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From: "Cathy Joynt Labath" <>
Subject: [IAPALOAL] St. Thomas Parish History
Date: Wed, 14 May 2003 16:05:44 -0500

St. Thomas Parish
1935, By Rt. Rev. Leo McEvoy

St. Thomas Parish was established in 1905 by cutting off part of the
Assumption Parish, the "mother parish of northwest Iowa." The new parish was
to take care of those Catholics who lived in the northern portion of
Emmetsburg and those six or eight miles north, east and west of town. The
Milwaukee Railroad track, which runs east and west through Emmetsburg, was
made the dividing line between the Assumption and the new St. Thomas
Parishes.
Bishop P.J. Garrigan appointed Father Michael McNerney to organize new
St. Thomas Parish. Father McNerney had been the pastor of Sacred Heart
Parish in Livermore for 17 years.
Farther McNerney was born in Ireland and studied theology at All
Hallows College in Dublin, Ireland. He had been ordained on June 24, 1888,
and adopted for the diocese of Dubuque which at that time included all of
the State of Iowa. Shortly afterward Father McNerney arrived in Dubuque and
was made assistant pastor of St. Raphael's Cathedral. He remained there only
a few months before being appointed Pastor of Sacred Heart Church at
Livermore in Humboldt county. Father McNerney came to Emmetsburg in March,
1905. By this time, however, the diocese of Sioux City had been formed in
1902 to include all of northwestern Iowa. Bishop P.J. Garrigan had been
appointed the first bishop of Sioux City, and it was he who transferred
Father McNerney to Emmetsburg. When the new pastor arrived, he had no
rectory to live in, so he resided for over a year with Rev. J.J. Smith,
V.F., the pastor of Assumption Parish and assisted Father Smith with his
parish duties as well as serving as pastor of the new parish.
There were about 125 families in St. Thomas Parish when it was formed
in 1905. Assisting Father McNerney in the organizing of the new parish and
erecting the new church was a committee of the following men: Robert Shea,
Lot Laughlin, P.V. Nolan, James Dunigan and Thomas J. White.
The first baptism recorded in the new St. Thomas Parish was that of
John Julian Kneer, April 23, 1905. His parents were Francis Kneer and Mary
Jensen. This baptism actually took place in the Assumption church because
the new St. Thomas church was being built.
The first baptism that took place in the new church was on September
13, 1906. On that date Ralph Thomas Joynt was baptized. He was the son of
Thomas Joynt and Mary McNally. The sponsors were Patrick Joynt and Mrs. Rose
Doerning.
The second child to be baptized in the new church was Agnes Margaret
McEvoy. She was baptized the 30th of September, 1906. Her parents were
Michael T. McEvoy and Mary Rashford. The sponsors were Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Nolan. Margaret McEvoy, wife of the late Lawrence T. Brennan, was 89 years
old on September 17, 1995, and continued to reside in Emmetsburg.
The first marriage recorded in the parish was that between Robert
Laughlin, son of John T. Laughlin and Bridget McCabe, and Catherine Agnes
Jackman, daughter of Patrick Jackman and Margaret Brennan. The witnesses
were Joseph Laughlin and Anna Jackman. This wedding took place October 2,
1905 in the Assumption Church, because the new church had not been
completed.
The first wedding to take place in the new church was between John
Joseph Martin and Anna M. Nolan. This was on September 3, 1906. The Martins
were in the undertaking business for many years.
The second wedding in the new church was that of Dr. Thomas S. Hession
and Sadie M. Ryan on September 11th, 1906. Sadie Ryan was the half sister of
the late Mrs. C.J. Stillman, Sr.

...to be continued...
Cathy Joynt Labath
Palo Alto Co, IA USGenWeb Project
http://www.celticcousins.net/paloalto/index.htm

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