In 1990,
a small group of people was contacted by the Society to see if
there would be interest in forming a mission in North Dakota.
Most of the faithful contacted had been attending the Mass of
All Time at Our Lady of the Prairie Shrine Center in Powers
Lake, ND. However, with the death of the shrine founder and
rector, Fr. Frederick Nelson, in 1988, no traditional Mass was
being offered anywhere within the state.
The core
group consisted of about 20 persons; the mission’s first Mass
was offered by Fr. Peter Scott at the home of one of the core
members. When asked by Fr. Scott what they wished to name
their new mission, one person quickly replied, “St. Michael”,
after the Archangel; the rest of the group concurred and the
mission of St. Michael’s was founded.
From
1990 to 1998, the group grew to about 65 persons. Mass was
said at a variety of places throughout Bismarck and Mandan:
the Northwest Bank building, the Kelly Inn, the Labor Temple,
the Capital Electric building, etc. Then in October 1998,
through the generous offerings of a benefactor who was also an
early member of the newly-formed mission, the group purchased
an old Lutheran church centrally located in Mandan (a smaller
city located just across the Missouri River from Bismarck).
The brick church was built in 1949 and has a seating capacity
of 200 people and 6,900 square feet of space. The interior
features a vaulted, wooden-paneled ceiling and a daylight
basement equipped with a full kitchen, restrooms, and a small
stage. No other buildings were purchased along with this
church.
The
chapel’s basement is utilized for parish events, catechism
classes, and various seasonal programs, such as for Christmas
and All Saint’s Day. The basement also houses the bookstore
and gift shop.
Since
its purchase, the church has undergone many renovations. A
beautiful wooden altar was salvaged from an abandoned Catholic
church in North Dakota. Under the guidance and skillful hand
of Br. Marcel from St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary, the altar was
completely stripped and repainted, complete with gold leaf
overlay.
In
addition, various parishioners offered their skills in
crafting hardwood stools and a podium for the sanctuary, new
interior, lighting which replicates the monastic chandeliers
of old, and a beautiful, hanging lamp, now suspended from the
sanctuary ceiling. Later, a green and beige marble floor was
laid in the sanctuary, the pattern of which was designed by
Fr. Juan-Carlos Iscara, a professor at the seminary.
Today
the chapel numbers about 150 faithful. |