St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, Rossville, Kansas
The corner stone of the St. Stanislaus Catholic Church was laid by Bishop Fink on June 18, 1899. The dedication of the completed church took place on October 29, 1899.
Unknown
Rossville Community Library
1912
Public domain
photograph
RCL0152
History of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, Rossville, Kansas
HISTORY OF ST. STANISLAUS IN ROSSVILLE
(As written by Miss Frances DeGraff)
Shortly after the holidays in 1989, I came home from K.C. where I had been sewing. I heard that Catholic services were being held in Fritz's Hall, and Catechism Classes at old Joseph Navarre’s home. This was unexpected news, so I went up to Mass up to the Hall for the first time. After Mass most everybody stayed to talk about the chances of a Church. The chances seemed rather slim. Mrs. Coughlin of Silver Lake said she would give the rocks if someone would give the lots. I volunteered to give them, so things got started. Everybody had a selection to make except the donor! Fr. Kokenge finally picked out some lots three doors north of where the Church now stands. They were owned by Protestants who belonged to the Christian Church.
Their minister found out the Catholics were trying to buy them and bought them himself, thinking he would sell them to the Catholics an make a stake off of them (which he did not get a chance). The matter was finally settled by the Bishop donating 50 dollars to Fr. Kokenge to buy two lots where the Church now stands. Fr. Kokenge was a very busy man in those days: here he found a place for real missionary work, a lot of neglected, half-hearted Catholics, some of them too poor and pitiful to even get to St. Marys to church. Many of them held back even after there was services here; many of Indian descent (though not all of them). Aside from his College work Fr. Kokenge put all his spare time in this work, blessing marriages, baptizing whole families of children, hunting up strays, and visiting renegade Catholics, and incidentally a social, or a Raffle to help the cause along. Finally Louis Martin and Mrs. Lutz got up two books and came down one Sunday afternoon and asked me if I would go out and solicit for funds for the Church. I had never done anything of the kind and hesitated, but finally consented when I thought of our people: how needy and disheartened they were with their first lessons in civilization. I took the book and we came to agreement to subscribe an equal amount on each other's book. (which was one hundred dollars each to be paid on the lumber bill) So a week from the following Tuesday was decided on, which was decided on, to go out and solicit. That day proved to be election day, a day which the Methodists appropriate for their socials, dinners, and Church work generally. They had a dinner in the Hall. Mrs. Lutz thought we should put off our work until some other time. I told her we could go on the street: she could take one side and I the other, which we did, and we took dinner with the Methodists. I expected opposition and got it from two turncoats - baptized Irishmen both of them: Tom Kiernan and James Devinny, both drunk, leaning against the south side of a building, sunning themselves; when they saw me coming towards them they raised their hands at me and told me I need not come near them - they had nothing for me. Well, what I said to those two was no compliment! To offset this two Presbyterian leaders in their church subscribed: Mr. Bradly, $15. paid in two payments; Mr. John Wilt of his own accord came up with donated $5. Both were in business at that time; they are more friendly to the Catholics here than the other Protestants. Aside from what Mrs. Lutz marked on my card I had about $40, which was good considering that the Methodists were having their blowout, and seemed to think they had a patent right to that day (they do yet and still have quiltings and dinners on that day). One of my neighbors, Mr. M. Smith donated all the sand used in the building. Mr. Eli Nadeau donated for the rocks; we could not afford rock because masonry was more expensive than a Frame Church, so that donation was turned down. (Mrs. Coughlin, she excused herself out of it; to my mind she crawfished beautifully). Sometime before this, long before Rossville ever dreamed of having a Catholic Church, Silver Lake got up a collection of 30 dollars for one and the money was at St.
Marys College. Mrs. Coughlin told me this - she mentioned this because she thought Rossville ought to have it. Some of the Silver Lake folks thought different. So Mr. Jack Coughlin got Mr. Charles Williams, Sr., who comes to church, to write our Bishop and see if the church could be built in Silver Lake instead of Rossville. This was done on the quiet, but I heard of it, went to the College and told Fr. Kokenge to look after this matter at once, which he did. Well, Mrs. Coughlin still owned her rocks when she passed out; the old lady done done quite a few good things for the little Church too, and Maggie was was a great help to me besides what she done on her account. A Mr. Stanley, who was State Architect, donated the plans. About this time there was such a dearth of funds, and such a crying for money that Fr. Kokenge said to me: Oh, if I only had a thousand dollars I could change the face of the earth! Other churches had Altar
Societies, aide societies and quiltings - why not make quilts to help along? My spare time was my own and I had a little pin money which I could spend as I pleased, so I got material, made three quilts, put out 100 tickets at 25 cents a ticket and raffled them off at $25 dollars apiece. Mrs. I.B. Alter got the first one, Mrs. Partello the second, Mrs. C.L. Mattley of K.C. the third. She also gave $25 cash to help pay for one of the sanctuary windows and later on when Fr. Hoferer lifted the debt from the little church, she took two more of my quilts and sent me a check for $50 dollars. Later on others sold quilts and turned in the money. I was told to go and collect what I had on my books, which I did, the Catholics of Rossville giving less than $20 dollars, Mrs. Rachel Thurber giving $5 of this. That we have a Catholic Church in Rossville today seems almost a miracle to me, when I think of how little we had to work with. One day shortly after this Fr. Kokenge came with the plans of the church and staked out the foundation. Fr. Kokenge’s duties at the College kept him up there so he could not be here, so he told me to get those who donated work instead of money to come and dig the trenches for the rocks. I got two of my brothers, *Mr. Joseph Navarre, and Anthony Dolezilek and a few others who I do not remember. Right here let me say that the Anthony Dolezileks are the prize family of the parish, having been with us since the beginning of the work, and have done their part faithfully. Those who had teams hauled sand and rocks; those who did not have teams used spades and shovels, dug trenches. Then lime was needed, which I bought and paid for out of my own money, which was easier than to solicit for it. I had a team which I put on the job help out. Fr. Kokenge asked to be relieved, and Fr. J. P. DeSmedt took charge of the work. The foundation was being laid, Josh Harding doing the masonry; he was a fine stone cutter, he made the corner-stone.
*No relation to the present Joe Navarre
He also drank a great deal, and got the foundation about 4 feet narrower at the back than the front. This made trouble for Fr. Kokenge, so Mr. Harding quit, and his brother-in-law, Scott Easdale finished. Mr. Harding decided to keep the cornerstone, but Fr. Kokenge shamed him and he gave it up. This Harding was a son-in- law of the Preacher who butted in and got the lots ahead of us, thinking to make a stake of from the Catholics. Scott was a stepson. The cornerstone was laid in June, 1899, and for once in my life I had the pleasure and honor of getting up a meal for a Bishop and 10 priests, which was served at the *Mileham's home: first house north of the church. On that day Mrs. Mileham was confirmed - that is how I came to take over charge of the dinner. As Fr. DeSmedt could oversee this work, and be on hand when Fr. Kokenge could not on account of his College work, things moved. Richard Beseau started the carpenter work, but did not finish it. For what reason, Fr. DeSmedt can tell. Then Fr. DeSmedt engaged a Mr. George Clark of Topeka, who proved to be efficient and interested, as will prove later. When the main part was nearing completion, Fr. DeSmedt said that the back of the church would have to be closed for the present on account of lack of funds; the sanctuary could be built later. This was bad news to Mr. Clark, and it certainly worried me too. Fr. DeSmedt called a meeting for Sunday afternoon, to be held at Mileham’s house north of the church, Sunday, and Fr. McCabe arid Fr. DeSmedt. It was a very hot afternoon, not a soul attended that meeting but myself and the Milehams. After waiting a suitable time for someone to show up, Fr. DeSmedt spoke up and said: Well, the church will have to be finished without the sanctuary. Mr. Clark and I talked things over. Next morning he offered to finish and put up the sanctuary for $300 complete. So I went to St. Marys and consulted with Fr. DeSmedt. Told him if he would get us money at five per cent interest, and give us five years to pay, by raffling off quilts or giving socials, I would see that it was paid; also that I would have to get someone to go half with me on this. I. could think of no other way, and I did not care to see the little Church go unfinished.
*This house is now St. Stanislaus Renewal Center
Fr. DeSmedt was fine about this, and told me to see what I could do. I went to Silver Lake, though with some misgivings. Mrs. Coughlin happened to be in good humor and gave her consent for Maggie to help in this matter. The Church was finished with the sanctuary. An altar was needed. Fr. Kokenge saw to it that we got the old altar that did service in the old Log Church in Mission days. I helped dust this altar in old Mission days, when I went to school there, and went to Mass in the old Log Church every morning. Maggie got her share in long before I did and celebrated with a big party, which I knew nothing about until it was all over. If this was an insult, slight, or oversight, I never knew; for I paid mine in cash, and was thankful I did not have to solicit for it. Fr. DeSmedt gave me a receipt for it which I have yet, and offered a small trinket which I would not accept, but thanked him for it. Well, that was done, and still a plenty to do. Fr. Kokenge chose the name of St. Stanislaus, Patron of Youth, because the future hope of this Parish lies in its youth.
Finis
*The note dated September 28th, 1899 stated that Miss Frances DeGraff was responsible for $200 while Miss Maggie Coughlin was responsible for $100. Fr. DeSmedt scrawled a note across the bottom saying: "This has been attended to in full and I owe the donors many thanks for their faithful performance of their promise."
*Maggie Coughlin married Charles Greene and was a supporter of the church as long as she lived. They had two daughters, Margaret and Helen. They married the Berry brothers, Emmet and Marvin. Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Berry still reside at Silver Lake and Helen was postmistress for many years.
*Mrs. Rachael Thurber was Lucinda Wade's mother.
*Part of the old altar spoken of above is still in the church.
The last day Father Murphy, S.J. was with us in June of 1971 told us a little about the altar and where it had come from. And if we ever got rid of it not to store it in someone’s shed or throw it away because the Jesuits wanted it given back to them.
[handwritten note: Fr. Murphy died in late 1985.]
Father A.H. Schultz, S.J., copied Miss Frances DeGraff’s history word for word and punctuation, capitalizations and paragraphing just as she had written it. It was written in pencil on a scrap of tablet paper, an old Erbachers I-G-A Brand sale bill, the back of an envelope from same store and on the back of an ad announcing an improved park (St. Marys Park) on June 2. (There was no year date given.) There is one small portion (about ten typewritten lines) missing now the Fr. Schultz had.
Fr. Schultz is now a missionary at Sacred Heart Church in Stann Creek Town, British Honduras, C.A. When he heard that the history was being written he wrote to one of our parishoners and told where to find this envelope of things he had compiled. He had filed it away but no one else, knew it was there.
We feel so fortunate that it was found in time to be added to the history just written.
I think there are a few contradictory statements between the two histories but Miss DeGraff is correct I feel sure.
Ethelyn Lynde
July 31, 1971.
Miss Frances DeGraff
Rossville Community Library
July 31, 1971
Ethelyn Lynde
No Known Restrictions
PDF
RCL0501
Shelter House Serves as Temporary Church, Rossville, Kansas
VALLEY HO!
ST. MARYS [KANSAS] STAR
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1975
PAGE 5
Shelter House Serves as Temporary Church
Since early in July, Mass has been celebrated in the shelter house in the city park of Rossville, and sometimes under a large tree in the church yard.
An entrance addition, new basement and extensive remodeling is being done on the present church building with many parish members volunteering their time and hard work.
Father Hasenkamp said that, hopefully, the construction would be far enough along to allow Mass to be held inside the building by October 1.
Paul Dultmeier, Silver Lake, who is in charge of construction said, “Depending on the weather, the church should be ready in one month to six weeks.”
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Top picture caption: Father Hasenkamp celebrates Mass in Rossville’s City Park shelter house across the street from St. Stanislaus Catholic Church which is undergoing renovation.
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Bottom picture caption (July 1975): A basement is being built under the present structure of the Rossville Catholic Church, St. Stanislaus. A 22-foot addition to the front of the building and extensive remodeling of the building will also take place.
St. Marys Star, St. Marys, Kansas
Rossville Community Library
July - September 1975
This work is copyrighted; the copyright holder has granted permission for this item to be used by the Rossville Community Library. This permission does not extend to third parties.
newspaper clippings
RCL0560
Building of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in 1899, Rossville, Kansas
The corner stone of the St. Stanislaus Catholic Church was laid by Bishop Fink on June 18, 1899. The dedication of the completed church took place on October 29, 1899. Pictured left to right are Joe DeGraff, Charles Bixby, Mr. Roberts, Ben Mileham, and Jerome Navarre.
Unknown
Rossville Community Library
1899
Public domain
photograph
RCL0055
St. Stanislaus Church Remodeled, 1970s, Rossville, Kansas
[Caption]
TOP PHOTO - St. Stanislaus Church in Rossville has a new brick extension on the front of the building. During the recent renovation of the building, a 2,000 square foot basement was also added. The remodeled interior of the building is shown in the lower photo. Photos by Lou Mahan
St. Stanislaus Church is Remodeled
In early June of 1975, the building committee: George Sullivan, Paul Dultmeier and Bob Parnell met with the Rev. Ignatius J. Strecker in Kansas City and had him approve plans to build an addition and renovate St. Stanislaus Church in Rossville.
Later in the month, under the direction of Paul Dultmeier, building contractor in Silver Lake, several of the parishioners started tearing off the porch and siding from the church’s east end. Vern Atkins of Maple Hill dug a basement hole for a twenty-two foot addition. Then the building committee decided to dig out from under the entire church for a full basement. This would make 2,000 square foot of basement floor space.
A few mornings later, someone discovered that 14 feet of the southeast foundation had collapsed, leaving the corner of the church sagging in mid-air. A work crew was quickly assembled to jack it up and they proceeded to form up a wall and pour a new wall themselves without waiting for the cement contractor. Only slight
damage was done to the church.
Jack Clark donated the beam to support the floor.
New white acoustic tiles were nailed to the ceiling in the old church. The walls were painted white and all the woodwork was restained and varnished.
After the new addition was constructed, Don Denton was hired to face the outside with brick. The parishioners painted the outside with two coats of white paint. John A. Wehner donated all the paint for the inside and outside walls.
Mr. DeBacker installed the furnace and air-conditioning unit. Air-conditioning was not in the original plans, but so many people in the parish asked that it be included that a special plea for donations was put out, and the additional $2,000 was soon collected.
The basement contains two rest rooms, and a kitchen is being installed. There will still be space for a large meeting room.
The new addition has a stairway leading to the basement on the north side of the entrance. On the south side is a room for vestments. It has a large window on the west side so it can double as a “crying room” for the babies.
The beautiful blue carpeting on the floor and the yellow and brown carpeting of the old pews was all done by the parishioners under the direction of Mr. Dultmeier. Some of the women sanded and revarnished the old pews. The middle railing and supports were removed and Timothy Lynde, St. Marys, built new supports for the 22 pews.
Several years ago, Timothy donated his time and talent to design and build a new altar, baptismal font and lecturn. Afer [sic] the Jesuits removed the old historic altar, he also built a pedestal for the tabernacle.
A very new type of mercury light will be installed in the old area of the church as soon as they arrive from the factory. Chairs with kneelers have been ordered and new kneelers will be installed on the pews. Then, if there is money left, the yard will be asphalted for a better parking area.
The church is completely surrounded by a wide sidewalk. The yard was cut back on the north side and curbed and asphalted for additional parking.
We had $20,000 to finance this project but it definitely could not have been done for this without the help from so many of the parishioners and the donation of materials from others.
While the renovating of the church was in progress, services were being held under the trees in the yard, in the shelterhouse in the park, and at the Community Center. One Sunday, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Michael’s daughter, Megan, was baptized under the trees in the yard. Not many babies have this unique experience.
The original church building was built under the auspicies of Fr. John Kokenge, S.J., who collected about $1,100 to procure the ground and put up the structure. It was 42 x 30 feet, with a sanctuary that added 12 feet to its length.
Names on the stained glass windows in the sanctuary are: Anthony Dolezilek, Fr. John B. Kokenge, S.J., and Frank Fauerbach. The stained glass windows in the body of the church were purchased by individuals in the parish in the 1950s.
The cornerstone was laid June 18, 1899. The document placed in the stone contained the following: “Leo XIII being Pope,
William McKinley being President of the U.S., W. E. Stanley being Governor of Kansas, Joseph Calvin Bradley being Mayor of the city of Rossville, this church to be erected to the honor of God under the invocation of St. Stanislaus Kistka was begun today when the cornerstone was laid this the eighteenth of June in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and ninety-nine.”
When the cornerstone was removed and opened for the remodeling, nothing was found except some dust and unrecognizable scraps. The stone was replaced at the northeast corner but nothing was enclosed in it.
This parish has grown from about twenty-five families to over one hundred. It includes the Silver Lake area, Willard and Maple Hill as well as Rossville.
Until recently, we were considered a mission of St. Marys. When the Jesuits left St. Marys, our parish was combined with seven others. The new team of priests came in 1971. Three priests serve the parish.
- written by Mrs. Elmer Lynde
St. Marys Star, St. Marys, Kansas
Rossville Community Library
mid-1970s
This work is copyrighted; the copyright holder has granted permission for this item to be used by the Rossville Community Library. This permission does not extend to third parties.
newspaper clipping
RCL0537