About St. Stanislaus Kostka Chapel · Rathdrum, Idaho
St. Stanislaus Kostka Chapel (also known as the St. Stanislaus Kostka Mission) is a historic Roman Catholic chapel in Rathdrum, Idaho, serving as a mission and chapel-of-ease of St. George's Catholic Parish in Post Falls within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise. Built in 1900 in the Gothic Revival style from brick, it is the oldest Roman Catholic brick church in the state of Idaho and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since November 17, 1977 (NRHP #77000464). The chapel is best known for the remarkable origin story of its founder, Father T.J. Purcell, a former Pennsylvania coal miner who built the church in fulfillment of a vow made to St. Stanislaus Kostka after being cured of epilepsy, and for its historic altar mural of the young saint that was gifted by Gonzaga College in 1900 and painstakingly restored in 2014.
- Established
- 1900
- Patron
- St. Stanislaus Kostka
- Rector
- Father Sleeva Raju Madanu (Pastor of St. George's Catholic Parish, Post Falls; chapel is served by his brother, Father Arogyam Madanu, Parochial Vicar)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise
Why belong here
St. Stanislaus Kostka is a small, prayerful mission chapel that is ideal for Catholics on the Rathdrum Prairie who want a quiet weekday and Sunday Mass without having to drive to Post Falls or Coeur d'Alene. Because it functions as a chapel-of-ease of St. George's Parish in Post Falls, parishioners receive the sacraments (confession, baptism, marriage preparation) through St. George's clergy while still attending Mass in a historic, intimate setting. The chapel is also a destination for heritage-minded visitors drawn to its 1900 Carignano mural and its place as the oldest brick Catholic church in Idaho.
Mass times at St. Stanislaus Kostka Chapel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM
- Sunday: 8:00 AM – 8:45 AM
Adoration times
- Friday: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM (First Friday of the month, with Divine Mercy Chaplet)
History
St. Stanislaus Kostka Mission was built in 1900 and dedicated in 1901 by Father T.J. Purcell, a former Pennsylvania coal miner who had been refused admission to seminary because of epilepsy and who built the chapel to fulfill a vow made to St. Stanislaus Kostka after his cure. The brick Gothic Revival church is the oldest Roman Catholic brick church in Idaho and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since November 17, 1977. The Kootenai County Republican wrote in 1901 that it was 'one of the finest buildings of public worship to be found anywhere in the state in a town of the size of Rathdrum.' Its 1900 altar painting — a gift of Gonzaga College, Spokane — was painted by Jesuit Brother Joseph Carignano, SJ, and depicts the young St. Stanislaus kneeling before the Virgin and Child.
- 1900 — Construction of the brick Gothic Revival chapel
- 1900 — Altar painting donated by Gonzaga College, painted by Jesuit Brother Joseph Carignano, SJ
- 1901 — Chapel dedicated; Kootenai County Republican lauds the building
- 1977 — Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (#77000464)
- 2013–2014 — Idaho Heritage Trust grant and community campaign restore the Carignano mural
Architecture
Designed in the Gothic Revival style, the church is rendered in brick with a wooden central tower and steeple. The National Register nomination describes a slightly outset centered steeple dominating the façade, two quatrefoil windows flanking the tower (with a third in the clapboard portion of the tower), Gothic-arched openings throughout, and abbreviated buttresses articulating the six side bays and accenting the corners.
- Architectural style: Gothic Revival
- Exterior material: brick with wooden (clapboard) tower
- Notable elements: centered steeple, quatrefoil windows, Gothic-arched openings, abbreviated buttresses, six side bays
- Principal artwork: 1900 altar painting by Jesuit Brother Joseph Carignano, SJ (restored 2014)
Parish Staff and Pastoral Care
St. Stanislaus Kostka is served through St. George's Catholic Parish in Post Falls, which shares its clergy and staff. The current pastor is Father Sleeva Raju Madanu, originally from India and ordained in 1995, who has served St. George's for several years; his brother Father Arogyam Madanu serves as Parochial Vicar for both St. Stanislaus Kostka and St. Joseph. Laura Corbin is the parish secretary. Deacon Mike Pentony assists with parish life and the parish center building campaign.
- Pastor: Father Sleeva Raju Madanu
- Parochial Vicar: Father Arogyam Madanu
- Deacon: Deacon Mike Pentony
- Parish Secretary: Laura Corbin
- Pastoral offices: (208) 773-4715 / fax (208) 777-1549
Connection to St. George's Parish, Post Falls
St. Stanislaus Kostka operates as a mission chapel of St. George's Catholic Parish in Post Falls. The parish website, stgeorgesidaho.com, hosts information for both communities. St. George's has undertaken a major 'Gather and Grow' capital campaign, breaking ground on a new parish center in August 2017 that will house religious education classrooms, the parish office, the Mission of Charity relief ministry, and the North Idaho Pregnancy Support Center — services that benefit the wider pastoral family including the chapel.
- Parent parish: St. George's Catholic Parish, 2004 N Lucas St, Post Falls, ID 83854
- Parish website: stgeorgesidaho.com
- 'Gather and Grow' capital campaign / new parish center groundbreaking: August 20, 2017
Heritage and the Carignano Mural
The chapel's most celebrated artwork is the 1900 altar painting of St. Stanislaus Kostka kneeling before the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus, painted by Jesuit Brother Joseph Carignano, SJ, and donated by Gonzaga College. Decades of candle smoke, humidity, and aging had compromised the painting, and in 2013–2014 a community campaign led by longtime parishioner Myers of the Rathdrum Historical Society — with an Idaho Heritage Trust grant (2013 cycle) — funded a professional conservation of the mural, returning its original colors and securing this historic treasure for the next generation.
- Artist: Jesuit Brother Joseph Carignano, SJ
- Donor: Gonzaga College (now Gonzaga University), Spokane
- Subject: St. Stanislaus Kostka kneeling before the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus
- Restored: 2014 (Idaho Heritage Trust grant, 2013)
National Register of Historic Places
The chapel was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on November 17, 1977 (reference number 77000464), under areas of significance including Architecture and Religion. The nomination, prepared by the Idaho State Historical Society, calls it 'an exceptionally fine example of a Gothic style parish church rendered in brick' and notes that it marks the beginning of a more substantial era of Catholic architecture in Idaho.
- NRHP reference number: 77000464
- Date listed: November 17, 1977
- Areas of significance: Architecture, Religion
- Style: Gothic Revival
- Period of significance: 1900
Visiting and Contact
Visitors are welcome at scheduled Masses and during confession hours. Because the building is a working mission chapel as well as a heritage site, please be respectful of prayer and liturgy when touring. The parish office at St. George's in Post Falls handles all administrative and sacramental inquiries for St. Stanislaus Kostka.
- Address: 8026 West 2nd Street, Rathdrum, ID 83858
- Office phone (St. George's): (208) 773-4715
- Office fax: (208) 777-1549
- Parish website: stgeorgesidaho.com
- Facebook: St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, Rathdrum Idaho
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Father T.J. (Thomas J.) Purcellc. 1900–after 1901
Founder; former Pennsylvania coal miner who built the church to fulfill a vow to St. Stanislaus Kostka after being cured of epilepsy. Ordained in Montreal and sent to Idaho; instrumental in erecting the brick mission chapel and overseeing its construction.
