Cudworth, St. Leo's Mission

St.Leo's Mission comprised about 46 families and homesteaders. They are as follows: Henry Bantle, Joseph Bantle, Anton Casper, Bernard Carls, Louis Dieker, George Frey, Fred Herzog, Peter Hankey, Alois Haselwanter, Leo Hohn, Hilgar Karis, Frank Kastelan Sr., Joeseph Kekoe, Michael Klamot, John Kurtenbach, Bernard Laufenberg, Frank Laufenberg, Joeseph Lepitzki, Gerhard Lieffers, ?? Miller, John Medernach, Joeseph Medernach, Peter Neis, Joseph Pauli,George Reding, Frank Reding, Francis Reding, William Reding, Anton Renneberg, Mathias Renneberg, Michael Renneberg, Henry Rolling, Henry Roth, Fritz Seers, Clemens Scheve, Nick Schmidt, Henry Schmitz, Henry Temple, Peter Thill, William Threinen, Henry Trottier, Emil Turcotte, Albert Weber, Joseph Weber, Andrew Yuzik and Albert Ziegenhagen.

Most of these men were married and had families. Their wives should also be remembered as ardent church and community builders.

The priests of St. Leo's Mission were: Fr. Leo Ojdowski, 1907-1909; Fr. Benedict Steigenberger, 1909-1915; Fr. Rudolph Palm, 1915-1924; Fr. Bernard Schaeffler, 1924 -1927; Fr. Aurelius Rader, 1927-1946; Fr. Edward Benning, 1946-1961; and Fr. Alfred Engele, 1961-1965.

During Fr. Rudolph's tenure St. Leo's Church was enlarged and decorated with the paintings of Berthold Imhoff. Mr. Imhoff's church artwork was donated by the Kurtenbach and Medernach families. In May 1926, under Fr. Bernard's tenure, Abbot Michael Ott came to confirm about 90 children from St. Benedict Parish and St. Leo's Mission. In 1927 Fr. Aurelius was appointed pastor and remained until 1945 when St. Leo's Mission was assigned to Fr. Edward who was also pastor at Cudworth. Under Fr. Edward, a new church was built and in September 1947 it was blessed by Prior Peter Windschiegl, OSB.

Carl Rippe from St. Gregor was the main carpenter, with the whole parish volunteering in every way possible to help build the church. Unfortunately, this new church stood for less than 20 years. In 1965 St. Leo's Mission was closed and its congregation was placed under the care of Cudworth Parish. The church was sold and the contractor who bought it burned the remains on a Sunday. This was a sad event for the families of St. Leo Mission. They had to watch the ungracious demise of something they had worked so hard to erect.

Some of the young people of St. Leo's Parish who joined the religious life and priesthood are: Sr. Mary Cordis Medernach, SSM; Sr. Carolinda Medernach, OSB; Sr. Yvonne Billesberger, OSU; Sr. Viola Bens, OSE; Sr. Carmelita Kolla, OSU; and Fr. Francis Kolla, Diocese of Saskatoon.

The CWL of St. Leo was organized in 1946. It co operated in helping raise money for the new church by having summer picnics and card parties. The men of St. Leo belonged to the KCs of Cudworth.

In 1965, when St. Leo's Mission was closed, the chairs and stools were moved to the sacristy of St. Michael's, Cudworth. The Imhoff paintings went to Dr. Z. Kondzielewski. The pews went to another church in the north country. Fr. Edward's family had donated a statue of St. Leo which was standing outside the church. This statue is now enshrined in St. Leo's cemetery. Those buried in the cemetery are a reminder of the families who once made up St. Leo's Mission.