County of site: Montgomery County
Location of site: MO-P, N. of MO-19 & Rhineland and S. of MO-K & Americus
Built: 1847, 1873 1910
Architectural Style: Romanesque Revival, Gothic Revival
"The first log church of St. Martin of Tours was constructed on this spot in 1847
by these German immigrant farmers. Even at this early date, the church possessed
a-statue, known as the "White Lady", which was the subject of special processions
and festivals of devotion. In 1873, under the direction of Father Joseph Schaefers,
a new stone church, which was to be the first phase of the present Church of the Risen
Savior was begun. It was constructed in a manner characteristic of Missouri's German
immigrant stone masons, in a simple vernacular form with Gothic Revival detailing
recalling a style familiar from their homeland (photo #1). Other similar stone
churches constructed by German immigrants survive in neighboring counties but this
church is of the purest Gothic Revival design and is therefore unique. At the
time of its construction, the original "White Lady" was stored in the attic and a
new statue bought and placed in the north aisle alter.
"In 1887 Father George Hoehn, a native of Heppenheim, Germany, became priest of
St. Martin's after study in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Louvain, Belgium and service in
St. Louis and St. Charles. Father Hoehn renamed this place, which had been known up
to this date as Rhineland. In 1891 he legally changed its name to Starkenburg because
he felt it was geographically reminiscent of the area of Heppenheim near the hillside
Abbey of Starkenburg near Mainz in western Germany.
"Accompanying Father Hoehn to Starkenburg was his nephew, August Mitsch, a
Marianist brother who served as the Sacristan of St. Martin's Church. Brother
Mitsch found the original "White Lady" in the attic of the church and set it up
amid dogwoods in the Spring of 1888 at the site of the present Chapel of Our Lady
of Sorrows. A log chapel, which is currently located somewhat to the north of its
original position, was constructed to protect the image. Slowly a cult, with a
festival during the month of May, grew up around the "White Lady" and the statue
became known by the epithet "Our Lady of the Woods". The cult which developed
probably had its foundations in a similar cult known to Father Hoehn from his youth
near Starkenburg Abbey in Germany.
"In 1890 it was decided to replace the "White Lady" with a new statue, a replica
of the Pieta of Achterman in the Cathedral of Muenster, known as the "Mater Dolorosa"
(Sorrowful Mother), and the original statue was again stored away.
"The cult continued and in 1891 when a period of severe storms and flooding prevented the harvest and the construction of additions of St. Martin's Church, the
parishioners made a solemn promise to build a new, larger Chapel to the Sorrowful
Mother if their prayers for relief from the rain were answered. The rain stopped
and to fulfill a part of their bargain the first public pilgrimage was held in
September of that year. In 1892 the first pilgrimage was held to this Shrine from
another town when 40 Catholics crossed the Missouri River by ferry from Hermann,
Missouri. In following years processions and festivals held at the Shrine became
more;popular and elaborate. In 1897 Pope Leo XIII granted Plenary Indulgences to
pilgrim visitors to the Shrine at certain times of the year. This had the effect
of greatly increasing the popularity of the Shrine. In 1899, as an outgrowth of
this popularity, the Confraternity of the Seven Dolors was founded here whereby,
during the feast of the Seven Dolors in September, special additional Indulgences
were granted to pilgrims.
"As the years progressed the new Romanesque Revival stone Chapel to the Sorrowful
Mother was constructed where today rest the newly polychromed "White Lady" on the
main altar and the "Mater Dolorosa" on an altar in the north aisle. In addition
several other shrines were built to the several aspects of Mary and Christ (see
Section #7). All of these later structures and buildings are constructed to take
the best advantage of the hilly wooded landscape of the area. For example, the
Lourdes Grotto has been constructed near a stream named Cedron after its Biblical
counterpart and surrounded with rustic bridges and walkways. The Mt. Olivet Grotto
(Grotto of Gethsemene) has been constructed on a hill in solitude to recall the
solitude of Christ in The Garden. The fourteen Stations of the Cross begin and end
across the valley near the summit of another hill, the location of the Holy Sepulcher
and a representation of the Crucifixion. All of these examples illustrate that landscape was an important consideration in the design of the area."
~ NRHP Nomination Form