St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, Council Grove, marks restoration, three decades

By Joe Buchanan

Parishioners at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Council Grove celebrated a return to their newly renovated church for Mass, followed by an indoor parish picnic and bingo in St. Rose Hall.

Since last winter, the parish had been meeting for Mass in St. Rose Hall because frozen pipes  caused the sanctuary to flood and caused extensive damage that required major repairs.

The first Mass in the restored sanctuary was Aug. 31 and also celebrated the 30th anniversary of the initial building of St. Rose Church, which was completed in September 1995. Fr. Paul Oborny was pastor throughout the planning, building, and dedication. The official dedication Mass, celebrated by Bishop Eugene Gerber, was held on Oct. 29, 1995.

Current renovations include new tile on the altar, new carpet throughout the church, new upholstery for the pews, and new paint.  New exterior doors were installed, and the women’s restroom was redone. The building includes the renovated sanctuary and sacristy, church offices, 11 classrooms, a choir loft/balcony, restrooms, and storage areas. Fr. Andrew Seiler is the current pastor.

Parishioners at the celebration picnic enjoyed pulled pork and a variety of potluck salads, sides, and desserts. Bingo prizes included gift cards to local businesses and a $50 blackout prize to end the day.

The history of Catholicism in Kansas dates to 1541 when Fr. Juan de Padilla accompanied Coronado on his visit to the Quivira in present-day Rice County. A year later, Padilla was martyred, though the exact site is unknown.  

The original church building in Council Grove, now affectionately known as St. Rose Chapel, was built in 1883 and served the parish until the church was built 30 years ago. Before 1883, Mass was likely held in private homes.  

The chapel is currently open as part of the Santa Fe Trail Symposium in Council Grove, with its significant local historical connections as an emphasis.

German prisoners of war from Camp Fremont east of Council Grove, under the direction of local stone mason Bill Krause, built a vestibule addition onto the Chapel in 1943.

Until 1902, St. Rose was served by Franciscan priests from Emporia. The Wichita diocese was formed in 1887 and included Morris County. The first priest assigned by the diocese was Fr. Michael Casey in 1902. At the time, Corpus Christi Church in Skiddy was a mission to St. Rose and remained so until it closed in 1950.

Other buildings on the St. Rose campus at one time or another include a two-story frame building that stood just north of the chapel that served variously as a rectory, school, and a convent for religious sisters who staffed the school.  

In 1951, a parish rectory was built from a converted rural school building moved to the area south of the Chapel. In 1955, a new brick school building was erected east of the church, and 36 students started classes there. Enrollment eventually grew to 56 students.

St. Rose School closed in 1963, and the building then served as a parish hall. That building was razed, and the new St. Rose Parish Hall went up on the site in 2015.

St. Rose’s current campus also includes a new rectory, built north of the church in 2008, and two large parking lots, one north and one south of the church. Those lots previously contained two houses and a mobile home that were used variously for religious education and as a rectory.  

Thirty-one priests of the Diocese of Wichita have served St. Rose since 1902.

Joe Buchanan is a parishioner at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Council Grove.