This photo shows a memorial arch marking the former site of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in McIntosh County, North Dakota. The black wrought-iron structure is decorated with scrollwork and topped by a cross, with the church’s founding and closing years, 1889 and 1971, displayed on either side. At the center is a cutout silhouette of the church building, flanked by etched panels—one depicting a religious scene and the other a cross. Set in a grassy field with trees in the background, the memorial honors the faith community that once gathered here.

Life wasn’t easy when the Germans from Russia settlers arrived in North Dakota in 1884. During those first years, the people were extremely poor and suffered great hardships--many were living under wagon boxes until they got their small sod houses built. Many were known to have survived on bread and water, and perhaps some wild game, which did not leave much wheat to sell. In 1886, a prairie fire destroyed most of their feed. In 1887, a fierce cyclone destroyed many of their sod houses, which had to be rebuilt, and the grasshoppers destroyed most of their crops. They persevered. They met with one another in the small sod homes where they would pray as a community. Soon, more immigrants arrived, many of them Catholic, and it became next to impossible to gather in the sod homes for services that Father Bernard would conduct. Father Bernard organized what would become St. John’s parish, and promised to visit them every two months if they would build a church. Despite their meager living conditions, the group agreed to build a new church if they had a good harvest.

They were blessed with a good harvest in 1888, and kept their promise. All the labor was donated, and the building was brought under roof that fall. It was completed in the spring of 1889 at a cost of roughly $1500. At that time it was the largest and most impressive building in McIntosh County, and inspired other nearby settlements to build churches. On May 12th, 1889, Father Bernard blessed St. John’s Church, and the community members rejoiced! As more immigrants continued to arrive in Emmons and McIntosh counties, it became clear more churches were needed. St. Mary’s was built near Selz in 1890. The next church at Tiraspol. St. John’s Catholic Church continued to inspire nearby communities to build a church, and because of that inspiration, it became known as the Mother Church of the Germans from Russia.