St. Patrick's church is one of the most sightly buildings in the city and when the frescoing which is now being done is completed it will be one of the neatest houses of worship in the city.
The building when completed cost about $15,000.00. Father Sullivan took charge of the parish about November 17, 1889. The congregation is now large and representative.
Having secured a beautiful church Father Sullivan's next undertaking was the building of a school in keeping with the needs of the parish. The corner stone of this beautiful and spacious building was laid on May 10, 1902, by Dean Gunn.
The school is in charge of the Sisters of Charity of the B. V. M., whose mother house is at Mount Carmel, Dubuque. The Sisters of Charity as educators hold a similar place in the religious congregation of women to that occupied by the Jesuits among the male orders. They are the leaders in their respective classes. And the pupils turned out by both orders today are an honor to their alma mater.
There are several sodalities and societies attached to St. Patrick's church and the parish is growing rapidly.
THE CHURCH AT PRAIRIEBURG
It has been asserted that the first mass celebrated in Linn county was at Prairieburg. This assertion I have sought to establish, but have failed, so I take it for what it is worth. As far as I can learn the first mass was said in a log house belonging to James Brislawn, but who the priest was I have not been able to establish. The first authentic record we have is when Rev. P. J. Maher, late of De Witt, then at Anamosa, officiated in the home of Bernard McLaughlin in 1872. The present brick church on the prairie at which a goodly number worship and which is in charge of Rev. Fr. I. J. Norris of Stone City, was erected by Fr. Maher in 1874. The Bohemian element who live in and around Prairieburg built a church a few years ago in the town. It is in charge of Father Ballou of Oxford Junction.
THE FAIRFAX CHURCH
The first Catholic church in Fairfax was built by Fr. John in 1875. This cradle of christianity in the wilds was located on the state road in Johnson county about six miles southeast of Fairfax. For the construction of this primeval temple oak logs were hauled from the Henderson mills on the Iowa river below Robert's Ferry. From this same mill, which was the only one at that time in these parts, except the Snouffer mills in Cedar Rapids, the early settlers hauled the lumber for their log cabins and for the shelter sheds for their limited live stock. This pioneer church in Fairfax district was afterwards removed to Walford, later to the site of the present building.
After Fr. John came Fr. Urbin occasionally from Norway. He returned to Bohemia and died there.