St. Therese Catholic church celebrates 100 years in Sioux Falls

Sunday brought a celebration a century in the making for one Sioux Falls church.

"To be able to celebrate 100 years of catholic faith being here in Sioux falls it’s just incredible to be able to share that," Saint Therese Catholic Church member Dean Lipetzky said.

The Saint Therese Catholic Church observed 100 years as a parish with a mass from Bishop Paul Swain Sunday, followed by a festival. The day of celebration included a feast, bounce houses and activities for the kids, a silent auction and more.

Bishop Swain says it's great to remember the history and look forward with hope.

"It’s a lot of fun to see the joy in people’s faces. It’s important to celebrate anniversaries. There’s a lot of stuff going on in the world that is not as fun and joyful as this. It’s important to remember those who went before us and as a result of their faith and effort to get 100 years is a beautiful thing," Bishop Swain said.

The parish was originally named Saint John’s Church and the first masses were held under a tent in 1917 for about a dozen families. Saint Therese now serves nearly 500 families.