St. Peter's Catholic Church (Rensselaer, Missouri) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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St. Peter's Catholic Church
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 Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Location | Southwest of Rensselaer on Route 2, near Rensselaer, Missouri |
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| Area | 2.5 acres (1.0 ha) |
| Built | 1862 |
| Built by | Kielty, Rev. Francis M.; Hogan, Martin |
| NRHP reference No. | 80002392 |
| Added to NRHP | November 14, 1980 |
St. Peter's Catholic Church, also known as Brush Creek Church, is a very old and important Catholic church. It is located near Rensselaer, Missouri, in Ralls County, Missouri. This church has a special history, especially because of a famous person connected to it.
About the Church Building
The first church building was built in 1845. The church you see today was built around 1862. It is a one-story building made from limestone, which is a type of rock. It also has decorations made from limestone and sandstone.
The church has a pointed roof called a gable roof. On top of the roof, there is a belfry, which is where the church bell would be. The windows are tall and narrow, known as lancet windows. There is also a two-room addition made of wood, covered with a type of siding called weatherboard.
A Special Place in History
St. Peter's Catholic Church is famous because Augustus Tolton was baptized here. He was the first openly African-American Catholic priest. This means he was the first Black man to become a priest in the Catholic Church and serve openly. Augustus Tolton is now on the path to becoming a saint, which is a very high honor in the Catholic Church.
The church stopped holding regular services in 1968. It became a chapel, which is a smaller church building. In 1980, St. Peter's Catholic Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of places in the United States that are important to history.
In 2025, a special memorial was blessed at the church's cemetery. This memorial honors enslaved people who were buried there a long time ago.
