Coon Rapids - Annunciation

The first Holy Mass in Coon Rapids proper was celebrated by Father Pape in a room of a hotel owned by Albert and Almira Brutsche. The exact date is unknown, but it was probably about the year 1880. This area was considered a mission of Templeton.

Father Bernard A. Schulte of Templeton attended the Coon Rapids mission for several years, and during that time built a small church costing $1,880. This church had a seating capacity of about 100 persons and had no sacristy.

The first mission ever held in Coon Rapids was from March 13 - 25, 1891. At the close of the mission, which was on the Feast of the Annunciation, the church was dedicated under the name of Annunciation Church. The first resident priest was Father James F. Brady.

During the pastorate of Father J. M. McAuliffe, the church was enlarged considerably and a sacristy was also added. At that time, Dedham was also attended by the Coon Rapids pastor.

Father J. S. Shanahan followed Father McAuliffe and installed a new main altar and stained glass windows in 1905. The altar is now in an Indian mission in South Dakota.

The late Father George Wessling became pastor of Annunciation Parish in September of 1914 and was pastor for nine years. During his pastorate, the brick school was built. The school was opened January of 1916 with two lay teachers. The Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration from Wisconsin arrived in the fall and this order of nuns was the first to serve the parish.

The school opened with 28 boarders and a small number of day pupils. The last boarders the school had were in 1937.

The parishioners of St. Mary's mission in Greene County, which was attended by the pastor from Coon Rapids for many years, contributed more than $1,000 for the construction of the Coon Rapids parochial school. In 1970, the Annunciation Catholic School closed its doors due to lack of enrollment.

In 1946, Father Thomas Parle was appointed pastor. Although only pastor for two years, Father Parle accomplished many improvements to the parish buildings, particularly the installation of a new heating system for both the school and church. Both the exterior and the interior of the church were renovated and redecorated.

Father Robert Dougherty came to Coon Rapids in 1954. He immediately endeavored to carry out the plans of the two former pastors in the construction of a new church. He supervised the financial campaign and the new construction. The present church was built in 1956 and dedicated March 25, 1957.

Plans were made in 1965 to build a convent which today is the parish rectory.

Fathers Harold Cooper (1966-1969), Edward V. Carpenter (1969-1987) and Robert Fangman (1987-1997), Paul Kelly (1997-1999) and Anthony P. Pick (1999-present) all served Coon Rapids over the years.

Four young women of the parish joined the religious. They were Sister Mary Banaventure, Sister Mary Catherine, Sister Mary Eucharia and Sister Joan Losey. There has been two vocations to the priesthood from the parish: Father Willard Christy and Father James A. Bruch.