St. Joseph rectory needs new home

(Sentinel photo by Beverly Van Buskirk) The Rev. Kevin Richter stands at the front door of the St. Joseph Rectory at 20 Sixth Ave. N.E. The rectory will need to be moved to continue with plans to erect a new church at the site. The parish is selling the rectory and hopes it can be moved to a new location. [Click to enlarge]

But the two-story brick house is the St. Joseph rectory, a fixture near St. Joseph Catholic Church since 1970 and home to priests serving the parish and will need to be moved.

"This is one big piece of the puzzle," the Rev. Kevin Richter said, "putting the parish in a position so we can possibly begin construction on a new church building next spring."

Richter has called the rectory his home since coming to Le Mars, and has lived there alone for the last two years. When he first came to St. Joseph parish, a second priest lived at the rectory.

Most people, he said, do not know how the house is set up.

"It's a typical rectory arrangement," Richter said.

"Each priest who lived in a rectory had their own space," he said as he led the way through the house.

On the main floor is a living room, dining room, kitchen, and a room used for meetings.

Upstairs, there are three suites, each with a sitting room, bedroom and bathroom.

Richter uses one of the three suites upstairs.

He moved his office to an area of living room, because he liked the feel of the room. Each floor of the rectory has 2,000 square feet of space.

"To me, this is much more house than I need," Richter said. "You make a home in the rectory, but we're only here so long," he added, explaining the regular moves priests make in assignments.

The parish has already purchased a condominium across the street from the rectory as the new home for the parish priest.

"I look forward to having a cozier space," he said.

A one-story addition to the east side of the rectory houses the church offices. When the rectory is moved, those offices will be temporarily housed at Gehlen Catholic School.

The parish is accepting bids on the two story brick-faced house at 20 Sixth Ave. N.E. They hope the house will be purchased and moved to be used in some way.

The house will be sold as is, and will need to be moved during the 2009 calendar year.

Richter said this is not the first rectory to be moved. One was moved a block south. At least three houses have stood in this spot and served as rectories, he added.

Members of St. Joseph parish have been working on plans to replace the current church building since 2007, when talks began with an architect.

"It's been discussed for a long time," Richter said.

The church building has had moisture issues for a long time, he said. The exterior of the church is faced with cement with a brick-look painted on. The first coat was put on in 1907, according to Richter. Through the years, four coats have been put on the church's exterior.

"No one wants to take the church down," he said, adding that the constant problem with moisture damage needed a final decision.

With the decision to locate the church on the current property, plans were put in place to prepare the area and a capital campaign started.

The first step was tearing down the old St. Joseph School in 2008. Now the rectory will be removed.

A parish celebration in June will include an outdoor mass at the new church site (where the old school was located).

"We also hope to have an open house at the rectory," Richter said. "Many people have no idea what the rectory is like, so this would give them an opportunity to see it."

He added the parish council decided to hold a celebration to bring parish members together at a social event.

"It will be a fun time for all," Richter said.

The architect's drawings of the new church show a building with a steeple similar to the one on the current church. Plans also call for putting a number of elements from the current church, including the high altar, into the new church.