St. Aloysius Church Historic Site - Greenbush, Kansas
The St. Aloysius Church Historic Site in the unincorporated
community of Greenbush, Kansas has a church and a church ruins sitting
almost side by side. The 1881 St. Aloysius Church was replaced by a larger
building in 1907, but the newer building was struck by lightning and destroyed
in 1982 and the congregation returned to the older building.
Due to the shortage of priests in the Diocese of Wichita,
St. Aloysius was closed and the last mass was held on September 4, 1993.
The St Aloysius 1881 Church was approved by the Kansas
Historic Sites Board of Review for the Register of Kansas Historic Places
on February 26, 1994, preserving the structures. A grotto to the Blessed
Virgin was added in the ruins of the 1907 building since the first time
we visited St. Aloysius Church Historic Site since I first visited, and
was dedicated on September 21, 2014.
In June of 2020, a large new outdoor Stations of the Cross
between the 1881 building and the road was blessed.
The 1881 church is kept locked, but you can step in the
front entry to look into the sanctuary. Free standing restrooms are available
behind the church.
St. Aloysius Church Grotto with Nativity in 2018
St. Aloysius Church Historic Site in 2011 - before the addition of
the grotto
Text of historic marker:
THE LEGEND OF GREENBUSH
According to legend, in 1869, Father Phillip Colleton, was
caught at this site by a furious hail and thunder-
storm. The frightened priest took refuge under his
saddle and vowed that if his life was spared, he would
build a church on this spot. The fervent promise resulted in the establishment
of St. Aloysius, Greenbush. The
first Catholic Church erected in Crawford County was
a wooden frame structure completed in 1871. Located on
the Historic "Mission Road". The church was destroyed by a storm in 1877.
Parishioners quarried limestone from Hickory Creek and completed the second
church in 1881. The first resident pastor, Father F. M. Verdan, arrived
in 1882 and served the church for fifty years. A larger church was needed
and completed in 1907. The 1881 church was converted into a community building.
The third church stood for 75 years as a landmark before it was struck
by lightning and burned in 1982. The ruins remain. The 1881 church was
renovated into a place of worship. Thus the second church became the fourth
church on March 9, 1986 and served the people until it closed in 1993.
Father Colleton's promise will continue.
Registered state historic site - February 26, 1994.
Erected by the St. Aloysius Historical Society and Kansas Department
of Transportation
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St. Aloysius Church - Greenbush (Girard)
One of three bells recovered from the bell tower after the 1982 fire
New Stations of the Cross
Kansas Department of Transportation Historic Marker
St. Aloysius Church Historic Site Map
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