Bruno, St. Bruno Parish

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Over lunch and coffee, it was decided to give a name to the new settlement, and to dedicate it to St. Bruno in honor of Fr. Bruno Doerfler, OSB, who had labored so indefatigably as priest and explorer at that time to help the colony get settled. Fr. Bruno had been the first priest to set foot in that region on Sept. 23, 1902, on his second trip to Saskatchewan. Fr. Alfred Mayer, OSB, the prior of the Benedictine community in Muenster had hoped to call the place St. Bruno, but since there was already a place by that name in the province of Quebec, the Federal Government suggested that duplication of the name be avoided and the place was simply called Bruno.

The actual founder of St. Bruno Parish was Fr. Chrysostom Hoffman who celebrated the first mass in what is now the town of Bruno on July 18, 1904, in the store of William Smith. In his Fifty Golden Years, Fr. Peter Windschiegl OSB, describes the providential turn of events that first brought Fr. Chrysostom to Bruno.

On his way back to the monastery in Muenster, he passed through the present site of Bruno and stopped at the store of William Smith and learned that there were a fairly large number of settlers in the area all eager to have a priest come to celebrate mass for them. On his return to the monastery, he laid the matter before Prior Alfred, who decided that a regular mission station be started, and requested Fr. Chrysostom to hold services there on the Mondays after the Sundays that he had services at St. Bernard's Mission at Dixon. Thus on July 18, 1904, he celebrated the first mass at St. Bruno's Mission in the store of William Smith. Subsequently mass was celebrated at Bruno every second Monday. It is reported that at this time there were about 24 families.

In 1905, a log church, 20 ft x 40 ft and a small school were built. Anton Koenig sold five acres of land to the beginning parish and then donated another five for the grounds and cemetery. By Aug. 18 of that year, Bishop Paschal was on hand to confirm 10 children and to bless the small church. But the community grew rapidly, and very soon the log church was too small.

On Jan. 1, 1907, Fr. Chrysostom took up permanent residence in Bruno, and St. Bruno Mission became St. Bruno Parish, and ever since then has had a resident pastor. Trustees Joe Meyer, Herman Koenig, Bill Smith and Ted Lummerding approved a drawing of the planned church grounds that Fr. Chrysostom had suggested and the settlement began to grow. In 1911 a railroad car loaded with small spruce trees arrived and everyone pitched in for the planting bee. Many of these trees remain as a monument to the work of this first resident pastor. Fully recognizing the importance of a good Catholic education, Fr. Chrysostom soon opened a parish school with an enrollment of 11 which soon grew to 27. Mr. W.F. Hargarten became the first teacher. Abbot Bruno arranged for the Ursuline Sisters to come to Bruno to teach, and Mother Clara took over the school on April 19, 1914. Other sisters arrived later.

The year 1918 saw the erection of an $8,000 parochial school, a two storey structure 28 ft x 58 ft, also of interlocking tile. Situated east of the church and the rectory, it contained four classrooms, a school chapel and a full basement. On March 3, 1919, Bishop Pascal came to Bruno and solemnly blessed the new school, to the joy of the entire community.

The new school was opened on April 2, 1919, with Mother Antonia as teacher in Room 1, Mother Agatha in Room 2, and Miss Helen Kopp in Room 3. Soon afterwards Room 4 was also filled. The school was used for over 40 years, first as the parish school and later on as part of the public school system, and was finally dismantled in 1969.

The year 1919 also witnessed the erection of the motherhouse of the Ursuline Sisters in Bruno. The Bruno parishioners assisted the sisters greatly by doing the excavating and by hauling materials for the new convent and academy, and pledged $5,000 for the project. The building was blessed by Abbot Michael Ott, OSB, on Nov. 9, 1919.

A new church was built in 1921. The $12,000 church was blessed by Abbot Michael Ott, OSB, on Oct. 16, 1921.

After 10 years as pastor of Bruno, Fr. Leo Ojdowski was appointed pastor of Muenster in July 1927, and Fr. Bernard Schaeffler, OSB, became pastor, a position he held for 34 years until his death in 1961. (In those days, pastors certainly were much more "permanent" than they are today!) Fr. Bernard made extensive improvements to the church and parish house, erected a shrine in honor of Our Lady, planted additional trees especially around the shrine and had the cemetery put in good condition.

A heavy blow for Fr. Bernard and the parish was the fire in the church on Sunday, Jan. 21, 1951. During the night a fire started in the basement heating system and burnt its way to the choir loft and through the roof at the southwest corner. It seems surprising that the building was saved. The fire was discovered by the janitor at 6:00 a.m., and by 7:00 they had a bucket relay carrying water from the rectory basement cistern to supply the fire engine.

In 1936, Fr. Bernard reminded the parishioners that no one had died of a communicable disease since Fr. Chrysostom had begun the annual procession and prayers in 1914. He suggested that the parish honor the original vow to the Blessed Mother by building a shrine close to the cemetery. Therefore, a shrine was built and Count von Imhoff was commissioned to paint suitable works of art to decorate it.

The centre painting, 3 ft x 6 1/2 ft was of the Madonna and Child, and two smaller ones depicted the crowning of Mary and the death of St. Joseph. Due to the weather these paintings deteriorated badly, but were restored at considerable expense and are now mounted in the church. The church hall is also decorated with two beautiful still life of flowers by the same artist.

The priests assigned to St. Bruno Parish as pastor are the following:
Chrysostom Hoffmann 1904-1917
Leo Ojdowski 1917-1927
Bernard Schaeffler 1927-1961
Edward Benning 1961-1968
Philip Loehr 1968-1969
Augustine Nenzel 1969-1970
Leo Hinz 1970-1971
Alfred Engele 1971-1973
Roman Schneider 1973-1986
Werner Renneberg 1986-1992
Martin Brodner 1992-1993
Leo Hinz 1993