St. Patrick’s Catholic Church (Georgetown, Iowa)
Encyclopedia
St. Patrick’s Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Davenport
. The church is located in rural Monroe County, Iowa
, United States
, on U.S. Route 34
, west of Albia, Iowa
. It is located in an unincorporated area known as Georgetown and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
and Pennsylvania
. Many who settled the area came to build the first railroad west of the Des Moines River
and they originally named the settlement Staceyville. At the time the entire state of Iowa
was part of the Diocese of Dubuque
. The Rev. Jean Villars from Keokuk
visited the area starting in 1848 and celebrated Mass in people’s homes. In the 1850s the Rev. John Kreckel from St. Mary of the Visitation
in Ottumwa
started visiting the area monthly until a small log church called St. Gregory’s was built in 1851.
St. Patrick’s Church was begun in 1860 and completed in 1865, the same year the Rev. Bernard P. McMenomy was assigned to the parish. The American Civil War
delayed construction of the church. The church was constructed of brick
and sandstone
in the Gothic Revival style. A small bell tower with a short spire
sits on top of the roof above the main entrance of the church. The parish in Georgetown became a missionary center in southern Iowa. The pastor visited communities in Afton
, Bauer
, Chariton
, Dutch Settlement, Irish Settlement (Decatur County
), Leon
, Melrose
, Osceola
, and Woodburn
. The parish became a part of the Davenport Diocese when it was established in 1881.
The parish supported a school staffed by the Congregation of the Humility of Mary from Ottumwa
. It was one of seven parochial school
s in the diocese that operated as public schools. All of these areas were predominately Catholic, nearly 100 %. In the early 20th century the state of Iowa
required all districts to have a school. Parochial schools fulfilled the requirement. Funds were used to pay at least some of the Sister’s salaries, books (except for religion), equipment and other items per the contract with the state. Starting in 1937 law suits were brought against the districts challenging their legal right to employ the Sisters. The District Court upheld the practice, but the state Supreme Court overturned the decision and left it open for a retrial. The case was dropped as was one in 1941. While the state could not restrict employing teachers based on their religious beliefs, they could restrict what they wore. The Sisters continued to wear their habits
, but they removed their rosary
s and reliquaries
. In 1953 the state legislature passed a law that refused state aid to these schools. The school at Georgetown chose to replace the Sisters with lay teachers so they could continue to receive financial aid from the state. The school closed in 1959.
As the numbers of clergy started to decline, St. Patrick’s lost its resident priest and it was clustered with other parishes in Monroe County. It has been run by a lay Parish Life Coordinator under the direction of a Canonical Pastor since the 1990s .
Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport is a diocese of the Catholic Church for the southeastern quarter of the state of Iowa. There are within the diocese...
. The church is located in rural Monroe County, Iowa
Monroe County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 7,970 in the county, with a population density of . There were 3,884 housing units, of which 3,213 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, on U.S. Route 34
U.S. Route 34
U.S. Route 34 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 1,122 miles from north-central Colorado to the western suburbs of Chicago. Through Rocky Mountain National Park it is known as the Trail Ridge Road where it reaches 12,183 ft , making it the highest paved through highway in...
, west of Albia, Iowa
Albia, Iowa
Albia is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,706 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Albia's longitude and latitude coordinatesin decimal form are 41.026600, −92.805262....
. It is located in an unincorporated area known as Georgetown and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
The area that would come to be known as Georgetown was settled by people of Irish descent from St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Many who settled the area came to build the first railroad west of the Des Moines River
Des Moines River
The Des Moines River is a tributary river of the Mississippi River, approximately long to its farther headwaters, in the upper Midwestern United States...
and they originally named the settlement Staceyville. At the time the entire state of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
was part of the Diocese of Dubuque
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the northeastern quarter of the state of Iowa in the United States. It includes all the Iowa counties north of Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Iowa, Johnson, Cedar, and Clinton counties. ...
. The Rev. Jean Villars from Keokuk
Keokuk, Iowa
Keokuk is a city in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Iowa and one of the county seats of Lee County. The other county seat is Fort Madison. The population was 11,427 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Sauk Chief Keokuk, who is thought to be buried in Rand Park...
visited the area starting in 1848 and celebrated Mass in people’s homes. In the 1850s the Rev. John Kreckel from St. Mary of the Visitation
St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church (Ottumwa, Iowa)
St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Davenport. The church building is located on the corner of 4th and Court Streets in downtown Ottumwa, Iowa United States. It is part of the Central Park area, which is the civic center of the community. It includes: the...
in Ottumwa
Ottumwa, Iowa
Ottumwa is a city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,998 at the 2000 census. It is located in the southeastern part of Iowa, and the city is split into northern and southern halves by the Des Moines River....
started visiting the area monthly until a small log church called St. Gregory’s was built in 1851.
St. Patrick’s Church was begun in 1860 and completed in 1865, the same year the Rev. Bernard P. McMenomy was assigned to the parish. The American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
delayed construction of the church. The church was constructed of brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
and sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
in the Gothic Revival style. A small bell tower with a short spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
sits on top of the roof above the main entrance of the church. The parish in Georgetown became a missionary center in southern Iowa. The pastor visited communities in Afton
Afton, Iowa
Afton is a city in Union County, Iowa, United States. The population was 917 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Afton is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, Bauer
St. Joseph's Catholic Church (Lacona, Iowa)
St. Joseph's Catholic Church is a former parish of the Diocese of Davenport. The church is located in rural Lacona, Iowa, United States, one mile east of the junction of County Road G 76 and SE 97th Street. The church building still stands and it is listed on the National Register of Historic...
, Chariton
Chariton, Iowa
Chariton is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,573 at the 2000 census. It is the primary distribution center for, and former corporate seat of, the Hy-Vee supermarket chain.-History:...
, Dutch Settlement, Irish Settlement (Decatur County
Decatur County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 8,457 in the county, with a population density of . There were 3,834 housing units, of which 3,223 were occupied.-2000 census:...
), Leon
Leon, Iowa
Leon is a city in Decatur County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,983 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Decatur County.The city is located near the Little River Lake Recreation Area...
, Melrose
Melrose, Iowa
Melrose is a city in Monroe County, Iowa, United States. The population was 130 at the 2000 census. Melrose is known as Iowa's "Little Ireland"...
, Osceola
Osceola, Iowa
Osceola is a city in Clarke County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,659 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Clarke County.-Geography:Osceola is located at , at the junction of Interstate 35 and U.S. Routes 34 and 69...
, and Woodburn
Woodburn, Iowa
Woodburn is a city in Clarke County, Iowa, United States. The population was 244 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Woodburn is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
. The parish became a part of the Davenport Diocese when it was established in 1881.
The parish supported a school staffed by the Congregation of the Humility of Mary from Ottumwa
Ottumwa, Iowa
Ottumwa is a city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,998 at the 2000 census. It is located in the southeastern part of Iowa, and the city is split into northern and southern halves by the Des Moines River....
. It was one of seven parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
s in the diocese that operated as public schools. All of these areas were predominately Catholic, nearly 100 %. In the early 20th century the state of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
required all districts to have a school. Parochial schools fulfilled the requirement. Funds were used to pay at least some of the Sister’s salaries, books (except for religion), equipment and other items per the contract with the state. Starting in 1937 law suits were brought against the districts challenging their legal right to employ the Sisters. The District Court upheld the practice, but the state Supreme Court overturned the decision and left it open for a retrial. The case was dropped as was one in 1941. While the state could not restrict employing teachers based on their religious beliefs, they could restrict what they wore. The Sisters continued to wear their habits
Religious habit
A religious habit is a distinctive set of garments worn by members of a religious order. Traditionally some plain garb recognisable as a religious habit has also been worn by those leading the religious eremitic and anachoritic life, although in their case without conformity to a particular uniform...
, but they removed their rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
s and reliquaries
Reliquary
A reliquary is a container for relics. These may be the physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures...
. In 1953 the state legislature passed a law that refused state aid to these schools. The school at Georgetown chose to replace the Sisters with lay teachers so they could continue to receive financial aid from the state. The school closed in 1959.
As the numbers of clergy started to decline, St. Patrick’s lost its resident priest and it was clustered with other parishes in Monroe County. It has been run by a lay Parish Life Coordinator under the direction of a Canonical Pastor since the 1990s .