Celebrations, Stories, and Spiritual Needs

There are two upcoming events in Valley County in June and September that are a testimony to determination, hard work, communities pulling together, but most of all to hope and faith.

In late June, the Bethel Grain Church north of Nashua will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Late September will see the parish of Queen of Angels Catholic Church, in Nashua, celebrating its 100th anniversary.

Several years ago, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Nashua had its 100th anniversay.

To me, these celebrations hold stories of groups of people who had a deep-seated need to gather together to worship in a church. These hard-working homesteaders had to overcome a host of challenges in order to realize their dreams. They not only fought what Mother Nature put in their path -- drought, insects, floods, low prices -- but also financial institutions and money-seeking corporations and individuals as well as even governing bodies at times.

Yet through it all, they didn’t lose sight of their spiritual needs - for them and future generations. They held fast to their ideas.

On a summer Sunday last year, following a week of medical tests, treatments, and changing to another new medicine in my battle with cancer, I was sitting in a pew at Queen of Angels, waiting for Mass to begin. As I listened to the church bell beginning to ring, my thoughts wandered to the overwhelming support I’ve received and how many people have told me they are praying for me.

I thought of how much that had helped me and all the times that had lifted my spirits. I thought also of the people who had built this church in this little town on the prairie and I said a prayer of gratitude to them. For I realized that on that day, at that moment, I was exactly where I needed to be at that point in my life.

Until these small churches were constructed, word would circulate that a priest or minister was due to arrive in town. Plans were made, a home chosen in which services were to be held, and soon people arrived in carriages, on horseback, even in the early day, car or truck. Sometimes there would even be two or three weddings or four performed, babies baptized, young people confirmed.

But even with the completion of the churches, congregations had to share presiding ministers. And not every congregation had the chance to have services each Sunday. That has changed over the past 20 years or so, when members of a congregation have stepped up to be trained in leading a Sunday service when it’s not been possible for a minister or priest to do so. In their own way, these people are much like the homesteaders -- doing what has to be done in order for worship services to be made available for people.

And so the churches the homesteaders sacrificed so much to have ,continue to provide places of worship for people through hope, faith, and determination.