History of St. Mary's Parish

During the early settlement of Goodhue County, immigrants from Luxembourg settled in an area which included Southern Belvidere Township and Northern Chester Township in Wabasha County. The first Catholic settlers in what is now called Bellechester, were farmers and some of these names are still here in the community - Tuch, Clemens, Schroeder. Wagner and Befort. Another settler who later became Mrs. Josephine Darcy, arrived with her parents in 1852 at the age of nine. She recalled her two months journey from Illinois in a covered wagon, living on corn, bread and milk, the latter they milked from the cows which they brought along. Friendly Indians were to be seen now and then. About the same time Stephen Reding settled here. Later several Luxembourg pioneers arrived, you'll recognize the names - Bartholome, Arendt, Strauss, Majerus, Nardinger, Liffrig, Reiland and Weber.

Fr. Felix Tossot, a young missionary, was given charge of the Catholics in Wabasha and Goodhue Counties. He said Mass in Bellechester as early as 1859 in the homes of Patrick Gillespie, John Befort and John Clemens. Thus St. Mary's Parish began in 1859. In 1862 Thomas Frenier donated 40 acres of land to be used for Church purposes. A document designating the land was signed by President Lincoln on December 1, 1862, and is still in possession of the Parish. In 1865, a small frame church costing $1,000 was built on this land under the direction of Fr. Knauff. St. Mary's was now a mission of Red Wing.

As the congregation of St. Mary's grew, the original church was adapted for use as a school and a stone church costing $1,600 was built in 1877. Fr. Meier became a resident pastor in 1878 and the parish built a residence for him. The first baptism recorded in the parish was on August 20, 1865, Ann, daughter of Wm. Befort and Anna Deville. The first marriage was that of William McBride and Julia Mallon.

Under an act passed by the legislature in 1878, the congregation incorporated as the Belle Chester Church Society, thus satisfying the parishioners in both Belvidere and Chester Townships. The name Belle Chester now has become Bellechester, the name of the village in which the church is located.

The first school was established by Fr. Meier in 1881 with an enrollment of 90 students taught by the School Sisters of Notre Dame who were living in a convent nearby.

St. Mary's has twice been ravaged by fire. In 1926 the stone church which had been built in 1877 was destroyed. Under the supervision of Fr. Zachmann, a new church was built with the total cost of the church, furnishings included, was $53,000. On March 29, 1942, the interior of the church was ruined by fire. It was remodeled and rebuilt during the pastorate of Fr. Tachann. During the last months of Fr. Berger's pastorate, a modern addition to St. Mary's School was begun. It was completed in September 1951. In 1952, during Fr. Anthony Louis's pastorate, the school basement was converted from a coal bin to a parish meeting room and school lunch room. In 1958 a new rectory, which is attached to the church, was built as a cost of $30,000.

The first St. Mary's was a country church, standing in an open field. The present church is a part of Bellechester Village. The school is no longer open and the parish shares a pastor, now Fr. Ramon Buckley, with the Zumbrota Parish. There are still over one hundred families who belong to St. Mary's, many of them are descendants of the original settlers. One native of the parish, Peter W. Bartholome, advanced to become Bishop of St. Cloud, six other became priests, and sixteen young women joined religious orders.

CCD Classes are held every Wednesday for grades 1-12 in the church and upstairs of the rectory. These classes are taught by volunteers of the parish. The interior of St. Mary's has been recently redecorated. A new sound system was added in the church in 1983 as a memorial to Edmund and Philip Arendt. An anonymous donor gave funds for the refinishing of the tabernacle and the purchase of the altar Cover. On the front lawn stands a beautiful stone sign which was donated in memory of the late Lawrence Miller.

On July 1, 1984, St. Mary's Church of Bellechester will celebrate its 125th Anniversary.

Luxembourg On My Mind