Fort Dodge - Holy Rosary

FORT DODGE - The land for Holy Rosary Parish was contracted for on June 6, 1946, with Father P. L. McCoy appointed as pastor on Oct. 4, 1946. Through the kindness of Pastor B. M. Watson and the congregation of Epworth Methodist Church, Sunday Masses were held in their church hall.

The early years of the parish, under the direction of Father McCoy, were marked by the growing parish community, as well as the erection of the facilities. A quonset hut was built in 1947, with a stainless steel cross made by John Kopish and Gene Maguire. It was then placed on the front of the building.

The hut was used for church services, weddings, funerals and other parish functions. A house on Highland Park Avenue was purchased to serve as the rectory. The Rosarians, the women's organization, began in March of 1947.

The famous spaghetti dinners, another tribute to the work ethic of the parish, were first held at The Knights of Columbus Hall and at the Sacred Heart Church basement. The Men's Club began in August, 1947. There was also the Catholic Social Club, an organization for married couples of the parish.

Ground was broken for a parochial school, which was to include facilities for a temporary church and temporary living quarters for the sisters in September of 1951. Five sisters from the congregation of the Adorers of the Precious Blood arrived from Ruma, Ill., to teach in the school, with an enrollment of 145 students. There was no tuition except for non-parishioners.

The present rectory was started in June of 1956, and was completed under the direction of Father David T. McGoey. The school enrollment was increasing and more classroom space was needed, so a convent for the sisters was built in 1957.

The parish center, library and kitchen addition to the school was completed in 1963, the same year that the venerable quonset disappeared. Renovations were done to the church by Father Keefe and then by Father Nemmers, with the latest remodeling done in 1996.

Priests who have served at Holy Rosary Church are: Father P. L. McCoy, father David McGoey, Father Richard Kielbasa, Father Stanley Stone, Father Richard Ries, Father Richard Remmes, Father Robert Keefe, Father Francis Nemmers, Father Eugene Murray, Father Edmund Tiedeman and Father Thomas Topf.

In July of 2000, Holy Rosary Parish became part of a "team ministry" effort to meet the needs of not only the people of Holy Rosary, but also the needs of the Catholic community of the surrounding area. In this way, Holy Rosary Parish, while maintaining its own identity, shares in the gifts and resources of the larger community. Father Ed Girres, Father Lynn Bruch, Father Larry Burns and Father Christian Van Oosbree make up the team ministry.

Holy Rosary is blessed with many volunteers who help as Eucharistic ministers, ushers, altar servers, church decorators, gift bearers, council/committee members and lots of other volunteers. The Rosarians women's group continues to meet monthly and teenagers of the parish belong to KICKS, a city-wide Catholic youth group.