Diocesan park to be memorial to Fr. Alexander Berghold

New Ulm, MN - The New Ulm diocesan Father Alexander Berghold Memorial Committee has initiated a commitment to the development of a memorial honoring Father Alexander Berghold, first pastor of Holy Trinity Cathedral in New Ulm. Berghold was also the inspiration for the construction of the outdoor shrine marking the 14 stations of the Passion of Christ known as the Way of the Cross.

The centennial anniversary of the shrine is approaching and preparations for its renovation are nearly complete. In addition to finishing the landscaping plan, the Father Alexander Berghold Memorial Committee has turned its efforts toward the placement of a memorial to Berghold with appropriate signage and interpretive information about his work and the Sisters of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ who built the Stations and staffed the Loretto Hospital and the St. Alexander Home for the Aged.

Loretto Park, formerly a beautifully landscaped area at the entrance of the shrine, northwest of the present New Ulm Medical Center, is being restored as the site for the memorial park. The present site shows evidence of an existing park with pathways leading to the entrance of the Way of the Cross.

The project will progress in four stages: opening the original walkways; installation of the chapel bell; the commissioning of a statue of Father Berghold; and the placement of a reflection bench and pergola.

The New Ulm diocesan Father Alexander Berghold Memorial Committee met recently to elect new officers.

The Alexander Berghold Memorial Committee officers are: Paul Hillesheim and Cal Verna Wilfahrt, co-chairs; Mary Tauscheck, secretary. Other committee members include: Robert A. Andersen, Mary Ellen Domeier, Duane J. Koble, Dr. LaVern J. Rippley, Rev. George V. Schmit, Dr. James R. Seifert, and Kenneth Stadick. Donations to the Fr. Alexander Berghold Memorial can be sent to: Berghold Memorial Fund, Diocese of New Ulm, 1400 6th St N, New Ulm, MN 56073.