St. Irenaeus Catholic Church (Clinton, Iowa)
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Saint Irenaeus Church is a former parish of the Diocese of Davenport. The church was founded in the town of Lyons, which now the north side of Clinton, Iowa, United States. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2010.


History


19th Century

Bishop Mathias Loras of the
Diocese of Dubuque The Archdiocese of Dubuque ( la, Archidiœcesis Dubuquensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the northeastern quarter of the state of Iowa in the United States. It includes all the Iowa counti ...
said the first Mass in Lyons. The Mass was celebrated in a log home in 1848. The area was visited by various priests, including the Rev.
J.A.M. Pelamourges Jean-Antoine-Marie Pelamourgues (1811–1875) was a French missionary who was one of the first Roman Catholic priests to serve in the Diocese of Dubuque in the state of Iowa. He served as the first pastor of St. Anthony's Church in Davenport, ...
from
Davenport Davenport may refer to: Places Australia *Davenport, Northern Territory, a locality * Hundred of Davenport, cadastral unit in South Australia **Davenport, South Australia, suburb of Port Augusta **District Council of Davenport, former local govern ...
, and the Rev. Frederic Cyrille Jean, who was assigned as the first resident pastor. Jean was originally from Baynes, France and came to the United States upon the invitation of Bishop Loras. He came to Lyons from Bellevue and started building a church as soon as he arrived and it was completed in 1852. The building was built of brick and cost $1,500 to construct. The parish grew quickly and a larger church was built in 1856. In 1864 Bishop Clement Smyth laid the cornerstone for the present church. Parishioners helped in building the church without pay. It is a
Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
style building constructed in limestone, which was quarried just outside the town. The building was completed in 1871 and cost the parish $45,000. The building measure 130 by 60 feet and could accommodate 450 people. The ceiling is off the floor. The
stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
windows depict the Twelve Apostles. Two offset spires front the building. The south spires rises and the north spire is high. Father Jean returned to his native France before the church was completed. While there he was given ornate golden chandelier modeled after the crown of France. It was a gift from the Bonaparte family to the parish to be used as the sanctuary lamp. The parish school was built at the same time as the church. It cost $4,000 to build and it was staffed by the
Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known by its initials BVM, is a Roman Catholic religious institute founded in the United States by Mother Mary Frances Clarke. Its founders were Irish Catholics. The BVM currently works in twe ...
from Dubuque. In 1861 the German members of the parish formed their own parish a few blocks away called
St. Boniface Boniface, OSB ( la, Bonifatius; 675 – 5 June 754) was an English Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of the Frankish Empire during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations of ...
. That left St. Irenaeus a predominantly Irish parish. Other parishes were formed to the south in Clinton: St. Mary's (1867), St. Patrick's (1889), and Sacred Heart (1891).


20th Century

In 1906 the church building was completely reversed. Initially, the main entrance of the church faced Fifth Street. North Second Street on the back side of the church became a major thoroughfare through town. To accommodate the change the main entrance of the church was moved to the west side of the church on Second Street and the altar was moved to the east side of the church and the pews were reversed to face the altar. The new entrance also eliminated the long staircases up to the entrances. A gallery was created on the west side of the church. In 1911 all five Clinton parishes joined the Davenport Diocese when Clinton County was transferred to the Diocese of Davenport. A major renovation occurred to the church interior in the 1940s. Simulated stone was applied to the walls to match the exterior of the church, Gothic-style light fixtures were hung, new
Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The station ...
were installed along the side walls and the ceiling was decorated with simulated beams. In the 1960s and 70s, a parish hall, kitchen, meeting rooms and restrooms were built in the basement of the church. The parish school was merged with the school at St. Boniface in the 1970s to form North Catholic School. Eventually, all the Catholic grade schools in Clinton merged to form Prince of Peace School. The parish itself was officially closed in 2006 when the five parishes in Clinton were merged to form Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace Parish.


21st Century

Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace continued to use the old churches until 2008 when a new church was built for the parish on the west side of town. The sanctuary lamp and the older set of the Stations of the Cross were used in the new church. St. Patrick's Church was taken down in 2005 and St. Mary's followed in 2009. Sacred Heart Church is a part of the Prince of Peace School complex and is used for their liturgical needs. A non-profit organization is being formed to preserve St. Boniface Church building as a religious heritage museum. The last Mass at St. Irenaeus was celebrated June 28, 2009, and the church was sold to the Clinton County Historical Society in June 2010. It is being renovated to become a community cultural center that would host public events.


References


External links


St. Irenaeus Church photos
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Irenaeus Church (Clinton, Iowa) Gothic Revival church buildings in Iowa Roman Catholic churches completed in 1871 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport Churches in Clinton County, Iowa Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa National Register of Historic Places in Clinton County, Iowa Religious organizations established in 1852 Former Roman Catholic church buildings in Iowa 1852 establishments in Iowa Buildings and structures in Clinton, Iowa