Royal - St. Louis

ROYAL - The History of Catholicism in the Royal area dates back to the latter part of the 19th Century when priests from Sutherland came up to celebrate Mass in an area southwest of Royal known as the French Settlement. The majority of people in this area were Americans of French-Canadian descent. They had left Canada accompanied by a priest, settled in Illinois, and then migrated to the recently settled area of western Clay County. Mass was first celebrated in homes of the parishioners.

In 1902, Father L. Kerby built a small church in the recently established town of Everly as a mission of Sacred Heart Church in Spencer. It was his intention to have the people in the French Settlement area attend church there, but he had little success because of the distance. Father J. Murtaugh and Father M. Bradley from Sutherland began to look after the French Settlement. First Communions and confirmations took place at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Sutherland. This was also a great distance by horse and buggy, and church attendance was infrequent.

Father R. M. LeCair of Sutherland established catechetical instructions in homes in the area in early 1907. For the next two years Mass was celebrated in the Center Schoolhouse south of Royal. A small cemetery was established there. For six months a crowd of children, young men and women, as well as some adults, faithfully attended Catechism every week after their day's work.

Soon the Schoolhouse was too small and Father LeCair and the parishioners, with the approval of Bishop Garrigan, decided to build a church in the newly established town of Royal. They purchased a lot on the comer of 2nd and Long Street. While the church was under construction, Mass was celebrated in the Opera House on Main Street. Contributions from the parishioners paid for the church and a church of 26-feet by 36-feet was constructed at the cost of about $2800.

On Easter Sunday, March 27, 1910, the church was privately blessed by the pastor and opened for worship. The church was named in honor of King Louis IX of France, a man with high ideals of holiness, and who fought for Christianity. The church was officially dedicated in May 1910. The former pastors from Sutherland; Father LeCair; M. A. Schemel; M. C. Carey; E. S. Maynard, R- H. Loeffelholz, and M. C. Wendel celebrated the liturgies.

The labors of these priests and the faith and devotion of the early Catholics were blessed in September of 1923 when Father Gabriel Barry arrived in Royal as the first resident pastor of St. Louis Parish. He made his home in a room above a tavern on Main Street until a rectory was completed the following year. He also served St. Joseph Church in Sioux Rapids for a short time until the Catholic Church of Everly was designated a mission of the Royal church, also in 1923, which has continued to the present time.

In 1925 a 26-feet by 40-feet addition was added to the church for a new sanctuary and sacristy. Before the basement addition a pot-bellied stove on the main floor heated the church. A furnace was installed in the new basement addition.

Beginning in the late 1930s and early 1940s Sisters from the Order of St. Francis arrived in the parish every summer for summer religion classes.

In more recent years it was again realized that a larger and more modern facility was needed. Property was purchased in the southeast part of town and a fund drive was begun. And in 1969 a new church with the seating capacity of 260 was completed. An educational unit and parish center was built in the adjoining north wing and a rectory and offices were built in the south wing. The cost of the new church was $134,211 with the construction material being white and gray slurry brick.

The dedication of the new facilities took place on June 22, 1969, with Bishop Mueller presiding. Father Kirschbaum celebrated the Mass. There were approximately 85 families in the parish at that time and that number still holds true today.

In the early 1970s a bell tower of matching brick was erected just south of the church. The bell in the tower is from the original church. The bronze cross atop it was also salvaged from the steeple of the old church building before it was demolished.

St. Louis Catholic Church has been blessed with the service of devout spiritual leaders over the years. Its pastors included: Father Gabriel Barry (1923-1933), Father Francis Schultes (1933-1939), Father Henry Karhoff (1939-1943), Father Nicholas Becker (1943-1954), Father Victor Kollasch (1954-1960), Father Robert Kirschbaum (1960-1973), Father Thomas Munn (1973-1985), Father Eugene Schumacher (1985-1992), Father Anthony Pick (1992-1999) and Father Francis Higgins (1999-2000).

Father Timothy Fitzgerald is the present pastor. Father Fitzgerald has worked hard to get more people involved in the parish through the development of many committees. He has been able to help the parishioners take ownership of the parish. He has been very supportive of the youth programs in the parish.