Holy Angels Church celebrates 100 years

July 22, 2004

ROSELLE - Holy Angels Church in Roselle will celebrate 100 years as a parish on July 31. The event will begin with at Mass at 4:30 p.m. celebrated by Father Dale Reiff and Msgr. Roger Augustine, the diocesan administrator.

Following the Mass will be an evening of activities including games of chance, kiddie games, Brian's barrel rides and a beer garden. At 8 p.m. there will be an auction and raffle drawing.

Food and refreshments will be available as well as souvenirs such as suncatchers, church centennial clocks, parish pictorial books and other memorabilia.

People of all ages are invited to attend to help celebrate the church's 100th anniversary.

The rain date for the event will be Aug. 1 at 4 p.m.

The town of Roselle was settled soon after the first pioneers came to Mt. Carmel. The land which comprised the village of Roselle was owned by Mr. Hill. Here the stagecoach carrying the mail between Boone and Crawford counties had a small station that was called "Hillsdale."

Father Heimbucher, then stationed at Mt. Carmel, occasionally visited the little community of German Catholics before 1873 and attended to their spiritual needs. In 1873, Father John Kempker succeeded Father Heimbucher at Mt. Carmel.

Father Kempker said the first Holy Mass for Roselle in the home of Joseph Buchheit on Feb. 6, 1874. Father Kempker purchased five acres of land on which the present Holy Angels Church is located.

In the summer of 1874, work began on the frame church and it was called "Heilige Schutzengels Kirche" (Holy Guardian Angel Church). The name was shortened a little and today the church is referred to as Holy Angels Church.

Father F. W. Pape (1876-1877) had charge of the newly established parish. In 1877, Father Theodore Wegmann was appointed the first resident pastor. A year after his appointment, the priest's house was built, which was enlarged and remodeled in later years.

Upon Father Wegmann's death in 1887, Father Ulrich Frey was assigned to the parish.

During his pastorate, he built a two-story brick school and sisters convent. In 1888, the first Sisters came to Roselle. The school was first taught by the Sisters of the Order of St. Francis of the Holy Family, Dubuque. It was later transferred to the custody of the Sisters of the Order of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration, LaCrosse, Wis.

In the spring of 1903, the foundation was laid for a new and substantial church. Two years later the present imposing Gothic-style structure was built.

In 1911, Father Gehling was appointed pastor and remained for 15 years. He was succeeded by Fathers Baumler (1926-1927) and Louis Anthofer (1927-1946). Anthofer was responsible for the redecoration of the interior of the church and renovation of the school. Much of the landscaping on the parish grounds was accomplished under his supervision.

In 1974, Roselle was consolidated with Halbur and Templeton with the attendance center for grades 1-4 at Halbur. Grades 5-8 were at Templeton. In the fall of 1993, kindergarten classes were begun for the first time. The system was called Holy Trinity School.

Succeeding pastors include: Fathers Bernard Montag, Bernard Eischeid, J. J. Dalhoff, Richard Graf, Richard Macke, Jerome Doyle, D. William Wingert and Timothy Schott.

Fathers Edward Murray, Steven Brodersen, Eugene Ceperley, Paul Kelly, Gary Snyder and Dale Reiff also served Holy Angels Parish.

There have been eight young men from the parish ordained to the priesthood. They include Archbishop Henry P. Rohlman, Msgr. Edward J. Neppl, Father John Neppl, Father Joseph Neppl, Father Peter Sturm, Father Joseph Sibenaller, Father Darrell Rupiper OMI and Father Louis J. Sondgeroth OMI.