St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church 1948-1954

In 1906 the building on Lake Shore was destoryed by fire. This ended St. Mary’s as an active parish with a church as it's base. It met in various locations from the time of the fire in 1906 1946 - Oct 2 Mass at 7:15 a.m. in Culver Sundays of each month . Public School Assembly Hall. 1948 when a new building at a different location was construted 51 years later under the directon of Father Joseph A. Lenk arrived

In September 1948, Father Lenk was appointed first resident pastor of St. Mary’s Mission Church in Culver with the work of establishing a Catholic parish and church in this community. St. Mary's of the Lake became a parish of 27 families with the appointment of Father Joseoph Lenk as the first resident pastor. At once Father Lenk saw the need for a church building and set plans in motion.

Having been sent by Bishop John F. Noll partly at the request of the Culver Academy dministration. Lenk wrote the following to Bishop Noll:

“Just a few lines to inform you of our process at Culver . Monday evening of this week I invited the members of the parish to the rectory. After discussions of our problems at Culver in regard to the need for a church, twenty one of the families expressed their desire to begin construction of the church immediately on the plans I had shown you.

W. R. Baker from South Bend is our architect, and David Burns from Culver , Indiana is our contractor. Labor is rather cheap in Culver and it is very likely that the total cost of the new church will not exceed $10,000.00...

The first parish rectory was rented at 227 South Main Street in Culver

The Oct. 13, 1948 Culver Citizen:

“The church will be built on the land the parish purchased some time ago at the corner of College Avenue and Plymouth Street, which is 180 by 170 feet in size, and will face on the former street.

The central structure will be 80 feet long and 36 feet wide, with a parish hall on one side and a rectory on the other, both adjacent to the church proper. Each of these will be 24 by 52 feet in size, with the parish hall including a kitchen and restrooms besides the main social room. The rectory will be a complete home for the parish priest.”

December 8, 1948 Culver Citizen reported

A temporary structure to house the Catholic Church of Culver is under construction at the rear of the, church property at College Avenue and Plymouth Street.

According to Rev. Joseph Lenk, pastor, the temporary building will cost $10,000 and seat 300. It is being built in anticipation of a permanent church to be constructed as soon as materials are available.

The foundation is now being being completed and the erection of the aluminum, drome shaped auditorium will, start next week. It is hoped that it will be coumpleted in time for Christmas mid­night mass.

The building will be 36 by 78 feet with a vestibule of brick. W. R. Baker, of South Bend, is the architect, and David Burns of Culver is the contractor. The aluminum building may be salvaged when the permanent church is completed, Father Lenk said, left as a recreation center, or whatever use the parishioners desire.

A sanctuary, communion rail, pews, baptismal, confessional, altar and choir loft will be placed in the church proper with the altar boys' sacristy adjoining. A nursery also will be included.

A "quonset hut" was built in 18 days, and the first Mass in the new building was offered on Christmas Eve 1948.

During the early years of Father Lenk at the Catholic church in Culver there was a very negative reaction to the establishment of a permanent Catholic parish in the town. This resulted in a cross being burned on his lawn, according to residents of the area at the time but the story never made the newspapers.

Disaster struck again! Within 20 minutes in the early morning hours of 28 January 1954 the "quonset hut" was distoryed by fire.

From the Culver Citizen:

Knox, Monterey, and Plymouth Firemen Aid Culver at $25,00 Conflagration

Father Joseph A. Lenk, Pastor, Carries on in Inspiring Manner

Culver's most disastrous fire in many years totally destroyed St. Mary's of the Lake Roman Catholic Church at the corner of College Avenue and Plymouth Street early Thursday morning.

The loss was $25,000, fully covered by insurance.The original Catholic Church in Culver met a similar fate in 1905.

Aroused by barking dogs at about 5:30 a.m. Mr. And Mrs. Sam Strang, 122 College Avenue, were the first to discover the roaring fire.

When the Culver Fire Department arrived in quick order the Quonset-type metal and laminated wood building was a mass of flames and the heat was intense.

Firemen from Knox, Monterey, and Plymouth soon joined in the heroic battle to control the conflagration and successfully kept it from spreading to the surrounding homes.

Only the gutted vestibule of the 72 X 36 foot building still stands. The church was built in December 1948 when Father Joseph A. Lenk first came to Culver .

Cause of the fire is still undetermined but a fa ulty space heater may have been responsible. Father Lenk found everything in order when he left the church at 10 p.m. Wednesday.

Father Lenk lost many cherished personal belongings in the tragedy, including a chalice given him by his parents at his ordination as well as several mementoes from Army service.

Until a new church is built Catholic services will be held at the El Rancho Theatre on Sundays at 8:30 and 10 a.m. Holy Mass will be celebrated on weekdays at the rectory on College Avenue.

Basic construction cost of a new Catholic Church in Culver has been placed at $165,000, according to previous announcement.

The ultimate cost of the proposed church and St. Thomas More off-campus club will be $250,000. The church will have a seatin capacity of 310.

Father Lenk, who also has a great personal following among Culver Protestants, will celebrate the 15th anniversary of his priesthood on June 3 of this year.

The actual cause of the fire may be never known, though there seems to have been some speculation that arson was a possibility.

In the same Culver Citizen that reported the fire, Fr. Lenk took a moment to address readers: At a time like this I am reminded of the challenging words of Father Sorin, the founder of the University of Notre Dame, who, after the institution had been razed by fire for the third time, said to the brothers of the Holy Cross Order and the priest on the faculty: “If everything were gone we would still rebuild.”

We have our faith, our health, our talent, our people. The Catholic Church is composed of people, not real estate. There is only one way to look: ahead.

With confidence in Almighty God and in our own ability, coupled with the warm hearts of people of all faiths, we can look forward to a beautiful new church in the foreseeable future.

I am partic ularly gratef ul for the kindly interest of Culver ’s ministers, the splendid work of our local firemen, and the fine expressions of our non-Catholic friends. I have witnessed a solidarity in our community spirit that is a genuine inspiration to me. In my six years in Culver I have not seen its equal. Thank you all.

The church was officially called "St. Mary's of the Lake" but often known as St. Quonset or "the Pressure-Cooker Church" because of the summer temperature inside. by the issue July, 1955 of the Today's Catholic.<

Father Lenk instead for being discouraged immediately began sketching a new church in his mind. The adjoining rectory which had been built in 1950 remained unscathed by the fire.