Saint Boniface Church (New Vienna, Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Boniface of New Vienna Historic District
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 7401 Columbus St. New Vienna, Iowa |
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| Area | 10 acres (4.0 ha) |
| Architect | Schnell Architects Byrne & Soul |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| NRHP reference No. | 99001207 |
| Added to NRHP | September 29, 1999 |
Saint Boniface Church is a beautiful Catholic church in New Vienna, Iowa. It serves the people of New Vienna and the nearby areas. This church is built in a Gothic style, which means it has tall, pointed arches and detailed designs. Inside, you can see amazing stained glass windows and a main altar carved by hand. The church also has a very tall spire that reaches about 200-foot (61 m) into the sky!
Saint Boniface Church is part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. It works together with Ss. Peter and Paul Parish in Petersburg, Iowa. Both churches share the same pastor.
History of Saint Boniface Church
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The story of Saint Boniface Church began in the 1840s. Many German American families moved to this area from Ohio. They were looking for good farmland.
On January 6, 1846, a special event happened. Bishop Mathias Loras of Dubuque held a Mass at Hermann Wiechmann's home. This was the first Mass ever celebrated in the New Vienna area. For the next two years, people gathered at the Wiechmann home for Mass.
In 1848, the community built its first church. It was a wooden building. It measured about 24 feet (7.3 m) by 30 feet (9.1 m). The walls were about 10 feet (3.0 m) high.
By 1853, more people had moved to New Vienna. A bigger church was needed. The construction of this new church finished in 1855. This church was 64 feet (20 m) by 100 feet (30 m). Its walls were about 22-foot (6.7 m) high.
A local person, William Steffen Sr., traveled with two teams of horses. He went to get three bells for the new church. He returned to New Vienna just before Easter. The bells were put in place in time to ring for the first time on Easter Sunday! This second church building was used until 1887.
The Current Church Building
The church building you see today was finished in 1887. It is the third church built on this spot. This building is 172 feet (52 m) long and 62 feet (19 m) wide. The walls are about 35 feet (11 m) high.
The beautiful stained glass windows are very large. Each one is about 14 feet (4.3 m) wide and 30 feet (9.1 m) high. The church's tall steeple reaches about 200 feet (61 m) into the sky.
Inside the church, there are five altars. They are all made of carved wood. These altars are still used today. The main altar was built by E. Hackner from La Crosse, Wisconsin. It cost $5,000 at that time.
The church's organ was built in 1891. It was made by the Schuelke Organ Company. This organ is special because it is one of the few Schuelke organs still working today. It has been kept in great condition over the years. The only major change was adding an electric blower in the 20th century.
In 2010, workers started building a new entrance on the north side of the church. During this work, they found something surprising. A large sinkhole, about 12 feet wide and 8 feet deep, was discovered in the basement! No one knows when the sinkhole formed. If it had been closer to a support pillar, it could have caused serious damage to the church.
Saint Boniface School History
Saint Boniface Church also had its own school. It was called Saint Boniface School. It started in 1847. At first, classes were held in people's homes. Later, they moved into the church building.
In 1870, the school got its own permanent building. Then, in 1922, the school moved back into the church. A brand new school building opened in 1924.
In 1987, Saint Boniface School joined with another school. It became Archbishop Hennessy Catholic School. This new school had two locations. Grades K-3 were in New Vienna. Preschool and grades 4-6 were in Petersburg. It was the school for both Saint Boniface and Saints Peter and Paul Church. At that time, over 100 students attended the school. The school also worked with Beckman Catholic High School in Dyersville.
In 2013, all grades moved to the Petersburg location. At that time, 60 students were enrolled. The number of students kept going down. By 2017, only 45 students were at the school. Archbishop Hennessy School closed in 2018.
Today, the closest Catholic elementary school in the "Spires of Faith" church group is St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Dyersville.
