Atchison County Churches
Histories from "History of Atchison County, Kansas," Sheffield Ingalls, 1916
St. Patrick's congregation, near Mt. Pleasant, was founded in the early
fall of 1857, by the Rev. Father Augustine Wirth, O. S. B. He came from
Doniphan, Kan., over the prairies and through dense timber on foot, not
having the means to buy a horse or secure any kind of a conveyance, in the
summer of 1857. The Benedictine Fathers had been sent west by an American
founder, Rt. Rev. Boniface Wimmer, O. S. B., to establish a priory in the
eastern part of Kansas. They settled in the hills of Doniphan, and from
this county they founded and attended missions in Atchison, Brown, Nemaha
and Jefferson counties. Among the first parishes established by these priests
was one near Mt. Pleasant. Mt. Pleasant at that time was quite a commercial
center, owing largely to the overland freighting outfits that passed through
there on their way to Denver and the Pacific coast. Patrick Durkin, who is
a resident of Walnut township in 1916, and the late John Delaney were
teamsters on this route, and had many interesting experiences and struggles
with Indians and Jayhawkers. Following the first visit of Father Augustine,
after he had told the few Catholic settlers how he had traveled on foot from
Doniphan, a small congregation collected enough money to pay for a horse,
saddle and bridle, and presented it to him.
Father Augustine attended to the spiritual demands of the early
Catholic settlers in the Mt. Pleasant district about once a month during the period
of his services there. There was no church edifice during that period, and
divine services were held in the humble log cabins of the Catholic settlers,
usually at the homes of John Knowles, Owen Grady, Ned Cotter, Bernard
Lee and James McArdle. Mary Honorah Clare was the first child
baptized at St. Patrick's parish, September 28, 1857. The first marriage was
that of James Barry to Catherine Hennesy, May 9, 1857, at the home of
Edward Cotter. The ceremony was conducted by Rev. Augustine Wirth. In
the fall of 1857 the first church was built, which was a small affair,
constructed out of native timber. It was poorly constructed and was of short
duration, as it was blown down by a strong wind one cold winter day, and
wrecked beyond repair. Following the destruction of the first church, the
members concluded to build a more substantial edifice of stone, and in the
spring of 1866 the walls were built. The stone work was done by the late
Nicholas Greiner, a German stone mason, who came to Sumner in the late
fifties, and subsequently died, one of the wealthiest farmers of Walnut
township. The church was dedicated December 8, 1866.
In addition to the church proper, the Catholic settlers of Walnut
township, near Mt. Pleasant, have also erected a commodious parish house for
their priest, and a hall for public meetings.
The following is a list of the priests in charge of St. Patrick's Church
since it was established:
Irregular pastors:
Rev. Augustine Wirth, O. S. B., September, 1857, to November, 1859; died, December 20, 1901.
Rev. Edmund Langenfelder, O. S. B., November, 1857, to December, 1860; died, April 18, 1885.
Rev. Philip Vogt, O. S. B., February, 1860, to January, 1861; date of death not known.
Rev. Emanuel Hartig, O. S. B., December, 1860, to June, 1861; died, September 1, 1910.
Rev. Thomas Bartel, O. S. B., April, 1862, to August, 1867; died, November 30, 1885.
Regular pastors:
Rev. Timothy Luber, O. S. B., January, 1864, to March, 1871.
Rev. Placidus McKeever, O. S. B., March, 1871, to August, 1873; died, September 22, 1896.
Rev. Maurice Lynch, O. S. B., August, 1873, to August, 1875; died, December 13, 1887.
Rev. Eugene Bode, O. S. B., August. 1875, to April, 1880.
Rev. Raymond Danial, O. S. B., April, 1880, to September, 1880; died, September 25, 1910.
Rev. Peter Kassens, O. S B,, September, 1880, to April, 1881.
Rev. Adolph Wesseling, O. S. B., April, 1881, to April, 1883; died, September 24, 1891.
Rev. Urban Tracy, O. S. B., April, 1883, to April, 1885; died May 13, 1915.
Rev. Timothy Luber, O. S. B., April, 1885, to April, 1890; died, March 29, 1901.
Rev. Augustine Baker. O. S. B., April, 1890, to December, 1893; died, June 23, 1909.
Rev. Thomas Burk, O. S. B., December, 1893, to December, 1897.
Rev. Columban Meaney, O. S. B., December, 1897, to December, 1910; died January 8, 1911.
Rev. Ignatius Stein, O. S. B., January, 191 1, to September, 1912.
Rev. Lawrence Theis, O. S. B.. September, 1912, to September, 1913.
Rev. Robert Salmon, O. S. B., September, 1913, to September, 1914.
Rev Lawrence Theis, O. S. B., September, 1914; still in charge (1916).
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This website created Jan. 24, 2012 by Sheryl McClure.
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