St Boniface Church and Cemetery is located in Scipio, KS, a small hamlet between the cities of Richmond and Garnett, and two miles east of Highway 59. This Catholic church with its 160 ‘copper steeple and stained glass windows is exceptionally large for a rural church, and also has an equal-length ‘L’ rear wing that is currently a combined rectory and retreat. At one time, this two-story limestone wing was a monastery for 25 Carmelite friars, who built the current limestone church, and subsistence farming / cultivating up to 600 acres around it.
Original church
In the mid-1850s, a handful of Jesuit missionaries served Native Americans in eastern Kansas. And then, against the wishes of these missionaries, these natives were moved further south. Around the same time, numerous immigrants were occupying agricultural lands in the Scipio region, most of them German Catholics.
Because Scipio’s group wanted their own church, two prominent members of this community convinced the Bishop of Leavenworth to have his own priest. Instead, they got a visiting missionary once a month. However, because their unannounced visits did not work out well, they again prevailed over the bishop, who paid them a visit. After seeing the nearly 40 dedicated faith and media families living there, he assigned them a permanent priest.
The community then built their new resident priest a small house and log church on 20 acres of donated land. It was dedicated in the spring of 1859. St Boniface would be the only Catholic church in Anderson County for 25 years. However, this situation would change over time as the surrounding big picture developed.
Get over it
In 1865, Saint Boniface was handed over to the Carmelite Order, a large order of friars with German roots. This Order gave the parish a huge boost in membership. In 1869, the railroad approached. By the 1870s, the parish had outgrown its log church, which was also damaged by a prairie fire. With more families in the parish now, plans began for a new church on the top of the hill, to the west of the log.
In 1873, his chief friar ordered the construction of a log-framed Carmelite monastery that would also serve as Mt Carmel College parallel to what would later become the present-day church. For a time, church services would take place in this framework monastery, while the new church was being built.
Eventually, this future building layout would give the entire facility a large west-facing ‘U’ shape when ready. Construction continued with a one-room parish school, community room, and Ursuline Sisters house north of the proposed church. Meanwhile, friars and laymen with masonry skills carved and stacked their own limestone blocks for the projected church built in 1881. Its foundation stone was laid in 1882.
By then, the Carmelites had increased their holdings to 600 acres. The brothers cultivated / cultivated it, which included a 10-acre vineyard and winery. They also built a massive rectangular red barn and sheds for dairy cows, cattle, hay, grain storage, and equipment. They certainly had a smokehouse and places to cut, can and wash clothes.
Times changed
Because the municipality surrounding Scipio is on a rural highway between highways 59 and 169, it was never incorporated. Today only a few houses remain. Other Catholic churches sprang up in the nearby cities of Richmond, Garnett, and Greeley, all three on busy roads that emerged over time.
The frame of the university closed and was finally demolished. The parochial school also closed. So did the nearby railroad, which was later converted to a 51-mile railroad. Several Ursuline friars and sisters / teachers went to other places. Agriculture stopped. The land was rented for a time, but was eventually sold. A storm destroyed the large Carmelite barn and the population of the nearby towns increased.
Today
St Boniface still has around 60 active families in its parish today. Their services for Easter and Christmas have assistance only standing up. His university building area turns into a meditation garden with a fountain. His limestone monastery has been adapted into a rectory and modern three-unit retreat for priests and others in need of silent healing. Is called Elijah’s Rest.
Two friars live in the rectory, where they serve the church. The historic cemetery is still in use and stands where the original log church stood. Tourists visit this church and its well-kept cemetery. Its doors are always open. For detailed information on this church, see the brochure below.
