St. Benedict Parish, Horace, North Dakota, traces its roots to French-Canadian missionary priests who ministered in the Red River Valley beginning in the 1840s. The following articles, drawn from various booklets and articles published throughout the years, tell our story.

Index of Articles

Click / tap on the title to read the article.

1. A Log Cabin: A land survey by the U.S. government is the first documentation of the presence of a Catholic church in Wild Rice, North Dakota.
2. Early Missionaries: In the mid-1800s priests from Canada served among the hunters, traders and Native Americans.
3. Holy Cross Mission: In the mid-1860s Holy Cross Mission was established in Minnesota; it was moved to Dakota Territory in 1870.
4. Early Settlers: The early settlers had a difficult life on the prairie, but they and the priests who served them persevered. 
5. A New Location and a New Name: In 1881, the parish was moved to a new location and given a new name.
6. First Pastor: Fr. Athanase Bernier, the first pastor, who died in 1891, was finally laid to rest in 2024.
7. Devotion to St. Anne: Devotion to St. Anne was brought to North Dakota by the settlers who came from Canada.
8. Alex Richard and the Intercession of St. Anne: Alex’s life was spared through the intercession of St. Anne.
9. Miracles of St. Anne at St. Benedict: More miracles attributed to St. Anne.
10. St. Joseph Academy: In 1903, St. Joseph Academy was opened by the Presentation Sisters.
11. Early Pastors: Priests who served as pastors at St. Benedict through 1970.
12. The Centennial: The Centennial of St. Benedict Parish was celebrated in 1970.
13. Clergy: A list of all clergy who served at St. Benedict.
14. Vocations: Priests and religious brothers and sisters from St. Benedict Parish.
15. Parish Sesquicentennial: The celebration of the 150th anniversary was delayed one year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
16. Move to Horace: St. Benedict Parish moved to Horace in 2024.

First Article: A Log Cabin

Sources

There are two main sources for the historical articles published on this website. Both were published by St. Benedict Parish, Horace, North Dakota. The source of additional material is noted in the individual articles.

The first monograph is entitled “St. Benedict’s Church / Wild Rice, North Dakota / A Century of Christianity on the Dakota Prairies / 1870–1970” and was written by Rev. Albert Binder for the celebration of the Centennial of St. Benedict Parish in 1970. In the articles below, this work has been cited as “A Century of Christianity on the Dakota Prairies”. Fr. Binder lived from 1926 to 2000, was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Fargo in 1951, and served as the pastor of St. Benedict between 1965 and 1970.

The second document is the booklet “St. Benedict’s Catholic Church of Wild Rice / 125 Years / 1870–1995” written by Susan Richard. This work has been cited below as “St. Benedict Church / 125 Years”. Susan was born in 1954 and married Larry Richard, who farmed near the original St. Benedict Church, in 1976. She died on October 12, 2023.