Church of Saint Edward Mission
Statement: We, the Roman Catholic Community of
St. Edward, Henning, Minnesota, and the Diocese of St. Cloud are members of
the living body of Christ here on earth to carry out the mission of Jesus
Christ, by proclaiming the gospel, by celebrating the sacraments, by
strengthening the faith of our families, and by serving
others.
Church History
The Church of Saint Edward was established by Bishop
Joseph Busch in June of 1945 through the pastoral efforts of Monsignor August
Plachta and Father Robert Voigt, the pastor and associate at Saint Anns
Catholic Church in Wadena.
At its founding, the community worshipped in
Belmont Funeral Home (the local funeral parlor). In 1949, a small wooden
Lutheran Church building was moved from Bertha to serve the needs of The
Church of Saint Edward at a cost of $11,730. The one and one-half acre site of
this first church is across State Highway 108 from the new church building
which was built in 2002.
By 1972, the original wooden church structure
(30' x 50') was far too small for the growing Catholic population. The
second Church of Saint Edward building was acquired from another former
Lutheran Church (Trinity Lutheran) which was built in 1898.
By the
early 1990s, it was clear that this building was also becoming too small for
the parish community, particularly in the summer months when many lake
visitors continue to worship at The Church of Saint Edward and nearly double
the attendance. The building also lacked accessibility for the
handicapped.
The Church of Saint Edward is located in the City of
Henning; in the lakes country of Otter Tail County; which is in West
Central Minnesota.