Holy Rosary Parish was formed in 1879 as the first Catholic community in the area, fifteen years after the founding of the city of Bozeman. Until 1885 the congregation was too small to warrant the construction of a church. The situation changed as the congregation grew and, on August 29, 1885 Bishop John B. Brondell dedicated a new Catholic church, naming it after Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary. At that time Bozeman was substantially smaller than the Bozeman of today and the church stood in the country, surrounded by ranches.
As Bozeman grew, so did the Catholic population and by 1905 the little country church was no longer able to serve adequately, so, in 1905, land was obtained at the corner of Main Street and Third Avenue. Construction of a vastly larger and more substantial "granite" brick and stone replacement was begun in the spring of 1907, the cornerstone being laid on June 9, 1907. The cost of the church was to be $65,000. Under a year later the new Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church was dedicated on a cold day in May of 1908.
With a 102 foot tall bell tower and steeple, the church was built to seat 500 on the main floor and another 100 in the choir. From the front, the building is symmetrical save for the tower, which extends upward from the northwest corner of the sanctuary, its opposite member being a much lower gable roofed tower. With stone capped brick buttresses which match buttresses on the sanctuary's sides, the square tower morphs into an octagonal belfry well above the eaves of the sanctuary. Like essentially all openings in the building (a notable exception being a large rose window in the gable end over the triple doored entrance) the belfry vents are purely Gothic in style, each with a small dormer above. Not a true octagon, every second wall of the belfry is smaller than its neighbors, its dormer being commensurately smaller. Above is the standard tall spire, this one covered in sheet metal, with the typical cross atop.
Toward the rear (front from the inside) of the sanctuary are large equal sized transepts, while further back is a three sided chancel extending off the sanctuary's end. Inside the sanctuary and transepts are vaulted roofs with a multitude of recessed light fixtures, as opposed to the more common hanging fixtures. At the rear of the altar are the pipes of the organ. With two manuals and 25 ranks, the
Balcom and Vaughan organ was installed in 2012 and has a total 1,474 of pipes. Off to the right in front of the pipe cabinet is the non moveable console. At the opposite end of the sanctuary, in the choir, is another bank of pipes.
What would a large church (of any denomination) be without its stained glass? Holy Rosary Church doesn't disappoint in this respect, with all the sanctuary glass being of Munich stained glass. A small rose window will be seen in the chancel and a larger one in the gable end of the wall facing Main Street. Many have been dedicated to persons notable in the church's history.
While a good deal of renovation has taken place over time, the church has not been appreciably change from its original appearance. Following is a short compilation of the changes that have been effected.
The church envisioned by Father Thompson would cost $65,000. The walls were to be constructed of Hebron “granite” brick with stone sills and trimmings, together with a slate roof. There were to be massive stone steps leading up to three huge double oak doors. To the right of the steps, a tower was to rise 102 feet, piercing Montana’s big sky and establishing a lasting mark on Main Street. The windows were to be of Munich stained glass. Solid oak pews would seat 500 on the main floor while the choir loft would seat an additional 100. The main and two side altars would be Gothic in style.
In 1942, about forty years after the dedication of Holy Rosary, it was deemed necessary to repair and redecorate the church. In 1948 Rev. Joseph A. Collette re-plastered the ceiling and added decorative travertine sidewalls of plaster. The chapel was converted into a crying room. Decorative painting was done in the sanctuary and on the ceiling of the church. In 1953 the basement of the church was expanded and finished to accommodate a Parish Center.
When Rev. Paul M. Mackin was Pastor in the late 1950s, the sanctuary was redone. The gothic main and side altars were removed, and in place of the main altar was constructed a large wooden canopy. Beneath the canopy, on the back wall, was hung a crucifix. As the dictates of Vatican II began to slowly change the face of the world church, the altar was brought forward in the sanctuary and the altar rail was removed.
In 1977, Rev. Ernest Burns came to Holy Rosary. Father Burns set the wheels in motion for a redecoration of the church and to remove the old school building. The convent was remodeled into classrooms and meeting rooms for religious education.
From 1980 to 1982, Holy Rosary Church underwent much renovation. Under Father Burns’ direction, the following actions were taken: a new heating plant, renovation of the Parish Center, building an atrium to provide an interior entrance to the church, redecoration of the church, and renovation of the rectory. The re-dedication of Holy Rosary Church was held on May 23, 1982.
Since the re-dedication, Holy Rosary Church has undergone few physical changes.
From the Holy Rosary Church