Holy Redeemer celebrates building's 100th this Sunday

Most Holy Redeemer Church, originally known as Holy Redeemer in honor of the Holy Redeemer, can trace its roots back to the early settlers of the region.

By the year 1866, numerous Czech Catholic settlers had arrived in the region of Montgomery and Lexington Townships and had erected a Catholic mission church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, known as Budejovice or Budweis. It served people until July 1877.

By the year 1868, numerous Irish Catholic settlers had also arrived in the region, mostly south and west of Montgomery. They too erected a church that was located about four miles south of Montgomery that was dedicated to Saint Michael. The church was built on a 10 acre plot deeded to them by Mr. & Mrs. J. Frank Quinlan. It served the area for 50 years but when Holy Redeemer was formed in 1881, many of the members left and went there.

Part of the influx of settlers included the building of the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad being built south from New Prague in 1877. Between that and the closing of the Budejovice church, there was an overwhelming and ever increasing amount of Catholics looking for a church to call home.

Start of Holy Redeemer

A meeting of area Catholics was called on March 12, 1881, to discuss forming a parish to have their own priest so that Catholics might fulfill their obligations throughout the year.

Jacob Maudry coordinated the group and was elected treasurer of the new committee at that meeting. He applied for permission from Bishop Thomas L. Grace to form a parish and erect a church, which was granted.

A half-block of land was donated by August and Mary Richter for the church, who were actually members of St. John’s Lutheran Church. The church would miraculously be built well within that first year. The size of the wooden structure was to be 30 feet by 100 feet.

The first Holy Redeemer Church opened on or before Sept. 11, 1881, with 115 parishioners. Rev. F. J. Pribyl, who was the parish priest in Veseli, was appointed as the first resident priest at Holy Redeemer.

The very first baptism was Gregory Loula, son of Francis and Mary Loula, on Sept. 11, 1881. The very first wedding was between Anna Factor and Joseph Nestaval on May 15, 1882.

No bell was present in the church to signify Mass times in the early years. It wasn’t until the early months of 1888 when the church purchased three brass bells and placed them in the tower.

A new church is needed

It was decided that the church had outgrown its original structure in 1921. Plans for a new church were drawn up in 1923 by O’Meera and Hills out of St. Paul, Minn., and the contract for a new church was assigned to John Krotochivil of New Prague in January of 1924.

The new church was to be erected just west of the old one and face north, where it resides today.

Construction began in March of 1924. The main floor and basement were completed up to the brickwork by June 1.

On June 8, 1924, the cornerstone of the church was laid, and Rev. L. Ziskovsky of the St. Paul Seminary and Rev. Emil Polasek, of Holy Redeemer Church, delivered a Czech sermon to a crowd outside and during outdoor services. The congregation then gathered for Benediction in the 1881 church and listened to an English sermon by Rev. Wm. Lawler, O.P., of Chicago.

Steel beams were in place and bricklayers had finished the outside walls by Aug. 1. Roofers, metal workers, and carpenters were completed by early October. The three bells that were in the 1881 church were installed in the new church on Oct. 17. A heating system was installed and plastering was complete by the end of October. Cement and tile floor work was completed and exterior windows (not stained glass) were installed in the first weeks of November. The alter from the 1881 church was also moved over to the new church in November, as the new alter ordered was not expected to arrive for some time.

Changing buildings

The last mass was said in the 1881 church on Nov. 25, 1924. Following that, the new church was dedicated by Archbishop Austin Dowling of St. Paul, and a solemn high mass was celebrated by Holy Redeemer’s Rev. Emil Polasek, with Rev. J.J. Woods of Le Sueur as Deacon, Rev. Stephen Kucera of Montgomery as Sub-Deacon. Master of ceremonies was Rev. Louis Ziskovsky. Deacons of honor to the Archbishop were Rev. J. Cermak of New Prague, and Rev. A. Kotouc of St. Paul. The sermon was delivered by Archbishop Dowling.

A total of 130 children and 10 adults received the sacrament of confirmation from the Archbishop that day.

Dinner was held that evening, and Rev. Emil Polasek also celebrated his 25th anniversary of priesthood. At that point, he had spent 19 years with Holy Redeemer.

Although dedication was done on Nov. 25, 1924, it was far from complete on the inside.

The first wedding held was that of Florence Baker and Theodore A. Rynda on Nov. 27.

The new church

The new and current church stands 103 feet 6 inches to the top of the cross, 56 feet wide, and 129 feet long. Inside it has a vestibule that is 12 feet square, a sanctuary that is 18 feet deep by 30 feet wide, and the central auditorium portion that measures 88 feet long by 42 feet wide and a ceiling height of 32 feet.

It was labeled as being one of the “finest examples of church architecture in the state” at the time. The exterior is built on concrete to the grade line, Indiana limestone was used to the first floor line, and Sheffield brick composed the super-structure above. The tower is comprised of the same material but with copper totally covering the top of the steeple. Grey asbestos shingles were installed on the roof, which were replaced with clay tile at some time.

The main entrance to the front of the church has two large columns and a slab above the door with the name of the church, Holy Redeemer, inscribed upon it. About half-way up the door is an alcove with a statue of the church patron, The Holy Redeemer.

A total of 20 stained glass windows are installed. Eight of them were installed in February 1925, but a fire at the factory they were being made at, Fort-McNutt Glass in Minneapolis, destroyed the remaining 12 along with the factory. The remaining 12 were installed two months later in May.

The main auditorium has 10 of the stained glass windows (five on each side), five in the choir loft, three in the sanctuary, and two in the stairwells - one on each side. See the special section on pages 4-5 for the information on the images depicted on them.

Stations of the Cross were installed in the church in the last week of February 1925, and the first week of March the three new alters had arrived for the church — two side alters and a main alter.

Finally, the church was consecrated on Aug. 22, 1926, by Rev. Austin Dowling and a Holy Mass followed.

The 1881 church was torn down during the winter of 1924 and 1925.

Finishing touches

The church was still unpainted and void of decorations inside other than the aforementioned. It wasn’t until the first part of 1936 that painting and decorations of the church were finally completed, starting after the Easter Mass and finishing the last week in June of 1936. A special mass was held on June 28 to commemorate the beautification of the inside of the church.

Long-time Holy Redeemer Rev. Emil Polasek passed away Dec. 6, 1937, serving the church for 32 years and five months. A drive was conducted to have a pipe organ installed in the choir loft of the church in honor of Rev. Polasek.

In January and February 1938, a goal of $3,500 was set for the organ and by January 29 the parishioners had raised $2,399. By February 18, that number had risen to $3,768.25.

A pipe organ was purchased from Wicks Organ Company in Chicago, Ill. Installation of the new pipe organ was done by E.C. Vogelpohl of New Ulm starting on May 9, 1938. A memorial plaque was placed on the northeast corner of the exterior of the church in memory of Rev. Polasek and the organ, and both were dedicated on May 29. The congregation at this time had about 2,000 parishioners.

The newly installed organ consists of almost 700 pipes, both wood and metal, and it was actuated by electronics — a state-of-the-art system for the time. The organ was later given a full restoration in 2002 and had modern conveniences added, such as a digital instrument interface and a sequencer which allowed for recording and playback.

Other major upgrades to the church over the years included a handicapped ramp installation and an elevator addition.

A electric-coil heated handicapped ramp was installed on the East side of the building, leading into the church near the front of the congregation, in 1980.

A major elevator addition was added in late 2010 through 2011. A few pews were removed in 2009 in the back of the church in preparation for the work. Work began on Oct. 10, 2010, and was fully completed inside and out by the end of August 2011. It consisted of a stairwell, drinking fountain, sitting area, equipment room, electrical service, and the elevator — which was directed to be large enough to hold a casket. It ran from the basement, to street level, to the main level of the church.

It was deemed too expensive to construct the elevator addition another floor higher, up to the choir loft, and that a chair lift could be utilized there instead. A sidewalk was poured from the new street level entrance out to the curb.

100th Anniversary Building Celebration & Fall Festival

The building will be celebrated in its 100th anniversary by a Mass at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29, with Bishop Michael Izen of the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul, who has been asked to attend and say a few words.

Following the Mass from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. will be the parish’s annual Fall Festival. For additional details, see the special pages 4-5 of this issue.

Renovations/additions to current church

In 1938, the Wicks pipe organ is installed.

From 1946-1947, the church basement was remodeled to provide school lunch to the Catholic school because they were short on space with so many pupils.

In the summer 1954, interior beautification was completed, including new paint, new Stations of the Cross, and floor surfaces being redone, as well as new side walks being poured from each entrance.

In 1961, the Flower Room was added behind the sacristy and a new priest house was built as part of it.

In 1974, a new baptismal fountain is installed, the front part of the main alter is moved back so priests can face and see the congregation, the floor of the sanctuary is raised and the  communion rail is removed (stairs indicate its location along the front), the restroom in Southeast corner of the basement is removed and new ones installed in the northwest corner of the basement, a Bride’s Room is constructed in the northeast corner of the basement, and new marble podiums were erected on both side of the main alter.

In 1978, the stained glass windows were cleaned and repaired.

In 1979, new metal and wood doors were installed, and the parking lot adjacent to the school and church is paved.

In 1997, the old brick furnace is removed, brick-by-brick, and a new heating and air conditioning system are installed with specially made air register covers.

In 2001, solid oak doors were installed in place of the rusting metal doors from 1979.

In 2002, the copper roof was installed, replacing the clay tile roof. The pipe organ given a full restoration and modernization.

In 2003, the interior of church was repainted and re-carpeted.

In 2006, the basement of church is renovated, including new linoleum tile flooring in the restrooms, crumbling and mildewed basement walls refurbished, Bride’s Room repainted and re-decorated; new countertops, stove and refrigerator in the kitchen; new tables in the dining area, and the entire basement is repainted. Trees on the west side of the building were removed.

From 2010-2011, the elevator addition was completed and added access to the basement, street level and main floor of the church, along with the previously mentioned.

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