St. Peter's Church, Aurora Co., SD


	This information is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 983-984

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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SAINT PETER'S CHURCH. Among the public edifices of Aurora county, South 
Dakota, which are distinguished for their architectural beauty, we 
mention the Catholic church, St. Peter's, of White Lake. It is a 
commanding structure, 70 x 44 feet, with a vestry 18 x 14 feet. 

In tracing the history of the church and the White Lake congregation, 
the following facts are presented: In 1882 the first rites of baptism 
were administered by Carolus Wincerskey, of Mitchell, and in November, 
1883, under the direction of Peter Wilhelm, a congregation with 
representatives from one hundred and twenty families was organized. The 
following summer the present church building was begun, and the growth 
of membership for the succeeding few years was very marked, numbering 
at one time one hundred and eighty families. Removal from the locality 
and the establishment of adjacent missions drew from their number and 
the present congregation is much smaller, although an earnest flock, 
who are endeavoring to free the church from debt. The last two years 
they have succeeded in greatly reducing the debt under which the church 
labored for many years, and are sanguine in the belief that the burden 
will be entirely lifted before the close of another year. A mission in 
conjunction with St. Peter's church is located fourteen miles southwest 
of White Lake, and in 1 894, through the efforts of Reverend J. J. 
Reiland, a house of worship was erected. In 1894 Reverend George 
Hoffman was given the priesthood at St. Peter's, and his flock are 
doing earnest work under his care.