St. Martin of Tours

Parish History

Catholic homesteaders began arriving in what is now Kingston Township in 1882. By 1887, about ten families lived in the area, and Father Lokorski of Grenville, South Dakota, celebrated the first Mass at the home of George Bauch. Two years later, in 1890, the pioneers built a wooden church under the direction of John Anderson for $1,200. The parish was officially established under the patronage of St. Martin of Tours on July 16, 1907. By the time Father Maluski arrived in 1915, the community had grown to about 50 families — too many for the original frame church.

• 1882 – First settlers arrive in Kingston Township.
• 1887 – Father Lokorski celebrates first Mass at George Bauch home.
• 1890 – Pioneer-built wooden church completed under John Anderson.
• 1906 – Rectory built under direction of Frank Skroch.
• 1907 – Parish officially established, July 16.
• 1915 – Father Maluski arrives; parish has ~50 families.
• 1916 – Current brick church built by Hancock Construction, Willmar, MN; seats 320, cost $24,600 with furnishings.

The 1916 Brick Church

The trustees at the time of construction were John Kaczynski Sr. and Frank Siemieniewski. Built by Hancock Construction of Willmar, Minnesota, the brick church was begun in the spring of 1916 and completed that same fall, replacing the 26-year-old wooden structure. Since then the parish has made several rounds of interior and exterior improvements to keep the building sound for a much smaller modern congregation.

Mission Parish / Tri-Parish Cluster

St. Martin of Tours today is a mission church rather than an independent parish. It belongs to a three-church rural cluster in the Diocese of Fargo, with St. Boniface Catholic Church in Lidgerwood as the anchor parish and Sts. Peter & Paul in Cayuga as the second mission. All three share one pastor, one parish secretary, and one Director of Religious Education. The parish office for the cluster is at 230 1st St NW, Lidgerwood, ND 58053.

• St. Boniface — Lidgerwood, ND (anchor parish)
• St. Martin of Tours — Geneseo, ND (this parish)
• Sts. Peter & Paul — Cayuga, ND (third mission)

Parish Staff

Cluster-wide staff serving St. Martin of Tours include the pastor, the parish secretary, and the Director of Religious Education, all coordinated through the St. Boniface office in Lidgerwood.

• Fr. Peter Anderl — Pastor (Cell 701-640-6050; Rectory 701-538-4608; [email protected])
• Cindy Jelinek — Parish Secretary (Office 701-538-4604)
• Melodi Novotny — Director of Religious Education (Office 701-538-4604)

Faith Formation & Religious Education

Religious education for the youth of St. Martin of Tours is organized cluster-wide by Director of Religious Education Melodi Novotny, sharing resources and staff across the Lidgerwood, Geneseo, and Cayuga missions. Schedules and registration are published in the weekly bulletin on stboniface.net.

Sacraments

Because the parish operates as a mission within a cluster, all sacramental preparation and requests (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, RCIA) are coordinated through the St. Boniface parish office in Lidgerwood. Call the parish office line for current schedules.

• Baptism
• First Eucharist / Confirmation preparation (cluster)
• Marriage preparation
• Anointing of the Sick
• RCIA
• Funeral rites

Patron Saint — St. Martin of Tours

The parish is named for St. Martin of Tours, born around AD 316 in Savaria, Pannonia (modern-day Hungary). He became the third Bishop of Tours and is highly venerated as a great saint by the Church of France and across Europe. He is famous for leaving the Roman army to become a missionary, preaching against Arianism, and founding the monastery of Marmoutier. He is the patron of soldiers, the poor, conscientious objectors, tailors, and winemakers. His feast day is November 11.

• Born c. AD 316 in Savaria, Pannonia
• Third Bishop of Tours
• Founder of Marmoutier monastery
• Patron of soldiers, the poor, conscientious objectors, tailors, and winemakers
• Feast Day: November 11

Contact & Visiting

Mail and calls for St. Martin of Tours are routed through the St. Boniface parish office in Lidgerwood, where the staff and pastor for the cluster are based. Visitors are warmly welcomed at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass in Geneseo.

• Address: 413 Main Street, Geneseo, ND 58053
• Parish Office: 230 1st St NW, Lidgerwood, ND 58053-0449
• Phone: (701) 538-4604 (office) / (701) 538-4608 (rectory)
• Fax: (701) 538-4600
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: http://www.stboniface.net