St. Augustine of Canterbury Parish in Hecker will soon celebrate its 200th anniversary, with residents gathering to commemorate two centuries of faith and community tradition.

Village of Hecker Trustee Aaron Eckart, who is also serving as chairman of the parish’s bicentennial committee, recently shared some of the church’s history.

Additional information was also gathered from a 1999 Republic-Times article regarding the parish’s 175th anniversary, with research compiled by former pastor Father Ralph Haas.

The parish came about in 1824, founded by English Catholic settlers originating from Lancashire, England, who were eager to establish and continue their faith for future generations.

This group of Catholic pioneers arrived and established a settlement near Prairie du Long Creek to the west of Hecker in 1816, the settlement being named after Thomas Winstanley who was the group’s leader.

With the population growing thanks to the later arrival of Irish and German immigrants, the first log church was built on the settlement which currently serves as the parish cemetery.

Later, in 1834, 60 acres of land were donated by Edward Newsham and Winstanley, and a larger stone church was built in the same location, dedicated in 1838 by Bishop Joseph Rosati of St. Louis with the original log church becoming a schoolhouse.

In 1854, this church was replaced with a new stone church built on the original foundation, with a rectory also added. A new brick school also later replaced the old log schoolhouse in 1866.

Around 1891, both the size of the church and its poor structural condition prompted a push for a new church, with Father John B. Schlottmann relocating the parish to the nearby village of Freedom which would later come to be known as Hecker – though the move was strongly opposed by a number of parishioners at the time.

St. Louis architect N.H. Melcher was hired to design the 44-foot-by-90-foot church along with the 110-foot spire with its limestone foundation and sandstone superstructure.

The limestone was donated by a quarry owned by parishioner John Harbaugh, with the sandstone being transported from farmland about three miles west of Hecker, likewise donated by parishioner Albert Degenhardt and non-parishioners George and Mathilda Blackburn.

It was built on 3.5 acres purchased on Oct. 17, 1892, by Bishop John Jansen from local hotel keeper Margaret Diefenbach.

The cornerstone for the building was laid April 11, 1893, and the first mass was celebrated Aug. 15, 1894, the church having been completed at a cost of $12,500.

Additions to the still-standing church include a sisters convent added in 1897 which is now used as a parish office, a rectory constructed in 1906 which is now used as a living quarters for the parish’s pastors, and the parish school constructed in 1930 and closed in 1997 which now functions as a parish center for meetings and church gatherings.

The church building has been maintained over the years thanks to proper sealing and tuckpointing. Eckart noted that renovations including new flooring and interior painting were recently completed.

With 35 pastors having served the parish over the years, Father Linus Umoren, who also serves at Ss. Peter & Paul in Waterloo, continues this tradition.

St. Augustine today consists of 150 parish families gathering for mass at 8 a.m. Sunday and 5 p.m. Saturday, with parish organizations including the Hecker Men’s Holy Name Society and the Blessed Virgin Altar Sodality.

The parish’s largest event each year is the Kirchenfest picnic, which sees Hecker residents and folks from around the area gathering for dinner, bingo, games and a Tiki Trot evening run every third Saturday in August.

Other events include Super Bowl Bingo organized by the Blessed Virgin Altar Sodality and an annual Turkey Shoot run by the Holy Name Men’s Society on the third Sunday in October.

Those looking to celebrate the parish’s bicentennial are welcomed to the Oct. 19 event, which includes Mass at 4 p.m. and a historic presentation at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at Hecker Community Center at 6 p.m. Tim Berg and the Kurtz Family Band will also be providing entertainment from 7-11 p.m.

A booklet highlighting elements of the church’s history will be available during the event.

Eckart extended thanks on behalf of the Bicentennial Committee to St. Augustine’s parishioners as well as those businesses sponsoring the celebration, also extending a welcome to those planning on celebrating the anniversary.

“The committee looks forward to seeing many individuals from surrounding communities come to celebrate this precious milestone,” Eckart said. “I feel these events have a great impact on our community and bring everybody together to celebrate our history. St. Augustine Church has a devoted group of parishioners that I am very proud of. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for our parish and community as we continue to conquer milestones.”