Rock Rapids - Holy Name

ROCK RAPIDS - In 1871, Patrick and James McGuire were the first known Catholics of the original 13 families in central Lyon County. Until 1890, priests from Sheldon, Le Mars, Sibley and Rock Valley offered Masses in the homes and the Lyon County Courthouse.

In February of 1887, three lots on the west side of town were purchased from Dr. Alexander and Clementina MacNab and in 1889, Isaac Walter VanWagenen built the first church for $3,000. Father James McCormack, pastor at Ashton, offered the first Mass on the Feast of Holy Name in 1890. Within the next 10 years, the church was enlarged by a third for an additional $3,000.

Bishop John Hennessey of Dubuque assigned Father Thomas Dullard to Holy Name Parish in 1890 immediately following his ordination. He said his first Mass at Holy Name on Jan. 19, 1890, and spent his whole priestly life serving the people of Rock Rapids.

Prior to 1900, Catholics were buried in Riverview Cemetery. In 1900, Father Dullard acquired two acres of land from Joseph Jones for the Holy Name Cemetery.

For the first 12 years of his pastorate, Father Dullard lived at the Lyon House, a hotel in downtown Rock Rapids. In 1902, at a cost of $5,918, the parish built the first parochial house.

Father O'Leary succeeded Father Dullard in 1913.

Due to the determination of the church, the priest and parishioners had been investing parish money in government bonds, which by 1954, had become the basis of a $28,700 building fund. Three lots were purchased and the new church was completed in June of 1957.

Father Kollasch (1960-1968)began remodeling the parsonage basement upon his arrival. It was then turned into a parish hall.

Plans for a new church were begun in 1961. The total for the new building came to $300,000, about 100 times the cost of the first Holy Name Church. Father Kollasch offered the first Mass in the new church on Christmas Eve, 1964. The church was dedicated on March 14, 1965.

Father Kollasch was followed by Father Alfred E. McCoy, Father Leonard Ziegmann, Father Reinhard Nemmers, Father Edward Hoffman, Father Elmer Thom, Father Eugene Schumacher and Father J. Charles Yetmar.

Holy name celebrated 100 years in Northwest Iowa with a Mass said by Bishop Lawrence Soens on Aug. 19, 1990. Additionally, the parish was clustered with St. Mary in Larchwood in 1992.

Eight women from Holy Name Parish have entered the religious life. They are: Sister M. Columba McGuire, Sister James McGuire, Sister Electa Hampe, Sister Louis Kluemper, Sister Bernadette Kitogowa, Sister Catherine Gacke, Sister Louis McGuire an Sister Clarice.