SSPX Catholics in St. Marys last year got their dream church. Here's a look inside

Patience, one of the fruits of the spirit, was required of a group of Catholics in St. Marys who longed for decades for a suitable place to worship.

After four decades, their patience was rewarded in the form of the massive Immaculata Church, which has now been in service for nearly a year. It can seat more than 1,500 people and celebrates four Masses most weekends.

For more than 45 years, the local branch of the international Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) — the largest such group in the United States — prayed, raised money and waited, wondering at times if their dreams for a new building would ever come to fruition, or if it was all worth the effort.

How the church building, and the parish, came to be in St. Marys is quite a story in itself.

SSPX Catholics found campus abandoned by Jesuit mission in 1960s

Originally used as a Jesuit mission to Potawatomi Native Americans in the area, a campus of church and seminary buildings in St. Marys were abandoned by the Jesuit organization in the 1960s.

SSPX Catholics in the United States, growing in number following the organization’s founding in Switzerland in 1970, learned of the abandoned facilities in St. Marys and wondered if they might serve as a base for their programs.

But shortly after the property was purchased by SSPX in 1978, a fire destroyed the church building on the site. That building had a capacity of about 500. Plans were drawn up to replace the church with one of similar size.

An SSPX school on the campus — St. Marys Academy — for grades K-12 began attracting families to the community, quickly making a 500-seat church insufficient.

“That original church was a small seminary chapel that really wasn’t big enough for the growing community,” said James Vogel, director of communications for SSPX in America. “So, they looked at building bigger. The church was in the middle of campus, so the size it could be rebuilt was limited. They decided to build it somewhere else on the property.

“The goalposts kept moving. If you’re going to build a bigger church, then you need more money. So that delays the process. Over the decades, the parish kept growing, so they kept having to adjust the plan.”

Adjusting the plans and raising funds meant the parish spent more than four decades celebrating Mass in classrooms, auditoriums, a converted dining room and a gymnasium.

Vogel said while the bulk of funds for the project were raised locally, it did become a cause worldwide. He said donations originated from all 50 states and several dozen countries around the world over the years.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held in the summer of 2020, an event that probably seemed would never come. But a new complication had arisen over the years. The originally estimated cost of about $28 million had ballooned to over $40 million.

Forty years of planning and fundraising came to fruition in 2023

The SSPX pressed on, finally completing the project about a year ago, in time for a grand opening and consecration ceremony last May. The final result was a 66,400-square-foot Romanesque structure capable of seating over 1,500 people.

“You’re basically looking at the end result of a 40-year cycle of planning, raising money and then adjusting the plans and raising more money,” Vogel said. “It’s a symbol of hope. It was a sign of hope for people all around the world for decades of trying to find a home. To build what was built after a couple of generations is an inspiring story.”

The building required a name equal to its remarkable and unlikely story. The Immaculata Church derives its name from the Immaculate Conception of Jesus to his mother Mary.

“On a human level, (the building of the church) doesn’t make sense,” Vogel said. “To have a group of people in Kansas so dedicated to building something so big, to persevere and grow. I’ll admit, if I had been here in 1978 and had walked around and seen what was here then, I would have been like, ‘I don’t know how that’s going to work.’

"It wouldn’t have made sense on paper.”

The impact of the building stretches beyond the town of St. Marys, population 2,749. On an average weekend, about 4,000 people attend the four Masses celebrated at Immaculata.

“Not only has it already drawn many people here from other SSPX chapels, but it has also drawn more Catholic souls here who are learning about tradition,” said Father Patrick Rutledge, who has served as rector of the parish for eight years. “It has also drawn even many non-Catholics to come and see what the Catholic faith and the worship of almighty God is all about.”

More than 2,000 people attended midnight Mass at Immaculata Church

From a practical standpoint, Rutledge said moving from the gymnasium to Immaculata has had a profound impact on the worship experience.

“Above all, it has allowed for all the splendors of the liturgy, with good acoustics and liturgical art, to complement the sacred mysteries and many other details of parish life that can be celebrated with greater beauty and ease,” Rutledge said. “It especially allows the faithful to attend Mass without rushing in and out.”

Rutledge called celebrating Christmas in the new building “incredible,” noting that more than 2,000 people attended the midnight Mass, making the immense space feel too small.

“But we knew that that would be the case for these special feasts throughout the year,” Rutledge said.

Vogel said seeing the new building take shape was a long journey.

“It took a tremendous amount of sacrifice to get to where we are,” he said. “It is more than a building. It’s a sign of vibrancy for thousands of people who call it their spiritual home.

“A church is the place where heaven meets earth. You see that not only in the formal liturgy and the baptisms and marriages. It is a place for people to stop in and visit, to say prayers and talk to God in a formal way. And even something like hearing the church bells serves as a reminder of something bigger than yourself.”

When can people visit Immaculata Church to view the architecture?

Vogel said the Immaculata is open during the daytime, with Mass held at various times, seven days a week. He said visitors are welcome to worship or to view the architecture.

He said an informative brochure is available to help visitors recognize and appreciate various aspects of the building.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: St. Marys' Immaculata Church an answer to 40 years of prayer, planning