St. Augustine's Church (Austin, Minnesota) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St. Augustine |
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| 43°40′12.2″N 92°58′47.6″W / 43.670056°N 92.979889°W | |
| Location | 405 4th St NW Austin, Minnesota |
| Country | United States |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Founded | 1866 |
| Dedication | Augustine of Hippo |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Completed | November 26, 1896 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 600 |
| Length | 169 ft (52 m) |
| Width | 77 ft (23 m) |
| Number of spires | 2 |
| Spire height | 170 ft (52 m) and 140 ft (43 m) |
| Materials | Brick |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Austin/Albert Lea Deanery |
| Diocese | Winona |
The Church of St. Augustine is a beautiful Roman Catholic church in Austin, Minnesota, in the United States. It is part of the Diocese of Winona. This church was finished in 1896. Both the inside and outside of the church have been kept in great condition. It shows off a special building style called Gothic Revival architecture. The main worship area, called the sanctuary, is very large. It can hold more than 600 people.
The Church's Story
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In 1857, only a few Catholic families lived near Austin. On November 2, 1857, a priest named Father Michael Prendergast visited them. He held a Mass (a Catholic worship service) at the home of Thomas Gibson. He visited again in May of 1858 and November of 1860.
In 1861, Austin became part of the area looked after by the priest in Faribault. Father George Keller then started visiting Austin regularly. Under his guidance, the first church building for the Austin mission began in 1863.
St. Augustine's Parish officially started in 1866. This was when the first church building was completed. Father John McDermott became the first full-time priest in June 1867. In June 1868, Bishop Thomas Grace visited the parish. He dedicated the new church, which was first called St. Austin's. He also gave the sacrament of Confirmation to many children and adults.
The Church of St. Augustine you see today was mostly built under Father Daniel O'Sullivan. Bishop Joseph Cotter helped lay the first stone on April 24, 1894. Father O'Sullivan passed away on June 21, 1896. The church was then finished by his replacement, Father Edward Devlin. It was officially dedicated on November 26, 1896. The church is made of red bricks with red sandstone details. This stone came from Bayfield, Wisconsin.
In 1933, Msgr. John Peschges became the pastor. That year, St. Augustine's congregation grew very fast. So, Bishop Francis Kelly started a second Catholic church in Austin. It was named Queen of Angels Church. A third Catholic church, St. Edward's, was started in Austin in 1960.
In 1935, the pastor and some church members started the Mower County Catholic Parishes Credit Union. This was a place for people to save money and get loans.
In 1976, lightning hit the church. This caused a fire that destroyed the 140-foot tall steeple. Firefighters put out the fire before it spread to the rest of the church. However, the damage cost about $500,000 to fix.
The church had a big project in 2018. They updated and restored the inside of the building.
Today, St. Augustine's works together with St. Edward's church. They are led by Father Andrew Beerman.
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The church's photo was even used on album covers for John Maus's Love Letters From Hell and Addendum albums.
The Church School
The parish school in Austin opened in 1872. It was started by the Sisters of St. Dominic from Sinsinawa, Wisconsin. This happened when Father Genis was the pastor. The school grew and was successful. In 1890, it had 120 students. However, the school closed in 1893. This was because building the new church cost a lot of money.
In 1909, when Father Devlin was pastor, a new school building was built. It was called the Columbus school. This was a three-story brick building. It was built to help the growing church community. The Sisters of St. Francis of Rochester taught there.
In the 1920s, St. Augustine High School was added to the church's campus. St. Augustine High School was made bigger in 1951. In 1957, it was renamed Pacelli High School. This was to honor Pope Pius XII, whose real name was Eugenio Pacelli. Also in 1957, the Columbus school was taken down. St. Augustine's Elementary School was built in its place. Today, the school for students from kindergarten to 12th grade is known as Pacelli Catholic Schools.
More to Explore
- List of Catholic churches in the United States
- Pacelli Catholic Schools
