SUNDAY: 8AM

St. Patrick’s Catholic Church
West Albany, MN
Built 1875
 
THE HISTORY OF
ST. PATRICK’S CHURCH

Details of Saint Patrick’s life are not altogether clear. However, above all, he was known to be courageous and humble. He accepted suffering and success equally, which in turn allowed God to guide him as an instrument in claiming Ireland for Christ. 
  In the year 389, Patrick was said to be born in either Dunbarton, Scotland, or Cumberland, England. 

At the age of 16, he and many of his father’s slaves were captured by Irish pirates and sold as slaves in Ireland. He was forced to work as a shepherd and endured hardships such as hunger and cold.  After six years, he escaped and later returned to Britain at age 22. Most importantly, captivity had changed him spiritually, and Patrick studied for the priesthood in France. When Patrick was 43, he was consecrated bishop and returned to Ireland. His great ambition was to preach God’s word to the Irish. Near the end of his life, atop a mountain, he fasted and prayed that the Irish would never lose faith. Certainly his prayers were answered. For more than 1500 years the people have held the faith and spread it to every corner of the earth. It has even reached our corner of the earth here in West Albany, Minnesota, where Saint Patrick is the patron of our parish.

ST. PATRICK’S PARISH
The first residents of the West Albany area arrived in 1855 by ox cart. As the area grew, Father Tissot of Wabasha would come and celebrate Mass in the homes of the early settlers such as the McGuigans, McCaffreys, Ryans, Sextons, Cronins and the Thorntons.
 
Fr. Tissot also began purchasing property in the West Albany area in order that a church might be built. In 1863, the congregation purchased 60 acres of land, and 2 years later bought 20 additional acres, which included the Frank Ryan Hotel. The top floor of the hotel was taken out, and the ceiling arched, and an altar and way of the cross installed  The original church was located ¼ mile east of the present site. The choir for the first High Mass was conducted by Mr. Adoph, and he was assisted by members of his family.
 
The present St. Patrick’sbuilding was erected in 1875, and the cost was about $20,000. The rectory was started in 1891, and completed in 1892, at a cost of $7,500. The parish membership at that time was 79.  Father Joseph Herman was responsible for starting to build the present St. Patrick’s Church, and Fr. John Jacobs was appointed in 1879 as the first resident pastor with St. Clement’s Church in Hammond as a mission. In 1910, Fr. William Coleman saw the need for a parish hall and began to build one, a center of community life for many years.
 
A very interesting part of St. Patrick’s Church is seen in the paintings on the ceiling of the church, which were done in 1898. Fr. John Schwartz, who was born and ordained in Austria, was the priest who encouraged the painters, Mr. Christian Heller, Mr. Alex Schwendinger, and Mr. Anton Gag, who was the primary artist and painter. Mr. Gag’s desire was to make a living as a painter and his favorite subject was the Dakota Sioux Indians. He would visit the reservations to paint portraits for deerskin clothing. Anton Gag painted the Massacre at New Ulm, which is still in the Minnesota State Capitol.  To boost his limited income as an artist, he worked as a decorative painter, and painted church interiors in Minnesota towns including New Ulm, Mankato, and West Albany. The extraordinary murals on the ceiling of St. Patrick’s Church were completed in 1898.
 
The story of St. Patrick’s Parish is the loving story of a rural parish, whose existence is little known in a busy world, but more needed than ever for focus, values, and stability. There is little to catch one’s attention at first, but much to give attention to the personal, family and parish satisfaction. Deep within the minds and hearts of the parishioners of the past and present, there is a rich reserve of presence that will never die, in the devotion and care of people and priests. The Parish taps into many wellsprings of eternal experiences of life. Today we take pride in and are thankful for this parish of about 125 families. We are assured that God's Divine Presence will continue to bless St. Patrick's.

PRIESTS OF ST. PATRICK’S PARISH
From the first priest, Fr. Tissot, there have been 40 priests who have served the people of St. Patrick’s up to 2015. They are:
 
1856-1866            Father Felix Tissot from Wabasha
1866-1869            Father Trobec from Wabasha
1869-1875            Father Joseph Herman of Lake City
1875-1879            Father F. Quinn
1879-1883            Father J. Jacobs
1883-1886            Father Patrick Boland
1886-1887            Father Lawrence Ryan
1887-1890            Father Patrick Fox
1890-                    Father N. Stoltz
1895-1898            Father Sebastian Shels
1898-1904            Father John Schwartz
1904-1906            Father Dominic Mangan
1906-1908            Father Augustus Walsh
1908-1910            Father M. J. Smythe
1910-1913            Father William Coleman
1913-1918            Father M. Brazil
1918-1920            Father Frank English
1921-1925            Father Richard Barden
1925-1928            Father Michael Glynn
1928-1937            Father Thomas Doyle
1937-1938            Father Sabinus Mulcahy
1938-1943            Father Urban Bucheit
1943-1946            Father Waldimar Frisch
1946-1947            Father John Corcoran
1947-1953            Father Paul Sainsbury
1953-1956            Father Eugene Gores
1956-1958            Father Gerard Cawley
1958-1961            Father John Cody
1961-1962            Father Joseph Frisch
1962-1965            Father Fred Woodford
1965-1966            Father Richard Loomis
1966-1970            Father Edgar Schaefer
1970-1971            Father Richard Riordan
1972-1973            Father Joseph Frisch
1973-1982            Father Harold Gavin
1982-1993            Father Bernard Kerrigan
1993-1994            Father Joseph LaPlante
1994-2000            Father Richard Engels
2000-2008            Father Robert Meyer
2008-2013            Father Richard Dernek
2013-2018            Father Joseph Pete
2018-2018            Bishop/Fr Schmidtz
2018-2018            Father Jason Kern
2019-2019            Father John Wilmot
2019-present        Father Matthew Fasnacht 

 
DEACONS OF ST. PATRICK’S PARISH
2009- present                    Deacon David Dose
 
St. Patrick’s has much to be thankful for in the care, compassion and service extended from the priests and deacons of the parish history.
 
APPRECIATION
When we travel around the world today and see the great Cathedrals built hundreds of years ago, we look in wonder and awe at these monuments of sacrifice and of love. When we look at our own St. Patrick’s we can say the same. The handful of pioneers who were struggling to build homes for themselves and to make a living, built our beautiful St. Patrick’s. The stones they hewed by hand were carried from comparatively long distances, and set in place until finally the edifice was completed and bell and tower installed to crown their efforts.  Nothing but sacrifice and love could have done it.
 
Today we honor them and all the good parishioners and friends who have been so loyal down the years.  May God bless them and you, and may St. Patrick’s go on into the future emulating and improving on the glories of the past. 
 
For you and yours, both living and dead, my Mass today and my prayers often, will be offered.
               
Amen.
 
Fr. G. Cawley, 1957
Fr. Richard J. Engels, 1996
 
PRAYER
God our Father,
You sent Saint Patrick
To preach your glory to the people of Ireland.
By the help of his prayers,
May all Christians proclaim your love to others.
 
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.
 
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in West Albany, Minnesota, erected in 1875.