St. Stanislaus Kostka Mission

The 'St. Stanislaus Kostka Mission is a historic Roman Catholic church in Rathdrum, Idaho. It serves as a mission and chapel of ease of the Parish of St. George in Post Falls, both within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise.

St. Stanislaus Kostka Mission
The church in 2015
St. Stanislaus Kostka Mission is located in Idaho
St. Stanislaus Kostka Mission
St. Stanislaus Kostka Mission is located in the United States
St. Stanislaus Kostka Mission
LocationMcCartney and 3rd Streets, Rathdrum, Idaho
Coordinates47°48′38″N 116°53′36″W / 47.81056°N 116.89333°W / 47.81056; -116.89333 (St. Stanislaus Kostka Mission)
Arealess than one acre
Built1900 (1900)
Architectural styleGothic Revival
NRHP reference No.77000464[1]
Added to NRHPNovember 17, 1977

The church was established by Fr. T.J. Purcell, who as a young coal miner in Pennsylvania had aspired to the priesthood, but been unable to pursue it due to epilepsy. He prayed to St. Stanislaus Kostka of Poland, who also faced obstacles in his path to a religious vocation, promising to build and dedicate a church to the saint if he were cured. He relocated to Spokane, where he met a bishop who invited him to study for the priesthood in Montreal. Purcell built the Rathdrum church to fulfill his vow.[2] A mural of St. Stanislaus kneeling before the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus was donated by Gonzaga University and restored in 2014.[2]

Designed in the Gothic Revival architectural style, the church was built in 1900 and dedicated in 1901.[3] It is the oldest Roman Catholic church built with bricks in the state of Idaho.[3] It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since November 17, 1977.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. ^ a b Kramer, Becky (January 15, 2014), "Rathdrum church mural to be restored", The Spokesman-Review, retrieved June 13, 2021
  3. ^ a b Don Hibbard (July 24, 1977). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: St. Stanislaus Kostka Mission". National Park Service. Retrieved March 24, 2019. With accompanying pictures
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