A Mission Church Dedication in Mandaree, North Dakota

A dream more than 20 years in the making was realized with the dedication of the new St. Anthony Church in Mandaree, N.D. this summer. Most Rev. Paul Zipfel, Bishop of the Bismarck Diocese, presided over the dedication of the church to serve Catholics of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. The new church, built with assistance from a Catholic Extension grant, reflects the culture of the tribes it serves. The Mandan and Hidatsa peoples, great agricultural tribes who assisted the Lewis and Clark Expedition, made their homes in earth lodges along the Missouri River. A special portion of the dedication ceremony was the singing of hymns in their native Hidatsa by members of the congregation. The design of the new church was patterned after an earth lodge, with a domed roof and earth berm to help with heating and cooling. Inside, wood columns define the sanctuary, an area similar to the Atuka, the place of honor in the original earth lodge. Benedictine priests, brothers and Sisters have served the reservation since 1910. The unique Stations of the Cross inside the new church were crafted from wood by Father John Odermann, a Benedictine and native North Dakotan.