Calvary Cemetery Project

The Great Falls Division of Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians – Sister Amadeus Dunn has been engaged in a project that falls under our precept of Catholic Action for our Community.

We chose in March of 2016 to do a restoration on the monument to the 1st Rector of Saint Ann’s Cathedral here in Great Falls as part of the 125th Anniversary of the Cathedral. He was the Reverend Father James J Dols. It was erected after his death in 1898. Since this part of the original Catholic cemetery no longer receives perpetual care, it has been ignored and become over grown with grasses, weeds and an unidentifiable tree.

The following is an excerpt from the Anaconda Standard:

Death of Father Dols. St. Ann’s Loses a Much Beloved Pastor

Great Falls, May 30–At 8:55 this morning Rev. Father John James Dols died at the Columbus hospital, and a few minutes later the tolling of the bell on St. Ann’s Catholic church gave notice to the members of his congregation that they had lost a well-beloved pastor and the citizens of Great Falls that they were deprived of one of their best fellowmen. The Father has been ill since the last of Easter week. The trouble at first seemed trifling, but soon developed into pleura-pneumonia with complications. It has been known for the last two weeks that he was getting weaker each day and the chances were decidedly against his recovery.

Father Dols was born at Zitter, Holland, in 1848, and was engaged in mercantile business there before he prepared for the priesthood. He studied for the latter at the American College at Louvain, Belgium, and was ordained for the calling of priest in 1875. During that same year he was assigned to the diocese of Oregon, and was pastor of the parishes of Gervais and McMinnville. In 1881 he was sent to Butte and remained in that city until 1885. His next pastorate was at Dillon. Early in 1891 he was selected as the first resident priest of Great Falls, and has resided here since that time. He was instrumental in having the Columbus hospital built here and has assisted in the management of that charity since. He was also a prime mover in the building of churches in Belt and other points in the surrounding country.

The deceased will not soon be forgotten by the people among whom he has labored for the past seven years. While perhaps energy was his most characteristic trait there was something about his personality that made a friend of everyone brought into contact with him. Perhaps, as many outside his church mourn his death as there are within it. In all things he was broad-minded and did not hesitate to show his caliber. More than that, he had that charity that goes outside of a man’s small circle and accepted a stranger as a neighbor. A good man has died and the loss is not so much one of the Church as one in which the city of Great Falls and the people of Cascade County are involved.

The funeral will take place from St. Ann’s Catholic Church Wednesday morning at 10 o’clock.



The Anaconda Standard (MT), 31 May 1898 (excerpt)

Our plan is to have the ground surface area covered with concrete and install additional granite stone with an outline picture of the Cathedral etched in it. The project is being financed by funds raised by The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians and personal donations. If anyone would like to contribute to this project, send a check made to Great Falls LAOH, c/o of Colleen Galvin Holzheimer, 265 Fisher Rd, Great Falls, Mt 59405