St. Joseph (Elkader, IA)

St. Joseph (Elkader, IA)

"About the time this Clayton County town was looking for a name, Abd-el-Kader, an Algerian chieftain, was leading his countrymen to freedom. His bravery thrilled these Americans, and they named the town for him. Missionaries visited Elkader in the 1840s and 1850s. Then Father Patrick McGinnis came in 1856 as resident pastor. At that time the parish was named for the Nativity of Our Blessed Lady, but by 1869 it was known as Saint Joseph Parish."

- Rev. Msgr. Edgar Kurt, Parish Profile #39, The Witness, September 6, 1987

Saint Joseph Parish, Elkader

The Archdiocese of Dubuque.
The Center for Dubuque History at Loras College.

Loras College
Kucera Center for Catholic Thought
Frank and Ida Goedken Series: "Spiritual Life in the Upper Mississippi River Valley"

Burback, Emily. Burns, Daniel. Gibson, Michael. Oberfoell, Carol. Waldmeir, Helen. Waldmeir, John.

English.

Various primary and secondary sources.

1856-
First Church 1856-
Second Church 1897-1900
History of the parish over the span of 163 years, including information about its priests and parishioners.

Anniversary 125^th (1 booklet)

Buildup of Iowa, 1993 page 96 (1 document)

Centennial (2 documents)

Financial Report (3 documents)

History (1 document)

History Booklet (1 document)

History of Clayton County pages 647-648 (1 document)

Pastor Cards (1 set)

Photograph of Parish Property (1 document)

Release of Mortgage 1883 (1 document)

Stained Glass (1 document)

The Records of Elkader Mission (1 collection)

1888 Letter/1866 Unill Release (2 documents)

“Cost estimates for flood and tornado damage,” The Witness, 28 September 2008.

Jerde, Lyn Hanson. “Church to return to Gothic splendor,” Telegraph Herald, Dubuque Iowa, 5 July 1993.

Lynch, James Q. “Elkader priest converts to composer,” Gazette Northeast Iowa Bureau, 2000.

McTaggart, Pat. “Hunting for the past, Elkader parish searches for its memories,” The Cedar Rapids Gazette, 18 June 1994.

White, Amanda. “St. Joseph’s in Elkader to dedicate parish center,” The Witness, 24 November 2002.

Witness Staff, “Other areas of archdiocese also coping,” The Witness, 22 June 2008.