Welcome to St. Paul’s Catholic Church!
The Outside of St. Paul's Catholic Church
The Church is constructed entirely of stone and cement. The exterior is of Bedford limestone and the interior is of sandstone from the quarry in St. Meinrad, Indiana (near St. Meinrad Archabbey, from which St. Paul’s was founded).
Stone sculpture of St. Paul the Apostle.
The steeple is 167 feet high, and as you walk up the front steps, note the stone sculpture of St. Paul, Apostle to the Nations, with the Native people. In the entrance observe the hard terrazzo floor with its unique geometric design.
Shrine of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.
If one enters the Church from the ramp door on the north you will immediately pass a shrine to St. Theresa, the Little Flower, the Patroness of the missions of the Church. Adjacent on the south side of the Church is the shrine of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks, who is the central figure in the piety of the Native people in this country.
To the right of this young Indian maiden is a beautiful portrayal of Our Blessed Mother, Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Under this designation she is the Patroness of the Americas.
Emil Frei of St. Louis, Missouri, did the eighteen stained glass windows. The windows depict the life of Christ, the spread of Christianity, the seven sacraments,
St. Paul and St. Benedict, and the Eucharist, plus the ministry of the priesthood. Note the strong Indian motif in these windows. An art class in the School prepared a variety of tribal designs to inspire the ceiling artwork. The traditional Indian colors of white, black, red, yellow, green for earth, and blue for the sky were used. A student at St. Paul’s Indian Mission School painted the Stations of the Cross.
Mural located in front of the church.
Mr. & Mrs. Carl Zimmerman of Cincinnati, Ohio, did the canvas painting in the very front of the Church. In the upward movement of this mural, centered in the golden illustration of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the central theme of “The Kingdom of God.” Notice the depiction of the saints, angels, and other Native American persons as well. Also note the animals, birds and plant life of the prairie that are included as part of the whole Circle of Life.
Blessed Sacrament Chapel located left of front mural.
Okodakiciye • Saint Paul's Indian Mission 
Comments
I think a few more pictures of the outside, all four sides, would be nice.
We are new at blogging. We are having trouble getting good pictures of the Church because of the growth of the surrounding trees.
Fr. David
This web site is great – I so enjoy seeing and reading about the area that is so much a part of my youth – keep up the good work.
One of the most beautiful churches on the any reservation in South Dakota. Worshipped there many times.
I am reading Mary Elizabeth Carson’s book on her uncle, who was the pastor when the church was built. It is an inspriring story, and well worth reading.
Thank you very much on your comment in regard to Mary Elizabeth Carlson’s book. As time goes on others are coming to appreciate more and more the contributions the Church is making here to the growth of the Mission.
Fr. David
I am a product of St. Paul’s Indian Mission in Marty, SD. My two brothers (Richard and Gary Gullikson) attended there, too. I am now 58 years old and very active in our parish (Sacred Heart in Elgin, TX).
I thank the religious who gave of their lives to teach us and I appreciate them more and more every day; I include the religious, in my prayers, who have passed (Fr. George Lyon and so many others).
Thank you for your kind words. As you probably know, the school is now under the Tribe but we continue the ministry here at the Church. If your ever in the area please stop by.
Sr. Miriam
Sometime in early 1980 while I was lectoring at St Paul’s – my daughter Jamie hid at me feet in the ambo – I was somewhat distracted – but Sr. Eucharia Kennedy got a kick out of that – she so enjoyed the children comfortable in church.
Hi Dennis-glad to hear from you. How is Judy & the family? We are trying to keep our website current, so keep checking.
Sr. Miriam
We appreciate the kindness afforded us by Sr. Patricia and Sr. Miriam when we appeared in the church parking lot when pulled there by the towering steeple as we approached Marty. The artwork in the church is amazing. It has been uplifting to read about online comments written by the 3 sisters who currently minister there. Thank you for a wonderful memory from our drive to the Badlands and The Black Hills.