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About Immaculate Heart of Mary Church
Built in 1911-1913, the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Windthorst is beautiful church from the early 20th century.
Growing Congregation
The first church at Windthorst was built in the spring of 1879, with the first mass celebrated on Easter Sunday. Growth of the parish was steady and strong, and by 1892, the need for a larger church was urgent. A second church was constructed in 1892 for a cost of $1,087 serving more than 200 patrons.
The New Church
The first 15 years of the 20th century marked a very pivotal time for the parish - one of great growth and affluence. The 1915 census shows the congregation to be 395. This era climaxed most dramatically with the construction of the present church between 1911 and 1913. The first brick for the current church in Windthorst was laid on May 4, 1912 and the building was dedicated on June 12, 1913.
The Dedication
At the 1913 dedication, it was declared as one of the finest buildings in western Kansas. Bishop Hennessy told the congregation at the dedication Mass and ceremony "that they had erected one of the greatest tributes of gratitude and faith in the west."
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