211 21st Ave SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

319-362-7282

St. Ludmila , established in 1914 by five Notre Dame nuns from what was then Czechoslovakia, began as a school in an old frame house. Later, Mass was held. Centered in the area where most of the city’s Czech immigrants first settled, it wasn’t long before it was too small to hold everyone who wanted to attend Mass.

In 2001, the church moved to its current address at 211 21st Ave SW. Our goal with our brand new Community Center is to grow our ministries. The Community Center is connected to our worship space and is 100% accessible to all our parishioners regardless of physical abilities and will preserve our natural resources by being energy efficient.

The facility houses our offices, classrooms for Reli gious Education, Youth Ministry, Adult Faith For mation, a designated space for Bingo, an industrial kitchen that can be used for baking kolaches, cater ing and providing community meals. This new facili ty is an all-purpose space that can be used as a gym nasium, a reception hall, music facility, or for family gatherings and parish functions.

1906- The first records of our parish date back to 1906 when five acres of land and a house with 8 small rooms known as the Gillet Estate were purchased by Rev. Florian Svrdlik and John A. Viktor for $2800.00. The main purpose was for establishing a Bohemian Home for the Aged and a school.

1907- Urgent requests from America begged for Czech sisters of the Notre Dame order to come to Cedar Rapids for the Czech Catholic immigrants.

1914- The home and property was the New Year’s Eve offering to the Notre Dame Sisters provided they would agree to establish a school for the children of the Southwest side of Cedar Rapids.  The Notre Dame Sisters agreed to staff the school.

October 15, 1914- The first Notre Dame Sisters arrived in Cedar Rapids.  Sisters Qualberta, Agnes, Januaria, Cecilia, and Martha were the first 5 to serve our parish.  The sisters were not able to move into their new “home” but had to stay in private homes until the repairs were completed on the house that they would occupy.  Their convent would serve as the temporary headquarters and formation center for the Notre Dame Sisters in the United States.  The convent served as housing for the Sisters, the classrooms for the school, and the chapel for the parish Masses.  These sisters were paid $15 for their 9 months of teaching and they were also responsible for all the repairs, furniture, equipment, interior and exterior needs of the house. 

October 23, 1914- The school opened with the sisters teaching 65 students in 2 classrooms for 8 grades.  The sisters taught music, sewing, handcrafts, manual training, religion and gardening in addition to the traditional academic classes.

November 6, 1914- The first Mass was celebrated in the classroom at the school.  Fr. Svrdlik desperately wanted to have a chapel for the sisters.  He built a small altar in the niche of one of the classrooms where the Eucharist would be kept.  The sanctuary was separated from the classroom by a heavy curtain.  Many people started coming to Mass in the small chapel.  Space was so limited that the people had to stand outside the windows of the chapel.  Eventually a tent was provided on the lawn for the crowds.  The priest used the house porch as the pulpit.  The number of people attending continually increased and Fr. Svrdlik realized that these conditions could not go on.    

August 15, 1915- Ground was broken for the construction of the first brick school.  The people of Cedar Rapids and surrounding communities contributed generously to the building of this school.  The sisters contributed their mite by promising to staff the new school at $15 each month for each sister for a period of 5 years.  The students also contributed towards the new school thru handy work, performing plays, and singing for money.  All proceeds were donated to the construction of the new school.

February 13, 1916- the first Mass was celebrated in the chapel of the school.

1916 - Since the school was moved out of the sister’s house, the sisters undertook at their own expense an addition to their home.  They added 3 bedrooms, a bathroom, 5 closets, the kitchen and dining room were enlarged, and a basement was built under the addition for a furnace.  Electric lights were installed for the first time.

1918- The Notre Dame Sisters moved their headquarters from Cedar Rapids to Omaha, Nebraska where it still remains today.

1922- Board of Directors of the Bohemian Home for the Ages signed over the property of the corporation to the parish because there was no hope in sight of carrying out the original intention and  the land was needed for the future expansion of the parish.

October 6, 1922 Msgr. Francis Hruby was appointed the first official pastor of St. Ludmila.

March 16, 1926- ground breaking took place for the construction of a new church.  The church was built for $29,197.62.

May 9, 1926- The cornerstone of the new church was laid.

September 6, 1926- The new church was consecrated.

1929- The new Schaefer pipe organ, the first of its make west of the Mississippi was installed and blessed.  This was a gift from many individuals.

1932- The stained-glass windows were installed. 

1932- The large church bell was purchased for $394.34 and donated by the Frolic Club.   The bell was consecrated  May 8, 1932 by Reverend Archbishop Francis J. Beckman, S.T.D.

1936- The first assistant pastor, Rev. John Chihak came to serve the parish to accommodate the growing membership so there could be an early Mass.

1934-35- The Frolic Club worked to put the surrounding parish land into final shape and name it the Frolic Field.  This was where the Kolach Festivals were held.

1938- Parish rectory with garage was constructed for $13, 908.46 including furnishings. 

1956- A lay teacher joined the staff at the school.

January 28, 1962- New convent (now parish center)  was completed.

1968-69- The church building was reconditioned under the leadership of Rev. Albert Zachar.

1995-2000- Parish council began evaluation of existing church and explored options of major repair and renovation or construction of new church.  An Ad Hoc committee was formed and they undertook the task of evaluating the needs of our growing parish, starting the capital campaign for a new parish, hiring architects, and beginning the demolition and construction project. 
Plans were made to take down the existing church building plus the old rectory and garage.  The pipe organ, bell, stained glass windows, and statues were preserved and restored for use in the new church building.  Bricks from the old church building were sold as mementos. 

1999- Convent was converted to the current parish center.

June 25, 2000- A Prayer of Transition ceremony was held to leave the old church and move to temporary worship space in the school cafeteria.  Parishioners in a precession transferred sacred items.  The bell was rung by descendants of the founders as parishioners left the church building for the last time.

July 2000- The old church building and rectory were taken down.

July 23, 2000- Blessing of the site for the new church building was held.

August 2000- construction on the new church began.

2000-2001- Special items preserved from the old church were restored and placed with honor in the new church.  Ivan Grabe refurbished the bell. Hershey Studio of Milton, Iowa refurbished the stained glass windows, and the pipe organ was completely restored by Eldon Pretz.  Maria White of Monticello, Iowa restored the old and valuable statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and Jesus, St. Ludmila, and the Infant of Prague.  The statues have glass eyes, which makes them even more valuable.  The Infant of Prague has a porcelain face and is rare.  The Pro Life With Love committee donated the Madonna and child bronze sculpture for a memorial garden outside the church building.

September 1, 2001- Dedication ceremony of the new church was held and conducted by Most Rev. Jerome Hanus, O.S.B., Archbishop of Dubuque.

2011- present rectory was purchased.

2024 - completion of the Community Center.