West Bend parish brings faith to community

diocese
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2009
THE CATHOLIC GLOBE
✝7
West Bend parish brings faith to community
By KATIE LEFEBVRE
Globe staff reporter
WEST BEND – Sts. Peter and Paul Church in West
Bend is known throughout the Diocese of Sioux City for
the Grotto of the Redemption that began in 1912, but the
roots of the parish date back 120 years.
History
The first Catholic church in West Bend was built in
1888 under the supervision of Father J.B. Zigrang of St.
Joseph in Bode. In 1892, the new parish was attended by
Father Anthony Erman from St. Benedict, who was followed by Father C.B. Lechtenberg from St. Joseph of
Bode. At this time the church was moved and enlarged in
the north part of town.
In 1897, Father Edward O’Reilly became the first resident pastor for one year. Then Father P.A. Tierney of
Whittemore attended the parish. Father Paul M.
Dobberstein arrived on Oct. 14, 1898.
In the spring, just one year after Father Dobberstein
arrived in West Bend, the parish of 40 families voted to
build a school. In 1906, under Father Dobberstein’s direction, a park was laid out with construction of the Grotto
of the Redemption beginning in 1912.
In 1920 the school needed additional space. The frame
of the church was dismantled and the lumber was used to
enlarge the school. This was the beginning step to building a new brick church. Early in 1921 the cornerstone was
laid. In 1922 the church was formally blessed and dedicated.
In 1949, Father Louis H. Greving was appointed assistant pastor. He worked closely with Father Dobberstein
for eight years. Father Dobberstein died in 1954, after 56
years of being pastor at Sts. Peter and Paul Church. Msgr.
Francis Schultes was appointed pastor and Father Walter
Bruch was assistant for one year. In 1956, Father Greving
returned as pastor until 1987.
Construction of the rectory was done in 1959 and the
new school and convent were built in 1961.
Father Merle Kollasch became the fourth pastor in 90
years in 1987, at which time the inside of the church was
repainted and new altar furniture was bought. Other pastors include Father Thomas Topf, Father Jim McCormick,
Father Bruce LeFebvre and Father Edmund Tiedeman.
During Father LeFebvre’s time as pastor, Sts. Peter and
Paul became clustered with St. Mary’s in Mallard. The
current pastor of both parishes is Father Thomas Hart.
Changes
Recent changes to the church include putting in four
furnaces, adding air conditioning, remodeling the parish
hall – new flooring, ceiling, lighting and doorway and
adding a new public address system. A vanity was also
added in the sacristy.
PARISH
INFORMATION
Pastor:
Father Thomas Hart
DRE/Youth Minister:
Ann Langel
Mass Times:
Saturday – 5 p.m.;
Sunday – 10 a.m.;
Weekday (MWF) – 8 a.m.
Confessions:
Half an hour
before each Mass
Address:
206 1st Ave. NW
West Bend, IA 50597
Grotto:
Rhonda Miller, director
www.westbendgrotto.com
“A lot of the parishioners aren’t afraid to dig in, help
and get their hands dirty,” said the pastor. “When we took
the old radiators out of the church, we had about 20 or 30
people show up and in an hour’s time we had all of the
radiators out of the church.”
According to Father Hart, the heating costs have been
cut by about 50 percent since putting in the new furnaces.
“The registers are in the floor, like in a home,” said the
priest. “There is no more clanging and banging of the
resisters.”
Renovations have also been made in the rectory
including taking down walls, new carpeting and a new furnace.
In the future, noted Father Hart, the plan is to repair
the bells, bell tower and steeple at the church. They plan
to install digital technology that will control the ringing
of the bells.
Involved community
There are approximately 230 families that belong to
Sts. Peter and Paul. This number has been holding steady
for the last few years, said the pastor.
The parish offers many opportunities for parishioners
to get involved including RCIA, Knights of Columbus,
Catholic Daughters of the Americas, two Bible studies
and much more.
“The Knights and CDA are very active,” said Father
Hart. “The KCs do a lot for the church and the community.”
Ann Langel, DRE and youth minister, pointed out
that both groups are very supportive of the religious education program. The KCs pay for Bibles and help pay for
the students to go to Camp CAYOCA. The CDA provides the confirmation booklets.
A group of volunteers are involved with televising the
10 a.m. Mass on Sunday. This reaches the communities of
West Bend, Havelock, Mallard, Plover and Rolfe.
Religious education
Father Hart mentioned that since he became pastor
one of his main focuses has been upgrading and updating
the religious education program.
There are about 105 kindergarten through 12th grade
students in the religious education program that meets
every Wednesday evening. This program is clustered with
St. Mary’s in Mallard.
They also have a special sacramental class for four students in fourth through ninth who are joining the parish,
noted Langel.
“We have 100 percent attendance from our parish of
registered families,” she said. “This speaks volumes about
our teachers and parents who support the program.”
They have 22 volunteer teachers and most of them
come back every year. Father Hart helps with teaching
Sts. Peter and Paul Church, West Bend
and substitutes when teachers are out.
“It is rewarding to see how many people will step up to
be volunteer teachers,” said Langel. “We are so blessed
here to have so many people who are interested in our
children. Our children are the future church.”
A praise and worship night is held twice a year with the
Redemption Singers, a group of women from the parish.
The first night is with the kindergarten through sixth
graders and the second with the seventh through 12th
graders.
“It is praise and thanksgiving to God,” said Langel.
“They do music and read Scripture. The kids can come up
and talk about faith in their life. It is a phenomenal
night.”
Students also participate in mission trips. Recently
they held a food drive called Trick-or-Treating for World
Hunger. They also visit the care center in West Bend once
a month.
“We try to show them a lot of ways to not only live
your faith but to also serve people,” said Langel.
The religious education students are responsible for
Mass at the parish several times a year. They participate as
ushers, lectors and gift bearers.
Grotto draws visitors from United States, foreign countries
By KATIE LEFEBVRE
Globe staff reporter
WEST BEND – Sts. Peter and Paul
Church is an essential part of a visit to the
Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend and
vice versa.
“There is a definite connection,” said
Rhonda Miller, director of the Grotto. “The
experience goes hand in hand.”
In 1927 Father Paul Dobberstein built the
Christmas Chapel in Sts. Peter and Paul
Church, into which he placed some of the
finest mineral specimens that he thought were
too delicate to be used in the outdoor grottos.
“He spent about seven years gathering precious stones and rocks that would go into the
church,” said Miller. “The statuary are all
hand-carved marble. The agates that are in the
base of the chapel were sent to Brussels to be
cut and polished. The amethyst in the back of
the chapel is 300 pounds.”
The chapel represents the glorification of
the incarnation, the miracle of God becoming
man.
“Every rock and statue was placed by
Father Dobberstein to be very symbolic to tell
the silent sermon in stone that he was trying
to depict,” said Miller. “He knew that as a
human his sermons were short-lived, but if he
could build something in rock and in stone it
Visitors walk around the Grotto of the
Redemption in West Bend.
would last much longer.”
The Christmas Chapel is part of the marketing materials that are sent out to groups
who plan to visit the Grotto.
“Part of visiting the Grotto is visiting the
church,” said the director.
She added that the church also offers the
birds-eye altar, stained glass windows and a
mural that was painted by Father
Dobberstein’s brother, Bernard.
“The windows are a duplicate of what you
see out in the Grotto,” said Miller. “In the
wintertime, the Grotto could be covered in
snow, but you can go into the church and see
the view in a different medium.”
Customized visits are available to people
planning a pilgrimage to the Grotto or school
groups bringing students to the Grotto.
Up to this point in the year, Miller noted
that there have been about 30,000 visitors to
the Grotto. Visitors have been from all 50
states and 48 foreign countries.
“This past year, while the economy hasn’t
been great, people are prioritizing things of
importance in their own life. We have had a
busier season than we have had in a couple
years,” said Miller. “Our traffic has been really good. We have seen more people from a
three-hour drive time away.”
Visiting the Grotto is a way for people to
spend time with their family without spending much money. Miller said that many visitors who toured the Grotto as a child are coming back.
The rocks that were used from Iowa to create the Grotto are the foundation holding up
the Grotto.
“This is something that has been wellknown in Iowa for nearly 100 years,” said
Miller. “It offers a timeless attraction for the
state of Iowa. For locals as well as for other
people it offers an appreciation for what Iowa
does have to offer. We are worth making the
time to see.”
THANK YOU to all of you that have
visted the Grotto of the Redemption
and to those that have invited others
to Witness a Miracle in Stone!
Museum and Gift Shop open year round
For tour times and information
please call (800) 868-3641
or visit www.westbendgrotto.com
WEST BEND INTERNATIONAL
WEST BEND, IA 50597
TEL: (515) 887-7781
TOLL FREE: (800) 441-1568
wbintl@ncn.net