A Catholic Mission
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    • About
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  • Our Story
    • 1. The Stage is Set
    • 2. The Osages Enter Kansas.
    • 3. Earliest Commerce
    • 4. Earliest Protestant Missions
    • 5. The Catholic Osage Mission >
      • 5A. The Mission Complex
      • 5B. The Osage Manual Labor Schools
      • 5C. A Beacon on The Plains ...
    • 6. Progress and Tragedy
    • 7. The Missionary Trails >
      • 7A. Missions, Stations, Churches
    • 8. A Dangerous Balance - The Civil War >
      • 8A. Confederate Officers Massacred
    • 9. The Osage Leave Kansas >
      • 9A. The Missionaries Did Not Abuse the Osage.
      • 9B. Fr. Schoenmakers Speech
    • 10. A Very Unique Community is Born >
      • 10A. A Church Raising
    • 11. Regional Boarding Schools >
      • 11A. St. Francis Institution for Boys
      • 11B. St. Ann's Academy for Girls
    • 12. Transitions
    • 13. The Passionists Era Begins
    • 14. Citizen Lawmen - The A.H.T.A. >
      • A.H.T.A. Chanute - October 1914
    • 15. The Passionist Influence is Expanded
    • 16. The Schools Today >
      • 16..1 Champions & Records
  • Characters
    • The Osages
    • The Missionaries >
      • Father John Schoenmakers >
        • Father Schoenmakers' Windows
      • Fr. John Bax >
        • Father John Bax II
      • Mother Bridget Hayden
      • Fr. Paul Ponziglione >
        • Father Paul's Memoir >
          • Index - Father Paul's Memoir >
            • Dedication & Introduction
            • IX. Construction & Acceptance of Mission Buildings.
            • X. Fr. Schoenmakers Arrives at Osage Mission
            • XI. Miss Lucille St. Pierre Came to the Neosho
            • XII. Progress of the Schools
            • XIII. Origin and Development of the Roman Catholic Church in Kansas
            • XXVII - Winds of War
            • XXVIII — Fr. Schoenmakers Return
            • Chapter XLII - Farming Issues, Death Of Father Colleton
            • Chapter XLIX - Includes The Death of Fr. Schoenmakers
            • Chapter L — Dedication of the New Church
            • Conclusion
            • Appendix I — Copy of a letter to Sister M. Coaina Mongrain about the coming of the Sisters of Loretto at Osage Mission
            • Appendix 6 — A Sketch of my Biography
            • Appendix 7 - Letter to W. W. Graves
      • Father Philip Colleton
      • Brother John Sheehan
    • W. W. Graves
    • 17 Sisters
    • 17 Sisters II - Fr. Fox's Sermon
    • Who's Behind the Window >
      • Who We Were 120 Years Ago
      • 1. The Thomas Carroll Window
      • 2. The W.W. O'Bryan Window
      • 3. The Jas. Owens & Family Window
      • 4. The C.P & C.J. Hentzen Windows
      • 5. The Dr. McNamara & Family Window
      • 6. The Fitzsimmons & Family Window
      • 7. The Parents of T.K. Joyce Window
      • 8. J.E. Sevart & Family Window
      • 9. The Rev. John Schoenmakers S.J. Window
      • 10. The Patrick Diskin and L&M George Window
      • 11. The J.A. Johnston & Family Window
      • 12. The Peter & Jacob Bonifas Windows
      • 13. The Mr & Mrs. Patrick Keeting Window
      • 14. The John Butler Window
      • 15. The Mr. & Mrs. Gutting Window
      • 16. Rosette Window Above Doors
      • 17. The Michael A. Barnes Window
      • 18. The Henry M. O'Bryan Window
      • 19. The John and Bridget McCarthy Window
      • The Sodality Windows
    • The Church Women's Bonfire (Graves)
    • Beechwood
    • John and Margaret Naudier
    • Fr. Tom McKernan - The Poet Priest of Kansas
    • The Dimond Family and Estate Sale
    • Dear Sister >
      • Friend Gertrude
    • A Year and a Day — Passionist Memories.
    • Mary Elizabeth Lease
    • K of C Council 760 - The Early Days
    • Our Hometown Boys
    • SPHS Class of 1956
  • Places
    • The Great American Desert
    • St. Francis Catholic Church
    • St. Francis de Heironymo Catholic Church Grounds
    • St. Paul - 135 Years Ago
    • St. Paul - 1890's as a Scale Model.
    • St. Paul - The Booming 60's
    • Osage Mission as a Statewide History Finalist
    • St. Francis Cemetery
    • Hope Cemetery
    • The Basement Chapel
    • World War I Museum Display
    • St. Paul Middle School >
      • Some Great Folks!
    • Ladore
    • St. Boniface, Scipio KS
    • Road Trip - Father Emil Kapaun
    • Exchange State Bank Robbery!
  • Thoughts ...
  • Links
  • Link Page

Thoughts 'n Things

Past and Present Day St. Paul, Southern Kansas and The Four - State Region.

135 Years!

5/11/2019

 
Picture
On May 11, 2019, our 'New' St. Francis Catholic Church building turned 135 years old!  But our parish is several years older and there was an earlier building.
St. Francis Catholic Church, St. Paul, Kansas, was dedicated on May 11, 1884.  After nearly thirteen years of anticipation and slow construction the dedication was a triumphant moment — but tears were probably shed too.  The church's champion and Osage Mission founder, Father John Schoenmakers, had passed away on July 28, 1883, only months before completion.  It would take another 18 - 20 years to put the finishing touches on the Southeast Kansas landmark, but overall, May 11 was a good day.
The Parish Was Older and There Was An Earlier Church.
​Our parish was established in April of 1847 when Fathers Schoenmakers and Bax and three Jesuit brothers arrived at the mission.   During early months one of the government-built Osage Mission school buildings was used as a church.  In a sense, St. Francis Parish was, itself, a mission station within a mission because a proper church wasn't available.  In 1848 the Jesuits built a log church described as 35' wide by 30' long with a 16' roof peak.  This building was expanded twice to a final size of 35' x 90'. [1]  

When Osage land cessions began in the mid-1860's, settlers flowed into the area.  Father Schoenmakers' new mission town [2] was located near the eastern edge of the frontier.  It's existing church and schools were attractive to many Catholics seeking new opportunities.   Father John knew a larger church building was needed.   The June 1871 issue of the People's Advocate newspaper announced: ​"The Catholics met at St. Francis Hall Sunday, June 25 and voted to commence operation at once on the foundation of a new stone church to be 160 x 74 feet and to cost $75,000."

Below is a brief pictorial overview of the church buildings and their history.  Also, follow THIS LINK for a description of the original church fund-raising and construction project and more recent upgrades.
Slideshow:
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Some Reference Information.
1.  Dimensions of the original Log Church vary from 30' x 30' to 35' square, depending on source.  The original church and it's first expansion were of log construction.  The final expansion was frame construction and the entire building was covered with clapboard.   In its final configuration the 'little log church' wasn't that small.  It was 90' long and depending on width it was as large as 3,150 square feet (if 35' x 90').  More about the little log church in a later post.

2.  Follow THIS LINK for more information about Father Schoenmakers' new mission town of Osage Mission.

3.  For more information about the basement chapel added during the 1909 - 1910 foundation repair, follow THIS LINK.

4.  For more information about the historic 1930 reinterment of the seventeen Pioneer Sisters of Loretto, follow THIS LINK.

5. The life-sized crucifix was donated to the church by the family of Michael Balfay.  When the Balfay family was moving from Chetopa to Osage Mission in 1884, their wagon was caught in river current at Trotters Ford.  While trying to save his team, wagon and family Mr. Balfay promised that if our Lord spared them he would make a lasting gift to the church.  Michael's family was spared but before he could fulfill his promise he died suddenly.  His family filled his promise in 1889.

    Thoughts 'n Things

    Some 'Thoughts' and short articles about past and present-day St. Paul and the Southern Kansas - 4 State Region.


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    April 28
    Beacon On The Plains
    BIG FISH!
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    Cooney & Strecker Weddings
    Early Schools
    Eureka Kansas
    Faces - Class Of 1932
    Fake News
    Four Phases Of History
    Gazetteer Of Catholic Places
    Girl's School Opens
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    Jacksonville - Deliberation
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    Links To Our Past
    Making Do
    Meeker School - 1906
    New Town Of Walnut
    O'Brien .. O'Bryan .. HUH?
    Old Log Church
    Pilgrimage Of The Plains
    Sacred Heart Larned And Fr. Colleton
    Sesquicentennial Again!
    Sobering Thought!
    Someone's Home.
    Sports Complex
    St. Francis At 135 Years!
    St. Francis Windows
    The Civil War
    The Swan Song
    We Are Important!
    What IS That Word???
    W.W. Graves

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acatholicmission.org is a privately hosted website.  We hope that our site will educate and entertain those who are interested in the fascinating Osage Mission - St.  Paul - Neosho County Kansas story.  Ours is a regional story that crosses state lines, ethnic groups, faiths and a variety of frontier and post-frontier interests.  Enjoy.

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  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
  • Our Story
    • 1. The Stage is Set
    • 2. The Osages Enter Kansas.
    • 3. Earliest Commerce
    • 4. Earliest Protestant Missions
    • 5. The Catholic Osage Mission >
      • 5A. The Mission Complex
      • 5B. The Osage Manual Labor Schools
      • 5C. A Beacon on The Plains ...
    • 6. Progress and Tragedy
    • 7. The Missionary Trails >
      • 7A. Missions, Stations, Churches
    • 8. A Dangerous Balance - The Civil War >
      • 8A. Confederate Officers Massacred
    • 9. The Osage Leave Kansas >
      • 9A. The Missionaries Did Not Abuse the Osage.
      • 9B. Fr. Schoenmakers Speech
    • 10. A Very Unique Community is Born >
      • 10A. A Church Raising
    • 11. Regional Boarding Schools >
      • 11A. St. Francis Institution for Boys
      • 11B. St. Ann's Academy for Girls
    • 12. Transitions
    • 13. The Passionists Era Begins
    • 14. Citizen Lawmen - The A.H.T.A. >
      • A.H.T.A. Chanute - October 1914
    • 15. The Passionist Influence is Expanded
    • 16. The Schools Today >
      • 16..1 Champions & Records
  • Characters
    • The Osages
    • The Missionaries >
      • Father John Schoenmakers >
        • Father Schoenmakers' Windows
      • Fr. John Bax >
        • Father John Bax II
      • Mother Bridget Hayden
      • Fr. Paul Ponziglione >
        • Father Paul's Memoir >
          • Index - Father Paul's Memoir >
            • Dedication & Introduction
            • IX. Construction & Acceptance of Mission Buildings.
            • X. Fr. Schoenmakers Arrives at Osage Mission
            • XI. Miss Lucille St. Pierre Came to the Neosho
            • XII. Progress of the Schools
            • XIII. Origin and Development of the Roman Catholic Church in Kansas
            • XXVII - Winds of War
            • XXVIII — Fr. Schoenmakers Return
            • Chapter XLII - Farming Issues, Death Of Father Colleton
            • Chapter XLIX - Includes The Death of Fr. Schoenmakers
            • Chapter L — Dedication of the New Church
            • Conclusion
            • Appendix I — Copy of a letter to Sister M. Coaina Mongrain about the coming of the Sisters of Loretto at Osage Mission
            • Appendix 6 — A Sketch of my Biography
            • Appendix 7 - Letter to W. W. Graves
      • Father Philip Colleton
      • Brother John Sheehan
    • W. W. Graves
    • 17 Sisters
    • 17 Sisters II - Fr. Fox's Sermon
    • Who's Behind the Window >
      • Who We Were 120 Years Ago
      • 1. The Thomas Carroll Window
      • 2. The W.W. O'Bryan Window
      • 3. The Jas. Owens & Family Window
      • 4. The C.P & C.J. Hentzen Windows
      • 5. The Dr. McNamara & Family Window
      • 6. The Fitzsimmons & Family Window
      • 7. The Parents of T.K. Joyce Window
      • 8. J.E. Sevart & Family Window
      • 9. The Rev. John Schoenmakers S.J. Window
      • 10. The Patrick Diskin and L&M George Window
      • 11. The J.A. Johnston & Family Window
      • 12. The Peter & Jacob Bonifas Windows
      • 13. The Mr & Mrs. Patrick Keeting Window
      • 14. The John Butler Window
      • 15. The Mr. & Mrs. Gutting Window
      • 16. Rosette Window Above Doors
      • 17. The Michael A. Barnes Window
      • 18. The Henry M. O'Bryan Window
      • 19. The John and Bridget McCarthy Window
      • The Sodality Windows
    • The Church Women's Bonfire (Graves)
    • Beechwood
    • John and Margaret Naudier
    • Fr. Tom McKernan - The Poet Priest of Kansas
    • The Dimond Family and Estate Sale
    • Dear Sister >
      • Friend Gertrude
    • A Year and a Day — Passionist Memories.
    • Mary Elizabeth Lease
    • K of C Council 760 - The Early Days
    • Our Hometown Boys
    • SPHS Class of 1956
  • Places
    • The Great American Desert
    • St. Francis Catholic Church
    • St. Francis de Heironymo Catholic Church Grounds
    • St. Paul - 135 Years Ago
    • St. Paul - 1890's as a Scale Model.
    • St. Paul - The Booming 60's
    • Osage Mission as a Statewide History Finalist
    • St. Francis Cemetery
    • Hope Cemetery
    • The Basement Chapel
    • World War I Museum Display
    • St. Paul Middle School >
      • Some Great Folks!
    • Ladore
    • St. Boniface, Scipio KS
    • Road Trip - Father Emil Kapaun
    • Exchange State Bank Robbery!
  • Thoughts ...
  • Links
  • Link Page