HOLY GHOST CATHOLIC CHURCH

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HOLY GHOST CATHOLIC CHURCH. Due to the rapid growth of population in SACRED HEART CHURCH, the Most Rev. John HENNESSY in 1896 created a new parish, Holy Ghost. The first pastor for the new parish was Right Rev. Msgr. F. X. Feurstein, then pastor of St. Mary's Church in Cascade. The land for the church and school was purchased for $12,800. Architectural plans were drawn by Martin Heer.

On June 3, 1896, the cornerstone was laid and the dedication of the completed building was made on December 20. A combined church and school was planned so that the entire building might be used in the future solely for school purposes. The building also contained the living space for the Sisters who taught the school that opened on January 4, 1897, with an enrollment of 102 students, a number that more than doubled by 1903.

The growing needs of the school and the need to provide the Sisters with a more comfortable home led to the construction of a new building at a cost of just over ten thousand dollars. In 1915 work began on a new church that was dedicated on July 4, 1916. Designed by Guido BECK, the church was constructed in the form of a cross.

In July 2001, WAHLERT HIGH SCHOOL and all Dubuque Catholic Elementary Schools and the Catholic Early Childhood Centers, joined to become a system called Holy Family Catholic Schools. This resulted in the consolidation of and closure of several long time schools, including Holy Trinity, Nativity, Sacred Heart, St. Joseph Key West, St. Joseph The Worker, St. Mary's, and St. Patrick's. Besides Holy Ghost, the other remaining elementary schools were Resurrection Elementary School, St. Anthony Elementary School, and St. Columbkille Elementary School.

The 1987 through 1993 Dubuque City Directory listed 2917 Central.