Immaculate Conception Parish History

The history of the parish of Claflin began in the midsummer of 1902. For some time the need for a new parish had been apparent, a parish with close access to the Catholic community of Claflin. A movement was started to secure a location for the new Catholic Church in the city of Claflin. Bishop Hennessy in Wichita gave his blessing and ready permissiion to organize a parish.

In July of that year, the present corner lot was purchased for $177.68. Initial work of building the Church was started on October 22, 1903. The first loads of sand and rock were hauled by team and wagon. The sand came from the Arkansas River and the rock from the D.E. Hogan stone quarry some five miles northeast of Claflin. The cost of this first Catholic Church in Claflin was $4,000.00. In the fall of 1904, the first church committee was elected by the members of the newly created parish.

Reverend Francis P. Joyce, a native of New York State, became the first pastor of the Claflin Parish, arriving in July, 1904. The first Mass celebrated in the new Church was on August 7, 1904. Bishop Hennessy visited the parish and dedicated the church May 3, 1905. Soon the Parish purchased the southwest corner of the Claflin Community cemetery to be the Catholic Cemetery for $100.00.

Work began in July, 1918 for a Parochial School. The school was ready for occupancy by October 15 of that same year. The parochial school was under the direction and supervision of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Wichita, Kansas.

The parish had outgrown the church that had been built twenty-five years before, and early in 1929, there began the task of promoting a church building fund. Unfortunately the dpression set in and the building program was temporarily shelved. In 1938, the City of Claflin began to modernize the town, and a sewer system was installed. The school and the rectory were modernized at the same time. New floor furnaces were installed in the school a few years later. In 1940, the roofs of both the school and rectory were replaced, and new floors were installed in the rectory.

Finally work on the new Church was started on September 15, 1948. The cornerstone was laid April 12, 1949, by the Most Reverend Mark K. Carroll, Bishop of Wichita. The new church of the Immaculate Conception in Claflin was constructed, a Romanesque edifice of red brick, 112 by 40 feet, with a full finished basement for parish gatherings. The body of this church seats 336 people, with a choir loft over the vestibule and a special room off the vestibule set aside for mothers with small children. An electric Wurlitzer organ was donated and housed in the choir loft. The stained glass windows, representing the Mysteries of the Rosary, are of a simple panel design with small figures of the Mysteries in the center panels, and were donated by members of the parish and the school children. The sacristy is immediately behind the altar with entrances on either side.

The entire cost of the new church with the many donated furnishings included was $144,945.00. The cost of the new rectory, with many furnishings included, was approximately $29,271.00, with approximately $23,000.00 donated. The new Church and rectory were dedicated on October 11, 1949.

In 1951, a new diocese was created out of the western half of the Wichita diocese, and it was known as the Dodge City Diocese. Most Reverend John B. Franz of Springfield, Illinois, became the first Bishop of the Dodge City Diocese.

The golden Jubilee of the Parish was celebrated on May 11, 1954 with a pontifical High Mass in elaborate ceremonies. Also, on the day of the Jubilee, Bishop Franz and the Clergy blessed the Shrine of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception which was built by the school children and Father Stremel. The shrine was erected by the Kansas Stone Co. of Hays at a cost of $1400.00. Half of this money was raised by our parochial school children by socials and Bingo.

To make a complete plant, a contract was made to construct a new convent for the Sisters of St. Joseph. Work was compleeted at a cost of $27,300 in 1959. In February, 1959, aluminum doors were installed in the church, and in December, 1959, chimes were added to the organ in the church.

Immaculate Conception parochial school was closed in May, 1970, due to increased costs, lack of teachers, and requirements by the Department of Education in Topeka.

Bishop Eugene J. Gerber was installed as the third bishop of the Dodge City Diocese on December 15, 1976.

A Diamond Jubilee celebratiion was held on October 14, 1979.

Bishop Stanley G. Schlarman was installed as the fourth Bishop of the Dodge City diocese on May 4, 1983.

On March 5, 1995, a new organ was purchased. Total cost was $21,000 plus $700.70 tax.

Bishop Ronald Gilmore was consecrated and installed as Bishop of the Diocese of Dodge City on July 16, 1998, in Garden City.

On August 15, 1999, it had been determined that the total cost of the parish center would be $300,000. Finally, on Sunday, August 13, 2000, a groundbreaking ceremony for the parish center was held after the 10:00 Mass.

A celebration of 100 years of Faith on the Plains was held on August 7 and 8, 2004.

Holy Family Parish History

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