St. Thomas in Sanborn celebrates 100th year!

The parish of St. Thomas of Sanborn celebrated their church’s centennial on June 22, 2003. The celebration commenced with Mass concelebrated by Bishop John C. Nienstedt and Fr. Dennis Labat, sacramental minister.

Many of the priests and pastoral administrators who served the church, people of the parish, family and friends enjoyed a noon dinner, an open house in the church hall followed with historic displays.

The Church of St. Thomas was built by pioneer farmers who plowed the prairie, planted grains, and established the first homes and businesses in the community. For their first church, the people purchased an abandoned public school building for $607 in 1902. Ground breaking for the current church took place in August 1944. The church was completed in 1946. Archbishop John G. Murray dedicated the new church building on December 19, 1946.

In January, 2002, the Church of St. Thomas clustered with the Church of St. Raphael in Springfield.