Generations of faith

“Parishes don’t die. Our faith tells us that it’s not about the building, but about the legacy of the people who carry on God’s Word.”
 
Those are words from Bishop Kagan’s homily at the closing of St. Anthony in Donnybrook, a tiny town of about 50 people in the northwest corner of the state. He celebrated the final Mass there with the pastor Fr. Joseph Chipson on Jan. 14.
 
It’s a sad day for many when a church shutters its doors for a final time, especially when that church has been a beacon in a small community for well over 100 years.
 
Parishioners like life-long member, Dave Miller, chose to keep the focus on the positives. “We will dwell on the good memories. So many of them,” he said. “All the weddings, baptisms, confirmations with the bishops celebrated there of all our families are what we remember.”
 
Miller and fellow board trustee, Don Gregoire, were members of St. Anthony in Donnybrook, as were their fathers and grandfathers before them. Dave and Don also raised their families there and continue to operate farms in the area.
 
“There’s four generations of sacraments celebrated in this church,” Don added.
 
The process to close the church was a long one. In fact, the men say it’s been at least six years in the making. Numbers of families dwindled and people have passed away or moved out of the area. The parish had about 14 families as members at closing.
 
One of those families is Lawrence and Nancy Goettle who raised their 7 children there, who have all grown and moved away. Lawrence had been a member there as a child, along with his parents and grandparents. He left the area for a time after college, but returned in the early 1980s to raise a family. Lawrence was on the church council and Nancy has been playing piano at Mass for the past 25 years.
 
Lawrence admitted that the closing is an emotional time, but it wasn’t a sudden decision by the parishioners. “We definitely have a long history there,” Lawrence said. “It’s a sad time and we all feel bad about the closing, but we also realize it’s just the way things go with the population decline over the years.”
 
Donnybrook residents Mary Lou and Larry Knutson are also among the small number of remaining families. They raised five children who are now grown and have moved away. Mary Lou also served on the church council and provided music at the closing Mass.
 
“We’ve known about the closure for a few years and we’ve been waiting for this day,” Mary Lou said. “We talk with each other and realize we have to move on and try and find our place somewhere else.”
 
She explained that many have decided to take it slow, day by day, and see where they can find their new home in faith. Surrounding churches in Kenmare, Foxholm and Berthold offer options—all within about equal distance to travel for Mass.
 
As the parishioners of St. Anthony seek a new home church, they also want to find a new home for some of the religious articles that have adorned their church for many years.
 
The building itself will be destroyed eventually. Despite the century-old church remaining relatively structurally sound, it didn’t make sense financially to try and maintain or repurpose it.
 
“It would be hard to watch it deteriorate,” Dave said. To be proactive, and at the direction of the diocese, the religious articles will be dispersed to nearby parishes or taken care of by the diocese.
 
A few of those have special meaning. The stained-glass window in the sanctuary dedicated to the founding pastor, Fr. Anthony Wagner, is one. Another is the statue of St. Anthony.
 
Dave and Don’s grandfather E. M. Gregoire, who’s first wife, Marie, had passed away, donated the statue in her memory years ago. They would like to see that stay at a nearby parish such as St. Agnes in Kenmare or St. Joseph in Bowbells, which are part of the parish cluster with St. Anthony’s in Donnybrook. Same goes for the crucifix and the steeple bell.
 
“Some of those are hard to give up, especially the crucifix. It’s hard to imagine all the important moments that took place near that crucifix,” Don said.
 
That crucifix did find a very special home right after the final Mass. It was gifted to Bishop Kagan who plans to find a special place of honor for it within the diocese.
 
It’s easy to see why many lifelong members, like Don and Dave, want to be so heavily involved in the closing process. “We were baptized and raised there, so were our children,” Don said “And, our parents were all carried out of there to their final resting place. It’s hard, but it’s the way things run their course.”
 
Brief history of St. Anthony, Donnybrook
 
In 1901 (before the establishment of the Bismarck Diocese), Bishop Shanley sent Fr. Anthony Wagner to care for the missions along the Soo Line Railroad in northern North Dakota. He took charge of the Catholic religious needs of the people there with headquarters at Kenmare and served there until 1936. He directed erection of churches at Kenmare, Bowbells, Portal, Tolley, Noonan, Lignite, Columbus and Colgan, and parishes houses at Kenmare, Bethhold, Foxholm and Crosby. Also among these parishes was St. Anthony at Donnybrook. Later, he also served Mohall, Sherwood, McKinney, Oxbow and Estevan in Saskatchewan. He was a most durable man, who covered all this territory.
 
Mass was offered on the fourth Sunday of the month in Donnybrook at the town’s Barke-Wieman Hall and later at the Metropolitan Hall. Rental fee was $1 a month.
 
In 1902, plans for a church building began; and lots were purchased for $175 in 1903. The building was constructed in 1904-05. In June 1905, lightning struck the front side of the steeple. As recorded in the local newspaper at the time, this disaster required quick action in repairing to prevent further damage and besides, the church was to be dedicated Sept. 5 with Right Reverend Bishop Shanley officiating. “The dedication of the Catholic Church at this place last Tuesday was attended by a large gathering of people. The Catholic people of Donnybrook have one of the very best church buildings in this part of the state” ( Donnybrook Courier, Sept. 8, 1905).
 
The steeple was rebuilt and remained intact until 1953, at which time some general remodeling was done to both the exterior and interior. During the changes of the second Vatican Council, a new altar was added in front of the old one so that the priest could face the congregation. In 1980, the church interior was again redecorated, but with no structural changes.
 
A parish hall was constructed in 1957, which became the center of community life for the parish. In 1976, an addition was added to provided classrooms for the CCD program.
 
In August of 1974, Donnybrook was made a mission of Kenmare.