St. Bede Catholic Church - Kelly, Kansas St. Bede's Parish in Kelly, Kansas was organized in the fall of 1901. The first church was built in 1902, but he wood frame building burnt to the ground in 1913. The cornerstone of the present building was laid the same year and it was completed and dedicated on October 10, 1915. A few years ago a friend told me that this tiny community had a huge Catholic Church and I finally checked it out in 2014. Wow! The 1915 German Gothic inspired limestone building is very ornate, inside and out. We must have spent 20 minutes photographing the altars, statues, windows and other features. The ornate wooden pulpit has a staircase leading up to it and a canopy shaped like a large shell. St. Bede's Catholic Church is served by a pastor from Onaga, Kansas. The Catholic communities at Corning, Kelly and Onaga are formed into a combined community being served from Onaga Rectory.
copyright 2014-2018 by Keith Stokes |