St. Clement Oratory of Haymarsh

St. Clement Oratory of Haymarsh, North Dakota
established 1887

A brief history of the Oratory:

In 1878 a mail and freight stage line, known as the Fort Keogh Trail, was established between Bismarck, North Dakota and Fort Keogh near Miles City, Montana.  The valley known as Haymarsh is located near the Old Fort Keogh Trail and the Custer Trails that passed through western North Dakota in the area about 10 miles northeast of the city of Hebron.

The first homesteaders, mainly of German or German-Hungarian Catholic descent, came to the Haymarsh area beginning in 1883 from Michigan, Ohio, and Iowa.  In 1887, a small wooden frame building served as the first church and also the Post Office.  A wooden roof was put over a rock foundation and that served as a church until 1905 when the structure was struck by lightning and burned.

The second church, built on the same rock foundation, was constructed in 1905, as well as a rectory.  In 1936, both buildings burned from an overheated furnace in the church on a bitterly cold Sunday morning. The present church building was built in 1937, again on the same rock foundation as the original church.

In 1983, with death of their resident pastor, St. Clement’s became a mission of St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Hebron. For the following years up until 1992, a weekly Sunday Mass was celebrated at St. Clement’s.  In 2010, the church was re-designated as of an oratory.  In 2017, oversight of the Oratory was transferred to the Bismarck Diocese.

Welcome Letter and Mass Dates

The present church-site property includes several other structures, including the former rectory (now privately owned), a tile-brick schoolhouse (also privately owned), an outdoor prayer space with statue of the Good Shepherd (blessed by Bishop Kagan during the church’s 125 year anniversary celebration).  Also located nearby, on the church property, is the St. Clement Cemetery, which contains many interesting stone and metal-cross gravesite markers.

St. Clement’s Church still stands as a landmark on the North Dakota prairie as a tribute to a rural community who believed in a hard work ethic, who reached out to others in need, and who had a deep faith in their purpose in life. For over 100 years this rural parish was served by the Benedictine monks from the Richardton Abbey, and for forty-four years this farming community provided its children with an outstanding education, not only in secular subjects, but also in their Catholic faith. The fruit of this faith community is over twenty religious vocations that have their roots in Haymarsh.

Travelers from all over the United States and several foreign countries visit the site each year. It is especially dear to those who appreciate its peaceful, prayerful setting.

Contact:
Deacon Brent Naslund
[email protected]
701-425-0794