Old St. Anne's Pass

ABOVE: This picture is of a 1906 bridal shower in Watkins MN for Millie McCarthy and Jack Vossen at the Ehlers Home. Esther Catherine (Old St. Anne's Pass) was a niece of Millie.... Jack and Millie had three children. Two of their children, Rose and Rita, shared stories with this author regarding Old St. Anne's Pass. Esther Catherine said that many of these women in the picture were members of the Prayer Group as mentioned in this chapter, "Prayer Ceasefire." Click on the photo to see a larger version with a listing of names of those in the photo.

ABOVE: St. Anthony's Church Cemetery Watkins - This was the spot where the final prayers were said on April 14, 2004. This took place 139 years to the date of The Broken Sacrament. The Prayer Group stood on this small road and so it came to an end.

(Picture taken by Dan Becker).

ABOVE: Old St. Anne's Cemetery In The Trees - The final scene in this chapter took place here as the gateway closed and all the souls left The Stone Chalice. In terms of spiritual symbolism, it marked an end of this generational blood-line living in

The Stone Chalice.

(Picture taken by Dan Becker).

AT LEFT: Esther Catherine Becker 1912 - This was the woman that passed down the majority of Old St. Anne's Pass legend. She was also the 3rd generation prayer group organizer. She took the duties from her grandmother Elizabeth, and passed them down to her niece Mary Eileen. Although Mary Eileen attended church regularly, she considered herself the least charismatic of all the generations. However, she may also have been the most loved.

(Picture owned by Dan Becker)

AT RIGHT: Esther Catherine Becker 1986.

CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE

ABOVE: Creek Of Death - During this chapter, the Author and his brother found many dead animal bones and half carcasses in this mud creek as children. They felt a powerful evil force travel through these trees. They later learned that it was likely farm chemical runoff going into this creek that caused those that drank from it to die.

(Picture taken by Dan Becker).

ABOVE: Clement John 1898 - Shortly after this picture was taken, Clement John was thrown from a horse and received a traumatic brain injury as a young boy. He suffered speech and learning problems as well as seizures. He died in 1939. He was not married, and struggled through life trying to be as independent as he could. He was an active member of the prayer group often taking all night shifts.

(Picture owned by Dan Becker).

AT LEFT: Grandparents In The Stone Chalice - This family picture showed Frederick William, his wife Nell, and three of their grandchildren. Left was Michael, center was Danny, and right was Heidi. To the right of these folks was the weeping willow tree so often mentioned

in this chapter...

(Picture owned by Dan Becker).

Prayer Ceasefire -

The story of a central Mn prayer group that went without stopping for 139 years. It started by The Benedictine Priest at St. Johns and continued with locals from Old St. Anne's and St. Nicholas (both in Stearns County) later joined by St. Anthony's of Watkins (In Meeker County).

This chapter detailed spiritual symbolism behind The Stone Chalice as a witness into purgatory. What is purgatory, and where is purgatory? Although the church teachings suggest it is in a place we can't know, Elizabeth (of Old St. Anne's Pass) believed The Stone Chalice was purgatory. She left the old country and felt her new settlement here was not in heaven. This chapter watched a child as he believed he was entering purgatory each time he passed into The Stone Chalice, and was gifted to be able to witness the souls.

The ongoing prayer group finally stopped in the St. Anthony's Church Cemetery on April 14, 2004 just after the burial of its 4th generation (and final) organizer Mary Eileen. This chapter ended with the closing of a spiritual gateway at the Old St. Anne's Church Cemetery.

To read the complete story of Prayer Ceasefire, please visit the Stearns historical society museum

*NOTE - PHOTOS WHICH ARE LINKED WILL OPEN IN A NEW BROWSER WINDOW. CLOSE NEW WINDOW TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE.