by Marc and Julie Anderson
mjanderson@theleaven.org
ST. MARYS — It’s the cradle of the archdiocese.
And while the archdiocese is today headquartered in Kansas City, Kansas, parishioners at Immaculate Conception Parish in St. Marys recently had a chance to celebrate the fact that the archdiocese really started there in the late 1840s.
That’s because the parish just finished a yearlong celebration of activities to celebrate the parish’s 175th anniversary with a Mass of thanksgiving celebrated Sept. 8 by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann.
One of the parish’s former pastors, Father John Riley, now the archdiocesan chancellor and vicar general, concelebrated the Mass, which doubled as the installation Mass for Father Edward Ahn. Father Ahn was appointed pastor of the parish, along with St. Stanislaus Parish in nearby Rossville, in July.
Other festivities included parishioners gathering for the praying of the rosary, Christmas caroling, a parish picnic and a mini-pilgrimage of all the religious sites in the area led by the St. Marys Historical Society. The pilgrimage included stops with talks, prayers and a verse of “Immaculate Mary” at each historical site.
In his homily, Archbishop Naumann recalled that in 1848 members of the Potawatomi Nation were forced to relocate to the area from near present-day Mound City. Jesuit missionaries and Sisters of the Sacred Heart followed them, eventually building schools to instruct the Native American children.
Calling the area “the cradle of the archdiocese,” the archbishop shared the story of the archdiocese’s first bishop, John Baptist Miege, who thought his fellow Jesuit priests were playing a prank on him when he first received a letter from the pope in 1850 directing him to serve as the head of the Vicariate Apostolic of the Indian Territory.
The vast area extended from near Denver to east of the Rockies and as far north as the Canadian border. So, it wasn’t until 1851 that Bishop Miege made his way to St. Marys.
Meanwhile, a log cabin-style church which the missionaries had dedicated to the Immaculate Conception was built in 1848. The following year, a more permanent church was built, one that served as the archdiocese’s first cathedral until Bishop Miege moved to Leavenworth in 1855.
Elsewhere in his homily, the archbishop noted he enjoys formally installing pastors during Sunday Masses because it allows him to celebrate Mass with people throughout the archdiocese and gives him “the opportunity to preach on the importance of the priesthood and the Eucharist.”
Formally introducing Father Ahn, Archbishop Naumann said, “I’ve always been edified by his holiness. . . . I’m confident that he will be a good shepherd for this community.”
After the homily, Father Ahn stood before the archbishop and members of the two parishes’ pastoral councils, promising an oath of fidelity to the archbishop and the parish communities. Father Ahn then led the people in the Nicene Creed.
After Communion, Father Ahn expressed his commitment to the community.
“Whatever charge or delegation any pastor in northeast Kansas receives is only given with the permission of the local ordinary,” he said. “I am fully aware of that. I’m grateful for that vote of confidence, and I take obedience very, very seriously, especially since my days as a religious. . . . I’m deeply, deeply grateful to be part of these parish communities — Immaculate Conception and St. Stanislaus. I have no difficulty in commitments, and I am fully committed to these parish communities, these parish families.”
It seems as if parishioners have no trouble being committed to the parish either.
In 1992, Doug Wietharn moved along with his wife and family to St. Marys, joining the parish. Now, he cannot imagine being anywhere else.
“I feel honored to be here, to be part of a community so well-established with so much history behind it,” he said. “I think the community here supports the parish. Everybody knows everybody, and in some bigger parishes, you may not have that.”
Recalling her own memories of the parish, member Mary Ellen Reese echoed similar thoughts, saying, “It’s extremely humbling to think this has been handed down from generations, and we are all still here.”
“I remember growing up here,” she added. “I remember the Jesuits. I remember the Sisters of Charity. I remember the sacrifices our parents made.
“I think we’re doing our best to keep it (the faith) alive,” she said in conclusion, “and I feel like our town is especially blessed because we are under the mantle of Mary as her town and her parish.”
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