St. Raphael Catholic Church

St. Raphael Catholic Church, Springfield, Minnesota, was established in 1874 by a well-known pioneer priest from New Ulm, Reverend Alexander Berghold. St. Raphael Catholic Church contributed to the Minnesota Digital Library the photography of Rev. John Gmeiner, who was a priest, an author, lecturer, scientist, and photographer. He served as pastor of St. Raphael Catholic Church in Springfield from 1902 to 1908. These images include churches, children, families, and early 1900 landscapes. In his photography, Rev Gmeiner, an immigrant from Germany, developed his own glass negatives using his own formulas and skill.