We Stop for Cemeteries and Churches!

I had seen the beautiful church steeple, on our way to Rochester, but we were running behind schedule (and Mike was taking a nap while I drove), so there was no stopping for pictures.

On our way back home, once we crossed into Iowa, I started watching the skyline. Once I spied the steeple, Mike began to look for the road to get to the church. He turned on Lourdes Road, in Lourdes, Iowa, to get down to 'Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.'

It was late Saturday afternoon and the cars in the parking spaces indicated that Mass was in progress. Our Lady of Lourdes is in the Holy Rosary Cluster, with churches from four other towns, and they are all under the direction of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.

The Gothic Brick church was built in 1901, and at one time there was a Convent and School. Sisters of Saint Francis from Clinton, Iowa served the Parish until the school closed in 1969. Originally, the church was named "The Immaculate Conception," and that is the name inscribed on the cornerstone. However, during the dedication, Archbishop John Keane promised to obtain a statue of "Our Lady of Lourdes" and directed that the name of the church be changed.

In the beginning, Lourdes was an Irish Settlement but through the years, Czech, Slovak, and German Immigrants have moved into the area and make up the membership.

If, ever, you are in Iowa and headed north on Hwy 63 train your "eye to the sky" and search for a beautiful, tall church steeple ....reaching for the heavens. It's worth a quick detour to see this beautiful church, in the Iowa countryside.

Yes, we do stop for cemeteries and churches!!

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