Our Lady of Lourdes

In 1941, Sacred Heart Church, Shrine of Blesses Philippine Duchesne, the only Catholic church in Linn County, Kansas, was established through the leadership of Bishop Paul C. Schutle and Father Wm. G. O’Shea, the first pastor and the sacrifices of the Catholics in Linn County and throughout the Archdiocese.

Through the generous offer of the Johnson and Wyandotte County Legion of Mary, along with volunteers from many of the Catholics of Linn County, a house to house census on July 22, 1979, was taken in Linn County. Sixty Catholic families with seventy children were found at LaCygne, Kansas, 28 miles from Mound City.

With those numbers and the response at a meeting called by Father Fitzgerald on Sunday, April 20, 1980, Archbishop Ignatius J. Strecker then gave his permission for a weekly mass to be celebrated at the temporary place, the American Legion Hall.

The first Mass was celebrated there on May 3, 1980. On August 10, 1981, Archbishop Strecker paid a visit to LaCygne to look over possible locations for a new Church. Shortly thereafter, he gave permission to purchase a location at 5th and Grand, which the Archdiocese paid for as a gift to the new parish. With the pledges from the people, donations from outside benefactors and contributions from the Altar Society Ladies, the ground breaking ceremony took place on February 21, 1982. After many hours of work and effort and the raising of thousands of dollars, the dream of having a Catholic Church in LaCygne finally came true. On Sunday, November 28, 1982, Archbishop Ignatius J. Strecker blessed and dedicated the new Church, naming it Our Lady of Lourdes.