History of St. Ignatius Catholic Church
2000 Annandale History Club
Presentation by Darrell & Ellen Kelly
The following information was compiled by the Secretary of the Annandale History Club in November 2006 with assistance from Bonnie Polich and Darrell and Ellen Kelly.  Information in quotes is from the April 21, 1959, booklet, Dedication of the Church of St. Ignatius and the Consecration of Its Altar.

Catholic Mission in French Lake :   In the winter of 1855-56, a rough wagon trail was broken through the future French Lake from Monticello to Forest City.  In 1856, the Howard family became the first family to settle in French Lake, followed by many Irish, French and Belgian families.  The Parish of St. Michael, St. Michael, Minnesota, started in 1856.  The first priests from St. Michael went out to the surrounding parts of Wright County where there were Mass Stations.  In 1867, Fr. Ignatius Schaller opened a Church at East Maple Lake and dedicated it to St. Timothy.  Later on this church consolidated with the Church of St. Charles at Chatham.  From Chatham, Fr. Claude Robert came and organized the Parish of St. Ignatius of French Lake in October 1882.  Prior to this date, Mass was said in the homes of the people by priests from St. Michael or Chatham.

Note:  St. Charles Church in Chatham Township was located on present day County Road 8 about three miles north of Rassat and two miles south of Maple Lake.  St.Charles was organized c.1872.  The church was erected in 1876 by Rev. Schaller and served by Rev. C. Robert 1880-1885.  Fr. Savey moved to Maple Lake in 1887.  There is a cemetery at that location.

(History of Wright County, Vol. II, 1915, Page 974)  Regular visits to Catholic settlers were made by Benedictine Fathers from St. Paul and later St. Johns, Collegeville.  Benedictine Fathers from St. Johns Abbey held services at the home of Mrs. Hannah OLoughlin in the days of early settlement.  In 1863, Rev. Magnus Maria Mayer, stationed at St. Michaels, had French Lake as a mission attached to his place.  In 1873, the Church of St. Ignatius was organized, and Rev. Ignatius Schaller of St. Michaels held services at stated times.  Land was purchased from Charles Chevalier in the southwest quarter of Section 13, French Lake Township, and a building was commenced in 1874 and completed in 1875.  Father Ignatius Schaller remained in charge of the parish until 1881 and was followed by Father Claude Robert.  Rev. Joseph Darche was the first resident pastor. 

Excerpt from The Articles of Incorporation of the Parish of St. Ignatius October 9, 1882:  Therefore know all men by these presents that we Thomas L. Grace, Augustine Ravoux and Claudius Robert and Adolph Rheaume and John H. OLoughlin do hereby associate ourselves together for the purpose of becoming incorporated.  (Thomas L. Grace was Bishop of the St. Paul Diocese, and Augustine Ravoux and Claude Robert were Benedictine priests) 

The first Catholics of this region selected as patron for their parish St. Ignatius (50-98 A.D.), a contemporary of the Apostles, third bishop of Antioch, and martyr.

St. Ignatius French Lake Church 1873-1898:  St. Ignatius was organized in 1873. Land for the church and cemetery was purchased from Charles Chevalier for $25 by the Rt. Rev. Thomas Grace, Bishop of St. Paul, and recorded on the abstract on March 31, 1874.  Rev. Grace transferred this land to St. Ignatius Church September 23, 1884.

The French Lake church was built in 1874-1875 near the old Forest City Trail used by the pioneers.  After the pioneer Monticello-Kingston-Forest City road was changed, a corner of additional land was purchased in 1903 from Victor Laury.  Additional land was purchased from Laury in 1904.  The church was built on the east side of the property on top of a hill.  Pieces of cement were found at this location.  The present cemetery is three acres.  The cemetery is about 5.5 miles from St. Ignatius Church in Annandale.

 The first church erected by the newly organized parish was in the present French Lake cemetery, about three miles southwest of Annandale.  The church was served from Maple Lake from the time of its organization until 1898 when the first resident pastor, Rev. Joseph Darche was appointed and moved into the new residence in Annandale.

A list of charter members has not been found.  Pictured in the 1959 Church Dedication booklet are the following pioneers: Ignatius OLoughlin, John Logeais, Fred Fashant, Charles Mabus, John Powers, Mrs. Albert Kramer, Mrs. Elizabeth Logeais, Mrs. Loretta Kelly, Mrs. Charles Mabus, an Miss Mary ORourke.

(Annandale Advocate 1896)  Catholic Church French Lake Each alternate Sunday 10:30 a.m.  Sunday School following close of service.  Rev. Father Plante.

In 1907, the St. Ignatius Church building in Section 13, French Lake Township, was moved to French Lake Corners in Section 15, and served as the AmericanFinnish Evangelical Lutheran Church (renamed Our Saviours Lutheran Church in 1951).  This church building was dismantled in 1925 when a new church was built.

Parsonage:  (Annandale Advocate, 10-22-1898)  - Rev. Father Darche has received plans for a parsonage and the erection will be made in the near future.  The plans contemplate a residence and a temporary chapel in the upper story, which will serve till such time as a church may be erected.  Father Darche is regularly appointed to Annandale which is a matter of great relief to local Catholics, who have so long traveled faithfully miles into the country to attend services.  The parsonage was completed in June1899 and in use until 1949 when the present parsonage was built under the direction of Rev. Father Patrick Keany.  The 1899 parsonage is still in use as a private residence in 2006. 

1901 Church - At first, services in Annandale were held at the Town Hall or the Cotton Hall.  Rev. T. G. Plante succeeded Father Darche on October 11, 1899, and by October 1900 a chapel was ready in Annandale and served as a place of worship until the church was built in 1901.  The first Mass was said in the new church on December 1, 1901, and it was dedicated July 4, 1902, by Father Cahill, the Chancellor of the Diocese. The architect was John Peterson of Buffalo.  The builders were Peter Green, Mr. Rosenow and Arthur Prevost.  The 1901 church cost $6,538.08.  Parishioners worshipped in the 1901 church in Annandale until 1959, a period of 58 years.  The 1901 church was located on what is now the parking lot.

Stained glass windows in the 1901 church were donated by the following persons:  Alexander and Catherine Fashant, John and Julia Kelly, Michael and Bridget ODonahue, Partick and Julia OLoughlin, James Hagen and Elizabeth Mullen, Michael and Mary OLoughlin, Michael and Hannah OLoughlin, Timothy and Elizabeth OConnor, the Altar Sodality, Jules and Mary Lambert, John and Virginia Chevalier, Jules and Adelaide Chevalier, Zotique and Virginia Dagenais, Catholic Order of Foresters Court No. 839, Patrick and Marguerite Kennedy.  These stained glass windows were either given or sold to another church when the new church was built.

New Church Dedicated in 1959:  By 1955 the parish began thinking of a new church and started a building fund.  In 1957, Bettenburg, Townsend, Stolte and Comb, of St. Paul drew the plans.  The general contractor was Ernest R. Hansen and Sons of Granite Falls.  The cornerstone was laid October 12, 1958, and the church was dedicated April 21, 1959.  The church is built of Mankato stone. There are 22 European mouthblown stained glass windows in the church and a large stained glass window of St. Ignatius.

The Church was dedicated and the main altar consecrated April 21, 1959, by Bishop Leonard Cowley of St. Olafs Parish, Minneapolis. 

In 2000, the parish census was 530 families and 500 children registered in the CCD program.

In November 2006 an addition to St. Ignatious is nearly completed.  It will be handicapped accessible with an elevator, offices for the pastor and secretary, Adoration Chapel, and a large gathering space with efficiency kitchen on the main floor.  The lower level will be space for religious instruction.

Church Records:  The earliest records of St. Ignatius are at St. Michaels in Monticello or St. Timothys in Maple Lake.  The first St. Ignatius Parish records are as follows: 

First Baptism: On October 28, 1899, I baptized Margaret Louise Haggerty, born Sept. 28, 1899, daughter of William Haggerty and Anna Josephine Hafner. -  T. G. Plante.

First Wedding: On October 30, 1899, I married John DeCheney to Emma Dagenais. T. G. Plante.

The first burials in the St. Ignatius Cemetery: Burials of early French and Irish settlers were made at this site starting in 1864.  Some early burials were Mary Kean (1863-1872); Edward Fashant (?-1873); Peter Morris (?-1873); Elizabeth Chevelier (?-1876); Rosalie Chevalier (1802-1876); Hannah OLoughlin (c.1797-1878); Madelena Lambert (1809-1879); Patrick Kelly (?-1890); Mary Melody (1853-1893).

(Parish Chronicles Diocese of St. Paul) - Clearwater was a mission to St. Ignatius in Annandale for some time and the Church of St. Luke in Clearwater was built in 1906 by Rev. C. Cavanaugh (1903-1906).  In 1909 Clearwater was made a mission to Monticello and in 1931 was given a resident pastor.

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Church history on the St. Ignatius website, 2020:

More than 130 years ago, in 1882 in the French Lake area, the first parish corporation of "The Church of St. Ignatius of French Lake, Minnesota" was formed. The first church erected by the newly organized parish was in our present French Lake Cemetery, about four miles southwest of Annandale. The old road in front of the French Lake Cemetery, originally the "Forest City Trail" used by pioneers, can still be seen.

The church was served by Maple Lake from the time of its organization until 1898 when the first resident pastor, Rev. Joseph Darche, was appointed and moved into the new residence at Annandale. Rev. T. G. Plante succeeded Fr. Darche on October 11, 1899, then by October 1900, a chapel was ready at the Annandale site. It served as a place of worship until the new church was built in 1901. The first mass was said in the new church on December 1, 1901, and it was dedicated July 4, 1902 by Father Cahill, the Chancellor of the Diocese.

 The architect was John Peterson of Buffalo. The builders were Peter Green, Mr. Rosenow and Arthur Prevost and the total building cost was $6,538.98. The 1901 church served the parishioners of St. Ignatius for more than 50 years.

Our present church was thought about in 1955 when a building fund was started. By 1957, Bettenburg, Townsend, Stolte and Comb, architects of St. Paul, MN, had drawn plans for a new church. Our current church is built of Mankato stone under the guidance of Fr. Patrick Keany who served this parish for 32 years. The dedication of the Church of St. Ignatius and the Consecration of its Altar was on Tuesday, April 21, 1959 by Bishop Leonard Cowley.

Construction of the latest addition began in July 2006 under the guidance of St. Ignatius Pastor Fr. Victor Valencia. This addition includes a new entrance into the church, a small chapel for prayer and reflection, a spacious gathering space with a small kitchen, parish offices, additional classrooms, a library and an elevator. This new space was dedicated on March 18, 2007 by Archbishop Harry Flynn.

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Pastors Who Served the Church of St. Ignatius:

Joseph Darche                        1898-1899

T. G. Plante                             1899-September 1903

Charles Cavanagh                   1903-1906

William Rhatigan                   1906-1907

John Byrne                              1907-1908

Denis Sullivan                        January 1908-November 1908

John C. Laventure                  1908-March 1914

Innocentius Domestici           June 1914-September 1914

F. J. McEwan                        September 1914-1917

Jeseph Pothmann, O.M.I.       1917-1922

Michael OBrien                    1923-March 1939

James F. Cronin                      March 1939-June 1939

Patrick Keany                         June 1939-1971

Ambrose Filbin                      1971-1975

William McNulty                   1975-1991

Gerald Schunk                        1991-1995

Christopher Russell                1995-1997

Stan Kozlak                            1997-2002

Victor Vilencia                       2002 - 2014

George Kallumkalkudy            2014-2018

John Meyer                             2018-

Andrew Stueve, Parocial Vicar     2018-

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• ST. IGNATIUS NEWSPAPER ARTICLES
  ANNANDALE ADVOCATE

  (Wright County Historical Society files)

  The railroad was laid out through Annandale in 1886.  The townsite of Annandale was platted in October 1886 and Annandale was incorporated in 1888.

  (Condensed History of Wright County, 1935, P. 57) - The first Annandale Advocate newspaper was issued August 31, 1897, by M. P. Satterlee.   He later bought the Annandale Post, which issued its first newspaper on the last Thursday of December 1886.  M. P. Satterlee was choir director at St. Ignatious for six years.

  1896 Catholic Church French Lake Each alternate Sunday 10:30 a.m.  Sunday School following close of service.  Rev. Father Plante   

  11-4-1897 Rev. Plante spent some days in our village this week, looking up prospects for erecting a Catholic Church and parsonage here in the near future.  As a matter of business the project will doubtless receive hearty support from most of our businessmen and this addition to Annandales attractions will be almost certain to materialize in a short time.

  10-22-1898 Rev. Father Darche has received plans for a parsonage and the erection will be made in the near future.  The plans contemplate a residence and a temporary chapel in the upper story which will serve till such time as a church may be erected.  Father Darche is regularly appointed to Annandale which is a matter of great relief to local Catholics, who have so long traveled faithfully miles into the country to attend services.

  3-23-1899 St. Patricks Day was celebrated in the Village Hall, and the day was opened with mass at 10:30 a.m.  Father Darche gave an interesting sermon on St. Patrick.  After mass, dinner was served in the Courtroom below.  In the afternoon the Fish Ponds, Post Office and guessing contests afforded much amusement, especially to the young people.  The display of fancy articles attracted a good deal of attention, and nearly everything was sold.  The entertainment in the evening was a success as the parts were all well taken, and much credit is due Mrs. Lynch and those taking part.  Supper was served at six oclock and again at midnight.  The proceeds of the day were $265.

  6-29-1899 The Catholic parsonage is nearly completed.  The church will follow it immediately.  This will improve the street greatly.

  8-31-1899 The Catholic Dramatic Club will give a Musical and Dramatic entertainment in the Village Hall on the evening of Sept. 15^th.  Miss Lilly Gavin, the celebrated pianist and singer of St. Louis, will contribute several numbers to the program.

  9-21-1899 The Catholic Dramatic entertainment on Friday night was well received and financially a success.  The vocal and instrumental numbers by Miss Gavin were a real treat to musicians.  The dance following was a pleasant affair ending at 1 oclock.

  10-2-1899 The Catholic congregation have secured a room in the town hall for daily use, and the council room for Sunday services.

  11-23-1899 The council room has proven too small for the use of the Catholic congregation and the board of trustees have secured the Cotton hall which will be refitted. Mass will be celebrated there at 9 oclock on next Sunday morning, and the regular services will follow at the proper hours.  Father Plante also states that he will in the near future print in the Advocate-Post a full list of his parishioners and communicants for the information of this congregation.

  12-14-1899 A new organ has been purchased for the Catholic Church and will be a great aid to the choir.

  12-28-1899 St. Ignatius choir Mrs. W. L. Haggerty, Mrs. Napoleon Maurice, Mrs. J. Duchesne, Misses Sarah Hagen, Mary Green, Emma and Mabel Fashant, and Messrs. Frank Hamm, Frank Maurice and Joseph Brand, under the directorship of M. P. Satterlee, sang the Mass in Bb from the Memorare at the High Mass on Christmas.  In the afternoon the choir invaded the parsonage and presented Rev. Plante with a fine leather rocker.

  1899 Buffalo Standard Rev. Father Plante has been assigned to the Annandale parish.

  Rev. Father Plantes pastorate of the church here (Buffalo) has covered a period of six years and the church has enjoyed a phenomenal growth under his charge.  To this fact is no doubt due his having been transferred from the field here to Annandale where the work of building a new church is in progress.  Annandale AdvocateFather Plante is a favorite with the people of this vicinity, not only Catholics, but Protestants as well. He will be a valuable help to our village in many ways, and to the parish more than all.

  1-4-1900 Catholic services next Sunday:  Mass at 10:30.  Sermon: Duties of Parents Toward Children.  Evening lecture: Duties of Children.  In compiling his parish directory Father Plante reports as follows:  Families, 85; communicants, 280; total number of souls is 420.

  1-18-1900 Report of St. Ignatius Church for the year 1899.  Income:  $1,577.66. Expenses:  $1,577.66.  T. G. Plante, Pastor; Alex Fashant, Treasurer, J. M. OLoughlin, Secretary.

  6-7-1900 By invitation of the congregation at Paynesville, the choir of St. Ignatius Church accompanied Fr. Plante to that place last Sunday to sing the mass.

  9-13-1900 The foundation of the new Catholic Church has been laid under the direction of Master Mechanic Peter Green.  The vestry and sanctuary will be completed at once and used as a chapel this winter.

  9-20-1900 For Relief of Galveston Annandale is at the front in time of need.  Rev. Plante circulated a Galveston petition Friday and secured $50 for the relief of sufferers.  The money was sent to the governor at Austin, Texas. 

  10-25-1900 During Catholic Mission, 304 persons received communion.  A Ladies Sodality was formed.  The parish is in a very flourishing condition.

  1-20-1901 New pews have been placed in St. Ignatius chapel.  This will give additional seating room for 30 persons.

  1-20-1901 The yearly receipts of St. Ignatius Church are announced at $1,258.54.

  3-14-1901 The stone is on the ground for the new Catholic church.  Today a hauling bee is in progress and six teams are delivering lumber at a rapid rate.  The congregation is bound to have a creditable church very soon.

  6-6-01 The foundation of the Catholic Church is completed.  There will be a corner stone laying on July 4^th.  Bishop Ireland is expected here.

  6-27-1901 The ladies of St. Ignatius parish assisted by Clearwater ladies will give a dinner on July 4^th for the purpose of raising funds for the new church.  The price charged will be 25 cents per plate.  Meals served from noon on.

  7-11-1901 Corner Stone Laid The inclement weather of the Fourth prevented the corner stone of St. Ignatius Church being laid on that day as announced.  The ceremony would have been more imposing could it have taken place as announced.  There were present to participate Chancellor Rev. Black of Portland, Oregon, Revs. Soumis of Dayton, Pettigrew of Stillwater, Coyle of Corcoran, and McCabe of Darwin.  The ceremony was impossible, however, and it was put off to Sunday.  On Sunday high mass was celebrated at 10:30 a.m. in the town hall, and at the close, the ceremony was held on the church grounds.  A large audience was assembled and with a stroke of the mallet upon the granite block, signified their participation in laying the corner stone.  A box of appropriate records was placed within the stone and sealed.  The will and energy of Fr. Plante has made success a surety, and before the snow flies the congregation will worship in their own edifice.

  7-11-1901 The Catholic ladies did a fine business at their eating booth on the 4^th and 5^th.  They cleared a net sum of $200.18.  The building being donated by Dr. Ridgway, and the ladies furnishing and serving, there were no expenses to speak of, and the new church got a good lift.

  11-7-1901 The furnace has been placed in the Catholic Church and plastering will commence Monday.

  9-12-1901 Revs. Soumis of Dayton and Savey of Maple Lake were in attendance at St. Ignatius jubilee services.  Rev Soumis is something of an angler and carried home a nice sample of Annandale bass.

  9-21-1901 The contract for the new Catholic church has been let to Jules Lambert of Albion and work will commence on the 18^th.  St. Ignatius church will occupy a fitting building in the near future. 

  12-19-1901 The Thanksgiving fair of St. Ignatius congregation is passed and was a surprising success in every way.  Rev. Plante and the workers had often expressed the hope that $300 might be received, but the magnificent sum of $618 now graces the treasury. Thanksgiving is a bad day for a public dinner, but some 800 meals were served.

  The contests resulted in much amusement and the following winners:  Fr. Plante purchased the autograph quilt to have a memento of the people who forwarded the church building enterprise; Mrs H. F. McLane drew the baby dress; B. M. McKenzie, sofa pillow; Mrs. P. C. Maurice, silver fruit dish; Miss Anna Moran, portrait of Father Plante; Marcell Provo, silver butter dish; A. Blom, sofa pillow; Miss Carrie Horsch, silk quilt; Ed. ONeil, fancy rocker; John Fashant, silver watch; Mrs. N. Maurice, mirror; Elinore Haggerty, doll; Miss Grace Mahan, mirror, Miss Esther Woodling, opera shawl.

  The proceeds of the fair go toward the new church building in which mass was said for the first time last Sunday.  As soon as the fittings are complete, we shall give a description of the new building with history of the officers, donors and gifts. 

  12-26-1901 The new altar for St. Ignatius Church has been placed in position and was used for the Christmas Mass.  The choir rendered the Mass in Bb and Lambibothes Christmas Hymns.

  2-27-1902 The 14 Stations of the Cross will be placed in St. Ignatius Church as the gift of Charles Chevalier.

  1-16-1902 St. Ignatius Church Financial Report for the year ending Dec. 31, 1901: Receipts, $3,651.27; Disbursements, $3,651.27; Liabilities, $1,336.46; Credits due for pew rental and subscriptions, $492.00; total liabilities, $844.46.  The Pastors salary was $800.

  3-20-1902- A large crowd was present at the temperance lectures on Friday night, given by Rev. Fr. Simon Heinrichs.  The lecture was a good one and the program by the children was well rendered.  The Roman Catholic priest spoke at the ME Church on temperance.

  4-10-02 The ladies Altar Society of St. Ignatius Church will meet at the Annandale Hotel on Tuesday to sew for Mrs. Allen at 1 oclock

  4-10-1902 The brick veneer will be put on St. Ignatius Church next week, and this will complete he building and make it an ornament to the village.

  4-2-1902 Members of St. Ignatius Church turned out in force on Tuesday and cleaned up and planted trees in the French Lake Cemetery.

  2-26-1903 St. Ignatius Mission Dates and subjects of lectures for the week are announced.  Christian unity; Why I am a Catholic; Confession and pardon of sin; Invocation of the Saints and blessed Virgin Mary; The real presence of Christ in Eucharist; The Catholic church and the next world; Catholic church and the outside world; on Sunday at 10:00 a.m., The Sacrament of the Mass.  All evening services at 7:30 and Catholics and non-Catholics are most cordially invited.

  Questions bearing on the doctrines of the Catholic Church, deposited in the question box at the church door, will be answered the following evening. 

  The subject of religion is becoming more and more a question of deep and fascinating interest to large numbers of serious and thoughtful people. The Catholic Church, the old mother church, claims to have a satisfactory answer to give to the various questions and doubts that are perplexing the minds of multitudes of people today on matters of religion.

  The most scrupulous care will be taken not to offend the religious convictions of any man or woman who may attend.  The principle on which these lectures will be given is, Malice toward none and charity toward all.  Missionary Fathers.

  2-26-1903 A Catholic Mission opened on Wednesday at St. Ignatius Church.  Revs. Joseph F. Busch and George A. Arctander are in charge.  The mission is for all, and on next Sunday at 3:30 p.m. a special service will be held for Scandinavian people and the address will be in that language by Fr. Arctander.

  6-11-1903 At the high mass at St. Ignatius Church on Sunday morning, twenty children will receive their first communion.

  5-8-1902 Rev. Plante has increased the Catholic parsonage by making the wood shed into a pleasant kitchen.

  6-19-1902 St. Ignatius Church will be dedicated on July 4^th at 9 oclock a.m.  Bishop Ireland s secretary, Rev. Cahill, will preside and Rev. Fr. Harrison of St. Josephs Church of St. Paul will deliver the sermon.

  8-7-1902 The congregation of St. Ignatius Church will hold a festival at the residence of Thos. OLoughlin at French Lake on Friday Aug. 15^th.  Mass will be said at the chapel at 10 oclock a.m.

  8-21-1902 St. Ignatius Church will hold a lawn festival at Mrs. W. F. Haggertys on Saturday August 30^th. 

  8-21-1902 A fine Estey organ is placed on trial in St. Ignatius Church.  It has a double bank of keys, pedals, pumping lever, and some ten sets of reeds.  If purchased it will be a great help to the excellent music used in the Catholic service.

  7-16-1903 The congregation of St. Ignatius Church held an ice cream social on Sunday afternoon at the residence of Emil Rousseau at French Lake.  A very pleasant time was enjoyed, and the receipts were about $20.

  8-13-1903 W. L. Haggerty has been selected as treasurer and R. F. Kelly as clerk of St. Ignatius board of trustees.

  10-8-1903 Rev. Fr. Plante has withdrawn from the St. Ignatius Church.  It is a great loss to the parish and to the village that he should leave at this time.

  11-05-1903 Rev. Fr. Charles Cavanagh, formerly of St. Lukes parish in St. Paul, has been appointed as pastor of St. Ignatius Church.

  1-21-1904 A card party will be given by the ladies Altar Society at the Lafayette Resort on next Wednesday evening.

  8-18-1904 The choir of St. Ignatius Church went to Clearwater on Sunday to sing the mass at St. Lukes Church there.

  12-19-04 The assistance of the children at the Christmas mass at St. Ignatius Church was a pleasant and appreciated feature.  They have been provided with books and will take up a thorough study of music.  At the close of catechism on Saturday, the music class will be instructed by Mr. Satterlee.  Any of the congregation are invited to join, and it is especially requested that the children attend.  There are no charges whatever.

  1-26-1905 The entertainment given by the children and the members of the Joncas family for the benefit of St. Ignatius parish on last Friday evening was a splendid success in every way.  The entertainment was certainly enjoyable and the children did their parts most creditably to the careful training given them by Fr. Cavanagh. The receipts were about $40.  Among those taking part were Myrtle Poket, Grace and Clarence OLoughlin, Lillie and William Oberson, Robert Henneman, Frances Miller, Eleanora Haggerty, Leon and John Maurice, Rose, Bertha, Joseph, Henry and Phillip Joncas.  The latter had a very clever skit, in which an apparently live baby turned out to be a cheerful looking face on a tobacco jar.

  3-9-1905 St. Patricks Day will be duly celebrated.  Mass at St. Ignatius Church will be followed by a dinner and fair at the town hall given by the ladies of the congregation.  In the evening the comedy, Mr. Tompkins Hired Man, will be given by local talent, the proceeds to be divided between the parish and the ball team.

  4-4-1907 - The basket social given Monday evening by the ladies of the Altar Society of St. Ignatius Church was a splendid success and was well attended.  One basket went up to five dollars and was bought by Dan Powers.

  8-8-1907 A class of 32 boys and girls received their first communion at the St. Ignatius Church last Saturday morning. Mass was read at 9 a.m. by Rev. Father Byrne.

  Immediately following, the ladies of the Altar Society gave a dinner in the town hall, which was well attended and as a result the treasury was enriched to the amount of about $38.

  1-16-1907 Father Byrne, who has been ministering to the St. Ignatius Church parish and the Clearwater parish, has been transferred to Morton, Minn. to which place he departed on Monday.  Father Byrne has been here but a short time, yet he has made a host of friends who will be grieved at his leaving.  He will be replaced by Father Sullivan, who has been at Morton, Minn.

  7-18-1907 It is with regret that we note that the Rev. Father Rhatigan was overcome by the extreme heat last week and his mind has been somewhat affected.  The past week necessitated two trips to Clearwater and one to St. Paul, which seemed too much for him.  He has gone to St. Paul for a short rest, which his many friends are hopeful will again restore him to normal condition.  Mass will be read next Sunday at 10:30 a.m.  Father OBrien of Maple Lake will officiate at this service.

  10-24-1907 The well that is being put in at St. Ignatius Church parish is now being completed.  For a time it looked as though the work would have to be abandoned, but after going down 190 feet a good supply of water was found.

  1-5-1928 St. Ignatius Church held the customary Christmas midnight service and appropriate services on Christmas Day.

  1-19-1928 The Altar Sodality of the St. Ignatius Church will sponsor a Bridge and Five Hundred party at their rooms in the old school building January 26.  Prizes, favors and lunch.

  5-3-1928 Miss Pilldrum has given up her work as housekeeper at the Catholic parsonage owing to ill health and returned to Watertown.  She is succeeded by Mrs. Carey, a former housekeeper.

  1929 The dinner given on Saturday by the ladies of St. Ignatius Church brought out a large crowd.  The dinner served was of the best and the way it disappeared was evidence enough as to its quality.  The ladies did very well financially.  George Rhoe held the lucky number that drew the quilt.

  10-17-1929 Francis Eagy completed the job of painting the Catholic parsonage, which improved the appearance.