Faith was one of the Beulah area settlers’ most important characteristics, as that was often what enabled them to get through the harsh winters and other hardships they faced every day. By 1879 Catholic immigrants, mostly Germans from Russia began to arrive but they brought no priests. The shortage of priests along with hazardous travel conditions made the development of the church slow. During th
ese horse and buggy days Benedictine Fathers from Bismarck and the Abbey at Richardton served Beulah, as a mission of Halliday. Bonaventure Goebel, O.S.B. As resident Chaplain at St. Alexius Hospital in Bismarck, he served the area from June 1914 to March 1916. Mass was seldom celebrated more than once a month. Bubic came each third Sunday, celebrating Mass and conferring other sacraments. In 1915 Pearl S. Chaffee donated $500 and a tract of land to establish a Catholic Church. An additional grant by the Catholic Extension Society and substantial donations from parishioners saw the completion of a small frame church. Encouraged by so much interest, the bishop approved the church on July 18, 1916 and it was dedicated to St. Joseph. Following WWI, Bishop Wehrle asked the Precious Blood Community of Ohio to staff the Mandan to Killdeer rail route with priests so the German speaking people would not lose touch with the Church. The congregation increased beyond capacity early in the 30’s. Times were tough, but the Altar Society held many fundraisers until finally, with another Extension Society grant and a loan from the bishop’s aid fund, there was enough money to begin building a new structure. The new St. Joseph’s Church was completed in 1938. After the WWII, the Catholic population here warranted a resident priest. Ray Guillozet CPPS was assigned to the parish in 1948. With the building of the Garrison Dam in 1952, Fr. Rupert Landoll CPPS assumed the duties of parish priest from September 1955 to August 1963. Several priests served the parish for short times, each leaving their own special mark on this Catholic community. Harold Roth, 1970-1984, secured a plan and a building committee which saw the completion of a brick-front building with a seating capacity of 500 in 1977. The first Mass in the new church was celebrated April 16, 1978. Joseph Hajduch shared pastoral duties with Fr. Roth from 1981 to 1984. The Precious Blood priests were withdrawn in 1984 after 63 years of service. Joseph’s was reassigned to the Bismarck Diocese under the guidance of Rev. Edwin Volk. Today, St. Joseph’s is under the spiritual direction of Rev. Johnson Kuriappilly. There are 270 parish families and various organizations to meet the many challenges faced by the Catholic Community. The example of our ancestors in the faith lives on in our midst so that we may pass on to a generation yet to be born, a life-giving faith. A faith that is strong enough to reach out to the less fortunate and a love that is deep enough to embrace the hurting and the forgotten. May it be said of us, “See these Christians, how they love one another”.
