St. Raphael Catholic Church

St. Raphael Catholic Church celebrates 150 years

 

St. Raphael Catholic Church is 150 years old this year.   The parish celebrated on Saturday, June 22 with a special anniversary Mass at 4 p.m. followed by a meal and program.

Faith was important to the settlers in the Springfield area back in the 1870s.  Parishioners of Irish and German descent established the first St. Raphael Church community back in 1874.  Despite the difficulties of their life on the prairie and the hardships they had to overcome in securing a home and enough to eat, their unwavering faith in God helped them accept the challenges and harshness of life of the pioneers with the confidence that their freedom was worth it and that their perseverance could never be in vain.

See complete article in this week's issue of the Springfield Advance-Press.