BLESSED SACRAMENT CHURCH

   History of Blessed Sacrament Church

On the urging of Maria von Trapp, ground for the present church building was broken in 1948. The first mass in this building was held on March 6,1949. In1954, it became an independent parish. For the prior 50 years, Blessed Sacrament was a mission to Morrisville. Mass was celebrated in the local town hall basement.

Two young Burlington architects, Whittier and Goodrich, designed the church building. The windows, walls and ceilings were painted and decorated by internationally renowned French artist Andre Gerard. The paintings depict the life of Brother Dutton, a native of Stowe.

In 2005 the church was renovated and expanded  while conserving its architectural heritage. .

Blessed Sacrament church is build on property that formally belonged to the farm on which Brother Dutton was born.

The church is dedicated to him.

  Brother Dutton: Josef Dutton was born in Stowe in 1843 to a farm family. When he was four, the family moved to Wisconsin.  He worked as a farmer, before becoming a soldier. He was then determined to do penance for his life. He visited the Trappist monastery in Gethsemane for two years, where he read about the life of Father Damien on the Hawaiian leper island of Molokai. It was there that he found his true passion. He joined Father Damien in 1886 to work among the lepers, and spent the last forty years of his life on Molokai.