Church of All Saints (Keokuk, Iowa)
Encyclopedia
The Church of All Saints is a parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport
. The church is located in Keokuk, Iowa
, United States
, at 301 S. 9th Street. The church building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
as St. Peter Church, the name of the original congregation.
. It was land set aside by the United States Senate
on January 18, 1825 for settlement of mixed-race descendants of the Sac and Fox
tribes. Over the years, some of the women had married French trappers who worked the area, and the descendants were excluded from communal lands because their fathers lacked tribal status. Mixed-race families could live in the Half-Breed Tract but could not sell individual allotments until Congress changed the law in 1837.
In 1824 Bishop Louis Dubourg of New Orleans appointed the Rev. Charles Felix Van Quickenborne
, SJ
the Vicar General of Upper Louisiana, which included the Half-Breed Tract. He is the first priest known to have visited the area of present-day Keokuk, visiting in 1832 and 1833, after that section of Iowa was opened to settlement. He recommended a church be built, as he thought the funds could be easily raised. The next priest to visit the area was the Rev. Peter Paul Lefevere
. He reported that the number of Catholics in the area numbered 38. In 1840 the Rev. Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli
, OP from St. Paul’s Church
in Burlington
added Keokuk to his missionary area. The same year the Rev. John George Alleman
started visiting Keokuk regularly from St. Joseph’s
in Fort Madison
; however, he was unable to raise enough money to build a church. He would continue visiting the area until 1848.
The first parish established in the town was named St. John the Evangelist and was founded in 1844 by Rev. Lucien Galtier
, who was named the first pastor in Keokuk. The church was a log structure built on the corner of Second and Blondeau Streets. The church was built by Hugh V. Gildea from Dubuque
with the help of Father Galtier. A future historian of Keokuk, Virginia Wilcox Ivins, remembered seeing the "elegant" priest hammering on the church roof on a hot July day when she was twelve years old. It measured 20 by 30 feet and was 12 feet high. It cost $598.37, and was paid for from funds received from the Society of the Propagation of the Faith. Galtier stayed only a few months, and Father Alleman had care of the Keokuk parish again. The Rev. Jean Villars became its pastor in 1848 and he stayed for nine years. The Rev. William Emonds was sent to Keokuk in 1855 to buy back property lost by the church. Instead he bought new property on which St. Peter’s Church was founded. By now there were quite a few German
Catholics in Keokuk, who had immigrated after the 1848 Revolutions, and they wanted a priest who spoke their language. After 1857 St. Peter's became the only Catholic church in Keokuk. St. John the Evangelist was abandoned and Father Villars recalled. The cornerstone was laid for the original church on Exchange Street between 9th and 10th Streets on April 20, 1856.
St. Mary’s Church was established in 1867 to serve the pastoral needs of German immigrants. The parish built a red brick church north of St. Peter’s in 1911. St. Francis de Sales Church was begun in 1870 to serve the neighborhoods on the east side of town. All three parishes became part of the Davenport Diocese when it was established in 1881. St. Francis parish built a stone church in 1899, designed by J.J. Egan who had earlier designed both Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport
and St. Ambrose Cathedral
in Des Moines.
As St. Peter's grew, in 1872 the parish decided to relocate the church. Three lots were purchased at 9th and Bank Streets. Plans for the new church building were completed in 1878 by Chicago
architect Johann Dillenburg, who had been as assistant architect in completing the Cologne Cathedral
in Germany
. Ground was broken for the new structure in 1879, and it was dedicated on September 27, 1885.
The church’s stained glass windows were created by the A. Misch Company in 1884 at a cost of $3,300. The Stations of the Cross
came from Munich
, Germany and were erected on February 28, 1892. The commission for the church’s solid marble
altar was given to Joseph Conradi of St. Louis, Missouri
in 1904. The building’s foundations had to be reinforced to support the weight of the new altar. The baptistery was added to the sacristy area at the same time. The altar was dedicated on October 8, 1905.
In 1886 Franciscan Sisters from Peoria, Illinois
opened St. Joseph Hospital next to St. Mary’s Church. In 1975 it merged with Graham Hospital and became Keokuk Area Hospital.
Because of declining numbers of clergy in the diocese, and the declining population in Keokuk, the diocese decided to consolidate the three parishes into one. The Church of All Saints was established in 1982. It was at this time that the Chapel of the Angels was added in the left sacristy area of the church. The chapel used the angel statues that flanked the high altar at St. Mary’s, the pews from St. Francis de Sales, as well as other elements from the three churches. The Blessed Sacrament
is housed in the chapel, and it is used for weekday Masses and First Friday
Adoration. The organ from St. Mary's was placed in the main church.
A Monument Garden is located near the Chapel entrance behind the rectory. The cornerstones from the first St. Peter's Church (1856), the second St. Mary's Church (1911), the second St. Francis de Sales Church (1898), and St. Mary's School (1907) were refaced to designate All Saints parish.
to teach in the school. They taught there from 1861-1864. They withdrew from teaching when Father DeCailly wanted to start a high school for girls, and the Notre Dame Sisters felt it would infringe on the Visitation Academy.
Lay teachers took over the teaching responsibilities in the parish school. The Visitation Sisters left in 1867 because of financial problems that resulted from the building of a new school. The parish took over the school and the Daughters of Charity
came to teach the same year. The common school and the select school were merged in 1877. The grade school was renamed St. Vincent’s. The Notre Dame Sisters came back to Keokuk and staffed the parochial school at St. Mary’s Church. St. Peter’s High School continued until a central Catholic high school named Cardinal Stritch was opened in 1965. The Daughters of Charity left Keokuk in 1996. St. Vincent’s moved into the Cardinal Stritch building after it closed in the early 21st century.
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 Keokuk, Iowa
Keokuk, Iowa
Keokuk is a city in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Iowa and one of the county seats of Lee County. The other county seat is Fort Madison. The population was 11,427 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Sauk Chief Keokuk, who is thought to be buried in Rand Park...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, at 301 S. 9th Street. The church building 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...
as St. Peter Church, the name of the original congregation.
History
The area of Keokuk was within the Half-Breed TractHalf-Breed Tract
A Half-Breed Tract was a segment of land designated in the western states by the United States government in the 19th century specifically for people of American Indian and European or European-American ancestry, known as mixed bloods. The government set aside such tracts in several U.S...
. It was land set aside by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
on January 18, 1825 for settlement of mixed-race descendants of the Sac and Fox
Meskwaki
The Meskwaki are a Native American people often known to outsiders as the Fox tribe. They have often been closely linked to the Sauk people. In their own language, the Meskwaki call themselves Meshkwahkihaki, which means "the Red-Earths." Historically their homelands were in the Great Lakes region...
tribes. Over the years, some of the women had married French trappers who worked the area, and the descendants were excluded from communal lands because their fathers lacked tribal status. Mixed-race families could live in the Half-Breed Tract but could not sell individual allotments until Congress changed the law in 1837.
In 1824 Bishop Louis Dubourg of New Orleans appointed the Rev. Charles Felix Van Quickenborne
Charles Felix Van Quickenborne
Father Charles Felix Van Quickenborne was born in Petegem, near Deinze, Belgium on 21 January 1788. Van Quickenborne is best known as the founder of St. Louis University....
, SJ
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
the Vicar General of Upper Louisiana, which included the Half-Breed Tract. He is the first priest known to have visited the area of present-day Keokuk, visiting in 1832 and 1833, after that section of Iowa was opened to settlement. He recommended a church be built, as he thought the funds could be easily raised. The next priest to visit the area was the Rev. Peter Paul Lefevere
Peter Paul Lefevere
Peter Paul Lefevere, or Lefebre, born as Pierre-Paul Lefevere , was a 19th century Belgian born bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States...
. He reported that the number of Catholics in the area numbered 38. In 1840 the Rev. Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli
Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli
Father Samuel Charles Mazzuchelli, O.P. was a pioneer Italian Catholic missionary who helped bring the church to the Iowa-Illinois-Wisconsin tri-state area. He founded a number of parishes in the area, and was the architect for a number of parish buildings.-Background:Father Mazzuchelli was born...
, OP from St. Paul’s Church
Saints John and Paul Catholic Church (Burlington, Iowa)
Saints John and Paul Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Davenport. The parish is the result of a merger between St. John the Baptist and St. Paul’s Parishes in the city of Burlington, Iowa, United States. The parish maintains both of the former parish church buildings as worship sites....
in Burlington
Burlington, Iowa
Burlington is a city in, and the county seat of Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 25,663 in the 2010 census, a decline from the 26,839 population in the 2000 census. Burlington is the center of a micropolitan area including West Burlington, Iowa and Middletown, Iowa and...
added Keokuk to his missionary area. The same year the Rev. John George Alleman
John George Alleman
John George Alleman was a missionary Catholic priest who served in the states of Ohio, Iowa and Illinois. He served as a priest in the Dominican Order from 1834–1840, after which time he was expelled from the order. He then served as a secular priest in the Diocese of Dubuque from 1840–1851, and...
started visiting Keokuk regularly from St. Joseph’s
Holy Family Catholic Church (Fort Madison, Iowa)
Holy Family Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Davenport. The parish is the result of a merger between Saints Mary and Joseph Parish and Sacred Heart Parish in the city of Fort Madison, Iowa, United States. The parish maintains both of the former parish church buildings as worship...
in Fort Madison
Fort Madison, Iowa
Fort Madison, situated on the Mississippi River, is a city in and one of the county seats of Lee County, Iowa, United States. The other county seat is Keokuk. The population was 10,715 at the 2000 census...
; however, he was unable to raise enough money to build a church. He would continue visiting the area until 1848.
The first parish established in the town was named St. John the Evangelist and was founded in 1844 by Rev. Lucien Galtier
Lucien Galtier
Lucien Galtier was the first Roman Catholic priest who served in Minnesota. While he was a native of France, the place of his birth is uncertain and even the year, some sources claiming 1811 but his tomb bearing the date December 17, 1812. In the 1830s, people were settling across the Minnesota...
, who was named the first pastor in Keokuk. The church was a log structure built on the corner of Second and Blondeau Streets. The church was built by Hugh V. Gildea from Dubuque
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
with the help of Father Galtier. A future historian of Keokuk, Virginia Wilcox Ivins, remembered seeing the "elegant" priest hammering on the church roof on a hot July day when she was twelve years old. It measured 20 by 30 feet and was 12 feet high. It cost $598.37, and was paid for from funds received from the Society of the Propagation of the Faith. Galtier stayed only a few months, and Father Alleman had care of the Keokuk parish again. The Rev. Jean Villars became its pastor in 1848 and he stayed for nine years. The Rev. William Emonds was sent to Keokuk in 1855 to buy back property lost by the church. Instead he bought new property on which St. Peter’s Church was founded. By now there were quite a few German
Germans
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....
Catholics in Keokuk, who had immigrated after the 1848 Revolutions, and they wanted a priest who spoke their language. After 1857 St. Peter's became the only Catholic church in Keokuk. St. John the Evangelist was abandoned and Father Villars recalled. The cornerstone was laid for the original church on Exchange Street between 9th and 10th Streets on April 20, 1856.
St. Mary’s Church was established in 1867 to serve the pastoral needs of German immigrants. The parish built a red brick church north of St. Peter’s in 1911. St. Francis de Sales Church was begun in 1870 to serve the neighborhoods on the east side of town. All three parishes became part of the Davenport Diocese when it was established in 1881. St. Francis parish built a stone church in 1899, designed by J.J. Egan who had earlier designed both Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
and St. Ambrose Cathedral
St. Ambrose Cathedral (Des Moines)
St. Ambrose Cathedral is the cathedral parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Des Moines, and is located at 607 High Street in Des Moines, Iowa in the center of the city. The facility is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as St...
in Des Moines.
As St. Peter's grew, in 1872 the parish decided to relocate the church. Three lots were purchased at 9th and Bank Streets. Plans for the new church building were completed in 1878 by Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
architect Johann Dillenburg, who had been as assistant architect in completing the Cologne Cathedral
Cologne Cathedral
Cologne Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and is a World Heritage Site...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Ground was broken for the new structure in 1879, and it was dedicated on September 27, 1885.
The church’s stained glass windows were created by the A. Misch Company in 1884 at a cost of $3,300. The Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross
Stations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St...
came from Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Germany and were erected on February 28, 1892. The commission for the church’s solid marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
altar was given to Joseph Conradi of 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...
in 1904. The building’s foundations had to be reinforced to support the weight of the new altar. The baptistery was added to the sacristy area at the same time. The altar was dedicated on October 8, 1905.
In 1886 Franciscan Sisters from Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
opened St. Joseph Hospital next to St. Mary’s Church. In 1975 it merged with Graham Hospital and became Keokuk Area Hospital.
Because of declining numbers of clergy in the diocese, and the declining population in Keokuk, the diocese decided to consolidate the three parishes into one. The Church of All Saints was established in 1982. It was at this time that the Chapel of the Angels was added in the left sacristy area of the church. The chapel used the angel statues that flanked the high altar at St. Mary’s, the pews from St. Francis de Sales, as well as other elements from the three churches. The Blessed Sacrament
Blessed Sacrament
The Blessed Sacrament, or the Body and Blood of Christ, is a devotional name used in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Churches, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, to refer to the Host after it has been consecrated in the sacrament of the Eucharist...
is housed in the chapel, and it is used for weekday Masses and First Friday
First Friday Devotions
The First Friday Devotions are a set of Catholic devotions to especially recognize the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and through it offer reparations for sins. In the visions of Christ reported by St...
Adoration. The organ from St. Mary's was placed in the main church.
A Monument Garden is located near the Chapel entrance behind the rectory. The cornerstones from the first St. Peter's Church (1856), the second St. Mary's Church (1911), the second St. Francis de Sales Church (1898), and St. Mary's School (1907) were refaced to designate All Saints parish.
Catholic schools
The first Catholic school was established in Keokuk by the Visitation Sisters in 1852. They opened a free school first. In 1853 they started a new convent and a select school for both boarders and day students. St. Peter’s Parish desired a parochial school, but the Visitation Sisters' rule forbade them from teaching in parochial schools. The school was started by 1859, and the Rev. Louis DeCailly asked the School Sisters of Notre DameSchool Sisters of Notre Dame
School Sisters of Notre Dame is a worldwide order of Roman Catholic nuns devoted to primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Their life in mission centers on prayer, community life and ministry...
to teach in the school. They taught there from 1861-1864. They withdrew from teaching when Father DeCailly wanted to start a high school for girls, and the Notre Dame Sisters felt it would infringe on the Visitation Academy.
Lay teachers took over the teaching responsibilities in the parish school. The Visitation Sisters left in 1867 because of financial problems that resulted from the building of a new school. The parish took over the school and the Daughters of Charity
Daughters of Charity
The Company of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, sometimes simply referred to as Daughters of Charity, is a Society of Apostolic Life for women within the Catholic Church. Its members take simple, private, annual vows...
came to teach the same year. The common school and the select school were merged in 1877. The grade school was renamed St. Vincent’s. The Notre Dame Sisters came back to Keokuk and staffed the parochial school at St. Mary’s Church. St. Peter’s High School continued until a central Catholic high school named Cardinal Stritch was opened in 1965. The Daughters of Charity left Keokuk in 1996. St. Vincent’s moved into the Cardinal Stritch building after it closed in the early 21st century.