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Logo by Ginger Cisewski

By the mid-fifties, there were about 60 Catholic families in the territory now comprising the Luxemburg parish. They were obliged to go to New Vienna or Holy Cross for religious services, which proved difficult.

In 1857, many Catholics expressed the desire to have a church in their own district. John Plettchette, who died in 1859, bequeathed 6 acres of land for church property on condition that a church be built within 2 years. John Heles and Joseph Friedman assumed leadership for the erection of a church and began to sign up members for the new parish. Thirty-two signatures were obtained. It was proposed to name the church St. John's Church and to send a committee to call on Bishop Smyth to ask for a priest. The Bishop told them they had no church and he had no priest to send. Since Luxemburg was close to other established parishes, the request of the committee did not meet with favor even on the basis of Mass once or twice a month. This was particularly so because the pastors of Holy Cross and New Vienna were opposed to the founding of a new parish so close to their own. But, on the advice of Father John Fendrich of Dubuque, and under the leadership of John Heles and Joseph Friedman, the people erected a frame church in 1861. From the time that the project of a church of their own loomed as a possibility, the people pooled their resources and amassed a sizable sum towards a building fund, even though, for the most part, these people were poor.

According to the fragmentary records available, the cost of the building came to about $500, not including the large amount of donated labor. Adolph Langel took over the carpenter work and John Maiers attended to the masonry.

Although the parish still could not obtain either priest or dedication of their church, the people gathered there on Sundays and Holy Days for religious services. Anton Pfeffer led the congregation in the prayers of the Mass and the rosary.

The basement of the church was equipped for a school, and Anton Pfeffer was the first teacher. He only stayed a short time and was succeeded by Peter Simerl.

Finally, in June, 1865, the church was formally dedicated. Bishop Clement Smyth, who had long refused the request for the church, was now quite ill and sent Father Alois Meis of Dubuque to dedicate the church under the name of Holy Trinity. After this function, no Holy Mass was celebrated here till late Fall.

The Rev. Conrad Schulte, pastor of St. Mary's Church, Guttenberg, was appointed to serve the new parish of Luxemburg as a mission, beginning in Nov., 1865 and remaining until Mar., 1867. Father C. L. Schulte served the Luxemberg parish 1 year and 4 months and during that time, he erected and furnished a rectory, outfitted the church with the necessities for divine service, including altar, pews, sacred vessels, a $125 baptismal font, an $85 statue of the Blessed Virgin, and a $252 church bell. He also equipped the school in the church basement. In 1866, he secured the services of Fred Huene as teacher and organist. The enrollment in the school, in 1867, was 32 boys and 34 girls. When Father Schulte was relieved of his duties in 1867, he left a well-organized parish with all debts paid.

Father Frederick Hannasch succeeded Father Schulte in 1867. He continued the good work of his predecessor by improving the church property and by developing the religious life of his people. Toward the end of 1868, he attended the new Petersburg Parish, for a few months, till the mission was turned over to New Vienna. From 1865 to 1875, about 48 families, mostly English and Irish, sold their farms to Germans and moved away. The parish was now a German-speaking parish. Father Hannasch died Feb. 22, 1872, at the age of 45, and was buried in the parish cemetery. On Feb. 22, 1872, Rev. Frederick William Oberbroekling was assigned pastor of Holy Trinity Church. On Feb. 22, 1922, he celebrated the Golden Jubilee of his ordination and of his pastorate at. Luxemburg. His eyesight had been failing for some time, and on the day after his jubilee, he become totally blind. On July 8, 1923, Father A. J. Thole was appointed as his successor but Father Oberbroeckling continued to live in the parochial residence with the new pastor until his death on Nov. 6, 1929. On Nov. 9, 1929, he was buried in the cemetery of the parish of his first and only appointment.

Father Oberbroeckling was a builder. In 1874, he erected the present church. In 1877, he remodeled the old church into a 4-room school by adding an extra story. The present rectory was built in 1899, and the present Sisters' residence in 1904. Initial subscriptions ran over 910,000. The brick for the building were baked in the Ulrich Anderegg kilns north of town.

At a point when the building was well along with the rafters in place and the steeple partly up, a tornado struck on a Saturday night, July 25-26, 1874, with devastating results. Damage was estimated at about $6000. Though bodily hurt, Father Oberbroekling and his building committee were not dismayed. They realized they were already deep in debt and had borrowed extensively; the parishioners had little ready cash. In spite of heavy odds, they resolved to see the building to completion. It was then that a non-Catholic neighbor, Ulrich Anderegg, offered a loan enabling them to proceed with the work. He also offered to donate all brick needed to restore the storm-wrecked walls. The church was dedicated July 11, 1875.

On July 8, 1923, Rev. Aloysius J. Thole was transferred to the pastorate of Holy Trinity Church, where he died on Nov. 21, 1944. He was buried in the parish cemetery. He was an able administrator and weathered the depression of the late Twenties and early Thirties so that at the time of his death, only a small debt remained.

Shortly after Father Thole came to Luxemburg, he decided to build a new school. The building committee was selected Sept. 6, 1924. The outline of the building is the letter "L", one wing being devoted exclusively to the school, while the other embodies the auditorium and the chapel. There are 6 spacious classrooms, a library and disappearing door wardrobes in every classroom. The construction of the building is fireproof throughout.

On Aug. 23, 1927, a faulty electric switch started a fire in the organ of the church. Help was called by ringing the church bells. The fire was held to the organ and did not spread to any other part of the church. The organ was a total loss, and the smoke damage to the interior walls and the new pews was considerable. The loss was estimated around $6000 and wos fully covered by insurance.

Rev. John A. Theobald served as assistant of St. Raphael's Cathedral from 1915 to 1920. In Sept., 1920, he was appointed as instructor on the Loras College faculty, which position he held till his appointment as pastor of Holy Trinity Church, Luxemburg, in Dec., 1944. Father Theobald was installed Jan 21, 1945. He observed his Golden Sacerdotal Jubilee in connection with the Parish Centennial celebration June 8, 1965.

During the pastorate of Father Theobald extensive repairs and improvements were made to the church, the school, the convent and the rectory.

Source: 1967 Atlas of Dubuque County
Compiled by the Title Atlas Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota