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History of Christ the King Church The history of Christ the King parish, established by Bishop Speltz on September 23, 1978, is in realty the story of two previous parishes that served the Catholic community of Browerville since Father Ignatius Tomazin offered the first Mass in the area in 1884. The two parishes were St. Joseph's, established in 1884 and St. Peter's, established in 1895. The first church, a frame structure without a steeple, was built in 1883 at a cost of $1,500. It was named by parishioners themselves in honor of St. Joseph. The family names of these early pioneers were Becker, Feist, Baron, Lamusga, Bartylla, Gonsior, Hager, john, Poplinski, Luke, Stevens, Mlodek, Fischer, Mocko and Wrobel. Since religious services were conducted during these early years chiefly in Polish, the German-speaking members of the parish, with the approval of Bishop Mary, organized St. Peter's parish in August, 1895. The family names of the charter members were Luke, Hager, Hermes, Borgert, Disselbree, Breimann, Kahlert, Becker, Brever, Benning, Woell, Speiker, Shower, Heid, Stevens, Host, Schneider, Offarth, Olmschenk, Rechtenwald, Fischer, Laidlaw and Keppel. In 1898 under the direction of two local carpenters named Hager and Maschler, the men of the parish built the church at a cost of $6,000. St Peter's parish was incorporated on December 1899, with Father Joseph A. Dudek listed as pastor and Peter Hermes and Jacob Backe as trustees. St. Joseph's parish was served as a mission from Long Prairie, Wadena and other parishes from 1883 to 1887 when Father J. Studnicki was appointed first resident pastor. Of those who served as pastors, Father S.B. Kuzniak served the longest term, from 1933 to 1964. The rectory was built in 1902 at a cost of $4,000 under the direction of Father Joseph Dudek (1896-1906). The school, Holy Angels, was built under the direction of Father Methodius Slatinski (1887-95) at a cost of $4,000. On May 26, 1907, the members of St. Joseph parish voted in favor of building a new church and elected the following men to serve on the building committee: Father J.S. Gundek, Martin Wrobel, Robert Holig, John Sobota, Vincent May, Valentine Brenny, Stephen Berczyk, Simon Kaluza and Peter Wodarz. Construction on the new church, which measured 70 by 151 feet, was begun in May, 1908, and completed on Easter Sunday, 1909 at a cost of $40,000. Bishop Trobec dedicated the new edifice on April 21, 1909. Father Guzdek (1906-33) also supervised the building of a new $7,500 convent in 1918. The parish school was destroyed by fire in November, 1925, and under the direction of the same pastor a new $40,000 school was completed one year later and renamed St. Joseph's School. St. Peter's parish purchased the old public school in 1914, remodeled it as a parochial school and used it until the new school building was erected in 1959. The new school, erected under the supervision of Father A.J. Kramer in 1959, cost $73,000. In 1968 St. Peter's and St. Joseph's schools were consolidated and named Browerville Parochial School. Grades one, two and three utilized St. Peter's school building and grades four, five and six St. Joseph's. For over 100 years the Benedictine Sisters of St. Joseph served the educational needs of the Catholic community. Father Leonard Gaida (1964-73) eliminated the $45,000 debt on St. Joseph's parish during his term in office. Father LeRoy Scholz (1976-80) served as the last pastor of St. Joseph's parish and the first of Christ the King parish. A local historian described the conditions in the community at the time of this change in these words: "This period in the Church history of Browerville was obvously a painful time for all concerned. Some resented the closing of one church building while others resented the 'ransacking' of the other for renewal purposes. Through it all Father Scholz survived the tumultuous time despite the bickering and bitterness displayed by members of both former parishes." The former St. Peter's church was built in 1898 in a mid-west Gothic style from native bricks supplied by a brickyard in Todd County. In 1952 a 46-feed addition was constructed at a cost of $80,000 to accommodate the increasing membership of the parish. A distinctive feature of the church was a pipe organ installed in the early years of the century and built by the J.G. Pfeffer & Company of St. Louis. It is presently installed in Christ the King church and is valued at $100,000. Since the founding of Christ the King parish in 1978 extensive renovations have been carried out on all church properties. The work conducted in 1985 alone cost $120,000. In November of the same year the parish received special recognition when its church, rectory and school were placed on the national Register of Historic Sites. During the pastorate of Father LeRoy Kremer (1984) the most significant development in the life of the parish has been its emphasis on a thorough adult education program. An integral part of thelife of this community was St. John's Hospital. In the early 1930's Father Guzdek bequeathed a 12 acre tract of land to the parish with the stipulation that it be used for charitable purposes, such as a hospital. In 1956 the Sisters of St. Benedict of Crookston leased the hospital from the city and conducted it until December, 1987. The Catholic community of Browerville has given 26 women to the religious life. Among these are 11 Benedictines of St. Joseph, one Benedictine of Bismarck, one Benedictine of Duluth, one Franciscan of Little Falls, one Holy Spirit Missionary and one Josephite of St. Paul. Ten of these vocations have entered the Benedictine Sisters of St. Benedict's Priory, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Sister M Candida Jakubik, who originally was a member of St. Scholastic Convent, Duluth, was one of the founders of the Winnipeg community and served as its second prioress. Nine sons of the parish have been ordained priests. They are Monsignor Theodore Wrobel and Fathers Anthony Lamusga, Richard T. John, O.S.C., Richard Heid, Josepyh Wiersgalla, Donal Wodarz, S.S.C., Eugene Lemm, Nicholas Dressen and Thomas Becker. Brother Vianney Hoelscher entered the Franciscan Order of Capuchins and Vincent J. Leison was ordained a permant deacon on July 17, 1983. One of the distinguished members of the parish was Joseph Kiselewski, a sculptor of international reknown. He designed the grotto of Gethsemani on the parish grounds and sculpted the statuary group. In St. Joseph's parish sermons and religious services were conducted chiefly in Polish until about 1930. In St. Peter's parish services were conducted in German and the German language was taught in the school until the First World War. |