By RYAN CHRISTNER

rchristner@dailynews.net

VICTORIA -- At only 3 or 4 years of age, Bob Schmidtberger accompanied his parents to his first service at St. Fidelis Catholic Church in Victoria.

That was about 80 years ago, but Schmidtberger, who this weekend was one of a few hundred parishioners attending a special celebration of the church's 100th anniversary, still has vivid memories of those early experiences.

"We were taken to services, and we were supposed to participate in learning the meaning of it," the Victoria resident said while waiting in line for a luncheon following Sunday morning's Mass.

At 6, he received his first Communion. In his teens, he was confirmed as a "soldier of Christ."

Later, he moved away, joined the military and then took up a job east of Russell, but he couldn't stay away forever. The desire to come home and raise his family was too strong, he said.

Having the opportunity to be present at the church exactly 100 years to the day that the cornerstone of the church was laid and to share that experience with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren made the day even more special.

"It means a lot," he said.

The St. Fidelis parish -- today some 1,000 members strong -- dates back to the 1870s, when 23 families of Volga Germans immigrated to the area so they could more openly practice their faith.

As their numbers grew, however, they needed increasingly larger spaces to worship. The current church is the fourth to be built in Victoria and still is large enough to fulfill all of the parish's needs, which was one of the original goals at the time it was built, according to Ivan Werner, a 39-year member of the church and chairperson on the St. Fidelis centennial committee.

"They wanted to build a beautiful house of God that would hold the entire congregation and would last," he said. "I think they achieved that entire goal."

Joan Wellbrock's grandfather was one of those who assisted with the construction of the church.

Having grown up in Hays, Wellbrock said she often spent time with her grandparents at their Victoria home and even at an early age could see the reverence her elders had for their place of worship.

"It was such a treasure to them, the church and everything, and that's kind of grown with me," she said, her eyes watering.

"Now that I'm married, I find it's very special to be here and actually get to attend church here.

"It's very special to our family."

So said many of those in attendance at Sunday's festivities, but it also is held in high esteem outside city limits.

Nicknamed the "Cathedral of the Plains" by William Jennings Bryan in 1912, St. Fidelis receives tens of thousands of visitors each year who come both to worship and admire its architectural beauty.

It also was selected as one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas and 8 Wonders of Ellis County.

It is so well known, Wellbrock said, it's often the first thing people think of when they hear where she's from.

"You'll say, 'Victoria,' (and they'll say) 'Oh, that cathedral,' " she said. "It's just known all over. That's when the pride really kicks in."

Additional centennial celebrations at St. Fidelis are scheduled to take place in 2011, corresponding with the dates of the first ringing of the bells and the church's dedication.