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October 6, 1970
The following excerpt is from “A Century of Christianity on the Dakota Prairies” written by Fr. Albert Binder in 1970. The text was edited to reflect the status of Fr. Bernier’s remains and the church building.
At its founding in 1870, the parish was under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of St. Paul, though, as mentioned, the Oblate Missionaries were more immediately accountable to their own Superior, Bishop Tache. On May 30, 1875, the parish passed under the jurisdiction of the Vicar Apostolic of Northern Minnesota, Rt. Rev. Rupert Seidenbusch, OSB. In August of 1879, the Vicariate Apostolic of Dakota was established with Rt. Rev. Martin Marty, OSB as Ordinary. It was, reportedly, in honor of Bishop Marty that the name of Holy Cross Mission was changed to St. Benedict’s at the time that it was moved to its present site. It is interesting to note that for a while the mission was apparently named after the Holy Family. It is listed this way in the Catholic Directory for the years 1877-1879. Finally, in 1889, North Dakota became a diocese with its see city at Jamestown, and later at Fargo. Bishop John Shanley was the first bishop of this diocese.
Father Bernier was transferred to Jefferson, South Dakota in July of 1884. He was succeeded by Father William A. Kennedy of Boston, who noted in the front of the parish baptismal register, “I was appointed to take temporary charge of this parish until a Canadian priest could be secured for the same. I assumed duties as pastor on July 5, 1884”.
The following summer, Father Alfred Vigeant came, but he left in February of 1886. Father Vigeant was a priest of the Archdiocese of Rimouski in Quebec, ordained in 1873, and he spent some time as a missionary in Dakota territory.
The notes in the Baptismal Register read: “The church bell was blessed December 8, 1885, by Father Vigeant. It was given the following names: “Mary, because it was the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Athanase, as an expression of gratitude to Father Athanase Bernier, first resident priest, Leo in honor of the Holy Father, and Martin, a name which reminds us of the spirit of charity.”
Father Bernier then returned for his second term, and he remained pastor of the parish until his death on December 13, 1891. His body lies in St. Benedict’s cemetery, but his skull was enshrined in the church until April of 2024. In June of 2024, his skull was interred in St. Benedict Cemetery.
Then there was a quick succession of pastors, as follows: from February 1892 to July 1893, Father L. Mailluchet; from September 1893 to November 1894, Father M. Barras; from December 1894 to July 1895, Father Joseph Leonard; from August 1895 to November of the same year, Father Joseph A. Accorsini; from 1896 to 1902, Father J. U. Sevigny; from April 1902 to November 1904, Father C. A. R. Fournier.
It was during Father Bernier’s first stint as pastor that the parish was moved to a new location and given the name of “St. Benedict”. This took place in 1882. In 1888 a larger church seating 300 was built at a cost of $6,000.00. This building served until 1913, when it was torn down and a new church was erected at a cost of about $12,000.00. The former priest’s residence was built in 1923, replacing an older structure.