Church History

The Winifred Mission was started in 1913. The first Mass was celebrated by Father Van den Broeck, parish priest of Lewistown, in the Milwaukee—St. Paul Depot. Father Van den Broeck recalled at that time it was just 30 years before that he had celebrated the first Mass in Great Falls.

Priests were sent out from Lewistown in infrequent intervals to say Mass in Winifred. Among them was Father Molyneaux. For 20 years, the mission priest carried in a suitcase one set of complete vestments, necessary linens, and even the altar stone. Mass was held in the public school building, in the dance hall, in private homes, or wherever it was found to be convenient.

When the parish of St. Victor was established in Hilger in 1920, the people of Winifred were served from there. Reverend Aloysius Muller was resident pastor for five years, 1920-1925. When Father Mueller moved the seat of the parish to St. Aloysius Church in Winnett in 1925, Winifred was put under its jurisdiction.

Around 1930, the old bank building was purchased for approximately $300. The money was raised by contributions from the community. This was to be the first official church building for the Catholic congregation. Despite the small size of the church, many baptisms and weddings were celebrated there.

In 1935, St. Victor’s in Hilger was again designated as a parish, and Winifred became its mission and continued to be served by the Hilger priests and then priest from Saint Leo’s in Lewistown. Holy Family remained a part of St. Victor’s Parish until December 8, 2003, when the Hilger parish was disbanded due to inactivity. Saint Leo’s in Lewistown had been assisting Holy Family for many years, and at this time Holy Family became a mission of Saint Leo’s.

In the early 1970s the Catholic congregation was looking for a way to meet the needs of their growing numbers. During the summer of 1973 a tragic fire destroyed the Methodist Church in Winifred. In response to the need for a church for the Methodists and more room for the Catholics, it was decided to build a church together. It was completed in the summer of 1975, and the two churches continue to share the building today.

The old bank building was sold and used for storage, as Gardy Peterson’s shop, and most recently Winifred Tire before being torn down in 2011. The statues and crucifix were moved to the newly built church and remain there today. After St. Victor’s in Hilger was disbanded, the tabernacle from St. Victor’s was moved to Winifred, and the confessional was removed to make a space for the Blessed Sacrament.

On the night of August 23, 1973, the Winifred area was the site of a heavy rainstorm and severe thunderstorm. The bell tower of the Methodist Church took a direct lightning bolt, and in minutes, the whole top of the roof was afire. Hampered by the severe storm and the quickness of which flames spread, the fire department was unable to save anything. In response to the need for a new Methodist church and the Catholics needing a better church building, it was decided to build a church together.

After many meetings and much thought and prayers from both groups, they came up with a plan agreeable to both churches, and then the work began. The church was built on the site of the burned out church and was finished in 1975. This continues today to be the location for the shared worship space of the Catholic and Methodist Churches of Winifred, Montana. Holy Family Catholic Church remains a mission of Saint Leo the Great of Lewistown.