10/15/2025
Holy Innocents Church Rises from the Ashes
By Chris Docter
Parmelee, S.D. may not look like much at first glance; just a wide spot in another long, dusty, Midwest road. However, upon a closer look, a rich history begins to reveal itself. In fact, before Parmelee was Parmelee, it was Wososo; Lakota for “cutmeat.” It was so named for the ration station that had been built on the creek for the Sicangu, the ancestors of today’s Rosebud Sioux.
Not long after the ration station was built, Episcopal missionaries came to the area with plans of building a church. They studied the vast, wide open country and decided they would put the church on the creek bank, near the station. That was in the 1890s. From the day it was built the Holy Innocents Church became a place for the town to gather in fellowship.
Over the years the church held weddings, funerals, wakes, baptisms, birthdays, celebrations and gatherings. As the town grew, shifted, and was even renamed from Wososo to Parmelee (named after a local store owner) the church remained steadfast. Generations passed and the church stood as a symbol of resilience.
At one point the river bank that the church had been built upon began to crumble and collapse, leaving the church in danger of falling in on itself. The people of Parmelee, strong and resilient in their own right, decided they would use jacks and braces and simply move the church across the road to save it from destruction.For over a century Holy Innocents served as a beacon of light and hope for the people of Parmelee. Then, the night of October 28, 2023, tragedy struck.
“I was actually in Seattle getting ready to board a plane to come back home when I got the call that the church had burned down,” says Reverend Dr. Lauren R. Stanley, Canon to the Ordinary.
She continues to say that everyone’s first concern was of possible deaths or injuries. “There were repairs being done on the church when it burned down. There was no electricity going to it so we knew it wasn’t an electrical fire. But we didn’t know if someone had broken in and started a fire to stay warm.” Fortunately it was determined that no one was trapped in the building as it burned. With electricity and accidents being ruled out, it was suspected that the fire was intentional. Federal investigation ensued and while the cause was never determined, arson was not ruled out.
Holy Innocents was built from wood over 130 years prior. Time and harsh elements had petrified the wood. The church didn’t collapse in a flash fire the way that a newer building would. Instead it slow burned, smoldering in the darkness for hours before anyone realized it was on fire. Finally the south wall collapsed and just like that, the church that had stood for the people for over a century was gone.
Or so it seemed. Instead of hanging their heads in defeat and accepting that the church was gone, the people decided to use the destruction as an example of resilience.
“We have been here seven generations, and we plan to be here seven generations more,” vowed Canon Lauren. The parishioners sifted through the debris in hopes of finding something salvageable. What they found was the church bell, which had cracked when it fell from the tower and had warped as it lay in the burning inferno below. The brass alter cross remained, though a piece was broken off. A few nails from the original construction, over a hundred years before were collected as was some of the melted stained glass. These relics were all the congregation had to start anew.
Now, just under two years since the fire, the church stands strong, starkly contrasted against the expansive prairie landscape.
Holy Innocents’ resurrection stands as an example of what people can do when they come together for a cause. And, it isn’t just the people of Parmelee who have risen to the occasion. Other Holy Innocents churches across the country heard of the small country church’s plight and began efforts to support the rebuild.
The members of Holy Innocents, Lahaina, Hawai’i, who had faced their own church burning down just a few months before due to the Maui fire, immediately partnered with Parmelee. The congregations, having suffered similar tragedies exchanged artifacts from their wreckage and promised to pray for the other church and its people. “We reached out to each other in our grief,” explains Canon Lauren.
News about Holy Innocents’ plight continued to travel and soon a third Holy Innocents was involved. Reverend Dr. Bill Murray of the Sandy Springs, Georgia Holy Innocents reached out and offered support.
“We reached out because there are precious few Holy Innocents Episcopal Churches...To see two locations that share the name burn in the same year was eye opening.” He continues, “We are happy to listen and help and get engaged in whatever way makes sense for everyone.”
And so, between insurance, fundraising, and donations from everywhere across the U.S. and even from England, Holy Innocents has risen again.
While not 100 percent complete, the new building - metal this time - is standing and receiving the finishing touches. As of Tuesday, September 23, the goal of having the church consecrated by Christmas has been achieved. Logistics and weather came together to force the resurrection and consecration ceremony to be held before the church was quite finished, but that doesn’t bother anyone at the ceremony. In fact, as the people of Rosebud mission have done time and time again, they have not only adjusted to the problem, but used it as an exercise in improvisation.
The day of the ceremony, crisp, white sheets are hung inside the building, covering the unfinished walls. Daylight streamed through the windows and was accentuated by a few strings of white decorative lights. Rows of folding chairs substituted for the eventual pews. (Canon Lauren notes that some chairs will actually be part of the final design to promote talking circles and face to face connection.)The smell of the huge meal awaiting them wafted through the building on the cool fall breeze. The people once again made due, and in doing so created a pure grandeur that speaks volumes of their faith.
Canon Lauren, a powerhouse in her own right, worked diligently to build a ceremony fitting of Holy Innocents. She credits others in this processes as well. For instance, Ruth Knife, a member of the Bishop’s Committee, who “did incredible work throughout this process and who orchestrated much of the involvement of the greater community in honoring people,” was an integral member of the team.
Once the churchgoers arrived, prayers and blessings by Russell Eagle Bear and Royal TaSina Wataninsni Ezoza Jr. set the ceremony in motion. Everyone joined in hymns and prayers. Rt. Rev. Jonathan Folts, Bishop of South Dakota, consecrated and dedicated the new building, preached and celebrated the Eucharist. Rev. Dr. Murray traveled from Georgia to speak. Canon Alexander Graham IV came all the way from Hawai’i, to offer blessings. His church still remains to be rebuilt.
Deacon Brenda Lewis offered her words during the program and Senior Catechist Erroll Geboe also spoke. Geboe, along with Bishop’s Warden Zollie Stone Moran were honored with hand knitted blankets for their efforts.
Afterwards came the mouth watering food, provided by community members and organizations. Those who contributed included Royal TaSina Wataninsni Ezoza Jr. and family, Luti Stone Davis, Mona At the Straight and the Rosebud Episcopal Council. Holy Innocents provided catering from Allstop as well.
The feast of fried chicken, corn, baked beans, pies, cakes, pasta salad, beef and vegetable pit soup, fry bread, roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, dinner rolls, and sheet cake was well received by the parishioners who used the meal as a time to sit with each other and share their memories of Holy Innocents.“It was a glorious day,” comments Canon Lauren, exhausted from the her efforts, but clearly elated by the results.
While the original church no longer stands, its rich history is saved in the hearts of its parishioners. Stories of Holy Innocents and its connection to the area are still shared generation to generation. “I was baptized in the church seventy years ago,” tells community member Joe Kary. “I have a deep connection to it and it is important to see that it is rebuilt.”
It is apparent by the turnout at the new Holy Innocents consecration on Tuesday that while the church itself had been greatly missed, its congregation never lost faith in the church’s ability to be reinvented. The ceremony that day is simply the first in seven generations more of memories for the Rosebud tribe and the town of Parmelee.
