Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church

In 1906, the catholic church of Saints Peter and Paul of Tiraspol, North Dakota moved into the newer community of Strasburg, two and half miles down the road. Work on the new church began in March of 1910, when the Diocese of Bismarck blessed and laid the cornerstorn. By November they were able to hold mass in the still unfinished interior and in December the parish had their first Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. The church was dedicated on June 29th, 1911, the feast day of Saint Peter.

The church is one of the largest and most ornate in North Dakota. It stands at 85 feet tall and has a seating capacity of 900. The final cost of the cathedral was $45,000. Because the church could not be consecrated until it was debt free, the parishioners gave generously, not only paying off the debt, but raising enought to add fine details such as statues, stained glass, and the pipe organ.

Saints Peter and Paul also served as a school. In 1910, three sisters from the Ursuline Order in Germany arrived in Strasburg with the intention of education the youth of the parish. Though classes were taught in English, the nuns also gave lessons in German, in addition to religious instruction and, for the young girls, homemaking.

Sources:

I. Saints Peter and Paul's Parish: Centennial Book, 1889-1989, Strasburg, ND. Centennial Committee, Strasburg, ND. 1989.