Auburn - St. Mary

Before the town of Auburn, St. Mary's existed. They took Christ's words to heart: "If you wish to be my followers, take up your cross and follow me." The many hardships, disasters, and depressions they endured were their answer to that challenge of Christ, and they were also as monuments to their solid Catholic faith.

The first records of St. Mary's history are rather sketchy. Before 1893, the baptismal records were kept at Odebolt. From 1893 to 1914, the records were kept at Wall Lake. The first record of a baptism in the Auburn record book is dated Sept. 8, 1914.

Father James Kelly built the first church in the Auburn territory on the Fred Ellerbrock farm about the year 1888. Before this church was built, Mass was offered in the Fred Ellerbrock home. In 1892, the frame church on the Ellerbrock farm was torn down and a larger church was built in Auburn, which was a mission of the Wall Lake church.

In 1914, Father A. E. Zimmerman became the first resident pastor of St. Mary's Parish. Under his direction, the first brick rectory in Auburn was built in 1914 at a cost of $7,041.58. After the old frame church burned in 1921, the present brick church was built the same year at a cost of $48,435. The new St. Mary's Church was solemnly blessed and dedicated on Dec. 6, 1921 by Bishop E. Heelan of Sioux City.

The love of the parishioners for the mother of Jesus can be seen in the cornerstone of the church which simply states, "Ad Jesus Par Mariam" which means, "To Jesus Through Mary." St. Mary's feels very blessed to have Mary as their patroness.

In 1960, a Catholic school became a reality at the cost of $151,000 under the direction of Father Jerome Koenig. This was staffed by two priests and two lay teachers. In 1963, the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother came to Auburn. In 1969, the Servants of Mary replaced the order of the Sorrowful Mother. In 1972, the Servants of Mary were called way due to a shortage of teaching nuns and also because of declining enrollment. The closing of St. Mary's School took place on June 1, 1972.

The present brick rectory was built in 1963 at a cost of $39,000.

St. Mary's cannot claim any priest as a native son of the parish. Three women have joined religious orders: Josephine Ellerbrock, Sisters of the good Shepherd; Laura Ellerbrock, Servants of Mary; and Maxine Ellerbrock, Sisters of Mercy.

Father John Enler of Mt. Carmel attended the territory around the present town of Auburn. Father Pershong of Odebolt also attended to St. Mary's followed by Father M. C. Daly of Wall Lake.

Nineteen priests have served St. Mary's as resident pastors: Fathers James Kelly, A. E. Zimmerman, James Fitzpatrick, R. M. LeClair, P. J. Connolly, J. McAuliffe, Dean Walker, Thomas Parle, George Wessling, Jerome Koenig, Jerry Loutsch, Edward Fandel, Gerald Wingert (twice), Msgr. Leo Lenz, William Carel, Steve Brodersen, Merlin Schrad, Mark Harrington and Larry McCarty.

Today there are 114 families with 258 parishioners at St. Mary's. The parish is clustered with Sac City, Odebolt and Wall Lake.