St. Mary's Help of Christians Church

 

Sunday, September 8, 2024

Celebrate a return to glory in Loretto, Kansas as we celebrate in the St. Mary's Help of Christians Shrine in this Volga German settlement located in northeastern Rush County.

10:30 am: Celebrate Mass with Father Reginald Urban
The will be a meal in the Parish Hall following the service.

Brief history of St. Mary's

By 1912, seventeen families of the Ellis County settlement of Pfeifer were living just over the county line in Rush County. These families had contributed money toward the construction of a church in Pfeifer with the stipulation that if they decided to establish their own congregation, they could have that money back. Thus, with $3,000 in funds, they decided to build their own church, four and one-half miles south of Pfeifer. Adam S. Urban and Stephen S. Urban each donated five acres of land for the townsite; Martin Urban gave one acre for a cemetery; and Joseph Urban donated land for a church, parsonage, and school. From this, the town of Illinois was born.

In the fall of 1912, a combination church and school was built. It was a two-story structure 60 feet in length and 28 feet in width. Classes were held on the first level, and the second floor served as the church. In 1913, parishioners constructed a rectory.

In 1913, the name of the town was changed from Illinois to Marienfeld, and later, at the recommendation of Father Stutz, renamed Loretto. It was named after a city near the Adriatic Sea in Italy which is home to the Santa Casa di Loreto, a shrine believed to be the home of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

That year, the townsite was divided into building lots that were sold to raise money for the church. In 1916, there were sixty families living in town and a few years later, the school enrollment peaked at seventy students. At first, laymen taught in the school. In 1918, the Sisters of the Order of the Precious Blood were employed as teachers and a convent was built.

Construction of a new brick church began in the spring of 1927, and in May of 1928, the new “Mariahilf Kirche ” (St. Mary’s Help of Christians Church) was dedicated.

To Learn More

For the complete history, download the preview chapter
St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church
from the upcoming book, “Hidden Histories of Rush County”.