St. Stephen’s in 1959
Rectors/Priests-in-Charge of St. Stephen’s
Fr. Frederick P. Davis (1925-2006) – July 1,1956-July 1,1960
Fr. Elliott L. Sorge (1929-2011) –September 1,1960 – December 31,1964
Fr. Karl F. Reich (1922-2009) –June 1,1965-August 3,1969
Fr. Gary R. Gilbertson –November 1,1969 – July 30,1972
Fr. Donald Sanderson Walch (1932-1986) –September 1,1972-August 1975
Fr. James W. Hauan (1930-2002) –January 1,1976 – January 10,1981
Fr. Robert F. Andrews –December 1,1981 – November 1,1984
The Rev. Sandra Holmberg –September 16,1985 – September 1,2000
Pastor Robert Kaul –June 1,2002 – December 7,2003
The Reverend Elizabeth Powers –December 19,2004 – August 15,2008
Fr. Jamie A. Parsley,SCP –October 1,2008 –
Timeline of St. Stephen’s
March 27,1956 – St. Stephen’s formed,during a driving snowstorm,when seven lay-persons from Gethsemane Cathedral,Fargo met with Bishop Richard Emery,Dean John Baker and Canon McElligot. The mission was named after St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church,Casselton,ND,which closed in 1953. (Other names discussed were St. David’s and St. Timothy’s)
Groundbreaking,1956
September 9,1956 – first gathering of the congregation with a celebration of Holy Communion at the El Zagel Clubhouse at Broadway and 14th Avenue North.
December 24,1956 – the first service in the current building.
December 26,1956 (The Feast of St. Stephen) Dedication of the building by Bishop Richard Emery,at Evening Prayer,to consecrate the building to holy use.
January 1,1957 – first Annual Meeting of the congregation. 51 communicants,39 from Gethsemane Cathedral.
March 17,1957 – 8:00 am Celebration of Holy Communion the first service to be held in newly completed building.
May 2,1960 – construction of rectory begun.
February 21,1964 –Bishop Richard Emery is killed a van-train collision in Grand Forks,ND along with Fr. Edwin Bigelow,his wife,Phyllis,their daughter,Pamela,and Sharell Simons,a UND student.
1970 – St. Stephen’s remodeled.
1971 –St. Stephen’s achieves Parish status.
January 31,1971 – Former Rector Elliott Sorge consecrated Bishop of the Diocese of South-Central Brazil
December 31,1973 – St. Stephen’s vandalized.
Elthea Thacker (1916-2002) elected first woman Senior Warden in the Diocese of North Dakota. She was also the first woman Lay Reader in the Diocese.
September,1985 – The Reverend Sandra Holmberg called as first woman rector in the Diocese of North Dakota.
1999 –New addition added and dedicated.
October 14,2001 – Labyrinth dedicated
2002 – St. Stephen’s becomes the first congregation in the Diocese of North Dakota to be named an Integrity Partner congregation,thus becoming one of the first parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of North Dakota to fully welcome Gay,Lesbian,Bisexual and Transgendered persons
June 1,2002 – Pastor Robert Kaul,a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,is called as Pastor of St. Stephen’s (he also serves Herby Lutheran Church,near Prosper,ND).
November 19,2005 – Louie Crew,founder of Integrity,speaks at St. Stephen’s.
2008 – St. Stephen’s designated an “Animal Friendly” congregation.
June 3,2009 – Wednesday night Eucharist begun.
September 13,2009 – Children’s Chapel dedicated
December 14,2009 – This Grass,a book of poems by Fr. Jamie and paintings by Gin Templeton,published.
May 9,2010 – Peace Pole planted and dedicated.
March 12,2011 – New Altar Rail Dedicated
June 5,2011 – Stations of the Cross installed and dedicated.
