Bunker Catholics Will Welcome a New Pastor to Its New Church - Wayne County Journal Banner
The new church stands on the same property as the previous place of worship, a 100-year-old “house-church” which was the last of its kind in the Southern Missouri Diocese of the Catholic Church. Father Dan Hirtz, who has served Bunker as pastor for the past 17 years, said he is not sure just what the church will do with the older building and playground behind it, but hopes it can be used to help the community in some way. Construction for the church was done by Cahill Construction in Salem, with local church members doing much of the inside work themselves. Father Hirtz also served as pastor for the Sacred Heart Parish in Salem and St. Jude Chapel in Montauk during the 17 years he was pastoring the mission in Bunker. He was recently assigned to another ministry to begin July 1 and will be replaced in the Salem, Bunker, Montauk ministries by Pastor William Hennecke. The new Bunker pastor is currently the chaplain at Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau, where he has served since 2010. The change will be a homecoming of sorts for Pastor Hirtz, who will be returning to Piedmont to serve as pastor... Source: www.waynecojournalbanner.com
