Churdan - St. Columbkille

Established in 1886, St. Columbkille's Catholic Church in Churdan today is a large  parish geographically, stretching across northern Greene County with a half dozen or so members from the adjacent counties of Webster and Calhoun. Today's membership includes 140 households, with Father Steven McLoud serving as pastor, assisted by Deacon Donald Kunecke of Lake City.

The parish is part of the Greene County Cluster.

The church prospers from a highly active lay ministry as well. More than 20 people served as weekend lectors and five lector on weekdays. Another 25 people serve as Eucharistic ministers. Numerous others actively participate in roles such as servers and greeters.

The church has long enjoyed an outstanding music program. The same choir director and organist has served the church for 45 years.

In the past two years, teams of parishioners have visited care facilities where parishioners reside in both Greene and Calhoun counties and either conduct Communion services themselves or they assist Father McLoud as he celebrates Mass.

A Rosary Society of women features a Blue Mound turkey dinner each September, and a court of Catholic Daughters of America meets monthly. Both men and women are actively involved in physical maintenance of the church and grounds. Several parishioners serve or have served on deanery and diocesan councils and committees.

Originally organized as a mission parish of nearby historic St. Patrick's Church in Cedar Township, located about four miles west of Churdan, St. Columbkille's was named for an Irish saint and for well over 100 years shared a pastor with St. Patrick's. The Catholic cemetery for the area is located on the grounds of St. Patrick's, which is in the National Register of Historic Places. St. Patrick's went to oratory status in 1995.

Two strong characteristics of St. Columbkille's were evident in its historic development. One was the intertwining of families in an agricultural setting with the former St. Patrick's, and the second was the arrival of many German-speaking and some Irish immigrants in the early part of the 20th century. Many of today's parishioners are descendants of those immigrants.

The church building, dedicated in 1931, has had extensive improvements in recent years. In addition to tuckpointing of the exterior, there has been an artistic redecorating of the interior with the addition of a baldacchino, the purchase of a new organ with computerized capabilities and total remodeling of the church hall.

In addition, a bell station was built on the front lawn, and an elevator was dedicated two years ago which makes the church fully accessible.

The church's architecture reflects its diverse heritage. While the building is Italian, the stained-glass windows are German, but much of the detailed décor is Irish.

The original building constructed in 1886 was a wooden structure made of pine at a cost of $3,000. The present brick building was constructed in 1930 at a cost of about $25,000.

Two former parish members entered religious life: Sabina McCormick, who became Sister Eustachia of the Order of St. Joseph, and Kathryn Fitzpatrick, who belongs to the Order of the Sisters of St. Francis, Dubuque.

Pastors who have served the parish were Fathers George Costello, William Cooke, William Shanahan, James Fitzpatrick, Clement Sweeney, Francis McNeill, George Hickey, Denis Clark, Joseph Schultes, John Hausman, Leo Schumacher, George O'Brien, George Benjamin, James Shanahan, John Turza, Leo Riesburg, Joseph Lisowski, John Schissel, Donald Slaven, Michael Wagner and Dennis Meinen.