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Saint
Willebrord Parish |
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GROWING INTO A NEW BUILDING The old courthouse served as a church for 27 years and got to be much too small for the parish's 220 families. Father Bongers, assisted by trustees H.E. Berendsen and Edward Engels, began a subscription list to raise money for a new church. Work began in the summer of 1889 when Father William Van Roosmalen was appointed the pastor. The new church was built over the old courthouse church. The cornerstone of the new church was laid on June 14, 1891. A remarkable story of togetherness was unfolding at the corner of Adams and Doty Streets. A community, begun 30 years previous by 47 families with a common nationality and no permanent place of worship, started a parish that increased six times in size and they built a church and school that was almost paid in full. Construction of the church building cost $40,000. Because of this large expenditure, much of the church was only temporarily finished. Four years later, in 1895 the heating system was found to be inadequate, and it was recommended that a heating pipe be put under every pew. The plan was presented to the congregation, which voted in favor of putting in the new heating system. The following year, a new cement floor was laid in the aisles of the church because the floor had been originally finished in a soft wood. The Altar Society offered funds in 1897 to buy a new pulpit and the Young Ladies Sodality proposed to build a new communion rail. The new church still had ordinary glass windows. In 1898, Father Van Sustern, who had been pastor since 1895, donated the first stained glass window. In a few weeks, there were sufficient donors for all the windows. Not to be out done, the parish felt it ought to show its good will, too, so it began a campaign to fund new pews. The parish then decided to redecorate the church before installing new pews and windows. All the work was completed in 1898.
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