Piecing Together the Social Fabric Church a testament to rural history C Cont Continued rom Page 8 i i J i i


Today, local volunteers care for the site and give tours of the church on Sundays in July and August. Other than the annual pilgrimage in June it is only used for the occasional wedding or funeral.


T e chandelier is now gone and only a memory. To


ued ffrom Page 8 e chandelier is no y, local volunteeeer


ow gone and d onl


church on Sundadays niin July and Augu l


re or the sit d f


a memo i


ust. Ot m ry


and give ours o th ther than the i


l ddi Each year the parish yard is brought back to life for the aſt ernoon


of the annual pilgrimage. It is a tradition that began during the 1930s. T ose were tough years for the locals, so much so that, Rev. Father Henry Kelz O.M. stayed with the Karl Duchscherer family “Because of lack of funds to supply fuel and other needs to the upkeep of the parish rectory.” Nevertheless, the parishioners worked to build a place of


pilgrimage hauling in rocks from miles around the site. In 1936, the Grotto was blessed for the fi rst pilgrimage.


e a nual


T e lament of Tumbach nearly 50 years aſt er the fi rst historical account sounds familiar. It has been the lament of rural rural Saskatchewan for years.


acco ask


e lame t


m nt of Tumb h nearly 50 years aſt er the firs h sounds


“Last year there was 150 peoplle,” he said. “T ere used to be up to 2,000 peoplle … Everybody would stop a quarter mile down the road and walk in … it was an all day aff air … Now, there are no people leſt in the country and it is slowly falling by the wayside.” T e committee of volunteers continues to work at maintaining


Sas atchewan or years. “Last year here wa 2 000


E


familiar. as 150


5 people, he said. ld


It has b en the lament of e


d “


re used to be il d


b u


the site, a few years ago the windows on the north side of the building were replaced for $23,000. It is hard to believe they original church, complete with a basement, cost just over $10,500 to built, and the rectory a meager $1,200.


At left, Richard Tumbach loves his church and has been going to it since he was a child.


historical


Southwest Progress Report 2012 9


Photos by Elizabeth Heatcoat The Blumenfeld Church records go back a century to 1912. Catholic settlers from Romania and nearby countries had settled the area in 1908.


A praying angel statue accentuates an already beautiful interior.


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