County CC at Cemetery Road

45.8954, -91.1882

New Post, Wisconsin 54828

County CC at Cemetery Road

45.8954, -91.1882

New Post, Wisconsin 54828

County CC at Cemetery Road

45.8954, -91.1882

New Post, Wisconsin 54828

St. Ignatius Church in New Post, WI

Sawyer County Record
Posted: Saturday, May 31, 2014 8:15 am
By Terrell Boettcher News Editor
The 80-year-old St. Ignatius Catholic Church in the village of New Post is undertaking a fundraising campaign to replace a deteriorating roof, repair plumbing and do other repairs.
The brick-walled church is located on what is called "Church Corner" on Flowage Road off Highway CC, on the Lac Courte Oreilles reservation.
The history of St. Ignatius parish dates to 1883, when St. Anthony Church was established to serve the Ojibwe people. St. Anthony Church was partially built by Franciscan Father Casimir Vogt on what is now called Church Island on the Chippewa Flowage. It was completed during the pastorate of Franciscan Father Sylvester Buschkuhler.
Following the flooding of lands to establish the Chippewa Flowage in the early 1920s, the church was moved to its present location, in what became the village of New Post. The current building was constructed in 1934, under the patronage of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).
An addition was built in the 1960s when Father Laurus was the priest. It is opened up in the summertime to provide extra seating.
Myrna DeNasha, 80, was born in 1934, the same year the present church was built. "We went here since we were small kids," she said.
Another long-time resident of New Post, Deanna Baker, said, "It's been the center of Post forever. That was our hangout when we were kids. We sat on the front steps."
The interior of the church includes stained-glass windows, the altar and statuary shrines, including a hand-carved and hand-painted statue of the Native American Saint Kateri Tekakwitha.
At a church meeting four years ago, the present pastor, Father Greg Hopefl, cited the need for repairs. The battered, weathered shingle roof needs to be replaced and interior work is needed to repair the whole plumbing system. The current rest rooms, as well as a community room and kitchen in the basement, can't be used. There is a hole in the ceiling of one entryway where squirrels have entered, and water has leaked through several places in the ceiling.
The estimated total cost of repairs is $60,000. Fundraising has begun, with private donations totaling $3,000 so far.
More information can be obtained from Father Hopefl, who serves a three-point parish including St. Francis Solanus at Reserve, St. Phillip's in Stone Lake and St. Ignatius in New Post.
The mailing address is St. Francis Rectory, 13891W Mission Road, Stone Lake, WI 54876.

Cornerstone of St. Ignatius Church in New Post, WI

Sawyer County Record April 12, 1934
Keystone Laid at New Post
The little church at the Mission of New Post on the Lac Court Oreilles Reservation will soon be completed. The cornerstone will be blessed and laid next Wednesday, April 18, Feast of St. Joseph, Patron of the Church Universal. There will be a Solemn High Mass at 10:00. Father Kalandyk of Hayward will be celebrant of the Mass and will bless and lay the cornerstone. Father Peter Rice of Hudson, WI, will be Deacon of the Mass and will preach. Father Louis Boble of Winter will be sub-deacon of the Mass and will bless and install the Stations of the Cross. Father Ignatius Kinney, pastor of the mission, will be Master of Ceremonies. The choir of Reserve will be present for the occasion. The Most Reverend Theodore H. Reverman, Bishop of this diocese, will not be present as he is convalescing in Louisville, KY at this time. He has, however, selected St. Ignatius of Loyola to the the new church's patron.

The new church is being erected for the benefit of the people at New Post and vicinity. It will replace one still standing, but on an island about one and a half miles away. It was the church at Pakwewang (Old Post) and was isolated when the big dam was put up on the Chippewa some twelve years ago. The structure is brick veneer. The bricks are variegated in color, red and green shades predominating. The roof is slate covered asphalt, cardinal red in color and in a setting of green pines. The contractor is F.N. Steinmetz of the Consolidated Lumber Company of Frederick, WI. A good deal of the building work has been done by the men of New Post. The heating plant was installed by Gail Davis of the Hayward Hardware Company.

After the ceremonies Wednesday, the people of New Post will serve a plate lunch and dinner for the benefit of the new church.

The cornerstone itself was gotten out of Pipestone Creek, some three miles or so from New Post, by Fred Kirk, his son Jacob, and his step-sons Gorman and Andrew Tainter. Pipestone Creek is so named because the Indians got the stone from which to carve their pipes there in the wonderful yesterdays.