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SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH
The Sacred Heart Catholic Church first appears
in official records as a station of St. Leo's Parish of Lewistown in 1918.
On May 28, 1914 it was reported in the Roy Enterprise that Father Van de
Broek of Lewistown was in Roy looking over 'the site' in regards to the
future building of a new church. In 1915 the Catholic congregation of Roy
was a mission of St. Leo's.
In April of 1915, Father Molyneux officiated at
the first Mass held in Roy. It was held in a dance hall. Ten children,
ranging in age from four months to five or six years of age were baptized
after this Mass.
Mass was offered once a month on a week day in
halls or the school building. About the year 1930, when Father Laughlin
was assigned to this parish, the old bank building was purchased by the
diocese of Great Falls. It was remodeled and blessed. Mass was celebrated
once a month. Church is still held in this building.
P. 276 Since
1937, the mission of Roy has been officially known as Sacred Heart.
The first Masses at Roy were held in people's
homes. A home near Murphy's garage was used and also a home across the
street from the garage.
The Roy Altar Society was an early organization
made up of the ladies of the parish. The upkeep of the church building
is the responsibility of the parishioners. To make money the ladies decided
on holding a dinner. The first one was held in 1918 and has been held annually
ever since Mrs. Charles Bishop, Mrs. Mike Myers and Mrs. Emma Dobeus were
instrumental in starting the idea and work. They packed their linens, tablecloths
silverware, dishes, pots and pans food and water to Roy in their Model
T's. Early dinners were held in the original Roy Women's Club house. As
crowds grew larger they moved to a larger building that the Women's Club
had, which still stands across the street from the Legion Bar. Later they
moved to the Bishop building and then later on to the Roy school where
dinners have since been held.
Today there are 82 Catholic families in the parish.
Serving the church throughout the years were: 1925-47 Rev. Joseph L. Galour
from Lewistown; 1950-54 Rev. Michael O'Donohue; 1955-58 Rev. John Haligowski;
1958-59 Rev. Raymond J. Nyquist; 1959-62 Rev. Patrick Tarrent; 1962-65
Rev. Albert Rutan; 1965-68 Rev. Thomas F. Tobin; 1968-72 Rev. R. David
Bielefield; 1972 Rev. Leo Gourde, 0SB; 1973-78 Rev. Martin Fisher
0SB; 1978-84 Rev. Richard D. Osterman, Lewistown; 1984-86 Rev. Michael
D. Ley from Lewistown; presently Rev. Steve Tokarski.
FIRST ENGLISH LUTHERAN CHURCH
taken from the church records by
Mrs. Marcus Stendal
The First English Lutheran Church at Roy was originated
on April 11 1915. At a business meeting held in May it was decided to apply
for admittance into the United Norwegian Lutheran Church of America. The
constitution of this congregation was adopted at this meeting.
The first minister was Rev. J. K. Lerohl. Succeeding
Pastors were Rev. D. C. Walledom, Rev. Carl M. Verle, Rev. Wm. J. E. Madson,
Rev. Carl Opsahl Rev. Oscar Rudd (or Reed), Rev. Henry B. Mathison, Rev.
Arnold W. Nelson. While Rev. Matrom was in Lewistown he made occasional
trips to Roy as also did Rev. Anderson.
WAVERLY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
The Waverly Presbyterian Church held its dedication
and laid the corner stone on June 7, 1928. One hundred people attended.
The first meeting was held in 1914 and the church was formally organized
in 1925. G. W. Dougherty was founder of the church.
Most of the members moved away by 1936 and Rev.
William Bessire dissolved the Waverly Church in 1938 and the building was
moved to Roy where it was used for many years. Jess Belgrien later purchased
the building and it is now at the Bohemian Corner between the cafe and
the gas station.
The foundation of the old church is located on
the Bauman-Lund Ranch.
ROY PRESBYTERIAN
by Vernon Puckett and Ken Siroky
The Roy Presbyterian Church was organized August
8, 1915.
The Methodist had started worship in Roy but had
discontinued. Rev. E. I. Jones, who had Kendall, Hilger Fergus and Roy,
as his field, organized the Roy church and served for two years.
In May 1917, a building was purchased from Mrs.
A. Kalal for the church. This building was also leased to the school district
for $200.00 per year
In 1920 there were 10 members. In 1921 there was
a renewal of the church as 100 people were attending Sunday School. This
was short lived and from 1924 to May 1926 the Roy Church was without a
pastor. From 1926 to 1933 student pastors held services during the summer.
In 1983 the church was without any services. In 1934, Sunday School missionaries
started serving as ministers. Most of them had headquarters in Stanford
and served as many as eight churches.
The Presbyterians were using the Lutheran Church
which was built about 1916 and used by them until 1931 when most of the
Lutherans moved away and the Presbyterians took over. It was on September
24, 1922 that the church bell was first rung.
CHURCH BELL -- from the
notes of Opal Marsh
A 600 pound Meniely Church bell was put in the Roy First English
Lutheran Church on September 21, 1922. Cost of the bell was $383.00, freight
prepaid. Cost approximately $400 when set up. It was used for the first
time on September 24, 1922. The bell was presented by the Ladies Aid of
the First English Lutheran Church of Roy. Mrs. Peder Hanson, President;
Mrs. John Kaaro, vice president; Mrs. J. O. Seidel, secretary and Mrs.
E. O. Sandbo treasurer.
After the Waverly Church, which was about 20 miles
east of Roy, was dissolved about 16 members joined the Roy Church. From
1938 to 1953 the church was not very active. Sometimes session meetings
were held two years
P. 277 apart.
Rev. Schumaker from Stanford held services.
In 1954 Rev. James H. Dorsett became the first
full time minister, with the Board of National Missions of the Presbyterian
Church paying most of his salary. He also served the Hilger Church. Rev.
Robert Armstrong was installed in September in September 1960.
In 1962 the Lutheran Church gave the building
to the Presbyterians for as long as it was used for church purposes.
The Presbytery gave permission to move the Fergus
Church to Roy. The dedication services were held November 15, 1964. The
Lutheran building was renamed the Fellowship Hall.
Rev. Armstrong served until December 1965. Rev.
George Hirose served from 1966 to 1971.
In August of 1971 the National Missions Board
met with the Hilger and Roy Presbyterians and the Winifred Lutheran Church,
in Winifred. During the preceding years, the National Missions had been
paying most of the Roy and Hilger expenses and were now out of money. A
plan was agreed upon, at this meeting, whereby the three churches would
be serviced by one minister and expenses would be shared by all three and
they would be self-sustaining.
Rev. Larry Vinson of the Winifred Lutheran Church
was later installed as pastor of the two Presbyterian Churches and provided
alternate services. Weekly services continued in Winifred.
The same agreement served the three churches as
did succeeding pastors; Lutheran, Rodney Dundorf and Presbyterian, John
Bailey. John Bailey's successor was Lutheran Rev. Bill Liddell. Declining
circumstances in Hilger led to a merger with the Roy Church and a modification
of the agreement in 1982. Services began to be conducted weekly in Roy
at this time.
Rev. Bill Liddell moved on in 1986 and was replaced
by Lutheran Rev. Dan Holt. A joint service, with Winifred, is held each
year and because of financial necessity the arrangement is continuing to
the benefit of both congregations.
REV. L. M. F. JORDAN
by Lewis Paulsen (Stepson)
The family of Rev. Jordan came from Italy in 1893
when he was about 8 years old. The family name was Farnataro. They made
their home in New York and the family was Catholic.
One night, the family went to a new Catholic Church
that had just opened. L. M. F. and his older brother did not like the way
things were done so they decided to become Presbyterians. They went to
Princeton Seminary and became Presbyterian ministers.
His brother went to Canada and Rev. Jordan went
to the Iron Range in northern Minnesota as a missionary among the people
from Italy.
When he came to the Roy Presbyterian Church I
do not know. It seems that he also served some other small churches at
the same time he was at Roy. He was involved in the Lewistown Church in
some things. He also was employed as a plasterer.
He married Edna Lindstrom Paulsen, a widow, from
the Lindstrom area in 1924.
They went to Wyoming after they left Roy. After
that he served several churches in North Dakota. When he retired they moved
to Fargo for a few years and then to Portland, Oregon where he passed away
in 1967. Edna passed away in Azusa, California in 1970 at the age of 83. |
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