The following history of Alex Richard is based on the narrative in the booklet “St. Benedict’s Catholic Church of Wild Rice / 125 Years” written by Susan Richard. It was edited and amended to include the gift of the St. Anne statue by Alex’s descendants. To view pictures of the statue, see the St. Anne Statue photo album.

The statue of St. Anne and St. Mary, located on the front of the St. Benedict Parish Social Hall, was made by New Jerusalem Liturgical Design in collaboration with Stuflesser Studio, in Ortisei, Italy, and installed on December 3, 2024.  The statue is dedicated in memory of Francois Alexis (“Alex”) Richard (1835 -1910) and Elisabeth Levasseur Richard (1841-1906) and their descendants.  Alex and Elisabeth and their children moved to Dakota Territory in 1877 from Mont-Carmel, Quebec, Canada.  Alex and Elisabeth, together with their children, founded three farms located in St. Benedict parish which—as of 2025—are still farmed by their descendants.  Many of their descendants are active members of the parish.  Alex and Elisabeth are buried together in St. Benedict Cemetery.

The St. Anne and St. Mary statue is modeled after the statue located in the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre, Quebec, Canada.  A chapel in honor St. Anne was built around 1658, and it eventually became the site of the modern-day basilica, which was completed in 1946.  For generations, pilgrims have been attracted from across Canada and the United States.  Many miracles have been reported to have occurred at the basilica, even to this day.

Alex and his family, like many of the early members of St. Benedict Parish, immigrated from southern Quebec.  Their devotion to St. Anne echoed the importance of St. Anne in all of “New France”.  In 1898, Alex and Elisabeth made a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Anne-de-Beaupre to fulfill Alex’s pledge to St. Anne, who Alex credited with saving his life and limb after being caught outdoors in a severe 1888 blizzard.  During his pilgrimage, Alex spoke with the editor of the Annales De La Bonne Sainte Anne De Beaupre, a magazine published by the Redemptorist Fathers, and gave a detailed account of his experience during the blizzard and how he credited St. Anne with his survival.

Alex’s account of the 1888 blizzard retold the story of how he and Elisabeth had relocated to Willow City, Dakota Territory, in 1887 to homestead an additional farm.  On January 11, 1888, Alex left to do business in the neighborhood.  When he was returning home, he was caught in a raging blizzard with winds of more than fifty miles-per-hour and a temperature of about 15 degrees below zero. Historical accounts record that over 100 people throughout the area lost their lives, some died between their barn and their house, indicating the severity of this snow-storm.  Alex made a promise to his favorite saint, St. Anne, that if she would save his life, he would make a pilgrimage to her shrine in Quebec.

After spending the first night in a snow bank, on his second night in the blizzard, he found a wide-open shack and was able to gather some wood to start a small fire. He had three wet matches in his pocket.  He lit two of the matches with no success in getting the fire started. Alex dried his last match under his arm.  He then had a vision that everything would be fine. The fire lit with the third match, and he used most of the small wood supply he had. It was early evening and he was down to his last piece of wood for the fire. He had another affirmation that if he used the last piece of wood, everything would be all right. He put it on the fire, said his night prayers and that piece of wood burned until 3 o’clock in the morning. The next morning, with the wind still raging but with the storm subsiding, Alex set out to find his way home once more. He finally rolled off a large snow-bank and to the door of his neighbor.  Alex had suffered significant frost-bite of his limbs, however, Alex stated that “The one who knew how to save me from the blizzard will also know how to save me now.” Alex placed his faith in St. Anne and again called on her to save his hands and his feet.  Alex’s complete faith was certainly well repaid for the following Sunday he attended Mass at the Willow City parish church, suffering no ill effects of his ordeal.

In the summer of 1889, Alex and Elisabeth returned to their farm in St. Benedict Parish. A new church had been built during their absence. Alex had a gold crown made and placed on the head of the St. Anne statue in the new church. As reported above, in thanksgiving for sparing his life, in 1898 in his wife made a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. Anne-de-Beaupre. In 1913, when a newer church was built, his family sponsored the stained-glass window of St. Anne and St. Mary. The inscription reads “La Familie Alex. Richard” (“The Alex Richard Family”). In 2023, his descendants commissioned the exterior statue of St. Anne and St. Mary for the new St.Benedict building in Horace.

Back: St. Anne Index Next: More Miracles