Marcus - Holy Name

MARCUS - After the railroad was completed through Marcus in 1869, Irish and German Catholic families settled in the area. Father Herman J. Meis of Le Mars served as a missionary priest and said Mass in private homes. The Bird families and the Gearons were among the first settlers.

In 1876, John Ernster received permission from Father Meis to construct a church. The Townsite Company donated land where Faith Lutheran Church now stands with the stipulation it could be used for church purposes only. A 16-foot by 24-foot building, costing $300, was built in 1877. It was the first church of any denomination in Marcus. The interior was never finished; packing crates were used as the altar and planks on bricks were pews. Parishioners knelt on the floor.

Father Meis said the first Mass and Father Michael J. Gaffney served as missionary priest from 1877-1883. The congregation soon outgrew the little church and a larger one was built on the southwest corner of Elm and Pine streets. It was dedicated in 1884 and cost $3,625.

Father David Slattery (1883-1884) and Father James T. Gilchrist (1884-1886) both served Holy Name Parish. Father Gilchrist was the first resident pastor as the rectory was completed in 1885, costing $3,000. It was known as the best house in town for years, but was demolished in the late 1980s.

The first little church was sold members of the Swedish Lutheran Congregation. When they demolished it, some of the lumber was used to build the Carl Anderson home on 402 N. Ames Street.

Father Michael Hennessey (1886-1891) and Father John O'Reilly (1891-1903) both served Holy Name in its early years in Marcus. Father O'Reilly started a fund drive to build a parochial school and it opened its doors in September of 1892. Four sisters from the B.V.M. from Dubuque greeted 28 pupils in nine grades. It was located on 102 N. Elm St. and called Loretto Academy. The next fall, 60 pupils answered the school bell. At one time, Loretto accommodated 35 boarders.

In 1915, when a larger church was needed, the three-story wooden structure was moved to West Amherst Street where it served as a hotel and boarding house until the 1990s. It was razed in 1996 and was so well built that it took much longer to knock it down than was anticipated.

The present church, a priest's house and garage and a three-story school were built at a cost of $97,000. The church bell from the second church is still used today. A gymnasium was added south of the school in 1950. A convent, designed to house 13 sisters was completed in April of 1957. It is now used as the education center. A new rectory was completed in 1992, replacing the 1915 structure.

The last high school graduating class from Holy Name was 1964. Grade school continued until 1972 when Holy Name closed its doors. The school and the gym were burned in a "controlled fire" in the fall of 1997. Some families sent their children to St. Mary's Catholic School in Remsen, but most enrolled in Marcus Public School, now a combination of Grand Meadow, Cleghorn and Marcus, called MMC. Religious education is provided once a week during the school year with a week of Bible school in June.

Holy Name is clustered with Remsen St. Mary's and St. Catherine's Oyens. The Holy Name family numbers 311 envelope holders and 700-plus parishioners.

Holy Name Parish is currently in the process of renovating the church at an approximate cost of $700,000. An elevator will soon be available for handicap accessibility to the basement and first floor. The roof has been completely restored and new steps and sidewalks were installed. Holy Name will observe its quasquicentennial (125 years) this year.

Other priests to serve Holy Name were: Father John F. Phelan (1903-1906), Father John O'Reilly (1906-1919), Father George Cook (1920-1938), Father Dennis K. Hurley (1938-1941), Father Edward "Leo" McEvoy (1941-1951), Father Joseph T. Fitzpatrick (1951-1956), Father Patrick "Leo" McCoy (1956-1959), Father Robert J. O'Reilly (1959-1975), Msgr. A. W. Behrens (1975-1981), Msgr. Leonard Ziegman (1981-1983), Msgr. Gerald Lyons (1983-1989), Father James Fangman (1989-1996) and Father Richard R. Remmes (1996-present).