Leavenworth County Churches
St. Ignatius Catholic Church, Ft. Leavenworth
"History of Leavenworth County," 1921
When the building of a
Catholic Church at Fort Leavenworth was first undertaken there was at
the fort many civilian employees whose number was greatly reduced a
short time afterward, making it a very difficult task to pay off the in-
debtedness incurred in the initial erection of a church. General Morgan
and Ordinance Sergeant Cornelius Kelly were among the most ardent early
day workers in this parish. When the work of building a Catholic Church
there was begun they had collected a sum amounting to $3,000.00. which
was used to defray initial and immediate expenses.
The cornerstone of the first Catholic Church at the fort was laid in
the fall of 1871 and the work was rushed forward with considerable help
from the Quartermaster's Department. The church upon its completion
was dedicated under the title of St. Ignatius Chapel in honor of the
founder of the Society of Jesus. Father Ambrose Butler was one of the
early day pastors of the parish. He was succeeded by Rev. James
O'Reilly, who remained pastor for about five years. During his administration he succeeded in relieving the parish of all its indebtedness and
having the church handsomely furnished.
The first resident priest of the Fort Leavenworth parish was Rev.
T. F. Kinsella, who about a month after his ordination at the cathedral,
July 17, 1884, was assigned to the Fort Leavenworth parish. At that
time his duties included that of being chaplain at the United States Military Prison. In 1885 Father Kinsella, who had made a request to the
War Department for permission to build a rectory, was notified by that
body that his request had been denied and that the government desired
to purchase or remove the Catholic Church at the fort, together with the
building that was used for school purposes. The government subsequent
to this purchased the Catholic Church building and authorized the selection of a new site for the church by the church authorities. It was not until June
27, 1889, that Bishop Fink and the government officials finally
agreed upon the terms and conditions that the church was to be built at
the fort and on August 18, 1889, Bishop Fink laid the cornerstone for
the present church at the fort which was dedicated December 22, 1889.
The new edifice was of Gothic design and was erected at a total cost of
$15,233.85.
In January, 1892, Father Kinsella was succeeded at the fort parish
by Rev. Alexander Jennings, who remained in charge there until April
18, 1895, when the Rev. Thomas McCaul took charge and continued as
pastor until November 12, 1905. The Military Prison, which has been
transferred into the Federal Prison, was attended by Father McCaul. He
was the first clergyman here to receive an annual salary of $300.00 for
his services at the prisen. When Father McCaul was sent to the parish
at Hoge, Rev. William Ospital, O. S. B., a father of the Sacred Heart
Abbey, Oklahoma, succeeded him. He was in turn succeeded by a priest
of the same Abbey, Rev. J. M. Dougherty, on August 27, 1908. Father
Dougherty has remained in charge of the fort parish from the last mentioned date until the present time.
The Catholic Church at the Soldiers Home. � When the western
branch of the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers was established, the need of a Catholic chaplain to minister to the needs of the
Catholic veterans was early recognized. The Rev. Peter Flannagan, who
was at that time pastor of St. Francis de Sales at Lansing for a short
time, supplied this want and then was succeeded by Rev. M. A. Finn, who
was also chaplain of St. Vincent's Home.
Father Finn was succeeded by Rev. T. F. Kinsella. who held the
chaplaincy of the home for a period of seventeen years. When Rev.
Father Kinsella was sent to Paola as chaplain of the Ursuline Academy, he
was succeeded at the Soldiers Home by Rev. Francis Pottgieser, who remained until March 1, 1918, when he was succeeded by the Rev. Owen
Degan. Father Degan died during the month of December, 1918, and
the Rev. Francis Taton was appointed chaplain at the Soldiers Home
parish. Father Taton at the present time is chaplain at this parish
and church.
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