“When we see a spire from the road, that sight ought to make our hearts beat like the heart of a lover at the sight of the roof under which his lover dwells. We ought to be unable to take our eyes off it.”
The early German Catholics of the Butler County area were served by the Franciscans of Columbus, Nebraska intermittently from about 1877 to 1883. Construction of a permanent church in Center, Nebraska (rural David City) began in the summer of 1879 and St. Francis was chosen as the parish patron. As the parish grew, plans were made for larger, brick church which was dedicated in 1900. Only five years later, a fire of unknown origin destroyed this church on April 16, 1905. The present church, designed by H.W. Brinkman of Emporia, Kansas was dedicated in 1916. It's worth noting that this church bears much resemblance to St. Joseph Catholic Church in Colon, Nebraska. Colon was dedicated in 1919 and is much larger, but given the many similarities in design, it's likely the same architect was utilized.
The interior of this Romanesque Revival church has undergone many renovations throughout its 94-year history. The photo above was taken in approximately 1931 and depicts the interior as it likely appeared near the time of its dedication in 1916. All of the furnishings are in place, but no decorative painting yet.
Around 2004, plans were drawn up to renovate the interior of the church in order to recapture many of the architectural and artistic features that had faded or disappeared over time. A sketch of the proposed interior....
... and as it was actually executed. A new mural of the Ascension was commissioned for the apse to replace a fading 1952 mural of Christ the Priest.
The sanctuary as it appeared cira-1940. Note especially the stunning painting in the apse. Painted in the Beuronese style, the mural is replete with imagery; angels hold symbols of six Sacraments, with Christ himself as the seventh Sacrament of the Eucharist. There are also images of the Trinity, the Vine and Branches, and the feeding of the sheep. This mural was covered in 1952 with an image of Christ the Priest.
By contrast, the sanctuary as it currently appears.
The nave in approximately 1965. Much of the interior decoration in this photo can be traced to the renovation of 1952. Note the mural of Christ the Priest as well as the simplified paint scheme.
Again, contrasted with the present interior.
The interior underwent further renovations in approximately 1978 and again in the mid-1990s. The ornate altars have been removed and the paint scheme further simplified. Depicted above is the interior in 2000.
The interior finally reached its present state in about 2004. This renovation effectively renewed the color and design of the space, while completely respecting its architectural integrity.
The barrel vaulted ceiling is a distinctive design element of St. Francis.
Christ sacrificed, ascended, and dwelling among us.
A side devotional area featuring statues of Our Lady of Grace, the church's patron St. Francis of Assisi, and the Baptismal Font.
The stations of the cross harmonize well with the church's architectural elements. Note especially the detail of the pilaster featuring the head of a cherub.
An original confessional graces the rear of the church, near the entry. The all-seeing eye of God watches over the main doors.
Two different stained glass window designs are found within the nave. The parish's patron, St. Francis is a full figural representation...
...while his sister, St. Claire is depicted in a portrait-like fashion.
The windows in the façade date from 1944 and replaced clear glass windows.
Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in their magnificence, and he said to him, "All these I shall give to you, if you will prostrate yourself and worship me." At this, Jesus said to him, "Get away, Satan! It is written: 'The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve.'" (Matthew 4:8-10)
Behind the church lies the parish's neatly-kept cemetery.
A small, peaceful shrine to Mary occupies a corner of the cemetery grounds.
The names of many early German settlers can be found on the older headstones. This particular one reads:
We cannot tell who next may fall
Beneath thy chastening rod,
One must be first but let us all
Prepare to meet our God
St. Francis of Assisi church and rectory as viewed from the back corner of the cemetery.
The parish hall, which also serves as the township hall, was constructed in 1930. Several scenes from the 1992 made-for-TV movie "O Pioneers!" were filmed at this hall.
Thanks to a comment left an embarrassingly long time ago on my original post, I've finally managed to search my files and find my pre-renovation photographs of St. Mary Catholic Church in Alton, Iowa. It's also worth noting that since my original post, the parish has launched a website, where the history of the parish can be found. Below are the before and after shots of the interior. Enjoy!
As Christendom began it's period of excited anticipation with the First Sunday of Advent, New York City's Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine was rededicated after a painstaking restoration following a disastrous fire in 2001. Seven years and $41 million later, the Cathedral now looks better than it ever has. Began in 1892, construction of the Cathedral has been halted three separate times, and remains largely incomplete even today. It's unlikely that construction will resume any time in the near future. Every inch of the building required cleaning because of the severe smoke and water damage. This was no small feat considering the Cathedral is 601 feet long and 121,000 square feet!
Also included in the restoration was the Cathedral's monumental Aeolian Skinner pipe organ. The "trademark" feature of this organ is the horizontal "State Trumpet" mounted beneath the great rose window. This stop operates on 50" wind pressure, making it the most powerful organ stop in the world. You can catch a glimpse of the ceremony and the organ in the video below.
Today is the Feast of an American saint, Rose PhilippineDuchesne. Mother Duchesne came to the United States from France in 1818 and settled in St. Charles, Missouri - just northwest of St. Louis. There, she established the first school for girls west of the Mississippi River.
Later, in 1841, at the age of 72, she traveled to Sugar Creek, Kansas to found a school for Pottawatomie girls. Ultimately, her attempt failed - however, it was there amongst the Native Americans that she earned the title of "The Woman Who Prays Always" - a testament to her unshakable faith, even in the face of failure.
She died on November 18, 1852 in St. Charles. She was beatified in 1940, and later declared a saint in 1988. I'm often surprised and a little saddened that most American Catholics are unaware of the saints who called our country home. We cannot forget or ignore the sacrifice they made in building up the Church in the United States. While many people flock to the tombs of European saints, the shrines of our own American saints are relatively empty.
Construction of the Shrine Church of Rose Philippine Duchesne began in 1952 in St. Charles, MO. Funds began to run short, and the church was never completed. The shrine was originally designed to be in the traditional shape of a cross, however, the present, uncompleted structure is in the shape of a stubby "T." A fair amount of controversy surrounds the 1964 renovation of the shrine church by noted artist William Schickel. However, I feel this renovation has resulted in a much needed sense of permanence in an otherwise unfinished structure.
While many complain that the building is "too plain," it is essential to understand Mr. Schickel's philosophy of design and his intent. This renovation was intended to reflect the austereness of Mother Duchesne's spirituality as well as her experience on the plains. It's truly a building one must enter into, rather than just look at.
The earthly remains of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne are enclosed within a simple marble sarcophagus in a side alcove. The crucifix above her tomb once hung in the convent in France where she attended school as a child.
On display are a chair, which Mother Duchesne repaired herself and a coal burning foot warmer which she once used. Another testament to her austere experience of life on the plains.
"You may dazzle the mind with a thousand brilliant discoveries of natural science; you may open new worlds of knowledge which were never dreamed of before; yet if you have not developed in the soul of the pupil strong habits of virtue which will sustain him in the struggle of life, you have not educated him, but only put in his hand a powerful instrument of self-destruction."
The August 15 edition of The Catholic Voice reported that three churches in the Archdiocese of Omaha have undergone renovations recently. The price tag of these projects range from $25,000 to 1.8 Million. The churches are:
St. Francis of Assisi, Humphrey St. Bernard, Omaha St. Patrick, Omaha
The final stop I made before arriving at St. John's Abbey was in Olivia, Minnesota at St. Aloysius Church. When I stopped there last year, they were in the middle of a renovation, so I knew I wanted to see the results... and WOW! I would suggest watching this video. It gives one a sense of what was involved in the massive renovation that this church just completed. The actual segment about the church starts at 1:44.
I have visited hundreds of churches, mostly in rural areas and I must say that this church holds pride of place among them. The quality of materials, lack of clutter, and overall design and sense of aesthetics makes this church an absolute gem among rural churches.Furthermore, the recent renovation has only strengthened these impressive qualities. I have never been in a church that has such a warm, yet light and airy feel to it. It's truly something one must experience in person.
A few other things worth pointing out: the building has an amazing acoustic, due in large part to the terrazzo flooring throughout. I would like to hear the Reuter pipe organ at it's full potential in this space. The newly designed baptistry is also worth noting, as well as the fact that all the liturgical furniture (altar, ambo, font) were newly commissioned in Italy specifically for this church.
The exterior holds very true to the italianate architectural style in which the church was built - freestanding campanile, thickambulatory walls with small windows, and an entrance portico. The exterior is also very rich in glazed terra cotta ornamentation.I will post before and after renovation photos as soon as I find them!
The early German Catholics of the Butler County area were served by the Franciscans of Columbus, Nebraska intermittently from about 1877 to 1883. Construction of a permanent church in Center, Nebraska (rural David City) began in the summer of 1879 and St. Francis was chosen as the parish patron. As the parish grew, plans were made for larger, brick church which was dedicated in 1900. Only five years later, a fire of unknown origin destroyed this church on April 16, 1905. The present church, designed by H.W. Brinkman of Emporia, Kansas was dedicated in 1916. It's worth noting that this church bears much resemblance to St. Joseph Catholic Church in Colon, Nebraska. Colon was dedicated in 1919 and is much larger, but given the many similarities in design, it's likely the same architect was utilized.
Around 2004, plans were drawn up to renovate the interior of the church in order to recapture many of the architectural and artistic features that had faded or disappeared over time. A sketch of the proposed interior....
... and as it was actually executed. A new mural of the Ascension was commissioned for the apse to replace a fading 1952 mural of Christ the Priest.
The sanctuary as it appeared cira-1940. Note especially the stunning painting in the apse. Painted in the Beuronese style, the mural is replete with imagery; angels hold symbols of six Sacraments, with Christ himself as the seventh Sacrament of the Eucharist. There are also images of the Trinity, the Vine and Branches, and the feeding of the sheep. This mural was covered in 1952 with an image of Christ the Priest.
By contrast, the sanctuary as it currently appears.
Again, contrasted with the present interior.
The interior underwent further renovations in approximately 1978 and again in the mid-1990s. The ornate altars have been removed and the paint scheme further simplified. Depicted above is the interior in 2000.
The interior finally reached its present state in about 2004. This renovation effectively renewed the color and design of the space, while completely respecting its architectural integrity. 
The barrel vaulted ceiling is a distinctive design element of St. Francis.
Christ sacrificed, ascended, and dwelling among us.
A side devotional area featuring statues of Our Lady of Grace, the church's patron St. Francis of Assisi, and the Baptismal Font.
The stations of the cross harmonize well with the church's architectural elements. Note especially the detail of the pilaster featuring the head of a cherub.
An original confessional graces the rear of the church, near the entry. The all-seeing eye of God watches over the main doors.
Two different stained glass window designs are found within the nave. The parish's patron, St. Francis is a full figural representation...
...while his sister, St. Claire is depicted in a portrait-like fashion.
The windows in the façade date from 1944 and replaced clear glass windows. 
Behind the church lies the parish's neatly-kept cemetery.
A small, peaceful shrine to Mary occupies a corner of the cemetery grounds.
The names of many early German settlers can be found on the older headstones. This particular one reads:
St. Francis of Assisi church and rectory as viewed from the back corner of the cemetery.
The parish hall, which also serves as the township hall, was constructed in 1930. Several scenes from the 1992 made-for-TV movie "O Pioneers!" were filmed at this hall.
