Published in Hall County Times, Fall 2018
From: Bells of St Mary’s Bulletin, reprinted with Permission St. Mary’s Church
Hall County was established by an act of the legislature in 1855 and was organized in 1859. That same year, Patrick Moore and his brother, Richard, came from Iowa City, Iowa to be the first Catholic families in Hall County. They immediately sought help from the bishop in Omaha. However, it wasn't until 1861 that the first priest, Father Almire Fairmont, a Frenchman, came to visit the Hall County parishioners.
Father Fairmont celebrated the first Mass in the Moore's log cabin in the fall of that year, 3 miles west of what is now the town of Wood River. Moore's house was the home of the Rev. Anthony Moore, the first priest ordained from Hall County. About the same time that the Moores settled, the Windolph families, also Catholics, arrived in Grand Island.
Priests from Columbus or Omaha then came to the Grand Island and Wood River area once a year to confer the sacraments and celebrate Mass. In 1864, Father M. J. Ryan offered Mass once a month in homes and railroad section houses.
With the railroad coming to the county, the parishioners felt a church to be necessary. Under Father Ryan the first church was built in 1869 on land given by Union Pacific. The land was located at First and Elm streets, where the parish center now stands. Sadly, due to a windstorm, the church was destroyed before its dedication. This was a great shock to the young mission and its members. A second attempt to build a church was halted in 1873 by an economic depression.
On February 17, 1877, the members of the church began for the third time to rebuild, and were able to finish the construction begun earlier. The cornerstone was laid May 7, the building completed in July and dedicated in September of that year, attended by Father Ryan from Columbus as a mission. The building was a frame structure with a good brick foundation situated upon the site of the public library. The same year, Father P.J. Erlach was named the first resident pastor and the congregation numbered about 30 families.
Father Richard Phelan came on July 4, 1880 and found 52 families belonging to the congregation. Father Phelan served until his death from a stroke of paralysis on March 10, 1884. Father P. Lynch took care of the parish, which had been handled in the interim by Father Smith of O'Connor. Father Lynch remained in Grand Island until October 6, 1886, when he was transferred to the Wood River congregation, which had until then been a mission attached to Grand Island.
By the late 1880's, the growing Catholic population made a larger church necessary. Bishop James O'Connor sends Father Wunibald Wolf to Grand Island with orders to build a new church. Construction began in 1888, Bishop O'Connor laid the cornerstone August 15 and the fully finished building was dedicated July 7, 1889 by the Vicar General, Father R. Schaffel, representing the Bishop.
The new church was built of brick and stone, was 44 by 119 feet, had two towers 104 feet high and cost about $20,000. This building would serve the parish until the construction of the present cathedral.
Father Wolf led this parish for thirty years until he retired in 1914 and Father A.W. Heimes took charge. The community was never more deeply touched than upon July 5, 1918, when Father Wolf passed away. The tribute to Father Wolf, with the record of his service to his people and this county was published in the paper.
A beautiful church is splendid evidence of faith, but that faith must be kept alive and progressive. A Catholic school was founded and on September 9, 1893, 120 children began instruction under the leadership of four Sisters of St. Joseph. By 1918, so many students attended St. Mary's School that the old school's capacity was exceeded and a new school was built in 1920.
On March 8, 1912, western Nebraska was made the Diocese of Kearney with the Most Rev. James A. Duffy as its first Bishop. However, on April 17, 1917, Pope Benedict XV added four
additional counties to the diocese: Wheeler, Greeley, Howard and the part of Hall County north of the Platte River. Grand Island became the see city and the Bishop's residence was transferred in July of that year. With the headquarters of the diocese governing so much territory located here, Grand Island became an important center in Catholic affairs in Nebraska.
In the late 1950's, the cathedral was completely redecorated, retaining its beauty in its simplicity.
Two copies of classic paintings of the Transfiguration and the Assumption of Mary were placed above the side altar alcoves, a new Bishop's throne was installed and wooden paneling
was placed across the rear of the sanctuary.
In 1965, the old church, which had served as a gymnasium for St. Mary's School, was torn down.
The Architecture of St. Mary's Cathedral
The Cathedral is a late Gothic Revival style modeled after the Parisian Cathedral of La Sainte Chapelle. In selecting a type of English Gothic, the architects, Henry Brinkman and J. Stanley Hagan, made variations for local purposes, while preserving the true Gothic harmony in detail from nature, sculpture, paintings, and stained-glass. Gothic architecture constantly strove towards economy of material, loftiness and lightness of interior design.
The Cathedral's massive vestibule speaks a universal welcome in its gracefully arched and ample doorways, and the front window lets in the morning sun. The clerestory windows are framed in stone with stone tracery. The spire rises at the point of the cross shaped design. On the spire are grotesques of various kinds.
The huge rose window at the back of the cathedral came from Italy in its completed form. The window shows the Madonna and child surrounded by angels and saints. Due to lack of money, the remaining windows are made of plain colored glass. The lower portion is a yellow close to the color of the Bedford stone from Indiana.
The smaller upper portion is a deep blue to balance the yellow light. The windows above the altar were filled with stone because funding for windows completely gave out.
The main high altar and baldachino (canopy structure over the high altar & tabernacle) as well as
the four smaller altars, are made of pure white Italian marble in pure Gothic design. The marble was brought over from the marble quarries of Italy in the early 1930's. Artisans from Italy were also brought to work the marble and carve the reliefs on the main altar and on the baldachino.
From: Bells of St Mary’s Bulletin, reprinted with Permission St. Mary’s Church
Hall County was established by an act of the legislature in 1855 and was organized in 1859. That same year, Patrick Moore and his brother, Richard, came from Iowa City, Iowa to be the first Catholic families in Hall County. They immediately sought help from the bishop in Omaha. However, it wasn't until 1861 that the first priest, Father Almire Fairmont, a Frenchman, came to visit the Hall County parishioners.
Father Fairmont celebrated the first Mass in the Moore's log cabin in the fall of that year, 3 miles west of what is now the town of Wood River. Moore's house was the home of the Rev. Anthony Moore, the first priest ordained from Hall County. About the same time that the Moores settled, the Windolph families, also Catholics, arrived in Grand Island.
Priests from Columbus or Omaha then came to the Grand Island and Wood River area once a year to confer the sacraments and celebrate Mass. In 1864, Father M. J. Ryan offered Mass once a month in homes and railroad section houses.
With the railroad coming to the county, the parishioners felt a church to be necessary. Under Father Ryan the first church was built in 1869 on land given by Union Pacific. The land was located at First and Elm streets, where the parish center now stands. Sadly, due to a windstorm, the church was destroyed before its dedication. This was a great shock to the young mission and its members. A second attempt to build a church was halted in 1873 by an economic depression.
On February 17, 1877, the members of the church began for the third time to rebuild, and were able to finish the construction begun earlier. The cornerstone was laid May 7, the building completed in July and dedicated in September of that year, attended by Father Ryan from Columbus as a mission. The building was a frame structure with a good brick foundation situated upon the site of the public library. The same year, Father P.J. Erlach was named the first resident pastor and the congregation numbered about 30 families.
Father Richard Phelan came on July 4, 1880 and found 52 families belonging to the congregation. Father Phelan served until his death from a stroke of paralysis on March 10, 1884. Father P. Lynch took care of the parish, which had been handled in the interim by Father Smith of O'Connor. Father Lynch remained in Grand Island until October 6, 1886, when he was transferred to the Wood River congregation, which had until then been a mission attached to Grand Island.
By the late 1880's, the growing Catholic population made a larger church necessary. Bishop James O'Connor sends Father Wunibald Wolf to Grand Island with orders to build a new church. Construction began in 1888, Bishop O'Connor laid the cornerstone August 15 and the fully finished building was dedicated July 7, 1889 by the Vicar General, Father R. Schaffel, representing the Bishop.
The new church was built of brick and stone, was 44 by 119 feet, had two towers 104 feet high and cost about $20,000. This building would serve the parish until the construction of the present cathedral.
Father Wolf led this parish for thirty years until he retired in 1914 and Father A.W. Heimes took charge. The community was never more deeply touched than upon July 5, 1918, when Father Wolf passed away. The tribute to Father Wolf, with the record of his service to his people and this county was published in the paper.
A beautiful church is splendid evidence of faith, but that faith must be kept alive and progressive. A Catholic school was founded and on September 9, 1893, 120 children began instruction under the leadership of four Sisters of St. Joseph. By 1918, so many students attended St. Mary's School that the old school's capacity was exceeded and a new school was built in 1920.
On March 8, 1912, western Nebraska was made the Diocese of Kearney with the Most Rev. James A. Duffy as its first Bishop. However, on April 17, 1917, Pope Benedict XV added four
additional counties to the diocese: Wheeler, Greeley, Howard and the part of Hall County north of the Platte River. Grand Island became the see city and the Bishop's residence was transferred in July of that year. With the headquarters of the diocese governing so much territory located here, Grand Island became an important center in Catholic affairs in Nebraska.
In the late 1950's, the cathedral was completely redecorated, retaining its beauty in its simplicity.
Two copies of classic paintings of the Transfiguration and the Assumption of Mary were placed above the side altar alcoves, a new Bishop's throne was installed and wooden paneling
was placed across the rear of the sanctuary.
In 1965, the old church, which had served as a gymnasium for St. Mary's School, was torn down.
The Architecture of St. Mary's Cathedral
The Cathedral is a late Gothic Revival style modeled after the Parisian Cathedral of La Sainte Chapelle. In selecting a type of English Gothic, the architects, Henry Brinkman and J. Stanley Hagan, made variations for local purposes, while preserving the true Gothic harmony in detail from nature, sculpture, paintings, and stained-glass. Gothic architecture constantly strove towards economy of material, loftiness and lightness of interior design.
The Cathedral's massive vestibule speaks a universal welcome in its gracefully arched and ample doorways, and the front window lets in the morning sun. The clerestory windows are framed in stone with stone tracery. The spire rises at the point of the cross shaped design. On the spire are grotesques of various kinds.
The huge rose window at the back of the cathedral came from Italy in its completed form. The window shows the Madonna and child surrounded by angels and saints. Due to lack of money, the remaining windows are made of plain colored glass. The lower portion is a yellow close to the color of the Bedford stone from Indiana.
The smaller upper portion is a deep blue to balance the yellow light. The windows above the altar were filled with stone because funding for windows completely gave out.
The main high altar and baldachino (canopy structure over the high altar & tabernacle) as well as
the four smaller altars, are made of pure white Italian marble in pure Gothic design. The marble was brought over from the marble quarries of Italy in the early 1930's. Artisans from Italy were also brought to work the marble and carve the reliefs on the main altar and on the baldachino.
RSS Feed