Union County, SD History .....St. Joseph Catholic Church 1897
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SAINT JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH, Rev. M. Traynor, pastor. This church is located in
sec. 4, Prairie township, Union county, and is the place of worship of one of the
most flourishing parishes in the state. The old church building was erected in 1874
by some farmers living near the present location of the church property, and the
congregation is the oldest in the diocese with the exception of Jefferson. The first
resident priest stationed here was Very Rev. F. X. Lawler, Mgr., who took charge in
1881; he was succeeded by Rev. M. P. Horgan, now in England; he by Rev. J. B.
McInnerny; he by Rev. C. J. Quinn; he by Rev. J. J. Shea, now of Huron, S. Dak.; he
by Rev. D. F. Desmond, now at De Smet; he by Rev. F. Flannigan, deceased; and he by
Rev. M. Traynor, the present incumbent.

When Father Traynor took up his labors here he found the old building inadequate and
immediately set to work agitating among the parishioners the cause of better
facilities. The people, who have taken an active interest in their church, responded
handsomely, and in May, 1896, the reverend father was able to begin the erection of
a fine new edifice on the church property. It is 40x80 feet, which includes a
sanctuary of 21 feet, and will seat about 400 people, including the gallery. The
cost was about $6,000.00, and eighteen memorial windows of stained glass were
donated by different members of the congregation, besides paying their several
regular assessments. The church was dedicated November 18,1896, by Rt. Rev. Thomas
O”Gorman, bishop, assisted by several of the priests of the diocese. The present
congregation numbers forty-eight families, who are regular members and attendants,
and ten transient families. Since the Rev. Traynor has taken charge, which was in
July, 1895, the congregation has had a steady, healthy growth and compares very
favorably with any in the state.

Rev. M. Traynor is an American born gentleman and is highly educated. He first saw
the light in Philadelphia, April 5, 1849, and received his education at the Niagara
university, of Niagara, N. Y., where he took up the study of the classics, and
completed his studies at St. Vincent's seminary, Germantown, Pa. He was ordained a
priest June 18, 1879, by Archbishop Wood, of Philadelphia, now deceased, and took up
his first ministerial charge in Missouri; from there he was stationed at various
places -  Niagara Falls, Baltimore and Philadelphia, and in 1892 was detailed to
South Dakota. His first charge in the latter state was at Tyndall; from there he
went to Deadwood, and in July, 1895, as stated above, he began his labors at the
Church of St. Joseph. Father Traynor is an able and efficient representative of the
Catholic clergy, liberal in his views and well-posted on all current topics.


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