St. Rose of LIma, Great Bend, Celebrates 100th birthday
By David Myers
Southwest Kansas Catholic
GREAT BEND -- George Weber pointed to a wedding portrait on display at the reception for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of St. Rose Church on Aug. 20.
“That’s me,” he said, smiling as he indicated a young child at the wedding of his uncle.
“And that one’s me,” said his wife, Ruth. A little girl stood among the bridesmaids in the same black and white picture, a revelation that invited onlookers to fill in the rest of the story. The photograph was one of dozens on display at the St. Rose Parish Center, photos holding oft-told stories of faith, family, and times past.
The reception, during which parishioners filled dozens of tables to the scent of sizzling fajitas provided by the parish Peace and Justice Commission, followed a Mass celebrated by the Most Rev. John B. Brungardt and (pictured, left to right) Fathers Louis Trung Dinh Hoang, Ted Stecklein, Charles Mazouch, Don Bedore and Ultan Murphy.
The Mass began with a haunting Las Mañanitas, a traditional Spanish song that was preformed in honor of St. Rose of Lima. The bilingual nature of the Mass was done not only to serve the Spanish speaking in the congregation, but was in itself a celebration of this Catholic community’s ability to invite and embrace cultural diversity over the century.
The nearly 140-year-old parish community was founded by a congregation of mostly German and Irish immigrant families. The Irish lilts and German brogues have long faded into history, and today the century-old church building is home to sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters of those same immigrants. It is home to the newer immigrants as well, those from or descended from Mexico and Central and South American countries. (The congregation also included at least two urban refugees, who embraced the rural setting after years of living in Denver.)
At the reception, the priests, including one from Vietnam, one from Ireland, and a bishop of Volga-German heritage, melted into the congregation, where they and the Catholic community continued their celebration of both their 100-year-old church, constructed of brick and mortar, as well as their community, built on a century-old foundation of Catholic faith.
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Southwest Kansas Catholic
GREAT BEND -- George Weber pointed to a wedding portrait on display at the reception for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of St. Rose Church on Aug. 20.
“That’s me,” he said, smiling as he indicated a young child at the wedding of his uncle.
“And that one’s me,” said his wife, Ruth. A little girl stood among the bridesmaids in the same black and white picture, a revelation that invited onlookers to fill in the rest of the story. The photograph was one of dozens on display at the St. Rose Parish Center, photos holding oft-told stories of faith, family, and times past.
The reception, during which parishioners filled dozens of tables to the scent of sizzling fajitas provided by the parish Peace and Justice Commission, followed a Mass celebrated by the Most Rev. John B. Brungardt and (pictured, left to right) Fathers Louis Trung Dinh Hoang, Ted Stecklein, Charles Mazouch, Don Bedore and Ultan Murphy.
The Mass began with a haunting Las Mañanitas, a traditional Spanish song that was preformed in honor of St. Rose of Lima. The bilingual nature of the Mass was done not only to serve the Spanish speaking in the congregation, but was in itself a celebration of this Catholic community’s ability to invite and embrace cultural diversity over the century.
The nearly 140-year-old parish community was founded by a congregation of mostly German and Irish immigrant families. The Irish lilts and German brogues have long faded into history, and today the century-old church building is home to sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters of those same immigrants. It is home to the newer immigrants as well, those from or descended from Mexico and Central and South American countries. (The congregation also included at least two urban refugees, who embraced the rural setting after years of living in Denver.)
At the reception, the priests, including one from Vietnam, one from Ireland, and a bishop of Volga-German heritage, melted into the congregation, where they and the Catholic community continued their celebration of both their 100-year-old church, constructed of brick and mortar, as well as their community, built on a century-old foundation of Catholic faith.
CLICK on the photo for a larger, downloadable version. If you'd like a larger resolution, digitized photo emailed to you, click here. Be sure and include a detailed description of the photo you want.