About St. Boniface · Lidgerwood, North Dakota
St. Boniface Catholic Church is a rural parish in Lidgerwood, North Dakota, in the Diocese of Fargo, serving the small farming community of southeastern North Dakota as well as two mission parishes: St. Martin of Tours in Geneseo and Sts. Peter & Paul in Cayuga. The parish was historically founded to serve the German Catholic settlers of Lidgerwood, and in 1975 it absorbed the former Bohemian congregation of St. John Nepomucene. Under pastor Fr. Peter Anderl, St. Boniface completed an extensive interior renovation in early 2020 that brought marble flooring, original sacred artwork and refurbished stained glass to the sanctuary. It remains a family-centered parish offering weekend Mass, daily Mass, CCD religious education, CYO youth group, and traditional Catholic devotions to its members.
- Patron
- St. Boniface (Wynfrith), 'Apostle of the Germans'
- Rector
- Rev. Peter Anderl
- Diocese
- Diocese of Fargo
Why belong here
St. Boniface offers a close-knit rural Catholic community in Lidgerwood where families, farmers and neighbors worship together in a sanctuary newly transformed by marble, stained glass and original sacred art. Weekend and daily Mass, the Sacrament of Penance on Saturday afternoons, and a vibrant CCD religious-education program and CYO youth group give children, teens and adults a full Catholic life. The parish also keeps the local Catholic cemetery (half a mile west of Lidgerwood on Highway 11) and extends its reach to two mission churches in Geneseo and Cayuga, making it a true hub of Catholic life for southeastern Richland County.
Mass times at St. Boniface
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 4:30 pm (before 5:00 pm Mass)
- Sunday prior to 8:30 am Mass
- After daily Mass
- Anytime by appointment
About St. Boniface Catholic Church
St. Boniface Catholic Church is the Catholic parish of Lidgerwood, North Dakota, in the Diocese of Fargo. It is pastored by Fr. Peter Anderl, who also serves two mission parishes: St. Martin of Tours in Geneseo and Sts. Peter & Paul in Cayuga. The parish was originally founded to serve the German Catholic settlers of Lidgerwood and today welcomes all Catholics of Richland County. Its sanctuary was completely renewed in early 2020 with marble flooring, original sacred art, and refurbished stained glass, fulfilling Father Anderl's vision of creating 'a piece of heaven' for the surrounding farming community.
- Parish name: St. Boniface Catholic Church
- Location: 230 1st St NW, Lidgerwood, ND 58053
- Diocese: Diocese of Fargo
- Pastor: Rev. Peter Anderl
- Parish Secretary: Cindy Jelinek
- Director of Religious Education: Melodi Novotny
History of the Parish
St. Boniface was established in Lidgerwood to minister to the area's German Catholic settlers. By May 1908 it had its own separately named pastor, Father Paul Duerr, having previously been cared for together with St. John Nepomucene by Father Ferdinand Zumbusch. For decades the two parishes — German St. Boniface and Bohemian St. John Nepomucene — existed side by side, and at times uneasily. Father Valerian Paczek, who had served St. John's since 1960, was transferred to St. Boniface in September 1968; his familiarity with both communities made it possible for St. John's to be peacefully merged into St. Boniface in February 1975 amid a shortage of priests. The old St. John's church was sold to the Bergen Lutherans in May 1976.
- Founded by and for the German Catholic community of Lidgerwood
- Father Paul Duerr appointed pastor of St. Boniface in May 1908
- St. John Nepomucene (Bohemian) parish merged into St. Boniface in February 1975
- Father Valerian Paczek shepherded the 1968–1975 unification
- St. John's Hall acquired by the Lidgerwood Knights of Columbus in 1979
- Interior sanctuary renovation completed in early 2020
The 2020 Sanctuary Renovation
When Father Peter Anderl took ownership of the parish, he found 12,000 square feet of outdated mauve carpeting, a 'travel-altar'-sized main altar, an ill-matched crucifix, and a plain white wall behind the altar painted only with primer. Working with Fargo flooring expert Mark Heuer — who donated roughly 7,000 hours of his own time after his day job to grind the concrete floor smooth enough for stone — and former parishioner Elizabeth Schwankl of Artrends Gallery in Fargo, he oversaw a monthslong interior transformation completed in early 2020. The renovation replaced carpet with Turkish marble in the nave and Italian marble in the aisles and sanctuary, added LED lighting, three large medallions in the center aisle infused with precious metals, gold detail framing the stained-glass windows and altar, and a larger Peruvian crucifix. Schwankl's hand-painted sacred-art centerpiece was digitally scanned and blown up more than four times for placement above the altar — a method her collaborators believe had never been done on that scale before. The red-hued marble altar steps were chosen to symbolize the blood of the martyrs.
- Marble flooring: Turkish stone in nave, Italian stone in aisles and sanctuary
- Roughly 7,000 volunteer hours of concrete grinding by Mark Heuer
- Original sacred art by Elizabeth Schwankl, digitally enlarged more than 4×
- LED lighting and refurbished fixtures
- Three large medallions with precious metals set into center aisle
- Gold detail framing the stained-glass windows and altar centerpiece
- Larger Peruvian crucifix and restored statues of Mary and St. John
- Renovation completed in early 2020
Mission Parishes
St. Boniface pastors also serve two mission parishes in the surrounding countryside, ensuring Catholic Mass is available throughout this rural corner of southeastern North Dakota.
- St. Martin of Tours — Geneseo, ND: Sunday 10:30 am (Confessions prior to Mass)
- Sts. Peter & Paul — Cayuga, ND: Sunday 7:00 pm beginning April 7 (Confessions prior to Mass)
Faith Formation & Youth Ministry
The parish runs a traditional CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) program during the school year, preparing children for the sacraments of First Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation. A parallel CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) meets on Wednesday evenings for older students.
- CCD — Wednesday 3:30–5:00 pm during the school year
- CYO — Wednesday 7:00–8:30 pm during the school year
- Director of Religious Education: Melodi Novotny
- First Reconciliation / First Communion preparation included
- Confirmation preparation in cooperation with neighboring parishes (e.g. confirmation celebrated at Hankinson)
Parish Staff & Contact
The parish is staffed by a small, devoted team led by Father Peter Anderl. Office hours are Wednesdays 10:00 am–5:00 pm, with voicemail available at other times.
- Pastor: Rev. Peter Anderl — Cell (701) 640-6050, Rectory (701) 538-4608, [email protected]
- Parish Secretary: Cindy Jelinek — Office (701) 538-4604
- Director of Religious Education: Melodi Novotny — Office (701) 538-4604
- Parish email: [email protected]
- Office: 230 1st St NW, Lidgerwood, ND 58053
- Phone: (701) 538-4604; Fax: (701) 538-4600
Cemetery
The parish maintains a Catholic cemetery serving Lidgerwood and the surrounding area, historically cared for by priests including Father George Krile, who during his pastorate (through 1960) put Calvary Cemetery on sound financial footing by surveying and clearly marking the grounds, building a vault, and switching from yearly dues to perpetual-care lot purchases.
- Cemetery location: approximately one-half mile west of Lidgerwood on Highway 11
- Perpetual-care lot plan introduced under Father George Krile (through 1960)
- Vault constructed on site under Father Krile's pastorate
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father Ferdinand Zumbuschbefore May 1908
Cared for both St. Boniface and St. John Nepomucene
- Father Paul Duerrfrom May 1908
First separately named pastor of St. Boniface
- Father Valerian PaczekSeptember 1968 – February 1975
Transferred from St. John's to St. Boniface; his familiarity with both communities eased the 1975 merger