Saint Boniface Church (New Vienna, Iowa)

File:St. Boniface Catholic Church (New Vienna, Iowa) - nave.jpg

The history of the parish can be traced back to the 1840s when a number of German American families came to the area from Ohio in search of farmland. On January 6, 1846, Bishop Mathias Loras of Dubuque celebrated Mass at the home of Hermann Wiechmann, the first Mass celebrated in the New Vienna area. For the next two years, Mass was celebrated at the Wiechmann home.

In 1848, the first permanent structure was built. This wood building measured {{Convert|24|ft|m}} by {{Convert|30|ft|m}} and had walls that were {{Convert|10|ft|m}} high.

By 1853, the population had increased to the point that a new structure was needed. Construction of this new church was completed in 1855. The church was 64 by {{Convert|100|ft|m}} with {{Convert|22|ft|m|adj=on}}-high walls. A local resident, William Steffen Sr., was sent with two teams of horses to get three bells for the church. He arrived back in New Vienna just before Easter; the bells were raised in time to chime for the first time on Easter Sunday. This second structure was used until 1887.

In 1887, the third and present building was completed. This building is {{Convert|172|ft|m}} long by {{Convert|62|ft|m}} wide. The walls are {{Convert|35|ft|m}} high. The stained glass windows are {{Convert|14|ft|m}} wide by {{Convert|30|ft|m}} high. The steeple is {{Convert|200|ft|m}} high.

The church has five altars made of carved wood which are still present in the church today. The old high altar was built by E. Hackner of La Crosse, Wisconsin. This altar cost $5,000.

The organ was built in 1891 by the Schuelke Organ Company. The organ at St. Boniface is one of the few intact Schuelke organs that still exist today. Aside from regular maintenance, the organ has remained basically unaltered over the years. One of the few alterations made to the organ was the addition of an electric blower in the 20th century.

Image:WSteffenGraveStBonifaceNewVienna.jpg.]]

In 2010 workers began constructing a new entryway on the north side of the church when a sinkhole that was 12 feet wide and 8 feet deep was discovered in the basement. It is not known when the sinkhole formed, but if it had taken out a nearby pillar it could have caused the church building to collapse.{{cite web |url= http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=296075 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120912101049/http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=296075 |url-status= dead |archive-date= 2012-09-12 |title= The 'hole' story: Ground under St. Boniface Catholic Church gives way, but the 1884 edifice does not collapse. |author= Nevans-Pederson, Mary |date= 2010-09-18 |work= Dubuque Telegraph Herald |publisher= Woodward Communications |location= Dubuque, Iowa |access-date= 2010-09-18 }}

Saint Boniface previously had its own parish school, Saint Boniface School, which started operations in 1847. Classes were initially held in private residences before being held inside the church facility. It received a permanent school building in 1870. The school moved into the church in 1922, and a new school building opened in 1924."[https://web.archive.org/web/20010306061310/http://www.hennessy.pvt.k12.ia.us:80/hennessyhistory.html Archbishop Hennessy Catholic School New Vienna & Petersburg]." Archbishop Hennessy Catholic School. March 6, 2000. Retrieved on July 25, 2018.

In 1987 it consolidated into Archbishop Hennessy Catholic School,{{cite news|last=Muilenburg|first=Matt|title=Hennessy School consolidation underway|url=http://www.dyersvillecommercial.com/news/hennessy-school-consolidation-underway/article_2cb8957c-80f4-11e2-92b8-001a4bcf6878.html|accessdate=27 February 2013|newspaper=Dyersville Commercial|date=27 February 2013}} which had two locations: grades K-3 in New Vienna, and preschool and 4-6 in Petersburg.{{cite web|url=http://www.hennessy.pvt.k12.ia.us:80/school.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010606205149/http://www.hennessy.pvt.k12.ia.us:80/school.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2001-06-06|title=school.html|work=Hennessy School|date=2001-06-06|accessdate=2018-07-25}} It served as the joint parish school for Saint Boniface as well as Saints Peter and Paul Church in Petersburg.{{cite web|author=Kruse-Domeyer, Jill|url=https://www.thewitnessonline.org/around-the-archdiocese/archbishop-hennessy-to-close-at-end-of-the-school-year/|title=Archbishop Hennessy to close at end of the school year |work=The Witness|date=2017-10-13|accessdate=2020-04-07}} Enrollment was over 100 at that time.{{cite web|author=Wong, Allison|url=https://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Hennessy-Catholic-School-to-close-at-the-end-of-the-school-year-446594523.html|title=Hennessy Catholic School to close at the end of the school year|work=KCRG-TV|date=2017-09-21|accessdate=2020-04-07}} The school had a relationship with Beckman Catholic High School in Dyersville.{{cite web|url=http://www.hennessy.pvt.k12.ia.us:80/school.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010606205149/http://www.hennessy.pvt.k12.ia.us:80/school.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2001-06-06|title=School|publisher=Hennessy Catholic School|date=2001-06-06|accessdate=2020-04-18}} In 2013 the school consolidated all grades into its Petersburg location. Its enrollment at that time was 60. Enrollments consistently decreased prior to 2017:{{cite web|url=https://kmch.com/blog/2017/09/20/hennessy-school-in-petersburg-will-close/|title=Hennessy School in Petersburg Will Close|work=KMCH|date=2017-09-20|accessdate=2020-04-07}} by 2017 the school only had 45 students. Archbishop Hennessy closed in 2018.

The remaining Catholic grade school in the "Spires of Faith" Catholic church network is St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Dyersville.{{cite web|url=http://www.xavier.pvt.k12.ia.us/|title=Home|publisher=St. Francis Xavier Catholic School|accessdate=2020-04-18}} - linked from [https://spiresoffaith.com/ the Spires of Faith homepage] (as of 2020/04/18)-->

{{Reflist}}

• [https://spiresoffaith.com/parishes/st-boniface-new-vienna Saint Boniface Church] - In the Spires of Faith Church Network, Official Website
• {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.hennessy.pvt.k12.ia.us/|title=Archbishop Hennessy Catholic School}}

{{Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque}}

{{NRHP in Dubuque County, Iowa}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Boniface in New Vienna}}

Boniface

Category:National Register of Historic Places in Dubuque County, Iowa

Category:Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa

Category:Religious organizations established in 1846

Category:19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States

Category:Queen Anne architecture in Iowa

Category:Churches in Dubuque County, Iowa

Category:Clock towers in Iowa

Category:German-American culture in Iowa

Category:1846 establishments in Iowa Territory

Category:Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa

Category:Historic districts in Dubuque County, Iowa