Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church (Pocahontas, Iowa)
Encyclopedia
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church is a former parish of the Diocese of Sioux City
. The church is located in Pocahontas, Iowa
, United States
, at 16 2nd Ave., NW. The parish served the Bohemian
community that lived in the Pocahontas area. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
. The liturgies were celebrated irregularly in a schoolhouse until 1881. That year the Rev. Mathew Norton started celebrating Mass once a month.
In 1882 Warrich Price donated three acres of land east of town for a church and cemetery. Will Hubbel designed the building and directed the construction. The church measured 32 by 40 feet and was built for $2,000. The altar
was built by Charles Andrea of Spillville
. Mary Payer donated the altar as well as a picture of St. Peter and St. Paul that was painted in Bohemia
. The bells for the church, named Agnes and Joseph, were brought from St. Louis, Missouri
.The first resident pastor, the Rev. J.P. Bronz, served the parish from 1891-1895. The rectory
was built at this time. In 1894 the church building was moved to its current location and extended by 30 feet. The church was enlarged again and remodeled in 1895 at a cost of $1,800. In 1901 the parish became a Bohemian national parish
to serve that immigrant community.
Renovations were made to the church in 1957 which included new floors, pews, altar and communion rail. It was redecorated in 1964 and changes were made a couple years later which reflected the liturgical changes inspired by the Second Vatican Council
. The altar was changed so the priest could face the congregation.
By 1973 Pocahontas no longer needed two parishes, let alone a national parish for Bohemians. Bishop Frank H. Greteman
merged both Saints Peter and Paul and Sacred Heart in Pocahontas into one parish named Resurrection of Our Lord. Both churches were used for liturgy until a new church could be built. Saints Peter and Paul Church was permanently closed in 1983. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The last Mass in the church was held in 1997.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City is the Roman Catholic diocese for the northwestern quarter of the state of Iowa, US The diocese comprises 24 counties in northwestern Iowa, and it covers an area of ....
. The church is located in Pocahontas, Iowa
Pocahontas, Iowa
Pocahontas is a city in and the county seat of Pocahontas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,789 in the 2010 census, a decline from the 1,970 population in the 2000 census.-History:...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, at 16 2nd Ave., NW. The parish served the Bohemian
Bohemian
A Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...
community that lived in the Pocahontas area. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
The first Catholic Mass in Pocahontas was celebrated in 1875 by the Rev. T.M. Lenahan from Fort DodgeFort Dodge, Iowa
Fort Dodge is a city and county seat of Webster County, Iowa, United States, along the Des Moines River. The population was 25,206 in the 2010 census, an increase from 25,136 in the 2000 census. Fort Dodge is a major commercial center for North Central and Northwest Iowa. It is located on U.S...
. The liturgies were celebrated irregularly in a schoolhouse until 1881. That year the Rev. Mathew Norton started celebrating Mass once a month.
In 1882 Warrich Price donated three acres of land east of town for a church and cemetery. Will Hubbel designed the building and directed the construction. The church measured 32 by 40 feet and was built for $2,000. The altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
was built by Charles Andrea of Spillville
Spillville, Iowa
Spillville is a city in Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 386 at the 2000 census. It is located in Calmar Township, about west of Calmar and about southwest of Decorah, the county seat.-History:...
. Mary Payer donated the altar as well as a picture of St. Peter and St. Paul that was painted in Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
. The bells for the church, named Agnes and Joseph, were brought from St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.The first resident pastor, the Rev. J.P. Bronz, served the parish from 1891-1895. The rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
was built at this time. In 1894 the church building was moved to its current location and extended by 30 feet. The church was enlarged again and remodeled in 1895 at a cost of $1,800. In 1901 the parish became a Bohemian national parish
National parish
National parishes are Catholic parishes that serve particular ethnic communities. They are distinguished from the other type of parish, the territorial parish, which serve a geographic area of a diocese. National parishes have existed in Rome for centuries to meet the spiritual needs of the...
to serve that immigrant community.
Renovations were made to the church in 1957 which included new floors, pews, altar and communion rail. It was redecorated in 1964 and changes were made a couple years later which reflected the liturgical changes inspired by the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
. The altar was changed so the priest could face the congregation.
By 1973 Pocahontas no longer needed two parishes, let alone a national parish for Bohemians. Bishop Frank H. Greteman
Frank Henry Greteman
Frank Henry Greteman was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church.-Biography:Frank Greteman was born in Willey, Iowa, to Bernard and Mary Greteman...
merged both Saints Peter and Paul and Sacred Heart in Pocahontas into one parish named Resurrection of Our Lord. Both churches were used for liturgy until a new church could be built. Saints Peter and Paul Church was permanently closed in 1983. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The last Mass in the church was held in 1997.