It is a Gothic-style church, with stained glass windows, a handcarved main altar, and a striking 200-foot (61 m) spire The parish, part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, is partnered with Ss.

The history of the parish can be traced back to the 1840s when a number of German American families came to the area from Ohio in search of farmland.

A local resident, William Steffen Sr., was sent with two teams of horses to get three bells for the church.

The old high altar was built by E. Hackner of La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Aside from regular maintenance, the organ has remained basically unaltered over the years.

One of the few alterations made to the organ was the addition of an electric blower in the 20th century.

It is not known when the sinkhole formed, but if it had taken out a nearby pillar it could have caused the church building to collapse.

[3] In 1987 it consolidated into Archbishop Hennessy Catholic School,[4] which had two locations: grades K-3 in New Vienna, and preschool and 4-6 in Petersburg.