In the farthest, most remote corner in the Bismarck Diocese, you’ll find St. Boniface Catholic Church, in the north western North Dakota town of Grenora.
Grenora (est. population 300) might be way, way off the beaten path, but what you uncover there is a hidden gem and a group of reverent, faithful lay people who call this parish their home.
“They love the Catholic faith, they’re passionate about it, they’re trying to share it with others,” said Rev. Russell Kovash, Pastor of St. Joseph in Williston, and the parishes of St. Boniface in Grenora and St. John the Baptist in Trenton.
Early beginnings
The town of Grenora was founded in 1916 at the end of a Great Northern Railway branch line that began in Stanley. The town’s name comes from a combination of the first few letters in the railway's name:
Great
Northern
Railway. The tracks were in place until the early 2000’s, when Great Northern’s successor BNSF Railway filed for abandonment. Grenora is located only 30 miles from the Canada–U.S. border and only four miles from North Dakota's border with Montana. It takes roughly nine hours driving to complete the round-trip journey from the diocesan offices in Bismarck to St. Boniface.
Fr. S.J. Arsenault celebrated the very first Mass in Grenora in 1908. There was no church building at the time, so Mass was said at nearby houses and in the local school. According to diocesan records, St. Boniface was a mission parish of St. Joseph in Williston from 1910 to 1914. On June 18, 1912, Bishop Vincent Wehrle and two lay trustees signed the Articles of Incorporation establishing the parish of St. Boniface. The construction of the church began in 1912 at Gladys, a tiny village southeast of Grenora, near the current grotto and cemetery. At that location, the first Mass was celebrated in the fall of 1913. It served as the parish church until 1962, when the present church was built in the town of Grenora.
The rectory was the first building-constructed in 1950, and the church was added under the direction of the pastor, Fr. Al Leary. The first parish had 25 families. Interestingly, the parish currently has 25 registered families. Additionally, in 1931, a grotto was erected in honor of the Blessed Mother at St. Boniface Cemetery, south of Grenora. The work was done completely by farmers under the guidance of the Poeckes Brothers, who were stone masons from Luxembourg, where they learned their trade.
Privilege of Sunday Mass in a small-town parish
Kovash added, “Their parish is so critical to the community of Grenora, a close-knit faith community.” Mass is celebrated at St. Boniface on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. during the school year, and 9 a.m. during the summer months.
Typically, Fr. Kovash, or the Associate Pastor Fr. Joseph Evinger, make the 45-minute drive from Williston to celebrate Mass for the faithful. “It’s a very tight-knit community, the deep faith of the people, their reverence for our Lord is incredible,” reflected Fr. Evinger.
Parishioner Angie Melgaard affirmed, “Our priests have been a wonderful blessing.”
Giving credit to the parishioners for the strong parish life, Fr. Kovash added, “There are a good number of highly-engaged parishioners. Though it’s small, it’s a strong parish. They hold their own. When you have a small parish everyone chips in. They love their parish, they’re proud of it, they love their faith. I’d love to see what they have now continue.”
Born and raised in Grenora, Mike Thome, 65, serves at the parish sacristan. “He’s a great gift to Fr. Kovash and me,” said Fr. Evinger. “As sacristan, he’s a big help.”
Additionally, Thome leads the rosary and the Litany of the Saints prior to every Sunday Mass at St. Boniface. “The rosary enlightens the day,” he exclaimed. “Fr. Eugene Frank got me started on it the late ’80s.” When asked if he will keep it going, Thome replied, “As long as I can drive a vehicle and walk.”
Fr. Aydt’s legacy
“Fr. Aydt was up here for 22 years. He considered us his family,” said Thome. After celebrating Mass at St. Boniface, in Grenora, Fr. Aydt would drive to St. John the Baptist, in Trenton to celebrate their Sunday Mass as well.
“Fr. Aydt would come up every Sunday. The parishioners really cared for him. He was willing to commit to celebrating Mass every Sunday because of their great love of the sacraments,” Fr. Evinger said.
Post-Mass brunch
Although Thome isn’t the most experienced St. Boniface parishioner, that honor belongs to 91-year-old, Agnes Stewart.
Clara Stewart, who turns 86 in January, helps prepare for the festivities downstairs in the community room, after Mass every Sunday. “I don’t want to take credit for it…I just started putting the coffee on,” Stewart continued, “I don’t mind doing it, in fact, I love doing it.”
Stewart said that any visiting priests celebrating Mass at St. Boniface are surprised to see the tremendous participation and quantity of food brought by the parishioners. “Any priest that comes says, ‘I can’t believe this.’” Stewart extends an invitation when she mentioned, “If anybody would like to join us, they’re very welcome.”
St. Boniface parishioner Nicky Berg is grateful to have a Sunday Mass each week and she enjoys having a place and time to touch base with her fellow parishioners. “It’s an opportunity where I can find out how my neighbors are doing, I wouldn’t have that chance during the week.”
Berg said that the brunch has grown in popularity. “The last few years, we’ve all brought bigger meals. Food is always a way to bring people together. It’s friendship in action.”
Thome stressed the importance of getting together for brunch after Mass. “If you have a little fellowship afterwards it encourages people, it draws people closer to the Lord Jesus.”
For the younger generation, the impact of the post-Mass brunch fellowship resonates as well. Thirteen-year-old parishioner Shine Enander said, “I like how everybody gets together, and enjoys each other’s company. It makes for a better community.”
Enander’s sentiments were echoed by his older sister, 17-year-old Lia, when she said, “It brings up closer together. Everybody knows each other, but we have the opportunity to get know everybody on a personal level.”
On being asked whether, she could see herself back at St. Boniface in the future, Enander replied optimistically, “Hopefully, someday, I’m going to play piano here at Mass on Sundays.”