Carroll - Holy Spirit

"The two shall become one" summarizes the history of Holy Spirit Parish in Carroll. On June 17, 1964, Bishop Joseph Mueller announced the consolidation of St. Joseph's and Saints Peter and Paul's Churches into a new parish unit to be known as Holy Spirit Church.

The "new" parish originally began in 1876 when St. Joseph Parish was established and later when SSPP Parish in 1885 was formed for the German-speaking people of the community. These two parishes flourished side by side-with the churches only two blocks apart-for approximately 80 years. In the spring of 1868 a colony of 35 Catholic families from Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois formed Mount Carmel Church in Carroll County. After the mother church was formed, Father John F. Kempker, pastor of Mount Carmel, helped organize the founding of a new parish in Carroll in 1876. Later Father F.W. Pape was appointed the first resident pastor.

Church services were held in various homes and the courthouse until the church building was established, a small one on First Street where Mass was celebrated for over a year. When it became too small, a new frame church was built. The parishioners were primarily Irish, German, French, and English. They could be divided into 47 percent English speakers and 53 percent the newer immigrants who spoke only German.

Father John Urbany, who became pastor in 1879, built the first parochial school in the county and brought the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration to Carroll County.

To accommodate the German immigrants, Bishop John Hennessy of Dubuque approved the establishment of a separate church. After the division, Father P.J. O'Connor started a movement to replace the frame St. Joseph's Church with a stone building.

Other pastors included Fathers T. Tracy, P.F. Farrelly, John McAuliff, T.J. McCarty, Stephen Butler, J.J. Hawley and Michael Bradley. Msgr. P.T. Lynch served as pastor from 1932 until the parish was dissolved in the mid-1960s. Six priests and 12 sisters came from St. Joseph's Parish.

Saint Peter and Saint Paul Parish, the other half of Holy Spirit's origins, began building its church in 1886, celebrating its first Mass May 2, 1886, under pastor Father B.J. Fendrich.

Father Fendrich's successor Father John Nache organized the first SSPP school with classes taught by laymen in the two sacristies. In 1889 the first parish school was built and conducted by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration from LaCrosse, Wis. In 1898 a cross form addition was built onto the church and dedicated.

The next pastor Father Joseph Kuemper, doubled the capacity of the school in 1901 moving and enlarging the rectory. Father Herman J. Diers succeeded Father Kuemper. The next pastor, Father Lambert Schenkelberg, purchased Sacred Heart Convent for the sisters teaching in the grade school.

When Father Schenkelberg's health failed in 1950, Father Frank Greteman began as administrator of the parish. Father-then Monsignor-GGreteman, a native of Carroll County, remained as pastor through the consolidation of the two parishes. He replaced the old grade school and parish hall with a new school and gymnasium, built a new convent in 1964, and tore down the old convent for the site of Holy Spirit Church, which was dedicated in 1968. Following Msgr. Greteman as pastor were Fathers Leo Lenz, Msgr. Roger Augustine, Mervin Hood, and Richard Remmes. In 1999, under current pastor Father Jim McCormick, and associate pastor Father Peter Duc Nguyen, a new parish center was built and named for Bishop Frank H. Greteman, the first native of the Diocese of Sioux City to be made a bishop.

Saint Peter and Paul's parish was blessed with more than a dozen other vocations to the priesthood and 45 religious vocations to the FSPA, Marian, Loretto, St. Joseph, St. Francis of Mary Immaculate, and Mercy Sisters. Two permanent deacons, Anthony Rueter and William Schroeder, also currently serve the 1,175 adults and 475 youth of Holy Spirit Parish.

Holy Spirit Parish includes four choir groups, Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Legion of Mary, Sunday School for Tots, Little Saints pre-school, quilters and rugmakers.

The Pastoral Council includes representatives from the Ladies Guild, Men's Club, Kuemper Catholic Grade School and High School Boards, the Coordinator of Parish Ministries; and the Peace and Justice, Hospitality, Homebound and Sacristy, Liturgy, Finance, Grounds, and Bereavement Committees.