History

Jesuit Father Louis Deumortier, based at St. Mary's Indian Mission, began serving settlers in the area in 1859, and he celebrated Mass in teh home of the first Catholic residents of Manhattan in 1865. The home of Mrs. J.T. Ellicott, the niece of Cincinnati Archbishop William Elder, was the center of Catholic activity in the community from 1868 until the old Methodist church was purchased in 1880. Because of anti-Catholic sentiments at the time, the 1859 structure was purchased through a non-Catholic lawyer in Wamego. The first resident pastor arrived in 1881.

In 1908, a three-story home across the street from the church was purchased, and Sacred Heart Academy, the first Catholic high school in the diocese, was opened, staffed by Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia.

In 1919, plans for a new church were developed. The brick-and-stone structure with twin towers rising 85 feet was dedicated on Oct. 31, 1920, at a cost of more than $66,500.

In 1938, the parish purchased a frame structure from the Free Methodist congregation, moved it next to the Academy and remodeled it for use as a grade school. An addition was built in 1945.

With student enrollment surpassing 200, plans were made to build a new high school. The new Msgr. Arthur Luckey High School, named for the parish pastor who arrived in 1913, was dedicated in September 1951. Before is retirement in 1954, Msgr. Luckey began planning for the construction of a new grade school. He died three months before the new building was dedicated in March 1955. An addition was completed in 1961 after the old Sacred Heart Academy building was razed.

Msgr. William Merchant, who succeeded Msgr. Luckey in 1954, remained at the parish until 1968. During his tenure, school enrollment reached 600.

The Sisters of St. Joseph left the school in 1985, and the high school was closed in 1986, with 11 seniors graduating that last year. The old frame building that had served as a grade school since 1938 burned in 1992, but in its place the parish constructed a fine arts wing.

In 1995, the Seven Dolors Church was listed on the Register of Historic Sites.

Currently, the parish is raising funds to start a multi-million dollar renovation of the church and school buildings.

Seven Dolors refers to the Seven Sorrows of Mary. The parish was named by Mrs. J.T. Ellicott, a parishioner who was instrumental in its early development.

1865: The first Mass is celebrated in Manhattan in a private home.

1880: The old Methodist Church on the corner of Pierre and Juliette is purchased for $1,400.00 to become the first Catholic Church in Manhattan.

1881: August 5, Rev. A. T. Ennis is appointed by Bishop Fink of the Leavenworth Diocese as resident pastor of Manhattan, with Elbow, Ogden, and McDowell as missions.

1908: Sacred Heart Academy is founded with the purchase of a large house diagonally across the intersection from the church. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia open the school with about 40 students in the grade school and first year of high school. Each year thereafter, another year of high school is added so that by 1911 a full four-year course is offered. It is the first Catholic high school in the Concordia Diocese and the first complete high school course in Manhattan.

1919: Due to the increasing size of the congregation, construction of a larger, brick church is begun. Dedicated in 1920, it measures 66 ft. wide by 124 ft. long, and has twin towers rising 85 feet high.

1925: The old frame rectory, built in 1885, is sold and moved away. Mont Green, who built the church, constructs a modern eight-room rectory of brick to match the church.

1930: A pipe organ is purchased from the First Presbyterian Church of Manhattan and is used until 1982, when it’s replaced with a new 21-rank Wicks organ.

1931: Rev. A. J. Luckey becomes Pastor and remains until his retirement in 1954. His dedication to Catholic education leads to the building of a parish high school that is named in his honor and dedicated in 1952. Seven Dolors Grade School is later built and dedicated in 1955.

1957: The Sisters of St. Joseph convent building and chapel at 731 Pierre are completed. Since 1985, the convent has served as the Parish Center.

1966: Father Richard Weixelman becomes the first member of Seven Dolors to be ordained a priest.

1982: The parish is divided to begin the new St. Thomas More Parish in Manhattan.

1985: The Sisters of St. Joseph convent building becomes the Parish Center.

1984: The Family Center Budget Shop at 710 Colorado is built, at first serving as the Seven Dolors Child Care Center.

1986: Monsignor Luckey High School is closed and remodeled to house the growing Child Care Center.

1995: Seven Dolors Church is listed on the Kansas Register of Historic Places and included in the National Historic Register.

1995: Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration begins in the Chapel.

Priests who have served the Parish:

1881-1884 Msgr. A.T. Ennis †	1954-1968 Msgr. W. Merchant †
1884-1886 Fr. C.D. Curtin †	1968-1971 Fr. J. Grennan
1886-1889 Fr. J.F. Lee †	1971-1981 Fr. J.A. Moeder †
1889 Fr. E.F. Dooley †	1981-1983 Fr. N. Dlabal
1889-1892 Fr. B. Martin †	1982-1985 Fr. R.L. Vering †
1892-1893 Fr. L.H. Schulze †	1983-1993 Fr. J. Morgan
1893-1896 Fr. G. Lecoutre †	1993-2005 Fr. L. Grennan †
1896-1898 Fr. R. Loehrer †	2005-2015 Fr. J. Popelka
1898-1899 Fr. J.C. Regan †	2015-2021 Fr. K. Ninemire
1899-1907 Msgr. A.J. Luckey †	2021- 2023 Fr. R. McCandless
1907 - 1913 Fr. J. M. J Reade †	2024 - Present Fr. Leo W. Blasi

Pastors who gave assistance to the Parish:

1954-1963 Fr. J. Whitty	1975-1981 Fr. C. Kramer
1963-1970 Fr. M. Kieffer	1981-1988 Fr. D. McCarthy

Priests who have served as Parochial Vicars:

1937-1938 Fr. B. Jaster †	1970-1971 Fr. R. Dreiling †
1938-1939 Fr. M. Hogan †	1971-1974 Fr. L. Grennan †
1939-1942 Msgr. R. Menard †	1975-1976 Fr. Chris Conklin †
1942-1944 Fr. E. Sinner †	1985-1988 Fr. B. Sterrett †
1944-1949 Rev. R. Schott	1988-1991 Fr. K. Weber
1949-1952 Fr. R. Dreiling †	1991-1993 Fr. R. Weber
1952-1954 Msgr. G. Landoll †	1993-1994 Fr. J. Popelka
1954-1957 Fr. W. Killian †	1994-1997 Fr. M. Wesley
1957-1960 Fr. H. Kuhn †	1997-1999 Fr. U. Tin
1960 Fr. K. Kenny †	2001-2001 Fr. M. Elanjimattathil
1960-1961 Fr. J. Moeder †	2005-2007 Fr. G. Chalbhagam
1961-1966 Fr. R. Aschenbrenner †	2008-2009 Fr. J.M. Thomas
1962 Fr. M. Ptacek †	2009-2010 Fr. F. Montoya
1962-1963 Fr. D. McCarthy	2015-2019 Fr. C. Ruiz-Santos
1963-1966 Fr. L. Metro†	2021- 2023 Fr. M. Leiker
1963-1971 Fr. M. Kieffer†	2025 Fr. Rafael Indave Campos
1968-1970 Fr. J. Wolesky

History of St Patrick's in Ogden

Compiled by Fr. Merlin Kieffer

The impetus for the founding of St. Patrick’s Parish came with the building of Ft. Riley in 1853. Irish and German immigrants, stone masons and carpenters, employed in the construction of the Fort later settled in the area, many of them in and around Ogden.

In 1854, at the invitation of the commandant, Major Ogden, a priest from St. Mary’s Jesuit house began to hold services at Ft. Riley once a month. He was called upon from time to time to administer the Sacraments to the residents of Ogden. Jesuit Father Duerinck probably performed the first marriage in Ogden. As the number of settlers in the area increased, Ogden became a regular mission station.

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Seven Dolors Catholic Parish

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