Union County, SD History .....St. Mary Catholic Church 1897
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ST. MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH, Rev. M. Kennedy, pastor. This place of worship is located
on section 19, of Spink township, and is one of the finest church properties in
Union county. The congregation was organized in 1879 by Rev. Father O'Hearn, and was
originally composed of thirty-one families, who worshiped in a log house in
Fairview, seven and one-half miles from the present location. The first resident
priest was Rev. Father Brogan, now of St. Cloud, Minn.; he was succeeded by Rev.
Eugene Sullivan, who built the first parsonage, and then the congregation was
attended by the Rev. D. J. Hogan, of Vermillion, he being succeeded by Rev. Francis
Flannagan, now deceased, and the latter by Rev. M. Kennedy, the present pastoral
incumbent.

The church grounds consist of fifteen acres, on part of which the cemetery is
located, and the church edifice is of frame and was built in 1879. The parsonage is
also of frame construction, and arranged for the comfort and convenience of the
inmates. The congregation is now composed of forty-five families, and is financially
as well to do as any in the diocese, the members being all good, solid, thrifty and
industrious farmers. They take much pride in the interior decorations of their
little church, and justly so, as it is, as above stated, one of the finest church
properties in the county. The statue of St. Joseph was presented by Mr. John Casey
in memory of his daughter, Mrs. K. Mahan, and cost $40. The statue of the Blessed
Virgin cost the same, and was furnished by Mr. James J. O’Connor as a token of
remembrance to his wife. The excellent library of 150 volumes, is the gift of the
first communion class of 1894, and the ladies of the congregation gave a beautiful
chalice, which cost $45, and a parishioner presented a fine pair of candelabra.
There is also a beautiful monstrance for benediction service which was the gift of
the congregation, and for which they paid $110. A complete and magnificent set of
vestments is also the property of the church. The church proper has a seating
capacity of 175, and the gallery an extra fifty, making a total seating capacity of
225 persons. They have an excellent choir of nine voices. A memorial window is the
gift of the Flage family, and the Lynch family monument was erected at a cost of
$270, and is a fine piece of work.

Father Kennedy, the priest in charge of this parish, is a fine representative of the
Catholic clergy, and is a native of County Tipperary, Ireland. He is well educated,
having obtained his learning in St. John's college, at Waterford, Ireland, and was
ordained in 18S0 at Waterford cathedral by Rev. Dr. Power, deceased. After locating
for a time at home, he went, for his health, to Australia, by way of the Cape of
Good Hope in a sailing vessel, returning home via the Suez canal. He came to America
in 1890, and the Church of St. Mary is his first charge. Father Kennedy has one
brother, who is now dean of Adelaide, Australia, and his sister is mother superior
of the convent at Melbourne, Australia, being also mother general of the order in
Australia, which is a very high and responsible position.


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