St. Joseph's Catholic Church (Lacona, Iowa)
Encyclopedia
St. Joseph's Catholic Church is a former parish of the Diocese of Davenport
. The church is located in rural Lacona, Iowa
, United States
, one mile east of the junction of County Road G 76 and SE 97th Street. The church building still stands and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. The parish was known in the Davenport Diocese as St. Joseph's, Bauer.
immigrants in a place in western Marion County
called Newbern, and later called Bauer. It was founded in the Diocese of Dubuque
during the episcopate of Bishop Mathias Loras
. The church building was built in 1876 under the leadership of Bishop John Hennessy
. Initially, the parish did not have a resident priest and was served by priests located at St. Patrick’s
in Georgetown. The parish became part of the Davenport Diocese when it was established in 1881.
The parish supported a school staffed by the School Sisters of St. Francis from Milwaukee. It was one of seven parochial school
s in the diocese that operated as public schools. All of these areas were predominately Catholic, nearly 100%. In the early 20th century the state of Iowa
required all districts to have a school. Parochial schools fulfilled the requirement. Funds were used to pay at least some of the Sister’s salaries, books (except for religion), equipment and other items per the contract with the state. In Bauer the salary that was paid to the Sisters was so low that the superintendent chose not to report it so as to not bring down the salary level of the other teachers in the district. A map was the only piece of equipment that was provided, and $50 a year was provided for coal to heat the school. Starting in 1937 law suits were brought against the districts challenging their legal right to employ the Sisters. The District Court upheld the practice, but the state Supreme Court overturned the decision and left it open for a retrial. The case was dropped as was one in 1941. While the state could not restrict employing teachers based on their religious beliefs, they could restrict what they wore. The Sisters continued to wear their habits, but they removed their rosary
s and reliquaries
. In 1953 the state legislature passed a law that refused state aid to these parish based schools. The school at St. Joseph’s became a parochial school and remained open until 1964.
As the numbers of clergy started to decline, St. Joseph’s lost its resident priest and it was clustered with other parishes. The number of parishioners declined as well and the parish was closed in the early 1990s.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport is a diocese of the Catholic Church for the southeastern quarter of the state of Iowa. There are within the diocese...
. The church is located in rural Lacona, Iowa
Lacona, Iowa
Lacona is a city in Warren County, Iowa, United States. The population was 360 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Lacona is located at ....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, one mile east of the junction of County Road G 76 and SE 97th Street. The church building still stands and 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...
. The parish was known in the Davenport Diocese as St. Joseph's, Bauer.
History
St. Joseph's was founded in 1853 to serve GermanGermans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
immigrants in a place in western Marion County
Marion County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 33,309 in the county, with a population density of . There were 13,914 housing units, of which 12,723 were occupied.-2000 census:...
called Newbern, and later called Bauer. It was founded in the Diocese of Dubuque
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northeastern quarter of the state of Iowa in the United States. It includes all the Iowa counties north of Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Iowa, Johnson, Cedar, and Clinton counties. ...
during the episcopate of Bishop Mathias Loras
Mathias Loras
Bishop Mathias Loras was an immigrant French priest to the United States who later became the first bishop of the Dubuque Diocese in what would become the state of Iowa.-Early Life & Ministry:...
. The church building was built in 1876 under the leadership of Bishop John Hennessy
John Hennessy (Archbishop)
-External links:**...
. Initially, the parish did not have a resident priest and was served by priests located at St. Patrick’s
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church (Georgetown, Iowa)
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Davenport. The church is located in rural Monroe County, Iowa, United States, on U.S. Route 34, west of Albia, Iowa...
in Georgetown. The parish became part of the Davenport Diocese when it was established in 1881.
The parish supported a school staffed by the School Sisters of St. Francis from Milwaukee. It was one of seven parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
s in the diocese that operated as public schools. All of these areas were predominately Catholic, nearly 100%. In the early 20th century the state of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
required all districts to have a school. Parochial schools fulfilled the requirement. Funds were used to pay at least some of the Sister’s salaries, books (except for religion), equipment and other items per the contract with the state. In Bauer the salary that was paid to the Sisters was so low that the superintendent chose not to report it so as to not bring down the salary level of the other teachers in the district. A map was the only piece of equipment that was provided, and $50 a year was provided for coal to heat the school. Starting in 1937 law suits were brought against the districts challenging their legal right to employ the Sisters. The District Court upheld the practice, but the state Supreme Court overturned the decision and left it open for a retrial. The case was dropped as was one in 1941. While the state could not restrict employing teachers based on their religious beliefs, they could restrict what they wore. The Sisters continued to wear their habits, but they removed their rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
s and reliquaries
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
. In 1953 the state legislature passed a law that refused state aid to these parish based schools. The school at St. Joseph’s became a parochial school and remained open until 1964.
As the numbers of clergy started to decline, St. Joseph’s lost its resident priest and it was clustered with other parishes. The number of parishioners declined as well and the parish was closed in the early 1990s.