decided to build a completely new church, and so the present church was completed in 1882.  The spire was finished in 1883, and the total cost of the new church was $8,246.62.

            At the same time in 1882 a small house was built north of the church to house the attending monks.  This work was finished in 12 days at a cost of $74.00 and that building has been restored and is presently part of Murphy’s Landing in Shakopee.

            During his eleven busy years as pastor, Father Rufinus baptized 231 children, witnessed 45 marriages, and gave the Anointing of the Sick to 82 parishioners.

            1893 was another big building year for the parish:  an additional sacristy was added to the church ($319.76), and the three story Marystown School was built with a basement which served as a winter chapel plus two classrooms on each of two floors ($2,954.53).  By this time the School Sisters of Notre Dame were in charge of the school.  Then from 1901 to 1921 lay teachers again resumed teaching the children.

            In 1909 when the diocese took charge of the parish and sent Father Joseph Vohr as the first diocesan pastor, the present parish house was built for $5,953.25.  The double garage and breezeway were added in 1974.  February 28, 1917, while Father W. J. Skluzacek was pastor, a fire started in the church early in the morning after the close of Thirteen Hours Devotion.  Everything in the church was lost, and while parishioners were called and came, nothing could be done.  Even the bells came crashing down and only the stone walls remained.

            The fire of the Spirit stirred pastor and parishioners, however, and the community began almost immediately to rebuild the church within the stone walls.  By year’s end, the $23,184.43 work was finished:  new pews, the main altar, a pipe organ, electric wiring and a steam heating system were included.  The Stations of the Cross were added in 1919 and two side altars in 1920.

            In 1921 the School Sisters of Notre Dame returned to Marystown and to a new convent built for them at a cost of $9,512.43.  That building was taken away when the Parish Center was built and now serves as a private home for one of the parish families.

            In 1928 the stained glass windows were installed in the church.  These were all donated and the total cost was $3,150.00.

            In 1930 while Father James Klein was pastor the parish celebrated its Diamond Jubilee.  For this occasion, the pastor wrote and published a book, “History of St. Mary of the Purification.”

            After Father Klein, Father Albert Ziskovsky was pastor from 1937 to 1946.  Father William Michael was here briefly in 1946.  Father W. J. Skluzacek returned for a second term as pastor in 1946 and 1947.  Father Stephen Adrian was pastor from 1947 to 1950.  Father Adrian’s interest in young people and in sports led to the construction of the baseball field and the scoreboard.  Adrian Field was used for many years for town team baseball and the area is still used for softball, volleyball, and activities for the younger children.

            Father Henry Minea began his 16 years as pastor in 1950.  The parish centennial, celebrated in October 1954, was the occasion for redecorating the entire church.  Archbishop John Gregory Murray celebrated the Pontifical High Mass assisted by 25 priests, the choir of Assumption Seminary and the Girls’ Choir of the parish.  Father Alcuin Heibel, O.S.B., a native son of the parish, gave the sermon.  Following the liturgy, all were served a great turkey dinner in the school basement.

            Father Remi Payant began eight years as pastor in 1964.  Being an electrician, he redid the church electrical system, and being a pilot he gave the school graduates their first aerial view of Marystown and Scott County .  The altar facing the people was added at the end of the Second Vatican Council so that the priest could face the people.

            Father John Gilbert became pastor on Dec 6, 1987, and served in this capacity until the end of 1998.  He was a visionary regarding growth and new ideas.  A parish survey taken in February 1989 showed that 77% of the 154 who answered the survey were in favor of building a new Parish Center while 16% were not in favor and a few others were undecided.

            So in 1989 the Marystown Parish Center Building Committee was launched.  Toward the end of 1989, Dick Charlier, a draftsman with Domestic Engineers, drew up a set of plans for the parish.  Mr. Charlier was a long-time friend of Hecker Haeg and the two of them had worked on projects over many years.  When the Building Committee saw these plans there was great enthusiasm for this design which turned out to be the Parish Center that now exists.

            The weekend of May 19-20, 1990, parishioners of St. Mary’s again voted on whether or not they wanted to proceed with a new parish center.  At this point almost everyone was in favor of proceeding with the project.  Following that vote, pledge cards were mailed to parishioners and by August, 1990, the parish had almost $300,000 in pledges and cash for the parish center.

            At the end of September, 1990, the 98 year-old Marystown School was torn down to make room for the Parish Center .  The school which was built in 1882 and remodeled in 1936 held many rich memories for Marystowners.  It was Marystown’s school and beyond that it was a center for all kinds of parish life and activity.

            The construction began at the end of September, 1990, and Marystown was blessed with a great winter for building.  The Parish Center was substantially completed by Easter of 1991.

            On November 24, 1991, Bishop Lawrence Welsh, Auxiliary bishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis , came to celebrate Mass, preach and dedicate the new Parish Center .

            The project cost was $600,000, but the center is worth much more than that.  From the removal of the old school to the digging of the space for the new center to the general contracting of the project and too much of its specialized work, the donated labor and equipment of parishioners was a huge gift.

            The Parish Center is used for meetings, educational programs, parish meals, showers, receptions and of course for the annual Marystown Festival in mid-August.  The Center is well used and holding up well to the use it receives.

           Starting in January 1999 Father Jack Gilbert retired and served as Sacramental Minister until his death in August of 2001 and from January 1999 through December 2007, Deacon Jack Weiland served as the Parish Life Administrator.  Since then a number of priests have served as Sacramental Minister, but Father James Schoenberger has been the primary one and was assigned as such in January of 2005.   In 2005 Saint Mary of the Purification celebrated its 150th Anniversary with Archbishop Harry Flynn presiding. A big celebration followed.

           Effective January 2008 Steve Hofer has been serving as the interim Parish Life Administrator.