Saint Donatus Catholic Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Donatus Catholic Church
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | High Bridge Rd. St. Donatus, Iowa |
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| Built | 1857 (rectory) 1885 (chapel) 1908 (church) |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Part of | Village of St. Donatus Historic District |
| NRHP reference No. | 89001870 |
| Added to NRHP | November 8, 1989 |
Saint Donatus Catholic Church is a special church in the small town of St. Donatus, Iowa. It is part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, which is a large group of Catholic churches in the area. The church and the town are named after Saint Donatus of Muenstereifel. He is a saint who is very popular in places like Luxembourg and the Rhineland region of Germany.
The church area includes the main church building, a rectory (where the priest lives), a small chapel, and a cemetery. All these buildings are important parts of the Village of St. Donatus Historic District. This entire district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. This means it is a historically important place in the United States.
Contents
About Saint Donatus Church
The Church Building's History
The first church building was finished in 1858. It looked similar to St. Boniface Church in New Vienna. Sadly, this original church was destroyed by a fire on November 24, 1907.
However, the strong stone walls of the old church survived the fire. These walls were then used to build the church you see today. The new church was completed in 1908, just one year after the fire. The stone for the bell tower came from nearby bluffs. A wooden steeple sits on top of the tower.
Church Design and Features
The outside of the church does not have many fancy decorations. The stone walls are covered with a mix of cement and lime. This gives them a smooth finish.
Behind the church is the parish cemetery. Some of the older graves have beautiful iron crosses. Other old gravestones were made in Dubuque. Some were even created by a craftsman named O. Wenzler from Milwaukee.
The Rectory and Its Style
The rectory, which is the house next to the church, was built around the same time as the first church. It is made of stone from nearby quarries. The stone is covered with a light yellow-brown stucco.
The rectory has a hip roof, which slopes down on all sides. It also has cross-gabled dormer windows. These are windows that stick out from the roof. The roof's gentle slope and lack of wide eaves (the parts of the roof that hang over the walls) are common in traditional Luxembourg architecture.
The Outdoor Stations of the Cross
The church is well-known for its outdoor Stations of the Cross. These are a series of fourteen sculptures or images that show events from the last day of Jesus' life. They are located on the hill behind the church.
These stations were built in 1861. They were created under the guidance of Reverend J. Michael Flammang. They might be one of the first sets of outdoor Stations of the Cross in the United States. Each station is about 5 feet by 5 feet in size. They are placed in open, arched entrances with gabled roofs.
The stations are spaced about 250 feet apart. They follow a dirt path that winds up to the top of the bluff. At the very top of the hill is the Pieta Chapel. During Holy Week, which is the week before Easter, the church holds a procession. People walk through the outdoor stations to the small chapel at the top of the hill.
The Pieta Chapel
The Pieta Chapel is a small building at the top of the hill. It was designed to look like the Chapel du Bildchen near Vianden, Luxembourg. This simple stone chapel was finished in 1885.
The outside stone of the chapel is left bare, without much decoration. A simple wooden bell tower is located above the front gable of the chapel.
Images for kids
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The church and other buildings in the parish complex.
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The cemetery located behind St. Donatus Catholic Church.
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The small Pieta Chapel at the top of the hill.
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One of the outdoor Stations of the Cross along the path.
