Burger honors 175th anniversary of St. Lawrence Catholic Church in New Hamburg

Joining in the presentation on Aug. 17 were parishioners Pat Moore; Franklin Glueck;, Dorothy Deason; Margaret Heuring; Father Bala Swamy Govindu, pastor; Stephanie Burger; Parish Council President Gary Reischman; and other church members.

Submitted photo

NEW HAMBURG, Mo. — State Rep. Jamie Burger presented on Aug. 17 a House of Representatives Resolution to commemorate the 175th Anniversary of the St. Lawrence Catholic Church in New Hamburg, Missouri. Burger said he grew up as a member of this church and in New Hamburg, just four miles from where he now lives in Benton.

According to information researched by Margaret Heuring of New Hamburg, St. Lawrence Catholic Church was founded in 1847 on land donated by Wendolin Bucher and is said to be the oldest-standing church and school in Scott County and a replica of a church in Schirrhein, France, from which many of the immigrants had come. The Church burned during the Civil War but was repaired in 1865. Over the years it has gone through various changes, including the addition of a new rectory in 1965, the restoration of the original log church in 1977, a new parish center in 1988, a storage building in 1999, and a grotto honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Grace, in 2018.