1980s

February 1980

House acquired for new convent

Late in 1979 a residence at 218 W. 7^th Street, directly to the south across the street from the entrance to the school playground, was put up for sale. To secure the property until more studies could be made by the recently appointed Future Planning Committee of the Parish Council, an offer was made on February 26, 1980, to purchase the property on May 1, 1980, for $66,000, subject to approval by the Parish Council and the Archdiocese of Dubuque, with possession to be taken on May 1. A sum of $1,000 accompanied the offer.

When the owner of the property received a higher offer from another potential buyer, the Parish Council voted to proceed with the purchase, with a 10-year loan of $70,000 at 6.5% from the Archdiocese. The purchase provided a lot measuring 66x132 feet, the site of the old convent adjacent to the school on the north, for future parish facility expansion.

“Since we are providing a new residence for the priests at 115 W. 8^th Street, adjacent to the parish church, it was felt that we should also provide a new convent for the sisters in a well-built residence in excellent shape, which could be adapted to their special needs with minimal alterations. We now have such a house and lot,” the council said in a statement to the parish.



“If the sisters are moved in the very near future, the new house and lot can be removed from the tax rolls and the old convent put on the tax rolls at a lower rate and rented out temporarily, with no great expense to the parish. If future building plans have to be shelved for one reason or another … the parish can now afford to wait a better turn of events in the future.” 

April 1980

St. Patrick begins Rite of Adult Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) classes

The Easter Vigil Mass on April 5, 1980, was billed as “the major event of 1980” in the life of St. Patrick Parish by Msgr. Daniel Tarrant. On that Sunday, five catechumens were baptized and 18 additional catechumens, along with the newly baptized, were confirmed and celebrated their First Eucharist with a large assembly of parishioners.

Culminating seven months of preparation, instruction formation, prayer and service, the 1980 Easter Vigil Service marked the completion of three of the four stages of the Adult Christian Initiation Rite begun in September 1979. The fourth and final stage took place on May 18, celebrated by Archbishop James Byrne at St. Patrick.

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is one of the major products of the Second Vatican Council. The new rite is one of the ways in which the church continually renews itself. The already baptized, stimulated by newcomers to the Christian community, have the chance, year after year, to reflect in a very positive way on their own process of Christian growth.

June 1982 

Parish priorities developed from Shared Vision self-study

Results from a Shared Vision parish self-study of priorities are released; the parish wide survey was begun in November 1981. Ten immediate and five long-term priorities are announced. At the top of the list of immediate goals is: To foster regular spiritual reading and personal prayer by members. Among other goals were to strengthen family life and to deal with congregational conflict openly and constructively. Conclusions from the study were incorporated into parish planning with the intent to develop a new parish mission statement. 

January 1983

Memorials and donated labor pay for pipe organ for St. Patrick



The parish worship committee announces that the cost of the 125^th anniversary naming gift, the Santa Cecilia pipe organ, has now been fully subscribed by memorials totaling $34,000. “All costs for purchase and installation of the instrument, now insured for $130,000, were paid for by voluntary contributions, with no use of parish funds,” the committee wrote. Nearly 150 donors contributed to 49 memorials, together with about 400 hours of donated time, talent and labor “making possible the purchase and installation, to the honor of God and the beauty of parish worship.” 

February 1983

Parish Phase II Development Plan wraps up  

The Phase II capital development program completed in 1982  “added to or restored all parts of our parish plant: church, school, parish offices, sisters’ new convent and priests’ new residence,” as announced in the bulletin. “In addition, a major property site for future parish expansion is now available north of the school."

March 1984

Archbishop Kucera welcomed



Archbishop Daniel Kucera is welcomed as the eighth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Dubuque; all Cedar Valley parishes were invited to a community welcome celebration held at Columbus High School in Waterloo. 

April-June 1984

Parish feels financial pain, staff reductions due to recession, farm crisis

With the U.S. and Iowa in the grips of a recession and the farm crisis, Msgr. Tarrant appeals to the congregation for each family to consider making an extra $100 gift, if they are able, “to get through the remainder of the school year.”

In May, Msgr. Tarrant announces an across-the-board 20-percent in the parish budget, including plans to reduce the number of priests from three to two by not replacing one of the positions in July. Other reductions included eliminating the youth ministry staff position. An ad hoc committee was formed to prioritize budget reductions through a “discernment process.”

June 1984,

In June, due to the reduction in number of priests to two, the weekend Mass schedule is reduced from six Masses to four Masses. With the change, the 6 a.m., 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Masses end and the new Sunday schedule becomes 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. The Saturday 5:15 Mass remains the same. 

July 1984

Funke succeeds Tarrant as pastor; staffing changes made

Msgr. Tarrant, Fr. Lippstock and Fr. Lundgren depart St. Patrick for new assignments. The new pastor, Fr. Richard Funke, is welcomed along with associate Fr. Michael Fitzgerald. 

February 1985

Social Concerns Committee organized

The parish forms a Social Concerns Committee "to promote and coordinate programs that will guarantee justice and charity in the worldwide community.” 

Summer 1985

New parking lot

A new parking lot is completed adjacent to the church.

September 1985

Clover Patch Preschool launched



Clover Patch Preschool opens under the leadership of Sr. Jacqueline Quillen as director. Its mission statement: “St. Patrick Preschool promotes the development of each individual to his/her fullest potential through an advocacy program permeated with a Christian spirit and Christian values.”
 

November 1986

Parish Council directed to address priest workload

The Waterloo Deanery Council, Saint Patrick Parish and all parish councils are directed by the archdiocese to consider the issue of the priest shortage and what actions can be taken to help alleviate priests’ workload at the parish level.

December 1986

Funke floats no-interest parish loan program to parish council



Fr. Funke presents a “no-interest parish loan idea to the parish council, through which parishioners would be allowed to loan money to the parish to go towards reduction of interest-bearing debt. (By March 1988, $50,000 in interest-free loans had been made. A year later, in April 1988, a total of $399,500 in interest-free loans had been made, including outstanding or repaid loans.) w Paragraph

June 1987

Saint Patrick Cemetery sold to City of Cedar Falls

Due to rising annual maintenance fees, the parish sells the St. Patrick Cemetery to the City of Cedar Falls, making it a part of Greenwood Cemetery.

Catholic Daughters of America chapter established at St. Patrick

Catholic Daughters of the Americas begins group at Saint Patrick with 29 inaugural members.

April 1988

Construction at school and convent

The preschool building is torn down; a new garage is constructed adjacent to the convent. Bids for construction of the North Addition to the school are opened and Huff Construction is awarded $465,000 construction contract for the addition.

September 1988

North Addition to St. Patrick School completed



The new L-shaped wing includes a multipurpose room, science lab, computer lab, three classrooms, offices for the principal and religious education director and secretaries, plus teacher and religious education resource rooms. The addition allows for a new Kindergarten classroom and the Clover Patch Preschool. The Kindergarten program is extended to an all-day program with two full-time teachers. 

January 1989

Appeal made to parishioners for additional interest-free loans



The finance council announced that 23 interest-free loans will be repaid in the first quarter of the year, and an appeal was made in the bulletin for more parishioners to consider extending interest-free loans to the parish to reduce debt.

January 2000 

Business administrator added to parish staff

The parish created the position of a part-time business administrator and hired Dale Folkers to fill that new role. As Father Jim Secora wrote in January 2000: “Our budget is now just over $1,000,000 annually. Just as the days of the ‘mom and pop’ business’ records being kept in Dad’s head or the notebook in his breast pocket are gone, so too are the days when Father did it all. Size alone means that managing the resources takes more time than before. Even for Father there are only 24 hours in a day. He can’t do it all. … The role of the Business Administrator is a support role; tending the business side of the Parish in the secular world and allowing Father to be the spiritual leader of the congregation.”

March 2000



New statues of Mary and Joseph blessed and installed

On Sunday, March 5, 2000, newly purchased statues of St. Mary and St. Joseph graced the sanctuary for the first time. The statues were blessed according to the rite for The Blessing of Images of the Saints.  Generous donations by parishioners made the purchase of the statues possible.

First annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade held

The first annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade was held at 11 a.m. on March 17th. The parade began in the parish parking lot down 7th Street to Washington, up to 12th Street to Clay Street and then back to 7th and the church.

June 2000

Archdiocese Jubilee Mass celebrated in Cedar Falls at UNI-Dome

In June, the parish participated in the Archdiocese Jubilee Year 2000 Mass held in the UNI Dome, along with parishioners from the Waterloo Catholic churches. The event was described as “the largest Catholic gathering ever held in the Archdiocese.”  The Pentecost Mass on June 11 included a planned procession of 2,000 children and youth selected from the parishes and a 600-voice choir in celebration of the 2,000th birthday of the Church.

September 2000

New boiler purchased; “fire breathing dragon” is retired

Fire Breathing Dragon announces retirement (from a September 2000 bulletin)

“Our fiery dragon in the basement of the church (also known as our boiler) is no longer breathing fire! This ancient dragon was born before World War I and could no longer pass the veterinary’s physical exam. So the ancient dragon that warmed parishioners for several generations is being put out to pasture (or wherever dragons live in retirement). The good news is the stork has a brand new dragon on the way. Great! We will have more reliable and efficiently produced heat for the church during those cold winter months. The not-so-good news is that baby dragons are not cheap. The replacement will cost approximately $35,000. Your help is needed. … (P.S.) After the baby dragon gets settled we hope to have pictures to show everyone!)