History of St. Fidelis Church

Introduction

The presence of this large church on the Plains of Kansas is a lasting testimony to the faith and hard work of a people whose roots go deep into the soil of this farming community of Victoria.

The first settlers of this area were gentlemen farmers from England who arrived in 1873 with the intention of duplicating their aristocratic lives in spite of harsh weather and rough ground.  They named their village, Victoria, in honor of their queen and laid out the streets according to the plan of London architect.

They were joined in 1875 by a group of poor immigrants from southern Russia known as Volga-Germans, who were fleeing from service in the Czar's army and dangers to their Catholic faith.  Creating a village of sod-huts adjacent to Victoria, they named it Herzog, after their town in southern Russia on the Volga River.

The British soon found pioneer life too extreme of a contrast with respect to the lifestyle they had known in England.  They could not make the land adapt to them and they could not adapt to the demands of the land.  In a few short years most returned home leaving the town's name as the only lasting memorial to their efforts now in the care of the Volga-German community.

Hardened by their experience of a hundred years on the steppes of Russia, where they had first arrived at the invitation of Empress Catherine the Great in 1763; the Volga-Germans stayed to work with the land and make it their home.

The Present Church

By the turn of the century the people found themselves in need of more space for community worship.  Under the guidance of Father Jerome Mueller, OFM Capuchin, they decided to build a spacious and artistic church that would be a worthy house of God for present and future ages.  To this end, the parish secured the services of one of the country's foremost church architects, John T. Comes of Pittsburg, Pa.  His plans were then slightly modified by architect John Marshall of Topeka.

The present church was begun in 1908 by E.F.A. Clark Construction Company of Topeka and was completed in 1911.  The exterior is constructed of native limestone, guarried seven miles south of Victoria.  Large layers of rock, about eight inches thick, were cleared of top soil and then perforated by hand augers with holes eight to ten inches apart.  Into these holes wedges were inserted and tapped with a hammer until the rock sprang apart along the line of perforation.  The stone was then loaded on wagons and hauled to the building site to be dressed by local masons, who prepared it in fifteen different ways.

The Cathedral of the Plains

The massive Romanesque structure stands in the form of a cross, facing west with its majestic towers rising above dominating the prairie landscape.  On the facade above the rose window, a stone rising above dominating the prairie landscape.  On the facade above the rose window, a stone statue of its patron, St. Fidelis keeps watch.  The church is 220' long, 110' wide at the transcepts and 75' at the nave.  Its ceiling is 44' above the ground and the towers rise 141'.  The seating capacity of 1,100 made it, at the time of its dedication, the largest church west of the Mississippi.

Recent Restoration

Beginning in 1994, the pastoral and finance councils of the church took on a $265,000 repair and restoration project.  Working closely with Wayne Brungardt, a native son of the parish, of Skecklein and Brungardt, Architects of Hays; the councils moved quickly to weatherproof the exterior, replaster and paint the interior, and update the sound, electrical and heating systems.  All due care to respect the historical integrity of the structure was a priority.

It is worth nothing that Tim Linenberger of Linenberger Painting of Salina was selected for the painting of the interior.  He is the third generation of Linenbergers, originally from Victoria, to have painted the church for the fourth time in the past 80 years.

The colors chosen for this most recent painting return the church to the original rich mauve, or rose, and gold tones.  The stenciling comes from a book published at the time the church was built and each one is handpainted.  The colors in the stenciling pick up on come of the colors to be found in the stained glass windows.  The ribs in the upper ceiling and the lower ceilings are painted in darker tones to visually accent the majestic heights of the Romanesque structure.

The project was made financially feasible through the generosity of the Rudy Wittman Memorial Trust, the present and former members of the parish, and donations received through contributions made by a large number of the 15,000 tourists who annually visit St. Fidelis Church, "Cathedral of the Plains."
 

History of St. Fidelis Church

Introduction

The presence of this large church on the Plains of Kansas is a lasting testimony to the faith and hard work of a people whose roots go deep into the soil of this farming community of Victoria.

The first settlers of this area were gentlemen farmers from England who arrived in 1873 with the intention of duplicating their aristocratic lives in spite of harsh weather and rough ground.  They named their village, Victoria, in honor of their queen and laid out the streets according to the plan of London architect.

They were joined in 1875 by a group of poor immigrants from southern Russia known as Volga-Germans, who were fleeing from service in the Czar's army and dangers to their Catholic faith.  Creating a village of sod-huts adjacent to Victoria, they named it Herzog, after their town in southern Russia on the Volga River.

The British soon found pioneer life too extreme of a contrast with respect to the lifestyle they had known in England.  They could not make the land adapt to them and they could not adapt to the demands of the land.  In a few short years most returned home leaving the town's name as the only lasting memorial to their efforts now in the care of the Volga-German community.

Hardened by their experience of a hundred years on the steppes of Russia, where they had first arrived at the invitation of Empress Catherine the Great in 1763; the Volga-Germans stayed to work with the land and make it their home.

The Present Church

By the turn of the century the people found themselves in need of more space for community worship.  Under the guidance of Father Jerome Mueller, OFM Capuchin, they decided to build a spacious and artistic church that would be a worthy house of God for present and future ages.  To this end, the parish secured the services of one of the country's foremost church architects, John T. Comes of Pittsburg, Pa.  His plans were then slightly modified by architect John Marshall of Topeka.

The present church was begun in 1908 by E.F.A. Clark Construction Company of Topeka and was completed in 1911.  The exterior is constructed of native limestone, guarried seven miles south of Victoria.  Large layers of rock, about eight inches thick, were cleared of top soil and then perforated by hand augers with holes eight to ten inches apart.  Into these holes wedges were inserted and tapped with a hammer until the rock sprang apart along the line of perforation.  The stone was then loaded on wagons and hauled to the building site to be dressed by local masons, who prepared it in fifteen different ways.

The Cathedral of the Plains

The massive Romanesque structure stands in the form of a cross, facing west with its majestic towers rising above dominating the prairie landscape.  On the facade above the rose window, a stone rising above dominating the prairie landscape.  On the facade above the rose window, a stone statue of its patron, St. Fidelis keeps watch.  The church is 220' long, 110' wide at the transcepts and 75' at the nave.  Its ceiling is 44' above the ground and the towers rise 141'.  The seating capacity of 1,100 made it, at the time of its dedication, the largest church west of the Mississippi.

Recent Restoration

Beginning in 1994, the pastoral and finance councils of the church took on a $265,000 repair and restoration project.  Working closely with Wayne Brungardt, a native son of the parish, of Skecklein and Brungardt, Architects of Hays; the councils moved quickly to weatherproof the exterior, replaster and paint the interior, and update the sound, electrical and heating systems.  All due care to respect the historical integrity of the structure was a priority.

It is worth nothing that Tim Linenberger of Linenberger Painting of Salina was selected for the painting of the interior.  He is the third generation of Linenbergers, originally from Victoria, to have painted the church for the fourth time in the past 80 years.

The colors chosen for this most recent painting return the church to the original rich mauve, or rose, and gold tones.  The stenciling comes from a book published at the time the church was built and each one is handpainted.  The colors in the stenciling pick up on come of the colors to be found in the stained glass windows.  The ribs in the upper ceiling and the lower ceilings are painted in darker tones to visually accent the majestic heights of the Romanesque structure.

The project was made financially feasible through the generosity of the Rudy Wittman Memorial Trust, the present and former members of the parish, and donations received through contributions made by a large number of the 15,000 tourists who annually visit St. Fidelis Church, "Cathedral of the Plains."