As promised, here is the seventh of the 8 Wonders of Kansas , alphabetically, based on a national survey sponsored by the Kansas Sampler Foundation, as announced by the Governor at Kansas Day, the 147th Birthday of Kansas, on Tuesday, 29 Jan 2008.
St. Fidelis Catholic Church (Cathedral of the Plains) , near Victoria, represents the Sampler Rural Culture Element of Architecture. With a seating capacity of 1,100, St. Fidelis was the largest church west of the Mississippi when it was completed in 1911. It was placed in the National Register of Historic Places on May 14, 1971.
When you make your visit to St. Fidelis, please consider turning off I-70 at K-177 and visit the Kansas Flint Hills, as well.
See you in the Kansas Flint Hills! ;-)
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as a child i saw pictures of oxen hauling stone to the rail tracks to be hauled to victoria to build the cathedral. those pictures are fresh in my mind though lost over the years. i was raised in a christian church close to the farm from which these stones were hand cut by workers. the germans wanted a real tribute to the god they so loved and worshiped. the land that the stone was cut from had very little dirt for crops so was practilly useless except for the stones for building the 1 room house required by the railroad in 1834 to homestead the land at that time and yet today it still stands on the origional home of my great great grandfather. my family still ownes the land though there are only 4 of us left and none of us live on the acres at this time, but my request was always to own that piece where the stones came from. i never miss a chance to stop in victoria to admire the towers so high in the kansas sky, those two tall towers which still have the origional bells there, and after becoming catholic have had the priviledge of singing at many masses held in the church nearly 38 years ago. i never miss a chance to go inside to the piece that has anyone feeling the presence of a heigher 'person' in the quiet solitude the stone walls create nor the beautiful sound of music or the bells ringing. don't go through western kansas without taking a few minuets to take in the beauty of the native stone and the denication the german imigrants had in their hearts for the awsome tribute they left on the flat planes of the state of kansas. i hope it stands forever for god and everyone who can to take advantage of seeing it. i live in northeast missouri and with each fence post i have from that quary never forget the sacrifices made to build the most beautiful church i have ever had the privilage of seeing and thank god i have some ties to it.donna jackson laclede, mo. 64651
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