St. Thomas More Parish, Brookings, was one of several parishes across the diocese to recently celebrate its centennial.
Besides St. Thomas More, St. Liborius, Polo; St. Thomas Aquinas, Madison and St. Anthony Parish, Hecla, all observed 100 years as parish faith communities this year.
At St. Thomas More, the parish family celebrated their big observance with Mass, celebrated by Bishop Robert Carlson, a picnic and carnival.
Father Michael Wensing, current pastor and former pastors Msgr. John McEneaney, Msgr. James Doyle, Father Tom Heck and retired priest, Father Lawrence Murtagh were concelebrants for the Mass.
In Polo, at St. Liborius, Bishop Paul V. Dudley joined the parish community for its centennial celebration, which included Mass and a parish dinner afterwards.
The parish community opened a time capsule from a July 1989 Polo community celebration.
Numerous priests and sisters who had served in Polo returned for the festivities.
The parish undertook a clean-up and spruce up of the church in advance of the centennial including a new white coat for the parish’s Celtic cross.
Parishioners were reminded that the parish’s original church remains standing as part of the enlarged current worship space.
The parishioners of St. Thomas Aquinas, Madison, also celebrated their faith community’s centennial with the celebration of Mass with Bishop Robert Carlson, Father Robert Vinslauski, current pastor, Father Michael Schneider, Father Maurus Simpson and Father Donald Molumby.
Guests were offered tours of the church with an explanation of its history and various aspects of the church’s structure.
Over 400 turned out for the dinner served in the school gymnasium.
At St. Anthony Parish, Hecla, Bishop Robert Carlson joined Father DeWayne Kayser, pastor in concelebrating Mass.
There was a parish meal afterward where members of the Knights of Columbus grilled and served pork loin. There was a anniversary cake, a quilt raffle and a history of the parish compiled and published for sale to parishioners.