A Message From Fr. Thomas Joseph

Dear members of St. Nicholas Church,

It is with great joy that I write to you as we commemorate the 140th Anniversary of St. Nicholas Church in Carver Minnesota. The 140th Anniversary celebration of St Nicholas began on December 6, 2008 and it was my privilege to be a part of that observance.

A solid foundation of faith was laid down by those first committed members of St. Nicholas and their sons and daughters have continued to pass that gift to their children generation after generation to this very day. The faith community of St. Nicholas is alive and vibrant and continues to grow in its ministry to Carver and the wider world through the grace of the Holy Spirit.

I came to Carver to serve St. Nicholas in September 2008. Since that time, you have made me welcome and I have had the pleasure of meeting parish members and very often sharing a meal in their homes. The spirit of generosity is alive and well here at St. Nicholas.

Programs that have begun since September required an outpouring of time and commitment and so many good people have stepped
forward to contribute their time and talent. They serve the parish through programs like That Man is You, The Council of Catholic Women, and St. Vincent de Paul Society just to name a few. Volunteers have stepped forward to plan the 140th Anniversary celebration, clean the church and rectory, teach our children, coordinate the altar servers, serve as Eucharistic ministers, lector at Mass and the list goes on.

While all the service of the good volunteers is important, it is also important to remember that St. Nicholas at its foundation is a community that comes together to worship. As Catholics we know that the source and summit of our faith is the Eucharist. We serve our parish and each other out of love for God.

As we look back over the years and pay our respects to the dedication and devotion of past generations, it is exciting to contemplate where St. Nicholas will be in another 140 years. I am grateful to be a part of the story of St. Nicholas Church and look forward to serving the people of Carver and the surrounding area for years to come. God bless you.

As many of you know, I had the blessing and privilege to work with Mother Teresa of Calcutta and her sisters, brothers and her priests and certainly her greatest treasure the poorest of the poor. Mother Teresa often used to say, “God does not call me to be successful but to be faithful.” She also used to say, “I am only a little pencil in the hand of God. Let Him write as He wants.” So too, I can say the same thing. Through my strengths and my weaknesses, I strive to do my best for all of God’s people, especially the St. Nicholas parish family.

Pray that God may help me, along with the intercession of Mother Teresa of Calcutta to be His pencil, to write one more chapter in the life of this great parish community.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. Thomas Joseph

Introduction

St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Carver has weathered the Indian and Civil Wars, devastating Minnesota River Valley floods, and various renovations. Throughout it all, the original church structure, a dedicated faith community and a commitment toward making the Catholic Church, Carver proper and the world a better place remain. Today, one hundred forty years since its inception in December 1868, the entire community celebrates its colorful history.

Ancestors of Carver’s first settlers claim the area’s first Catholic church was built in Carver in 1854, four years prior to East Union Evangelical Church and the area’s first Catholic Church, Chaska’s Guardian Angels. Documentation disagrees.

From 1858-1868, records show Carver Catholics celebrated Mass and baptisms in private homes, namely the Steger/Schroeder/Griffin Home. Today, the house still stands as an historical landmark at the corner of Carver’s Oak and Fourth Streets.

On August 30, 1868, St. Nicholas Priest Father Magnus Mayr established a board of trustees and building committee, and secured land atop Carver’s Fourth Street hill to erect a Catholic Church. The simple, frame church soon became a large, brick building costing a whopping $4,000, which dwarfs Carver’s average 1860s house price of $250-$350!

A true act of amazing grace, the Church was completed in just 2 months! On December 6, 1868, the Feast Day of St. Nicholas, Father Mayr, 200 pioneer members and the Great Western Band marched into and celebrated St. Nicholas Catholic Church’s first mass.

With Mass now celebrated atop the hill, the Schroeder basement was converted into a makeshift Catholic school taught by Matthew Tautges. In 1876 with funds from Mrs. Suzanne Zanger, St. Nicholas Catholic School, today’s Parish office and Rectory, was erected and housed the school’s teachers, now Sisters. From 1876-1879 they taught 80 multi-aged students and tended a large garden, chickens and cows.