History

St. Rose Church and School are named for St. Rose of Lima, the first saint of the Americas, who was born in Lima, Peru, in 1586 and died in 1617.  The church was founded in a small wooden building in 1897 and the early parishioners worked extremely hard to realize their goal of a new church building and a Catholic school for their children.  The first church was dedicated in 1910 and the first school opened in 1924, with Benedictine Sisters from the Villa Scholastica serving as school staff.  The current building, which houses the church and school, was completed in 1962.  At that time the school was staffed by five Sisters and three lay teachers, with an enrollment of 200 students.  The last Sister at the school was Sr. Helen Geisen, who served as the principal.  The school has been staffed exclusively by lay people since her departure in the early 1990's.  St. Rose School has been an integral part of life in Proctor since the city's earliest days, and is still highly regarded by the community.  The parishioners continue to have a deep commitment to the success of the school, believing that Catholic education best serves their children and grandchildren as they grow.