Hill County Preservation Commission to sell Christmas ornament of St. Jude Church

The Havre/Hill County Preservation Commission recently selected St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church as the model for their 10th annual Christmas Ornament, 100 of which have been made and will be sold at the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce and the St. Jude's Church office.

The proceeds from this sale will go towards a Preservation Fund established by the preservation commission used to support projects to preserve the history of the Havre and Hill County area.

The first of this year's ornaments was presented to the Rev. Daniel Wathen Wednesday afternoon and the rest will be sold for $20 each, along with previously issued ornaments left from other years for $15 each.

Wathen, who has been at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church since November 2011, said when he was told by the commission that the church had been selected, he didn't really have an expectation, but he is nonetheless very impressed with how the ornament turned out.

"I didn't know what to expect really and I was really please with it, and I think it's gonna sell," he said.

He said he's especially happy that the church has been selected in 2020 of all years.

"In a year where COVID-19 has caused such a loss of hope, it was a great honor to be selected for the 2020 ornament," he said. "Hopefully, it will remind people that there is still great and faith present throughout our community."

St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church Development Director Kathryn Tilleman said she is similarly excited, and the selection took her by surprise.

"I was at work one day and I missed a call and I listened to the voicemail and it was(Preservation Officer) Becki Miller... it was pretty exciting," she said.

The church was built in 1924 in the style of the Spanish missions.

The previous incarnation of St. Jude Thaddeus Church, which became a parish with a resident priest in July of 1903, finished construction in 1900 after its predecessor, built in 1894, was destroyed by a tornado in 1898.

A more central location for the church became necessary as the area's population grew, and Sept. 11, 1914, the current property was purchased, and Hill County purchased the former church property for the Hill County Courthouse. 

The current building completed construction in 1924.

"It's one of the historic buildings in the town," Wathen said.

Miller said these ornament sales help pay for projects like the photomurals on the Holden's Hot Wheels and Eagles buildings.

"It's something that we started about 10 years ago, because we wanted to have some fundraising money to be able to do preservation projects here in Havre and Hill County," she said.

Miller said the commission's efforts have been significantly slowed down lately due to the COVID-19 pandemic and their not sure what project the proceeds from this year will go towards, but she said she's confident that this year's ornament will sell particularly well, contributing to a healthy track record for the fundraiser.

She said the commission is considering a number of future projects, including reprinting its downtown business map and is working on documenting buildings up at Montana State University-Northern.

Miller said the very first ornament was of the historic post office and they only made 50 of them, which sold out in less than two weeks; now they make 100 each year.

"Some sell better than others, but I have a feeling this one will be pretty popular," she said.

Remaining ornaments, of the Hill County Court House, Episcopal Church, Donaldson Hall at Northern, Fort Assinniboine Kiwanis Chapel, the Clack Elevators, the Burnham Schoolhouse and Carnegie Public Library will all be available along with this year's ornament.