Our Lady of Carter Lake Catholic Church at 3501 N. 9th Street, Carter Lake, IA 51510 US - History of Our Lady of Carter Lake

In the beginning . . . For many years Catholics in Carter Lake, Iowa dreamed of having a Church of their own in which they could join together in worship and to respond to both the spiritual and temporal needs of their community. Although this dream seemed an impossibility, a small group of people under the leadership of Joe Huegerich were determined to make it a reality. In March of 1968, this group met to organize and undertake a religious census of the City of Carter Lake: ......Tom and Toni Annin ......Jim and Lucie Bockmann ......Russ and Jo Brandts ......Francis and Annette Callahan ......Lou Fennell ......Ed and Jean Fitzpatrick ......Joe and Dorothy Huegerich ......Don and Angie Janda ......Don and Dorothy Schieffer ......Clem and Bev Schrad ......Bill and Rita Sindelar ......Mary Waltrip The census revealed that there were: ....145 Catholic families in Carter Lake ....128 children, age 0-6 ......* 38 were not baptized ....130 children, age 7-13 ......* 4 were not baptized ......* 33 had not received First Communion ......* 86 had not been confirmed .... 67 children, age 14-21 ......* 38 not baptized ......* 2 had not received First Communion ......* 11 had not been confirmed ......3 adults had not been confirmed ....118 families were homeowners When asked the question, “Should Carter Lake have its own parish?” the response was: ....140 families said “Yes” ......5 families said “No” Getting Started . . . The first public meeting for Catholics interested in establishing a Catholic Parish in Carter Lake was held August 28, 1968 at the Carter Lake City Hall. At this time possibilities and strategies were discussed. Officers were chosen to lead the effort: ....President............Joe Huegerich ....Vice-President...Ed Fitzpatrick ....Secretary............Julie Stringer ....Treasurer............Bob Stringer The workers for the new Catholic Community in Carter Lake now included Betty Madsen, Louis Fennell, Tyke and Dee Darveaux, and Dave and Dorothy Lodes. Although Catholics living in Carter Lake belonged to several neighboring parishes in Omaha, the greatest number belonged to Sacred Heart Parish. So the leaders of this new effort went to the pastor of Sacred Heart for guidance. Fr. McNally and Fr. Vavrina of Sacred Heart Parish in Omaha agreed to be responsible for the leadership of a new religious education program in Carter Lake. Five sisters from Sacred Heart and two sisters from Notre Dame Academy and a number of lay people assisted them. Classes for grade school children were held on Saturday morning, followed by a Mass. Classes for the high school students were held on Monday evening. The Improvement Club was provided free of charge with the stipulation that the area was cleaned before and after the classes. Fr. McNally held an open meeting on September 18, 1968 to answer questions about the program. About 100 people attended and many expressed disappointment that Archbishop Sheehan had stated that it would not be possible to provide Sunday Mass in Carter Lake for at least a year. Although the group was discouraged, they were committed to continue their efforts. The first year of classes in Carter Lake saw an enrollment of 130 children. On Saturday, December 21, 1968 eleven of the older children (grades 5-8) went to confession for the first time and received their First Communion at Sacred Heart. On April 20, 1969 four 7th & 8th graders were confirmed and on May 4, 1969 twenty 2nd & 3rd graders received First Communion at Sacred Heart. Another tack . . . Since Carter Lake is in reality a part of Iowa and thus the Diocese of Des Moines, the committee decided to approach the Bishop of Des Moines to see if they might have more success in obtaining their own parish. In August 1969, Joe and Dorothy Huegerich, Clem Schrad and Dorothy Schieffer went to Des Moines to meet with Bishop Maurice Dingman concerning the possibility of establishing a parish in Carter Lake. They were told to submit a formal letter requesting that a parish be established. At least, now, the diocese was aware that there are Catholics in Carter Lake and that they desired a parish of their own to serve their needs. Moving Along . . . In October 1969, the Presbyterian Church education building was made available for religious education classes for grades 1-6 on Saturday mornings. Grades 7-12 met on Monday evenings. The registration fee was $5 per child with the total not to exceed $15 per family. On July 16, 1970 a special meeting for all Catholics of Carter Lake was held at the Presbyterian Church education building. This meeting would result in many changes. Fr. John Hart, pastor of Queen of Apostles Parish in Council Bluffs, offered his ideas and those of Bishop Dingman concerning the needs of the Catholics in Carter Lake. Out of this meeting, the Presbyterian Church was approached concerning the possibility of renting their Church for a Mass on either Saturday evening or Sunday morning and the use of the education building for religious education classes. On July 30, 1970 the Presbyterian Church agreed to rent their facilities for $135.00 per month. On July 31, 1970, Fr. Hart met with the committee to announce that the Carter Lake Catholic Community would be a mission parish of Queen of Apostles Parish. Sunday Mass would be offered in Carter Lake beginning in September 1970 with religious education classes offered for the children of Carter Lake. The first parish council was elected. The following officers were chosen: ..Russ Brandts....President .............................Chair,Board of Education ..Joe Huegerich..Vice President .............................Chair,Liturgy Committee ..Emil Hausner....Treasurer .............................Chair,Social Committee ..Toni Annin.........Secretary ..Louis Fennell.....Chair,Finance Committee ..Jerry Waltrip......Chair,Buildings & ..................................Grounds Committee Don and Angie Janda, Dorothy Huegerich, Lucie Bockmann, Mary Waltrip, Dave Lodes, Debra Sempek, Michael Harrison and Dennis Bequette agreed to help. It Has Begun . . . Bishop Maurice Dingman, Bishop of Des Moines, offered the first Mass for the Catholic Community of Carter Lake on September 6, 1970. The clergy present were Fr. James Kiernan of St. Albert High School in Council Bluffs, Fr. McNally of Sacred Heart Parish in Omaha, and Fr. O’Reilly of the St. Columban Fathers in Bellevue. During his homily, Bishop Dingman said, “This moment will be of historic importance in a hundred years.” The bishop was surprised to see the church filled with over 200 people in attendance. Now that the parish was established, there was a need to select a name for the parish. Parishioners submitted a total of 25 names. These were voted on and the one selected was “Our Lady of Carter Lake.” The new parish entered into an agreement with the Columban Fathers to provide a priest for Mass. In December 1970, the parish began two traditions that continue today. There was a Christmas Party for members of the parish. Santa Claus dropped by, carols were sung and there was much fun had by all. The other tradition involved working with the Lutheran and Presbyterian Church to provide boxes of food for needy families in Carter Lake. In 1971, one Sunday a month was designated as Social Sunday. The women of the parish served coffee and rolls after Mass. Lenten services on Wednesday evenings were also begun in 1971. On May 21, 1971, the “1st” First Communion was celebrated at Our Lady of Carter Lake Parish. In addition a new parish council was elected in May: In January 1972, a Renewal Mission was offered for the parish. August brought a new pastor to Queen of Apostles and Our Lady of Carter Lake, Fr. Richard Gubbels. Fr. Ed Hurley from St. Albert High School assisted Fr. Gubbels. Two acres of land were purchased in March 1973 for the future site of Our Lady of Carter Lake Church. This parcel of land was adjacent to the Lutheran Church. November 1974 found Dick Dean Service providing religious calendars for 1975 for the entire parish. Dick Dean Service has continued each year to provide this gift. In the fall of 1975, the parish moved from the Presbyterian Church to the Lutheran Church for Mass and religious education classes. Bishop Dingman offered Mass to celebrate the 5th Anniversary of the Parish. The statue of Mary currently gracing our church was purchased in 1976. The Women’s Guild was born in October 1976. Over the years, this group has carried out many works of charity and assisted the parish council with many programs and activities. All women of the parish are considered members of the Guild, which continues to meet on the 3rd Thursday of the month at 7:30PM. Fr. Bob Schoemann became the third pastor of Our Lady of Carter Lake in July 1979. Fr. Ed Hurley and Fr. Mike O’Meara from St. Albert High School assisted Fr. Bob. The Lutheran Church in Carter Lake was struggling to make ends meet and the decision was made in March 1979 to sell the church. Our Lady of Carter Lake Parish began negotiations to purchase the church. Finally in the summer of 1980, Our Lady of Carter Lake Parish had a church of its own. Bishop Dingman dedicated the church and helped the parish to celebrate its 10th Anniversary on September 7, 1980. In 1981, the Baptists were seeking to establish a congregation in Carter Lake, so in October they began renting the church for their services. Fr. Jim Kramper, S.J. became associate pastor of Our Lady of Carter Lake and Queen of Apostles Parishes in July 1982. In 1983 new carpeting was installed in the church and Tom Jensen crafted the altar, ambo, stools for the presider and acolytes and the credence table. A new public address system was also installed. New windows were installed in the church in 1984. The parish center was remodeled in 1985, providing insulation and the walls were paneled. Fr. Larry Hoffmann was assigned as the 4th pastor of Our Lady of Carter Lake in July 1985. Fr. Bob Hoeffler assisted Fr. Hoffmann. ParishFest began in September 1986 as an annual celebration and fundraising opportunity. ParishFest continues to grow each year offering a fun time for the community of Carter Lake. New furnaces and central air conditioning were installed in October 1986. While in November 1986, women began to serve as ushers. Fr. John Frost arrived in July 1987 as the new associate pastor. Also at this time the storage shed was built on the north end of the property. Girls were invited to serve Mass for the first time in February 1988, while in March, the Baptists moved into their own facility. New pews were purchased in 1989 and a television and VCR were purchased for the religious education program. And yet another faith community was forming in Carter Lake. The Methodists requested the opportunity to rent the church and parish center for establishing a new congregation. The first Bible Study took place on June 10th and the first worship service was offered on August 9th. Mary Marfisi donated a new set of “Stations of the Cross” in 1990 and Kathy Waltrip donated the crucifix that now hangs in the entry to the church. Fr. Marty Chevalier was assigned as associate pastor in July 1990. Bishop Bullock offered Mass on September 9, 1990 in honor of the parish’s 20th Anniversary. It was noted at this time that during these twenty years there had been 30 deaths, 15 marriages, and 83 baptisms. Beginning in September 1990, the religious education classes were held on Wednesday evenings. Communion under both forms “the Body and Blood” began to be offered in 1991. The parish also began designating the third Sunday of each month as Food Pantry Sunday. Parishioners are invited to bring canned goods and household items for the Carter Lake Food Pantry. In conjunction with this a special collection is taken up to help the needy in the community. Permission was also received from the diocese this year to begin looking at enlarging the Parish Center. Fr. Phil Kruse was appointed pastor in July 1992. Fr. Ted Witte was appointed associate pastor. An icon depicting Our Lady of Carter Lake was donated to the parish in memory of Joe Huegerich. This icon is located next to the baptismal font at the entrance to the church. Fr. Fred Reischl became pastor in July 1993. Fr. Ted continued as associate pastor. A New Chapter . . . The leadership of Our Lady of Carter Lake Parish had been requesting for some time a priest of “their” own that they did not have to share with another parish. In order to respond to the needs of the people, the bishop agreed to appoint a priest with the responsibility for the pastoral care of the parish while the parish remained a mission of Queen of Apostles Parish. Fr. Dennis Trausch was appointed in July 1994 with the responsibility for the pastoral care of Our Lady of Carter Lake Parish. On the First Sunday of Advent 1994, a Saturday evening Mass was added to the Sunday schedule. Masses are now offered on Saturday evening at 5:30PM and on Sunday morning at 9AM. A Coffee and Roll Social is held after each Mass. Masses are also offered on Monday and Thursday evening at 7PM and on First Friday at 6:30PM. On First Fridays Mass is offered at 6:30PM and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament is offered from 7PM-7AM. During 1995, the Pastoral Council developed and presented to the parish a Mission Statement. The Pastoral Council also sponsored a “Parish Slogan” contest. There were many excellent entries and the one chosen was: “We are Family . . . Growing Together in Faith.” In February, members of the parish tore out the dilapidated men’s and women’s restrooms and replaced them with a more modern design and added a handicapped restroom. A new tile floor was installed in the restrooms and in the hallway between the entry and Parish Center. The Marian shrine was built in front of the Parish Center through the contributions of many parishioners. The children of Mary Marfisi donated the statue in honor of their mother. To give thanks for the contributions of all the parishioners, the parish began a new tradition of having an appreciation celebration in July each year. The Women’s Guild published their first cookbook including all of our favorite recipes. Note cards and prints of the Church were also produced and sold by the parish in recognition of the 25th year of ministry in Carter Lake. The fact that it is the people who have enabled Our Lady of Carter Lake Parish to fulfill its mission for 25 years was recognized by the publication of the first parish pictorial directory. In September, Bishop Joseph Charron joined the Catholic community of Carter Lake in celebrating its 25th Anniversary. Friends from far and wide gathered together to celebrate this great day. To provide an on-going fund raising event for parish improvement needs, the monthly Parish Breakfasts were begun in 1996. The Breakfast is held on the second Sunday of January, February, March, May, June, October, November, and December. Beginning in 1996, the second Sunday of September was officially designated as the Solemnity of Our Lady of Carter Lake, the patronal feast of the parish. On this day ParishFest is also celebrated. In the winter of 1997, the entryway to the church and pastoral center was revamped with new glass entry doors, new lighting, a tiled floor, renovated pastor’s office and closet space. Tom Jensen crafted the bookcases, table and light fixtures. In 1998, the roof of the church was replaced. A digital organ was purchased for the church and a new institutional stove was purchased for the kitchen. 1999 saw the interior of the church being redone with drywall, new wood and caulking around the windows, a permanent sanctuary area, carpet and paint. Chandeliers were installed in memory of Bob Stringer. A highlight of this work was the addition of a stained glass window in the sanctuary designed and made by Jim Bockmann. New chairs for the presider and servers were designed and made by Tom Jensen. In 2000, the pastoral council revised its constitution and by-laws. A new baptismal font was added to the church. The Pastoral Council also revamped the Pastoral Center Planning Committee to look again at the expansion of the Pastoral Center for meetings, classes, and gatherings and, of course, storage. As we enter 2001, Our Lady of Carter Lake Parish continues to look at how it can best meet the needs spiritually and temporally of the people of God in and around the City of Carter Lake. As a parish we continue to grow spiritually as well as numerically and we look forward to the possibilities the Lord offers. In February a group began coming together to craft items to be sold at the Craft Booth at ParishFest. There may be only three or four or ten or twelve, but they are having fun sharing with one another every Monday morning from 8:30AM – Noon and creating beautiful items for the profit of the community. The parish WebPages went live in February also. The parish had applied for a grant from the Diocesan Catholic Communications Campaign Office to establish a permanent website. A grant of $500 was received and Our Lady of Carter Lake website became a reality.

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