St. Mary Parish, Dawson
St. Mary Parish in Dawson celebrated its 150th anniversary over a November weekend.
A run/walk was held Nov. 4 and a Mass and reception were held Nov. 5.
The town of Dawson was founded on the banks of the Nemaha in 1872, and nearby Humboldt was founded in 1873. With those families came the desire for formal houses of worship.
Initial settlers came from Alsace-Lorraine – a region located in modern-day France, but then a territory of the German Empire. They were followed by an Irish group who came by train from Connecticut to St. Joe, who then crossed the Missouri River at Rulo and walked to Dawson. After the end of the Civil War, a number of veterans settled in the region, from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa. After the completion of the railroad, a group of Pennsylvania farmers made their way to the area.
St. Mary was founded by parishioners in 1873. Homes were too small to accommodate the growing congregation, so arrangements were made to hold Masses in the Iliff school house, a mile east of town. Liturgies were celebrated at that location regularly for five years, until the first church was built in the fall of 1878.
The first St. Mary Church was built under the direction of Father C. J. Quinn, and the cornerstone was laid July 4, 1878. The parish consisted of 36 families.
The parish persevered through many hard times. A cyclonic storm destroyed the small church in 1879. The replacement church was built but set on fire by a man in the village. A third church stood for 18 years, but was also destroyed by fire, when the tower was struck by lightning in 1898. Masses were celebrated in the public hall until the fourth church was completed in 1900.
The church’s dedication was held July 31, 1900, by Bishop Thomas Bonacum, the first bishop of the Diocese of Lincoln. The three church buildings destroyed were on the southwest corner of the property, so when the new church – the current building – was constructed, parishioners decided it was time for a change. The church was built at the northwest corner of the property.
The first Mass in the area was celebrated in 1860 in the Rothenberger home, by Father Phillip Vogg, O. S. B., of Nebraska City.
A cemetery was established in 1884. The property is located approximately a mile west of the church. The cemetery continues to serve the parishioners of St. Mary, maintained by parishioners and led by the local Knights of Columbus council.
After 10 years of planning and discussions, a parochial school was built in Dawson and opened in 1912 with about 70 students, staffed by four Dominican Sisters from Saint Catherine, Ky. In 1963 the school was consolidated with Sacred Heart School in Falls City. St. Mary Parish continues a strong connection to Sacred Heart School. Priests serving the parish also serves the K-12 parochial school, often teaching religion classes or serving as a school counselor.
Bishop Glennon P. Flavin laid the cornerstone for the parish hall and blessed the building in 1977. The parish hall hosts the annual pork barbecue, pancake feed, soup supper and many other events throughout the year.
Each September a significant parish fellowship and fundraising activity is the three days the fair stand kitchen and serving tent is set up on the square in Humboldt for the Richardson County Fair, serving cheeseburgers and renowned “St. Mary’s chili.”
Dozens of priests have served St. Mary Parish. Current pastor Father Kenneth Hoesing arrived in 2011 and also serves the mission parish St. Anne in Shubert.
Members of the parish who dedicated their lives to the service of God as religious are Sister Aquinas Fenton and Sister Mary David Kean – both Sisters of Mercy; and Sister M. Thaddeus Trompeter – Sisters of St. Joseph.
Parishioner Kevin Burnison said the true celebration of the anniversary is the 150 years of individuals and families who have found a place to worship, to come together as community, to mark baptisms and deaths.
“Small parishes such as St. Mary’s might be overlooked as folks drive by on US 75,” he said, “but it is in such places that families are nurtured, that the communion of saints come forward for first Communion, that family bonds are recognized in weddings, that the celebration of the Christian belief of the resurrection… is celebrated.
“Here the great prayer of daily Mass provides a re-affirmation that it is the great prayer of the Church,” he added; “where pilgrims on the journey can come each Sunday to take another step and another step…. This is where one can wrestle with their challenges or listen quietly to a toddler make his or her holy noise.”
The parish thanked all who came before them with personal sacrifices and on-going support that made the celebration possible.
Courtesy photos
