St. Peter's to mark 100th anniversary

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- After 99 years, St. Peter's Episcopal church will celebrate its centennial one year early.

And some folks, like Charles Hintz, Doug Howard and John P. Heymann, are looking forward to seeing their place of worship pass its milestone.

Although it is one of the oldest churches in New Ulm, St. Peter's has quite possibly the smallest church building, the smallest congregation and one of the smallest Christian denominations in the United States.

According to Howard, the Episcopal Church is an offshoot of the Church of England and was one of the first groups to hold a church service in New Ulm, which had been dominated by the Turners, who were philosophically against establishing churches.

"The majority are German Catholic or German Lutheran or Scandinavian Lutheran in New Ulm," said Heymann. "We're a drop in the bucket here."

The clergy for St. Peter's first service in 1861 was Bishop Henry B. Whipple, one of the first Christian missionaries to this area and later played a key role in convincing President Lincoln not to execute most of the Dakota who were captured after the Dakota Conflict of 1862. The first services were held in the Dacotah Hotel, the Brown County courthouse and in other facilities.

Minnesota's current Episcopal bishop, the Rt. Rev. James Louis Jelinek, will officiate at Saturday's services.

Situated at the corner of Broadway and 1st South Street since its cornerstone was laid in August of 1905, St. Peter's was founded largely by Canadian-born lumber tycoon Amherst Bingham, who came to Minnesota from Vermont. Bingham contributed $2,000 towards building the church and was the principal spokesperson for the congregation until his death in 1919. The house where the Bohemian Bed and Breakfast is located was also built by Bingham.

Howard said priests came and went from St. Peter's quite often, which meant the congregation was largely responsible for holding the church together. The church formally installed its first full-time pastor in 1920.

These days, St. Peter's no longer employs a full-time priest and doesn't hold services on Sunday anymore because no pastor is available then, Heymann said. Services are held on Saturday night when a priest from Truman comes to New Ulm.

"I like them because you can sleep in on Sundays and you can go golfing without feeling guilty," Heymann said of the Saturday services.

Approximately 40 people regularly attended services, and there is a core group of about a dozen parishioners who take active parts in the congregation.

Like its larger counterparts, St. Peter's has raised its share of local parishioners. Generations have seen baptisms, weddings and funerals in its sanctuary. Hintz remembers that his grandmother was one of the original members of St. Peter's and remembers his Sunday school teachers as "strict disciplinarians. They were always there and they never took a vacation."

Heymann has been a member since he was baptized there 70 years ago. Heymann said his entire family grew up at St. Peter's and many of his children were also baptized and married there. He remembered the church having a larger congregation in the 1950s and '60s, when many new families moved to New Ulm to work for 3M and Kraft.

Howard said he was attracted to St. Peter's after he moved from La Crosse, Wis., in 1985 because of the church's smaller congregation and its pastor.

"I think a lot of people stay in the church they grew up in or they shop around, looking for something for the kids or for something that makes them feel better," Howard said. "I like (the Episcopalian Church) stance on social issues, and I like a more intimate group."

Heymann said St. Peter's seeks to attract new members by being more community-oriented. He said it allows groups like Parents In Partnership and Alcoholics Anonymous to use its building for meetings.

"We intend to be around for a while," he said. "But we've had small numbers to start with."

The centennial celebration will start with a service at St. Peter's at 5 p.m. Saturday and will continue with a dinner and a program at the Bohemian Bed and Breakfast afterwards.