Attending the rededication Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes on Aug. 30 were (left to right) Dcn. Rod Knight, Fr. Dave Lusson, Fr. Dan Tracy, Fr. Dave Oberts, Fr. Dennis Mullen, Fr. Phil Juza and servers Noah Hafstad, Wally Hagen and Teresa Hafstad. (Submitted photo)

Emily Hagen

Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Dobie, was packed, requiring overflow seating, on Sunday, Aug. 30.

On that day, Fr. Dan Tracy, along with Fr. Phil Juza, Fr. Dave Lusson and Fr. Dave Oberts, celebrated a Mass commemorating the 45th anniversary of the rededication of the church. They also announced a future expansion.

Fr. Dave Lusson and Fr. Dave Oberts have a shared history in the parish. Fr. Lusson delivered the homily at the rededication liturgy in August 1982. Fr. Oberts, a longtime resident of the rectory and parish priest, gave many years of service within the stone walls. Fr. Dennis Mullen, a son of the parish, was also present.

Built by hand with locally quarried rock and stone in 1904, today Our Lady of Lourdes serves as the spiritual home of nearly 300 registered families. During the rededication, Fr. Dan shared in his homily about the history of the parish, going back to one of the first priests who served there.

Fr. Joseph Dolé, who was appointed by the Bishop of La Crosse, arrived in Dobie in 1876. In March of 1898, when Fr. Dole was ill with pneumonia, the church caught fire. Fr. Dolé rose from his bed and ran to the church to save the Blessed Sacrament and other religious articles.

Fr. Dolé died within two weeks of the fire, and his last words were, “For the love of God, let all Christians pray for me.” Under his guidance and to this day, the parish has flourished as a united, active and faithful Catholic community.

Today, Our Lady of Lourdes hosts youth and adult retreats, including Totus Tuus, which this summer attracted more than 100 children from the Four Parish communities in Rice Lake.

The adult retreats, called “Welcome” by Dynamic Catholic, have drawn more than 200 men and women and inspired their faith into vocations, including some who are now in diaconate formation.

The parish also hosts yearly dinners and events that bring the community together, along with monthly hospitality following Sunday Mass. Our Lady of Lourdes is also home to a 24/7 adoration chapel, where people from around the area and diocese come to adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

It was fitting, then, for Fr. Dan to announce at the rededication that  Bishop James P. Powers has approved a building addition that will house a sacristy. This sacristy will be built on the northeast side of the church, facing the cemetery, and will provide a dedicated sacristy along with lower-level storage space.

There will also be access to the church basement and an exit toward the cemetery. Fr. Dan expressed his gratitude to parishioners and council members Doug Raether and Rob Buehler for their leadership in moving this project forward.

The overall feel at Mass, on this anniversary of the rededication of Our Lady of Lourdes, was love of the Holy Spirit. Parishioners are proud of their church building and have admiration and respect for the priests who have served their parish, some of whom will be laid to rest in the parish cemetery.

Dobie is a place of mystery. Dobie is a place of faith. Dobie is a place of solid rock where God continues to build his Church, one living stone at a time.

Emily Hagen is a parishioner at Our Lady of Lourdes and director of stewardship at the Four Parishes One Faith cluster.