AP Photo: Father David Richter stands Friday in front of the new rectory at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in Minot, construction of which was completed in July.
Last July, Father David Richter had already been pastor of the Catholic Church of St. John the Apostle for eight years. The anniversary was duly celebrated with the completion of the new rectory.
The new rectory, the residence of a priest or minister, is located just a stone’s throw from the church and was a long-awaited addition to the parish, as the congregation had previously used a nearby single-family home.
“It was built as a family home and it doesn’t really work if you want to have more than one priest and design the space accordingly. In the ’60s, the requirements for a house were different to today in terms of privacy and so on.” said Richter. “A rectory has more space for three or four priests than for a family with eight or ten children. The reason for this is that it is more like a group of friends living together or a dorm or an apartment complex, so each priest has his own privacy and his own space.”
Groundbreaking for the project took place on July 25, 2023 – the 62nd anniversary of the parish’s founding – and Richter began moving in on July 4 of that year. The new rectory includes three separate suites and a fourth bedroom, as well as common areas and a private chapel. Other amenities include a patio and furniture provided by a local furniture store.
“We did it in just over 11 months, so it was a little faster. It was pretty much what we set out to do,” said Richter. “It’s great. It’s what I hoped and expected. And I think it turned out better than we imagined.”
Richter said when the parish was founded, the plan was to have a school and convent in addition to a rectory, but plans changed when the sisters decided to run the school. Instead, the school building was converted into the parish’s church, and the planned rectory never came to fruition. Although discussions had been ongoing since Richter took office as St. John’s pastor, the timing of a generous donation and the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the parish to move forward with construction.
“We saw COVID and everything went up, so we expected lower expenses at the beginning, but you have to make do with what you have,” said Richter. “It turned out well. There were a few small problems and such, but in the end I’m really happy.”
The new rectory project was accompanied by a capital campaign to make a number of upgrades to church technology to improve accessibility and make electrical systems more efficient, as well as repairs and other quality of life improvements. While the donation covered much of the cost of the rectory, Richter felt it was important to broaden the scope to allow parishioners to have participation and shared ownership of the new building.
“It’s nice to go through this and get through it now, because it’s hard to change and it takes work. But once you do, you have an advantage. It’s not my house. It’s St. John’s.” said Richter. “It belongs to the people who founded it, their descendants and the members of the church community.”
Richter and retired priest Father Patrick Cunningham are the current residents of the new rectory, and Richter said he would welcome more additions in the future now that the additional space is available.
“It’s good to have someone. I grew up with nine brothers and four sisters, so it’s strange living alone. It’s nice to have someone to talk to.” said Richter. “It gives us flexibility. Whatever we do, it’s not for our own benefit, it’s for the benefit of the people in the community. And when we have that and can do that, it’s easier. It benefits the community.”
