Saint Paul's Catholic Church (Worthington)
Encyclopedia
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
This parish is located in Worthington, Iowa
Worthington, Iowa
Worthington is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States. The population was 381 at the 2000 census. Iowa Highway 136's route takes it through Worthington, which is north of Cascade and south of Dyersville.-History:...
, and is part of the Archdiocese 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. ...
. St. Paul's is linked with the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier
Basilica of St. Francis Xavier
The Basilica of St. Francis Xavier is the Catholic parish for the residents of Dyersville, Iowa. It is one of only 52 basilicas in the United States. The parish is part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The church was named in honor of the missionary Saint Francis Xavier.-The Church Building:The...
in Dyersville, Iowa
Dyersville, Iowa
Dyersville is a city in eastern Delaware and western Dubuque Counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is part of the Dubuque, Iowa, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,035 at the 2000 census and was estimated to be 4,167 in 2006....
- with whom it shares a pastor. The church today is located at 301 2nd Ave. SW in Worthington.
History
Initially, the settlers of Worthington were EnglishEnglish people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, but they were soon followed by 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....
and Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
families. At first most of the residents of Worthington traveled to St. Francis Church in Dyersville, while some went to Saint Martin's Church
Saint Martin's Catholic Church (Cascade)
Saint Martin's Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish in the Dubuque County, Iowa community of Cascade, Iowa. It is the primary parish for the Catholic residents of Cascade, and is part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.-History:...
in Cascade, Iowa
Cascade, Iowa
Cascade is a city in Dubuque County and Jones County, Iowa, United States. The Dubuque County portion is part of Dubuque Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Jones County portion is part of Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,958 at the 2000 census, but is now...
because services there were conducted in English.
Founding of Worthington Parish
In 1862 Rev. Anton Kortenkamp (1834-1889) arrived in Dyersville, Iowa. He would attend to the needs of Worthington Catholics until 1875. By 1868 the population of Worthington had grown large enough that Kortenkamp had decided the time had come for a new parish to be established in Worthington. Construction of a brick building was soon begun and the new parish was dedicated to Saint PaulPaul of Tarsus
Paul the Apostle , also known as Saul of Tarsus, is described in the Christian New Testament as one of the most influential early Christian missionaries, with the writings ascribed to him by the church forming a considerable portion of the New Testament...
. The cornerstone of this first building had the inscription, "Romisch Catholische, St. Paulus Kirche, Gebaut 1 Nov. 1868." The new church took about four years to complete.
At first the new parish did not have a resident pastor. Fr. Kortenkamp would come to Worthington once a month to say Mass. At times he would bring some members of the Dyersville Choir with him so that a High Mass
High Mass
High Mass may mean:*Solemn Mass, a Tridentine Mass celebrated with deacon and subdeacon *Missa Cantata, a sung Tridentine Mass without deacon and subdeacon...
could be held in Worthington.
1875-1952
In 1875 St. Paul's received its first resident pastor, John S. Baumann. He began building a new parish school, and also established societies for parishioners. By 1878 the population had grown to the extent that it was necessary to build an extension onto the church. He also built a new rectory, which would serve the pastors until the current rectory was built in 1921. Fr. Baumann left when he was appointed a professor at Columbia College (known today as Loras CollegeLoras College
Loras College is a four-year Catholic college located in Dubuque, Iowa, with a general attendance of approximately 1,700 students. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs...
).
Baumann was followed by George W. Heer. The present church structure began construction in 1883, during Heer's tenure, and dedicated December 3, 1889. This new 54x110-foot building had a spire that stretched 140 feet (42.7 m) into the air. A statue of St. Paul was placed over the entryway; this statue was a gift from Fr. Baumann. The cost of erecting this building was about $12,000, with the inside unfinished. Heer also had a new 60x60-foot school with nine classrooms built near the church.
Heer was followed by James Zigrang in December 1889. During Zigrang's tenure as priest, the interior of the church was fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
ed and new 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...
were placed in the church. After Zigrang returned from the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
in 1907, he provided the church with a new pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
, which continues to serve this church today. He would serve until his death in 1913, having given the last 24 years of his life to St. Paul's parish. Fr. Zigrang was buried in the parish cemetery.
J.H. Schilmoeller was assigned as pastor of St. Paul's in August 1913. He would be another long-term priest of the parish, who served 39 years at St. Paul's. During his tenure the church was enlarged. He also directed the construction of a Sisters' Home in 1914. This particular convent was the first one in Iowa in which every nun had her own private room. This 54x44-foot building had 29 rooms.