HISTORY
St. Marcus Church was founded in 1888.
The organization of the St. Marcus congregation at Clear Lake dates back to the year 1887; Rev. F. H. Stemper, at that time pastor of the Cathedral at St. Cloud, being the organizer.
The present day church was built in 1910 at a cost of $9,718.00 and Carl Kropp of St. Cloud was the general of contractor. There were fifty families in the Parish at that time who pledged $8,200.00 so that the project so could be undertaken. That means that each family would have had to pledge $164.00 – not a lot of money today - but HUGE MONEY in 1910. The Parishioners furnished all the stone and brick and they did all the excavating and hauling of materials.
From pictures available – no dates on them – the crucifix that now adorns our sanctuary was a part of the building since 1910 – we believe.
There was an auction sale of items from the Church – statues, paintings from the ceiling and the crucifix in 1970. A local Clear Lake citizen had purchased the statue of St. Marcus as well as the crucifix. Through the generosity of a parishioner, the statue and crucifix was purchased, so they could be installed in our church once again.
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