St. Boniface Church (Clinton, Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Saint Boniface Church
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2500 N. Pershing Blvd. Clinton, Iowa |
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| Built | 1908 |
| Built by | Anton Zwack |
| Architect | Martin Heer |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 97000386 |
| Added to NRHP | February 24, 2012 |
St. Boniface Church is a historic building in Clinton, Iowa. It was once a parish church for the Catholic Church. Today, it is a museum called The Catholic Historical Center at St. Boniface. The museum shows the history of the Catholic community in the Clinton area. It also keeps old church items and records. This church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.
Contents
A Look Back: Church History
The first Catholic Mass in the area was held in 1848. Bishop Mathias Loras of the Dubuque Diocese led this Mass. It took place in a log home in Lyons, which is now part of Clinton. Later, different priests visited the area. One of them was Father Frederic Cyrille Jean. He became the first full-time pastor at the first church in town, St. Irenaeus Church.
Starting St. Boniface Parish
In October 1861, German Catholics in Lyons decided to start their own church. They formed St. Boniface Parish. They bought an old Presbyterian church to use as their first building. Father Aloysius Meis was their first pastor. Three years later, in 1864, the parish opened the first Catholic school in Clinton County.
In 1871, a group of nuns, the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, came to teach at the school. Later, the Sisters of St. Francis from Clinton took over. The house where the priest lived, called the rectory, was built in 1873. It is right next to the church building you see today.
New Churches and Changes
Sacred Heart Church in Clinton started as a mission of St. Boniface in 1891. Priests from St. Boniface took care of Sacred Heart until 1903. That's when Sacred Heart got its own full-time pastor.
Father Tritz became the pastor at St. Boniface in 1901. He helped design the current church building. It was finished in 1908. A few years later, in 1911, all five Catholic churches in Clinton joined the Davenport Diocese. This happened when Clinton County became part of that Diocese.
School and Parish Mergers
In the 1970s, the St. Boniface school joined with the St. Irenaeus school. They formed a new school called North Catholic School. Eventually, all Catholic elementary schools in Clinton combined. They became Holy Trinity School.
St. Boniface Parish itself officially closed in 1990. At that time, the five Catholic parishes in Clinton merged. They formed one new parish called Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace Parish. The new parish kept using the old church buildings for a while. This was until a brand new church could be built. St. Boniface Church closed its doors in 2007. The new church for Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace Parish was built in 2009. It is on the west side of town.
Today, a non-profit group uses the old St. Boniface church building. They have turned it into a museum about religious history.
Church Building Design
The church building shows the Gothic Revival style. This style was chosen to honor the German background of the church members. Martin Heer, an architect from Dubuque, designed it. The first stone was placed on June 5, 1908. The church was officially opened on November 27, 1908. Anton Zwack, also from Dubuque, built the church.
Outside the Church
Two tall bell towers stand at the front of the church. They have pointed tops called spires. A statue of St. Boniface is in a special spot above the main doors. The outside walls are made of red bricks. Blue Bedford stone is used for decoration.
Inside the Church
The inside of the church has three main sections called naves. The main altar is at the very back, in a curved area called the apse. This high altar also has a statue of St. Boniface. It is decorated with light bulbs. This shows that Father Tritz was very interested in electricity! B. Ferring from Chicago built the altar. It was put in place in September 1910. The beautiful stained glass windows were made by Munic Studio, also from Chicago.
