UNIVERSITY OF 
 
 ILLINOIS LIBRARY 
 
 AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 
 
 ILLINOIS HISTORICAL SURVEY
 
 CLERICAL BEAD ROLL 
 
 OF THE 
 
 DIOCESE of ALTON, ILL. 
 
 By 
 
 A. ZURBONSEN 
 
 (Sacerdos Altonensis) 
 
 1918 
 
 PRICE, ONE DOLLAR
 
 Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine, 
 Et lux perpetua luceat eis 
 Requiescant in Pace
 
 s
 
 F recent years earnest and laudable efforts are being made of 
 rummaging through archives ami book shelves, newspaper 
 files, scrap-bcoks, etc., for the purpose of delving into the 
 past and of extricating therefrom such facts and figures as 
 are thought to be of importance, or at least oi interest to the present 
 and coming generation. Numerous historical societies, both in church 
 and state are founded for the purpose of conserving and saving from 
 oblivion and destruction such names, deeds and mementos of men of 
 action, who have generously contributed by their noble lives and un- 
 selfish endeavors to the betterment of society. 
 
 To this class of public benefactors >the deceased members of our 
 Catholic Clergy must be added ; hence it seems but just and meet, that 
 their names and achievements be perpetuated and handed down to 
 posterity. Though not all have met with equal success in their voca- 
 tional sphere of activity, yet, all were animated by the one and same 
 impulse, viz, to make the world better than it had been before. To 
 this end they ceaselessly toiled and moiled from early 'till late, for it 
 their noble, unselfish and Christ-like lives were spent. 
 
 It would appear that there were no time more propitious or more 
 opportune than the present that the publication of brief biographical 
 sketches of these indefatigable workers in the Master's vinyard of the 
 Diocese of Alton be launched forth in print. May they serve a source 
 of pious edification to the faithful and a powerful stimulant to their 
 surviving confreres. 
 
 Regarding the Alton diocesan clergy, however, the following bit 
 of history not generally known may here be adverted to, namely, that 
 prior to the erection of the bishopric of Chicago in 1843, the spiritual 
 jurisdiction over the Catholic population of Illinois had been exercised 
 by the bishops of Yincennes and St. Louis. The pioneer priests who 
 in those days ministered to the needs of the people living within the 
 territory of the present diocese of Alton received their "faculties" from 
 them. Many were recalled, however, by their respective Ordinaries to 
 their own dioceses as soon as the creation of the Diocese of Chicago 
 had become an accomplished fact. Our Catholic people of the State 
 were shepherded thereupon by the bishops and priests of Chicago from 
 1843 'till 1857, in which latter year a division of the extensive Diocese 
 of Chicago took place and the Diocese of Alton was called into being 
 Hence, in the list of these biographical sketches the deceased prelates 
 and priests of the former diocese up to the year 1857 must be accorded 
 space and attention if this work would claim merit of completeness. 
 
 Quincy Ittinoi. ZURBONSEN. 
 
 January 1, 1918. 
 
 418578
 
 RT. REV. WM. QUARTER, D. D. 
 
 First Bishop of Chicago, 
 March 10, 1844 April 10, 1848. 
 
 "Serve bone et fidelis, intra in gaudium 
 Domini tui". 
 
 During the fifth Provincial Council 
 of Baltimore which convened May 14, 
 1843, the Bishops present proposed to 
 the Holy See the formation of three 
 new bishoprics, namely, Little Rock, 
 Albany and Chicago. The pious and 
 zealous pastor of St. Mary's, New 
 York City, was appointed first Bishop 
 of Chicago. He was consecrated by 
 the great Bishop John Hughes in the 
 old Cathedral on Mott street, New 
 York City, on the third Sunday of 
 Lent, March 10, 1844. 
 
 With the coming of Bishop Quarter 
 to Chicago the southeastern portion 
 of our present diocese became elim- 
 inated from the jurisdiction of the 
 Bishop of Vincennes, whose valiant 
 clergy were likewise withdrawn, and 
 henceforth became subject to the new 
 Ordinary of Chicago. Some of our 
 older men served yet under him. Like- 
 wise did all jurisdiction of Bishop 
 Rosati of St. Louis cease over Illinois. 
 
 Bishop William Quarter was born 
 in Killurine, Kings County, Ireland, 
 January 21, 1806. When sixteen years 
 
 old he came to America, April 10, 
 1822. The vessel in which he sailed 
 landed at Quebec. He applied to the 
 Bishop of Quebec and Montreal to be 
 received as an ecclesiastical student 
 but his youth was urged as an objec- 
 tion. He then went to Mt. St. Mary's, 
 Emmitsburg, Md., where he was 
 gladly welcomed by Fr. Dubois, presi- 
 dent of that institution. His progress, 
 owing to a well-made preparatory 
 course was rapid. On Sept. 19, 1829, 
 he was raised to the dignity of the 
 priesthood by the Rt. Rev. Dr. Du- 
 bois, Bishop of New York under a 
 special dispensation, he not being 23 
 years old. He became at once pastor 
 of St. Peter's and on June 9, 1833, 
 pastor of the new St. Mary's parish, 
 which position he held till elevated to 
 the Episcopacy in 1844. The recall of 
 the priests by the Bishop of Vin- 
 cennes from in and around Chicago 
 and other portions of the eastern half 
 of the state beset the new Bishop with 
 unexpected difficulties. In conse- 
 quence he set about founding a col- 
 lege, the nucleus of the future Uni- 
 versity of St. Mary of the Lake, be- 
 
 Page Seven
 
 ginning with six students and two 
 professors. Throughout his short 
 episcopal career he maintained the 
 same unflagging, zealous spirit which 
 had characterized him as pastor in 
 Xew York. He set out on a tour of 
 inspection of the diocese. A diocesan 
 visitation in those days was an ardu- 
 ous undertaking fraught with many 
 risks and hazards, at a time when the 
 vehicle was an ox-team or horse 
 wagon, or horse-back, sitting on the 
 quaint saddle-bags, journeying over 
 marsh or prairie or through the forest 
 for Illinois along her creeks and 
 rivers had in the forties her heavy 
 wooded sections. Add to all this his 
 mental work preparing for and hold- 
 ing his synod, publishing his excellent 
 pastorals to mission rectors and their 
 
 flocks, and above all that ever abiding 
 thought "The solicitude of all the 
 Church," of which an account is to 
 be handed to. the Shepherd of Souls. 
 No wonder, being anyhow of a frail 
 and delicate constitution, when he 
 was shouldered "with a load that 
 would sink a navy," he sank under the 
 weight writes Father Shaw in the 
 story of the La Salle Mission and 
 after four years strengthened by all 
 that is refreshing and hopef'il, passed 
 to his Lord, Whom he had served so 
 faithfully. Consummates brevi ex- 
 plevit multa! 
 
 Bishop William Quarter, who died 
 a rather sad and sudden death April 
 10, 1848, was buried in a vault under 
 the main altar of old St. Mary's Cathe- 
 dral, in Chicago. R. I. P. 
 
 RT. REV. JAMES OLIVER VAN DE VELDE, D. D. 
 
 Second Bishop of Chicago, 
 February, 1849^-November, 1853. 
 
 "Hie vir despiciens mundum et terrena 
 triumphans, divitias coelo condidit ore, 
 
 that the Holy See had found a worthy 
 successor in the person of Very Rev. 
 The calamity which by the sudden Oliver Van de Velde, S. J., a native 
 death of the energetic young Bishop of Belgium, born April 3, 1795. He was 
 
 Quarter had cast a pall of gloom and 
 sadness over the youthful diocese of 
 Chicago on April 10, 1848, was some- 
 what mitigated when it became known 
 
 Page Eight 
 
 a former president of St. Louis Uni- 
 versity and vice president of the 
 Order; a man of great moral force 
 and learning, well equipped for the
 
 exalted though onerous and respon- 
 sible position. The brother of the de- 
 ceased Bishop who had been his Vicar 
 General and counsellor in many dif- 
 ficulties and perplexities, V. Rev. 
 Walter J. Quarter, had acted in the 
 meantime as Administrator of the be- 
 reaved diocese, receiving the appoint- 
 ment to that position from the Most 
 Rev. Dr. Eccleston of Baltimore. 
 
 The prominent position occupied 
 by Father Van de Velde in his own 
 Order, the important services ren- 
 dered by him to the cause of religion 
 in the United States and the acquaint- 
 ance which was thus formed between 
 him and many Prelates of the church 
 who entertained a high appreciation of 
 his talents, piety and zeal led to his 
 being selected as the successor to 
 Bishop Quarter in the diocese of Chi- 
 cago. Archbishop Eccleston received 
 from Rome the bulls appointing him 
 to that See Dec. 1, 1848. He was 
 consecrated by the Archbishop of St. 
 Louis, Most Rev. Peter Kenrick, as- 
 sisted by Bishop Loras of Dubuque 
 and Bishop Miles of Nashville, on 
 Sunday, February 11, 1849, in the 
 Church of St. Francis Xavier. at- 
 tached to the St. Louis University. 
 Bishop Spalding of Louisville 
 preached the consecration sermon. 
 
 The advent of the new Bishop into 
 his diocese was hailed with delight 
 by the clergy and laity of Chicago. 
 After spending a few months in ar- 
 ranging the concerns of the diocese in 
 Chicago and vicinity, he began his 
 first visitation July 25, 1849. These 
 visitations were journeys of severe 
 labor and unremitting zeal for the 
 spiritual improvement of his flock. 
 Besides administering confirmation at 
 all practicable times and places, the 
 distances were so great and the means 
 of traveling so inconvenient and un- 
 certain, that he had to pass through 
 the country as a missionary laboring 
 
 for the salvation of souls and per- 
 forming every kind of clerical and 
 spiritual service. Twice he made such 
 episcopal visitations throughout the 
 vast extent of his diocese within 
 whose confines the entire state was 
 embraced, hence also the territory of 
 our present Alton diocese. 
 
 Bishop Van de Velde's health had 
 not been good for several years; he 
 suffered severely from rheumatism 
 which was greatly aggravated by the 
 cold, damp and penetrating air of Chi- 
 cago. His health was still further im- 
 paired by the anxieties of his office 
 and by the hostility and opposition of 
 a small number of his clergy and 
 laity. A few disaffected persons can 
 accomplish much evil, and Bishop 
 Van de Velde found himself fre- 
 quently without adequate sympathy 
 or support in his charitable efforts. 
 (R. H. Clark in "Lives of Deceased 
 Bishops.") 
 
 In consequence of his suffering 
 health and the unfavorable influence 
 of the northwestern climate he for- 
 warded a petition to Rome to be re- 
 leased from the burden of office. It 
 was during the second visitation of 
 his diocese that he finally received 
 from Rome the brief transferring him 
 to the vacant See of Natchez, agree- 
 ably to his own request. The transfer 
 dates from July 2, 1853. Bishop Van 
 de Velde departed for the South Nov. 
 3, 1853, and arrived at Natchez Nov. 
 23, where he was most joyfully re- 
 ceived by all the clergy and people 
 who had so often heard of his great 
 labors, noble sacrifices and heroic ser- 
 vices to religion. 
 
 He died November 13, 1855, on the 
 Feast of St. Stanislaus in whose honor 
 he had just finished a novena, aged 60 
 years and 7 months. His remains 
 were deposited in a vault under the 
 sanctuary of St. Mary's Cathedral in 
 Natchez. 
 
 Pagt Nine
 
 RT. REV. ANTHONY O'REGAN, D. D. 
 
 Third Bishop of Chicago, 
 1854-1857. 
 
 "Os justi meditabitur sapientiam 
 Et lingua ejus loquetur judicium''. 
 
 Bishop O'Regan was born in the 
 town of Lavalloe, County Mayo, Ire- 
 land in the year 1809. After complet- 
 ing his preparatory studies he spent 
 eight years in Maynooth going 
 through a thorough course of philos- 
 ophy, theology, church history and 
 sacred eloquence. Having completed 
 his ecclesiastical studies he received 
 Holy Orders and said his first Mass 
 in the chapel of the Maynooth Col- 
 lege. His superiors were anxious to 
 retain the talented young priest for 
 college work. With great success he 
 taught for ten years at St. Jarlath's 
 in Tuam, after which he rose to the 
 presidency of the institution; this po- 
 sition he occupied for five years with 
 the greatest distinction. 
 
 In 1849 Archbishop Kenrick estab- 
 lished his Seminary at St. Louis and 
 installed Father O'Regan, whom he 
 had induced to come to America, as 
 president. Under his regime the 
 Seminary soon began to flourish and 
 to send forth worthy laborers in the 
 vineyard of the Lord. 
 
 Page Ten 
 
 Since the bishopric of Chicago had 
 become vacant by the resignation of 
 Bishop Van de Velde, the unanimous 
 choice fell upon Father O'Regan as 
 the man eminently qualified to fill 
 the Episcopal office of that rapidly 
 growing diocese. His name for the 
 position was forwarded to Rome. The 
 Holy See, in consequence of the 
 strong recommendation and unani- 
 mous endorsement of Father O'Regan 
 nominated him for the Chicago dio- 
 cese and the bulls of appointment 
 were immediately transmitted to the 
 Archbishop of St. Louis. However, 
 the Bishop-elect strenuously opposed 
 the nomination and sent back the bulls 
 to Rome. But the Holy See had 
 spoken and did not withdraw its ap- 
 pointment. The papers were returne.l 
 to the Bishop-elect, who said: "I ac- 
 cept them only in the spirit of obe- 
 dience." 
 
 On July 25, 1854, the feast of St. 
 James the Apostle, the ceremony of 
 consecration took place in the Cathe- 
 dral of St. Louis, the Most Rev. Arch- 
 bishop Kenrick being consecrator. The 
 assistant Bishops were Rt. Rev. Oliver
 
 Van de Velde of Natchez, Rt. Rev. 
 John Martin Henni of Milwaukee, Rt. 
 Rev. Mathias Loras of Dubuque, and 
 Rt. Rev. Bishop Miles of Nashville. 
 The eloquent sermon was preached by 
 Rev. James Duggan of St. Louis (who 
 a few years afterwards succeeded him 
 as Bishop of Chicago). 
 
 On the 3rd day of September, 1854, 
 the ceremony of installation took 
 place in St. Mary's Cathedral amid the 
 universal rejoicing of the clergy and 
 laity of Chicago. It is easily under- 
 stood that a vast field was opened to- 
 Bishop O'Regan on his arrival in his 
 See city, and mighty interests at stake 
 claimed his immediate attention, and 
 he lost no time in looking after the 
 pressing needs-of the diocese. 
 
 When making a visitation of the 
 diocese, he encountered as many 
 hardships as his predecessors, but 
 physically a strong man, he never 
 knew sickness nor fatigue, hence he 
 would frequently walk from one mis- 
 
 sion to another when the distance was 
 not too great. 
 
 ( But Bishop O'Regan was by no 
 means a happy man under the weighty 
 burden of the mitre. He had accepted 
 the dignity of the Episcopacy under 
 protest, in obedience, and he could 
 never make the onerous duties con- 
 genial to his tastes. After a "trial", as 
 he called it, he determined to go to 
 Rome and place his resignation into 
 the hands of the Supreme Pontiff. 
 Bishop O'Regan's resignation was re- 
 luctaatly accepted and he was ap- 
 pointed Bishop of Dora in partibus 
 infidelium. 
 
 He passed the remainder of his life 
 in quiet retreat at Michael's Grove, 
 Brompton. 
 
 The third Bishop of Chicago died 
 November 13, 1866, aged 57 years. 
 His remains were conveyed to his 
 native parish of Cloufad, Archdiocese 
 of Tuam, where they found their last 
 resting place. R. I. P. 
 
 RT. REV. JOSEPH MELCHER, D. D. 
 
 Bishop-elect of the Diocese of Quincy 
 1853 
 
 Bishop of Green Bay, Wise. 
 1868-1873. 
 
 "Justum deduxit Dominus per vias rectas 
 Et ostendit illi regnum Dei". 
 
 Whilst the first Plenary Council of 
 Baltimore was in session (1852) it 
 was unanimously decided by the pre- 
 lates assembled that the great dio- 
 cese of Chicago which comprised 
 within its jurisdiction the whole state 
 of Illinois, be partitioned and a sec- 
 ond diocese be created. A petition to 
 this effect was at once forwarded to 
 Rome. Pope Pius IX acquiesced in 
 the wishes thus expressed, and under 
 date of July 29, 1853, formally and 
 officially approved of the establish- 
 ment of the new diocese of Quincy. 
 The document which announced this 
 important decision was signed by 
 Cardinal Lambruschini. The territory 
 set apart for the Diocese of Quincy 
 comprised the counties of Adams, 
 Brown, C a s s, Menard,. Sagamon, 
 Macon, Moultrie, Coles and Edgar, 
 
 on a line from the Mississippi to the 
 Wabash river. It was to be a suf- 
 fragan bishopric of the archbishopric 
 of St. Louis. The new diocese had 
 at the time of its erection (rather at 
 the end of 1853) 51 churches, 34 mis- 
 sions, 23 priests and 42,000 members. 
 Bishop Van de Velde had always 
 manifested a great interest for 
 Quincy, yea even previous to the re- 
 ceipt of above mentioned papal bull 
 had already selected a convenient 
 spot for a future cathedral and epis- 
 copal residence there, in June, 1852. 
 Had his ailments and adverse local 
 conditions not influenced him to ab- 
 dicate and move south to Natchez, 
 .Quincy would have had i;s bishop 
 there and then. 
 
 Rome's selection for first Bishop 
 of the new diocese fell upon the Very 
 Rev. Joseph Melcher. priest and Vicar 
 
 Page Eleven
 
 General of the Archdiocese of St. 
 Louis. However, Father Melcher de- 
 clined the honor, and refused to ac- 
 cept. Foreseeing the difficult task 
 which awaited him as Administrator 
 of Chicago, which duty was assigned 
 him since the resignation of Bishop 
 
 local conditions, moreover, aggravate 1 
 such opposition. At the Provincial 
 Council held in St. Louis, October, 
 1855, the opponents to Quincy were in 
 the majority, resolutions were adopted 
 by which the transfer of the See from 
 Quincy to Alton was urgently sug- 
 
 Van de Velde had been acceded to by 
 Rome, he became timorous. The 
 Quincy diocese sede vacante was 
 then placed under the administrator- 
 ship of Archbishop Kenrick of St. 
 Louis and that of Chicago under the 
 Bishop of Milwaukee till the appoint- 
 ment of Bishop Anthony O'Regan to 
 the vacancy of Chicago, who was con- 
 secrated in St. Mary's Cathedral of 
 that city on September 3, 1854. 
 
 And what became ultimately of the 
 See of Quincy? Remonstrances to its 
 continuance were sent to Rome based 
 on allegations that Quincy as a seat 
 of a Bishop was too far removed 
 from the center of the diocese, being 
 located almost in its extreme north- 
 western corner; prevailing adverse 
 
 gested to the Roman Propaganda. 
 Rome acted on this suggestion, the 
 Diocese of Alton was established 
 January 9, 1857, with the appointment 
 of Rev. Damian Juncker, of Dayton, 
 Ohio, as its first Bishop. The diocese 
 of Quincy became absorbed by that 
 of Alton. 
 
 Bishop-elect Melcher continued his 
 duties as priest and Vicar General in 
 St. Louis until his elevation to the 
 bishopric of Green Bay, Wis., July, 
 1868. He died in 1873. 
 
 A native of Vienna, he was born in 
 the Austrian capital March 19, 1806, 
 ordained a priest March 27, 1830, and 
 arrived in America in 1843, when he 
 at once set out for St. Louis, Mo. 
 R. I. P. 
 
 Page Twelve
 
 
 RT. REV. HENRY DAMIAN JUNCKER, D. D. 
 
 First Bishop of Alton, 
 1857-1868. 
 
 I 
 
 ''Amavit eum Dominus, et ornavit eum, 
 Stolam gloriae induit eum". 
 
 Rt. Rev. Henry Damian Juncker, 
 the prelate chosen to preside as first 
 Bishop over the destinies of the in- 
 fant diocese of Alton, was a man dis- 
 tinguished for the sanctity of his life 
 and the devotedness to his mission- 
 ary labors. He was a native of Fene- 
 trange, Diocese of Nancy, Lorraine, 
 born August 22, 1809. He came to 
 this country when young, attached 
 himself to the Diocese of Cincinnati, 
 made his ecclesiastical studies in that 
 city and was raised to the priesthood 
 by Bishop Purcell on Passion Sunday, 
 March 16, 1834, at Cincinnati, being 
 the first priest ordained by that Pre- 
 late. 
 
 He was appointed to Holy Trinity, 
 the first German church in Cincinnati 
 and in 1836 became rector of St. 
 Mary's Canton, attending it with its 
 numerous missions, for ten years, 
 when he was transferred to Urbana, 
 also a position of no little labor. In 
 1845, he was made pastor of the 
 Church of Emmanuel at D a v t o n. 
 
 Father Juncker had spent twenty- 
 three years in onerous missionary 
 labor until 1857, when he became 
 Bishop of Alton. The consecration 
 ceremonies were performed by Bishop 
 Purcell on Sunday, April 26, 1857, in 
 St. Peter's Cathedral, Cincinnati: The 
 assistant Prelates were Bishop Henni, 
 of Milwaukee and Bishop Young of 
 Erie. There were also present Bishops 
 Miles, Lefevre, Spalding, De St. Palais 
 and Carrell. 
 
 The work to be accomplished by 
 Bishop Juncker in a new and rapidly 
 growing country, then but imperfectly 
 supplied with priests, churches and 
 schools, was arduous and difficult. He 
 spared no effort to build up the church 
 around him, and to supply his flock 
 with the blessings of religion and 
 education. His visitations of the dio- 
 cese were long and severe journeys, 
 and laborious missions among the 
 people, in which the Bishop performed 
 every office of the priesthood. 
 
 At his arrival the Diocese of Alton 
 was supplied with 58 churches, 30 
 
 Page Thirteen 

 
 stations, 28 priests and a population 
 of about 50,000. The Bishop soon be- 
 came convinced that his diocese was 
 suffering for want of priests. Unable 
 to satisfy himself in this country, he 
 turned his eyes towards older lands 
 in the hope of recruiting available 
 subjects. Accordingly he left late in 
 the fall of 1857 for Franc<fe : Italy, 
 Germany and Ireland. In afi these 
 countries his efforts were crowned 
 with success. Accompanied by many 
 of his recruits he sailed for Havre in 
 June, 1858, eager to repair to his dio- 
 cese. On his return home he lost no 
 time to prepare his students for or- 
 dination. To the Franciscans he gave 
 charge of the important mission of 
 Teutopolis in Effingham county. 
 
 The statistics of the Diocese of Al- 
 ton in 1868, the year of the Bishop's 
 death, contain the proudest eulogy on 
 Bishop Juncker and his work. The 
 number of priests were increased to 
 one hundred, besides twenty-five cleri- 
 cal students, the churches to one hun- 
 dred twenty-three, the parochial 
 schools to fifty-six. He bequeathed to 
 his diocese also two colleges for boys, 
 six academies for girls, two hospi- 
 tals and an orphan asylum. He also 
 erected the present fine episcopal 
 residence, designed at the same time 
 to serve as his Ecclesiastical Semin- 
 ary. 
 
 After a long and severe illness, 
 Bishop Juncker died at his residence 
 in Alton on the Feast of the Guardian 
 Angels, October 2, 1868. 
 
 RT. REV. PETER JOSEPH BALTES, D. D. 
 
 Second Bishop of Alton, 
 1870-1886. 
 
 ''Nou est inventus similis illi 
 Qui conservaret legem Excelsi". 
 
 E n s h e i m, in Rhenish Bavaria, 
 claims honor of being the birthplace 
 of the second Bishop of our diocese, 
 the Rt. Rev. Peter Joseph Baltes, D.D. 
 There he first saw the light of day 
 
 Page Fourteen 
 
 on April 7, 1824. When six years old 
 he emigrated with his parents to 
 America. The family settled in the 
 State of New York. At the age of 
 sixteen he took private lessons and 
 thereupon continued his classical 
 course at Holy Cross College, Wor-
 
 cester, Mass. He studied philosophy 
 and theology at the Seminary of St. 
 Mary's of the Lake, Chicago, whilst 
 he himself was instructor in German 
 and acted as prefect of studies. On 
 May 21, 1853, he was ordained to the 
 priesthood at the Grand Seminary of 
 Montreal. His first mission was 
 Waterloo, in Monroe county, where 
 he remained till 1855, when he was 
 ordered to Belleville. Here his first 
 care was to place the parochial school 
 on a good solid basis. For this pur- 
 pose he called in the School Sisters 
 of Notre Dame. His next attention 
 was directed towards building a new 
 church. Everything went seemingly 
 well in spite of many oppositions and 
 difficulties when owing to some de- 
 fects in construction the grand edifice, 
 which was nearing completion, col- 
 lapsed. Undaunted and undismayed 
 by these reverses, Father Baltes re- 
 sumed work again only more com- 
 plete and secure. The dedication of 
 St. Peter's now the Belleville cathe- 
 dral was a day of triumph for the 
 indomitable rector. Archbishop Ken- 
 rick of St. Louis, preached during the 
 Pontifical Mass celebrated by Bishop 
 Juncker. and Rev. P. J. Ryan, the late 
 Archbishop of Philadelphia, delivered 
 in the evening one of his best lec- 
 tures, never to be forgotten by those 
 who had the privilege to hear it. 
 
 When, in 1866, Bishop Juncker 
 went to Baltimore to attend the Sec- 
 ond Plenary Council, his choice fell 
 on the Belleville rector as his theo- 
 logian. Upon the suggestion of Arch- 
 bishop Purcell of Cincinnati, he was, 
 on the way to Baltimore, made Vicar 
 General of the Alton diocese. When 
 Bishop Juncker died, Father Baltes 
 was appointed Administrator of the 
 vacant See. During his administrator- 
 ship he obtained from the Illinois 
 State Legislature the passage of a 
 law under which the Catholic congre- 
 gations and institutions of the diocese 
 could be incorporated, entitled: "An 
 Act to provide for the holding of 
 Roman Catholic Churches, Cemeteries, 
 Colleges and other property." It was 
 
 a wise and prudent move on his part, 
 as was repeatedly demonstrated soon 
 after the law's enactment. 
 
 On September 24, 1869, Very Rev. 
 Administrator Baltes was appointed 
 by Pope Pius IX to succeed Bishop 
 Juncker. The consecration of the new 
 Bishop took place in the church built 
 by him, St. Peter's in Belleville, 
 January 23, 1870. As nearly all the 
 Bishops were in Rome attending the 
 Vactican Council, the difficulty was 
 to secure Bishops for the occasion. 
 Rt. Rev. Bishop Luers of Fort Wayne, 
 one of the few who had remained at 
 home, was the consecrator, assisted 
 by Bishop Toebbe, of Covington 
 just consecrated himself and by the 
 Very Rev. P. J. Ryan, Vicar General 
 and Administra or of St. Louis. 
 
 Father Baltes had been great as 
 pastor, he became even greater as 
 Bishop. This he proved by submit- 
 ting the whole diocese in all its varied 
 activities to a thorough reorganiza- 
 tion. He established regulations, laws 
 and discipline and demanded indis- 
 criminately obedience and respect for 
 Episcopal authority. He waged an 
 unrelenting war on some of the fore- 
 most and ablest Catholic newspapers 
 of the land, which had again and 
 again assailed his authority in matters 
 of discipline. Ambitious in his work, 
 he aimed at finding himself placed at 
 the head of the finest body of clergy- 
 men in the country and a time came 
 when it was deemied an honor to be- 
 long to the Diocese of Alton. 
 
 After a life of great activity Bishop 
 Baltes died February 15, 1886. His 
 funeral took place February 19, and 
 was attended by Archbishops Feehan 
 of Chicago, Kenrick of St. Louis, 
 Heiss of Milwaukee, by Bishop 
 Hogan of Kansas City, by one hun- 
 dred and sixty priests and vast crowds 
 of the laity. The remains were de- 
 posited in the vault under the sanc- 
 tuary of the Cathedral beside those 
 of his predecessor. Bishop Juncker. 
 R. I. P. 
 
 Page Fifteen
 
 REV. HENRY ADER. 
 
 "I thank Thee, Lord, that Thou has kept. 
 The best in store, not known before". 
 
 The people of Carlinville, more par- 
 ticularly those of St. Joseph's congre- 
 gation, were deeply moved when it 
 became known that Rev. Henry Ader, 
 for about ten years pastor of the 
 parish, had died at St. John's Hospital 
 of Springfield. This sad and distress- 
 ing news cast a pall of genuine grief 
 and gloom over many hearts and 
 homes and March 5th, 1909, will long 
 continue to be remembered by them 
 as the day on which they sustained a 
 
 great loss, because on this day death 
 summoned their friend and pastor. It 
 was a shock to all, the announcement 
 of his death, that was somewhat les- 
 sened by the fact that Father Ader 
 had been known to be in a serious 
 condition for several days; his death 
 therefore, was not entirely unexpect- 
 ed. It was hoped, however, till the 
 last that he might rally again and 
 once more be able to take up his 
 duties in their midst. 
 
 Rev. Ader had been operated upon 
 several times in the past for relief 
 from an affliction which he had long 
 borne with Christian, heroic patience, 
 He was very anxious and intent of re- 
 turning to his charge and became 
 envious of the days that his confine- 
 ment under surgical care kept him at 
 
 the hospital and away from accus- 
 tomed daily work. After the last oper- 
 ation had been performed, the good 
 man slowly sank to his death. 
 
 Father Ader was born at Borken in 
 Westphalia, on February 18, 1853, and 
 ordained to the priesthood at Alalines 
 in Belgium on June 7, 1879. Shortly 
 after his ordination the neo-presbyter 
 set out for America, arriving at dio- 
 cesan headquarters some two weeks 
 later. He reported ready for duty and 
 was assigned as an assistant to the 
 Cathedral priest, a position which 
 temporarily so many young priests 
 had to fill the writer not excepted 
 in order to first thoroughly acquaint 
 themselves with the contents of the 
 Bishop's "blue book," namely with the 
 laws, rules, regulations and require- 
 ments which governed the diocese, 
 after a rigorous examination as to 
 the knowledge of them, the successful 
 post-graduate would receive his di- 
 ploma in the shape of an appointment 
 proper. 
 
 Today we live under a somewhat 
 milder form of government which has 
 supplanted the more rigorous ancient 
 regime. The young men of this gen- 
 eration do not know what it meant to 
 us older ones to be summoned into 
 the presence of the Chief, whose repu- 
 tation for severity and minuteness was 
 too well known to all. 
 
 In the instance of our subject who 
 emerged from the inquisitorial rooms 
 "magna cum laude," he received the 
 appointment as assistant to St. Peter 
 and Paul's parish of Springfield. Later, 
 the incumbency of Assumption having 
 become vacant, Father Ader became 
 its pastor for a number of years, 
 1888-95, but was finally assigned to St. 
 Alexis' of Beardstown, 1895-99, as 
 successor to Rev. Wm. Weigand. 
 From Beardstown our good friend 
 was transferred to Carlinville, suc- 
 ceeding Rev. Clement Sommers, 
 whose impaired health had enforced a 
 resignation of the charge of St. Jo- 
 seph's. A stately parochial residence 
 which was here constructed under his 
 
 Page Sixteen
 
 management, evidences the active and 
 zealous life of our decedent. 
 
 Father Ader was a man of fine 
 scholarly attainments, distinguishing 
 himself especially in biblical re- 
 searches and Hebrew language. His 
 voluminous, valuable library was 
 second to none in the diocese. It is 
 regrettable that it was permitted to be 
 sold to outsiders. 
 
 The Rev. C. G. Monro, a Protestant 
 minister of Carlinville, one who was 
 an intimate friend of the deceased 
 priest and associated with him to a 
 great extent in researches and studies 
 paid the following well-merited tri- 
 bute to the talented priest's memory: 
 
 "As well as being a faithful parish 
 priest, the late Father Ader was very 
 well educated and learned, especially 
 was he familiar with the little traveled 
 ground of Hebraistic literature. His 
 studies were not confined to the text 
 only of the Old Testament, but he 
 was conversant with the Talmud, both 
 in the Mishna and Gemmara, both of 
 Jerusalem and Babylon. To him the 
 Halachoth, the Midrashin, the Kab- 
 
 balet and the Yalkut Shimoni were 
 open books, and his knowledge of 
 Jewish traditions and customs was 
 very deep and clear. The late Father 
 was a master of several languages and 
 left behind him a valuable and ex- 
 tensive library, which while contain- 
 ing all the standard works on Jewish 
 literature, is rich also in a number of 
 early publications concerning the civ- 
 ilization of America, long before the 
 days of Columbus. These volumes 
 contain a number of the early exe- 
 cuted maps of this continent and are 
 therefore very valuable and rare. 
 
 "He was a man difficult to know, of 
 a sensitive and retiring disposition, 
 yet when one did become acquainted 
 with him, he became acquainted with 
 a sweet, gentle and charitable nature." 
 
 Having done his duty, he was one 
 of those for whom the past was un- 
 sighed for and the future sure. 
 
 His earthly remains were deposited 
 by the side of one of his illustrious 
 predecessors, the Rev. Francis Os- 
 trop, in the Catholic cemetery of 
 Carlinville. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. JOHN G. ALLEMAN, 0. P. 
 
 "Misericordias tuas Domine 
 In aeternum cantabo". 
 
 The third resident priest of St. 
 Peter and Paul's parish of Collins- 
 ville, was Father Alleman, a Domini- 
 can Friar from the Monastery of 
 Somerset, Ohio. He presided over 
 the destinies of that young congrega- 
 tion from 18S9-'60. Prior to his com- 
 ing to Collinsville he had been for 
 years an indefatigable missioner in 
 Lee County, Iowa, especially in and 
 around Fort Madison, contemporan- 
 eous with Father Brickwedde of 
 Quincy. He is justly styled the 
 "Apostle of Lee County." 
 
 Rev. John George Alleman, says 
 Rev. G. J. Zaiser, (in his Diamond 
 Jubilee edition of St. Joseph's church. 
 Fort Madison, 1915,) was born near 
 Strassburg, in Alsace, probably in 
 1806. He spoke both German and 
 French with equal fluency, hence he 
 was sometimes regarded as a German, 
 
 sometimes a Frenchman. When twen- 
 ty-six years old he entered the Order 
 of St. Dominic at the Convent of St. 
 Rose, Springfield, Kentucky, where 
 he was clothed with the white and 
 black mantle of the Friar Preachers, 
 and began his novitiate in the fall of 
 1832. On March 7, 1834, the young 
 religious made solemn profession of 
 vows. As his course of divinities had 
 mostly been made previous to his 
 religious profession, the young aspi^ 
 rant to the priesthood was ordained 
 by Bishop John B. P u r c e 1 1 in St. 
 John's church, Zanesville, Ohio, June 
 1, 1834. He began at once his mis- 
 sionary labors in the churches of 
 Ohio, traveling through its northern 
 part as an itinerant priest until his 
 departure for the farther west in the 
 summer of 1840. He came to Fort 
 Madison, Sugar Creek and West 
 Point, in Lee county, Iowa, where 
 from 1834-37, Father Lefevre had al- 
 
 Page Seventeen
 
 ready performed missionary duties, 
 likewise Father B r i c k w e d d e, of 
 Quincy, from '37-'39. However, Father 
 Alleman located in 1840 at Fort Madi- 
 son and thus became the first resi- 
 dent priest in that section of the 
 state. He spoke four modern lan- 
 guages fluently (including his own 
 vernacular, German and French), was 
 missionary to the Winnebago Indians, 
 an intimate friend of Chief Keokuk 
 and other Indian chiefs. He intro- 
 duced the first cultivated grapevines 
 into Lee County, many of the present 
 orchards in that vicinity had their 
 origin in the pioneer nursery conduc- 
 ted by him near his little church. In 
 1841-'42 he organized the first total 
 abstinance society in Lee County. He 
 was saintly, generous, kind-hearted 
 and charitable to a fault always 
 sharing his last farthing with any one 
 in need, enduring and zealous, dis- 
 
 playing a remarkable devotion to his 
 calling. 
 
 Father Alleman left Fort Madison 
 in 1851 for Rock Island (and Moline, 
 at both of which places he built the 
 first churches) where he was pastor 
 until 1859. Leaving Rock Island our 
 pioneer missioner became pastor of 
 Collinsville in our diocese in 1859-60. 
 On account of premature age and in- 
 firmities, both physical and mental, 
 brought on by overwork and depriva- 
 tions in his difficult missionary labors, 
 he entered St. Vincent's Hospital at 
 St. Louis, November 26, 1863. He 
 suffered from melancholia. His death 
 occured July 14, 1865, and was buried 
 from St. Vincent's chapel in Calvary 
 cemetery, St. Louis. There beneath 
 the shadow of a great granite cross, 
 beside archbishops and priests, await- 
 ing the resurrection morn, slumbers 
 the dust of this good and noble priest. 
 
 REV. PAUL ASMUTH. 
 
 "Into a joyland above us, 
 Where there's a Father to love us, 
 Into our Home Sweet Home''. 
 
 Fath. Ab. Ryan. 
 
 In 1902 a newly ordained young 
 priest was assigned as assistant to 
 
 St. Mary's of Alton. He had only 
 shortly before received Holy Orders 
 
 at the Jesuit Seminary of Insbruck. 
 It was Rev. Paul Asmuth, a native of 
 Eppe, in Westphalia. He was an ex- 
 emplary young priest, meriting his 
 pastor's entire confidence because of 
 his conscientious and punctual per- 
 formance of duties. Pleasant and con- 
 genial, he soon grew into favor with 
 the parishioners. Of a frail constitu- 
 tion however, his health became un- 
 dermined, consumption set in. Yearn- 
 ing for his home and dear ones in the 
 Fatherland, Father Asmuth rallied his 
 waning strength and returned to the 
 scenes of his boyhood days in the 
 fall of 1906. For five years he tried to 
 ward off the fatal hour which was to 
 terminate his young priest life. Not- 
 withstanding all the loving care and 
 medical aid that was so generously 
 bestowed on him, Rev. Paul Asmuth 
 sank into death's embrace on October 
 10, 1911, at the parental home in his 
 native land. R. I. P. 
 
 Page Eighteen
 
 REV. BARTHOLOMEW BARTELS. 
 
 ''The bells tolled slowly, sadly, 
 
 For a noble spirit fled; 
 Slowly in pomp and honor, 
 They bore the quiet dead". 
 
 A knotty, blunt and rugged charac- 
 ter was old Father Bartels. Fearless 
 and aggressive he hewed his way 
 through life. Like all other priests of 
 early pioneer days he learned many a 
 trite lesson in the school of adversity, 
 disappointment and failure. But he 
 
 brooded not over ineffectual attempts 
 and futile efforts, but tried again and 
 stubbornly forged ahead clearing his 
 way of obstacles and impediments. 
 Neither did he cater to the favors of a 
 fickle world, no, once knowing his 
 duty he fearlessly went ahead to ex- 
 ecute it. He was a man of great con- 
 servative habits, tenaciously clinging 
 to old traditions and customs. He 
 was especially known for his financial 
 ability. Being a man of saving habits 
 Father Bartels accumulated in the 
 course of years a competency which 
 with prudent management and by safe 
 investment he succeeded in multiply- 
 ing. Did he use the money thus made 
 for himself? Go to Bartelso, a place 
 founded by him and called after him, 
 and ask the people for an answer to 
 that question, and they will point with 
 pride to the beautiful church, the 
 school, cemetery, etc., and tell you 
 that the big and generous heart of 
 sturdy, stubborn Father Bartels had 
 provided for all that mainly from his 
 own resources. Nay, more. Among 
 all newspapers one of the foremost 
 champions of the church and her in- 
 
 terests is without doubt the "Amer- 
 ika" of St. Louis. That paper today 
 rests on safe and sound business prin- 
 ciples which guarantee its life and 
 future continuance. It was, however, 
 not always thus, for there was a time 
 when the "Amerika's" financial affairs 
 were rather shaky and in doubtful 
 condition. When creditors demanding 
 their money and no one in sight will- 
 ing and ready to unloosen the purse- 
 strings in aid of this valued paper, 
 Father Bartels proved himself the 
 man of the hour by planking down his 
 hard cash and standing good for all 
 obligations contracted by the paper. 
 He saved the "Amerika" from dis- 
 grace and ruin. For this act alone, if 
 for nothing else, every German Cath- 
 olic in these parts of the country owes 
 him a debt of gratitude. Ripe in years, 
 living more than three score and ten, 
 he passed away at Bartelso, where in 
 the shadow of the cross he found his 
 last resting place by the side of his 
 faithful friend and assistant, Rev. Cor- 
 nelius Hoffman. 
 
 Rev. Bartholomew Bartels was born 
 March 10, 1823, at Cleve on the Rhine. 
 His studies were made partly in his 
 home city and partly at Cologne, 
 Bonn and Muenster. He was ordained 
 in the latter place by Bishop Arnold 
 Melchers, May 29, 1847. For eleven 
 years, from the time of his ordination 
 till the year 1858, the young priest 
 worked in his own native diocese. He 
 came to America at the instance of 
 Bishop Junker, of Alton, who as- 
 signed him as pastor to Teutopolis. 
 From there he came for a few months 
 to St. Boniface of Quincy, then to St. 
 Marie in Jasper county, Freeburg, 
 1860, Millstadt, 1862-65, and two and 
 one-half years to Highland, after 
 which he spent sixteen years as pastor 
 of Germantown, at the end of which he 
 retired to Quincy, purchasing a home 
 near St. John's church and lived the 
 retired life for six years. Bartelso, 
 however, where his main interests 
 were located, lured him away from 
 Quincy, he became pastor of that 
 place, and after three years, May 4, 
 1894, peacefully slept away. R. I. P. 
 
 Page Nineteen
 
 REV. HENRY BECKER, D. D. 
 
 ''Memento Mori'". 
 
 "In manus tuas, Doniine, commendo spiritum 
 meum' '. 
 
 "Memento Mori" was seldom in all 
 its terrible and awsome significance 
 more strikingly exemplified than on 
 Tuesday, September 11, 1917, when 
 
 the Angel of Death summoned Rev. 
 Henry Becker, D. D., from our midst. 
 Apparently in good health and spirits 
 had he assisted less than two weeks 
 previous thereto the bi-annual clergy 
 retreat at the St. Francis College, 
 Quincy, Illinois. During recreation 
 hours the genial and good-natured 
 doctor became as usual the centre 
 around which so many grouped to 
 listen to his inoffensive stories and 
 harmless aecedotes, little thinking 
 that for this universally beloved priest 
 the grave was already yawning, and 
 that he was to be the first to descend 
 into the tomb. Alas! such was the 
 
 cruel fate that awaited him shortly 
 after arriving home aain. But death 
 found him not unprepared. His thir- 
 ty-eight years of priestly life, culmin- 
 ated by a good retreat where the 
 Memento Mori subject is uppermost 
 in the minds of all retreatants, had 
 paved the way for the final call and 
 blissful eternity of the pastor of Pier- 
 ron, Illinois. 
 
 Father Becker was a learned man, 
 a sound theologian, a fine logician 
 and analyst, who commanded over ;i 
 wide range of knowledge and informa- 
 tion. As a mathematician he perfected 
 and published but a few years ago a 
 perpetual almanac, which was well 
 received and by competent men highly 
 endorsed; moreover did he possess 
 more than ordinary astronomical 
 knowledge. Withal, however, he was 
 modest and humble to a fault; he 
 eschewed notoriety and but seldom 
 caused his opinions to prevail. Being 
 a lover of physical exercises our de- 
 parted was passionately addicted to 
 swimming. In whatever part of the 
 world he visited, there he gave him- 
 self over to swimming, and he was a 
 master in this acquarian sport. 
 
 Rev. Henry Becker, D. D., was 
 born July 1, 1856, at Salzkotten, West- 
 falia, came to America September 25, 
 1875, and entered the Grand Semin- 
 ary of Montreal. Here the talented 
 young theologian passed a splendid 
 examination, being awarded with the 
 degree of Doctor of Divinity the first 
 in the history of that institution. On 
 December 20, 1879, he was . elevated 
 to the priesthood. Since then he 
 worked at Mound City, Kaskaskia, 
 Saline, Hillsboro, Vandalia, Brighton, 
 Brussels, Meppen and Pierron. R. I. 
 P. 
 
 Page Tu
 
 REV. HENRY BEERHORST. 
 
 "Weary not through Springtime rain 
 But wait till the Autumn conies 
 For the sheaves of golden grain". 
 
 Delbrueck, near Poderborn in West- 
 falia, is the birthplace of Rev. Hy. 
 Beerhorst. There he was born Janu- 
 ary 19, 1838, was admitted to Holy 
 Orders March 12, 1864, and appointed 
 the following December to St. Mary's 
 church of Grand Rapids, (then 
 still in the Detroit diocese). In 1869 
 Father Beerhorst was replaced by 
 another priest, discontinued his ser- 
 vices in the Detroit diocese and gradu- 
 ally landed at Alton where he applied 
 to the bishop for an appointment. He 
 was received and sent to Quincy, 
 there to become an assistant to Rev. 
 Schafermeyer of St. Boniface parish, 
 for the new arrival was a near relative 
 of the pastor. From March 5, 1870, 
 to April 25, 1871, Father Beerhorst 
 performed good services at St. Boni- 
 face. The people had become greatly 
 attached to him and he proved a val- 
 uable asset to pastor and parish. On 
 the latter date, however, the young 
 priest strove to realize a long cher- 
 ished a m b i t i o n he determined to 
 embrace monastic life, packed his few 
 belongings and set out for the Car- 
 melite Monastery of Scipio, Kansas, 
 where soon after he was invested with 
 the habit of that order. A few years 
 later, Father Schafermeyer likewise 
 donned the Carmelite habit at that 
 place, to exchange it later, however, 
 for that of the Fransciscans. R. I. P. 
 
 Page Twenty-One
 
 REV. PATRICK M. BOURKE. 
 
 'My soul would lay her heavy burden down 
 And take with joyfulness the promised 
 crown.' ' 
 
 .When on February 14, 1896, the 
 
 late Rev. P. M. Bourke went to his 
 eternal reward, a learned and elo- 
 quent man passed from sight. He 
 was a well-known, familiar person 
 throughout the diocese, beloved by 
 clergy and laity alike, whole-souled 
 and generous to a fault. During the 
 early years of priestly life, he taught 
 at the College of Ruma where his 
 solid learning was combined with the 
 gift of thoroughly imparting knowl- 
 edge to the student body. Unstinted 
 praise was given his ability by all who 
 studied under him. 
 
 Father Bourke was a native of Tip- 
 perary, Ireland, where he was born, 
 St. Patrick's Day March 17, 1839. 
 When still a child, both parents died. 
 The orphaned boy was adopted by an 
 aunt living in Limerick, where young 
 Patrick was educated. From the pri- 
 mary school he was admitted to the 
 Jesuit College and later attended the 
 Monk's school (Trappists) of Mt. 
 M e 1 a r y. At All Hallows and the 
 Grand Seminary of Montreal he stu- 
 died philosophy and theology and 
 became ordained to the priesthood by 
 Bishop Baltes. When the Ruma Col- 
 lege had closed its doors Father Bour- 
 ke worked in the capacity of both as- 
 sistant as well as pastor at Grafton, 
 Springfield, Decatur, Vandalia, 1888- 
 1894 and Shipman, every where win- 
 ning hosts of friends and well-wishers. 
 Pursuant to his wishes his remains 
 were interred at Springfield. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. PATRICK BRADY, SR. 
 
 "I desire to be dissolved and to be with 
 Christ, being by much the better". 
 Phil. 1, 2-3. 
 
 County Cavan, Ireland, had given 
 the diocese a prominent priest in the 
 person of Rev. Patrick Brady. His 
 pastoral wisdom, prudence and cau- 
 tion were productive of good results. 
 He ranked high in the esteem of his 
 fellow priests because of his compan- 
 ionable disposition and his kindly 
 benevolent ways. Born in 1833, our 
 future candidate for Holy Orders 
 made his studies at All Hallows; 
 
 there he became ordained to the 
 priesthood April 17, 1865. After act- 
 ing as an assistant for a while at the 
 Cathedral, the young priest was sent 
 in similar capacity to Rev. L. A. Lam- 
 bert (author of "Notes on Ingersoll") 
 then pastor of St. Patrick's church of 
 Cairo. Four years Father Brady 
 spent there, three as assistant and the 
 last as pastor, 1868-'69. At this time 
 the Bishop recalled him from the 
 Egyptian Metropolis and made him 
 pastor of the Immaculate Conception 
 
 Page Twenty-Two
 
 church of Springfield. During Father 
 Brady's administration the church 
 was remodeled and besides received 
 an addition to it so as to extend its 
 length; moreover he built a large 
 brick school house, an eloquent monu- 
 ment to his pastoral zeal and energy. 
 
 In 1889 Father Brady exchanged 
 places with Father Timothy Hickey, 
 of Jacksonville, who in the meantime 
 
 had been made a Vicar General by 
 the new Bishop. With undiminished 
 vim and vigor he continued his work 
 at Jacksonville until May 14, 1892, 
 when death called him away from the 
 scenes of usefulness. His age was 
 59 years. 
 
 Father Patrick Brady's body was 
 bedded in the Jacksonville cemetery. 
 R. I. P. 
 
 REV. HUGH BRADY, JR. 
 
 "How gallantly, how nobly 
 
 He struggles through the foam; 
 And see in the far distance 
 Shine out the lights of Home ! ' ' 
 
 Another Cavan County man, a 
 splendid young priest who was called 
 from hence in the prime of manhood, 
 was Rev. Hugh Brady, pastor of St. 
 Ubaldus church of New Douglas. His 
 soul soared upward to God's holy 
 throne on May 17, 1916. The young 
 priest had contracted pneumonia 
 which culminated in death. He died 
 well prepared at the St. Francis hos- 
 pital of Litchfield. 
 
 Father Hugh Brady was born June 
 18, 1883, in Cavan, Ireland, and at 
 the time of his death was but 32 years 
 and 11 months old. 
 
 He attended St. Patrick's College 
 of Carlow, and was ordained in June, 
 1908, for the diocese of Alton. Im- 
 mediately after his ordination he 
 sailed for America and was assigned 
 as an assistant to St. Joseph's parish 
 of Springfield. He remained there for 
 five years, winning the confidence and 
 
 love of the parishioners in an uncom- 
 mon degree. After the lapse of this 
 period the young priest was made a 
 pastor and ordered to New Douglas, 
 where soon he endeared himself to 
 all. But alas! his usefulness was to be 
 of but short duration. 
 
 With eyes fixed on eternity, and 
 recalling to mind his work at St. 
 Joseph's parish, Springfield, his dying 
 request was that he be buried at 
 Springfield. 
 
 The test of a priest's worth is made 
 apparent, by his standing with his 
 brother priests, hence the fact that 
 77 confreres attended Father Brady's 
 funeral, is eloquent testimony as to 
 his sterling character. Rev. P. J. 
 O'Reilly, of St. Joseph's celebrated 
 the Requiem, assisted by Rev. P. J. 
 McGiiinness as deacon, and Rev. F. 
 Shiels as sub-deacon. Rev. A. Smith 
 preached the sermon which was an 
 eloquent tribute to the priestly virtues 
 of our defunct. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. J. J. BRENNAN. 
 
 "Arise! This day shall shine f prevermore ! 
 To thee a star divine on Time's dark 
 shore' '. 
 
 In 1858 the coal mine in the neigh- 
 borhood of Bethalto, in Madison 
 county, had gathered there a large 
 number of people, many of whom 
 were Catholics. To minister to these 
 people became the duty, in 1858, of 
 Rev. J. J. Brennan, at the time an 
 assistant at the Alton Cathedral. He 
 had a frame church built, which con- 
 tinued to be attended from the Cathe- 
 dral till 1865. During the years from 
 1859-'61, Father Brennan was given 
 
 charge of the parishes of Carlinville 
 and Jacksonville, after which he was 
 appointed pastor of Shawneetown. 
 One year he stayed in this latter 
 place when he was ordered to East 
 St. Louis with the injunction to as- 
 sume the organization of St. Patrick's 
 parish and to build a church. Father 
 Brennan accomplished both but soon 
 after severed connection with the dio- 
 cese whilst Father O'Halloran was ap- 
 pointed administrator until a new 
 pastor was assigned to St. Patrick's 
 in 1864 in the person of F. X. Zabell, 
 D. D. 
 
 Page Twenty-Three
 
 REV. AUGUSTINE FLORENT BRICKWEDDE. 
 
 "For we know that if our earthly house 
 of this habitation is dissolved that we have a 
 building of God, a h >use not made with 
 hands, eternal in heaven.'' 2 Cor. 5, 1. 
 
 The iirst German CatTiolic parish 
 established along the entire course of 
 the Mississippi river was that of the 
 "Ascension." "Christi Himmelfahrt'.s 
 Gemeinde" of Quincy. This name was 
 
 given it by the small band of Catholic 
 settlers who as early as 1834 had been 
 gathered into a congregation by the 
 occasional visitor. Rev. Father Le- 
 F e v r e, (subsequently Bishop of 
 Detroit.) To this struggling young 
 community which chiefly was com- 
 posed of German Catholic emigrants, 
 Rev. August Florent Brickwedde was 
 appointed by Bishop Rosati of St. 
 Louis, as first resident pastor. The 
 name "Ascension parish" was retained 
 until the present large brick structure 
 was erected in 1848, and the patronal 
 name "St. Boniface" became substitu- 
 ted for the titular "Ascension." 
 
 Rev. Augustine Florent Brickwedde 
 was born June 24, 1805, at Fuerstenau 
 in the then kingdom of Hannover. His 
 father was a lawyer of repute who 
 afterward became a judge at Bersen- 
 bruck. Our future Quincy priest com- 
 pleted his classical studies at the Car- 
 olinum of Osbnabruck and the theo- 
 logical course at the universities of 
 Muenster and Bonn. He was made 
 a sub-deacon September 20, 1828, a 
 deacon September 19, 1829, and or- 
 
 Pnge Twenty-Four 
 
 dained to the priesthood in the Cathe- 
 dral of Hildesheim by Bishop Code- 
 hard Joseph, September 20, 1830. 
 
 In his native city of Fuerstenau the 
 young priest acted as Vicar until his 
 departure for America in May, 1837. 
 At this time it happened that quite a 
 number of Catholics had determined 
 on emigrating to Missouri and Illinois, 
 which had become known for its 
 healthfulness, plentiful timber, and its 
 cheap farm lands He was induced to 
 join some of these emigrating families, 
 to become their pastor and counsellor 
 in the new world. God inspired him to 
 follow them and to aid them in their 
 spiritual needs and necessities, for far 
 or near there was no German priest 
 to be found to minister to the colony 
 of emigrants from the fatherland. 
 After along and tedious journey 
 which lasted more than eight weeks, 
 the young priest landed in Xew York 
 on July 4, 1837, and reached Quincy a 
 few weeks later. The hardships of the 
 pioneer life may be imagined. The 
 climate was severe, the way of living 
 new and accommodations rather prim- 
 itive. And yet he faced these condi- 
 tions smilingly. He remained in 
 Quincy where some of the early Ger- 
 man settlers had located and at once 
 set to work to build a small frame 
 church with additional two rooms for 
 a residence and another large one to 
 serve as temporary school. Having 
 said Mass in private dwellings since 
 August 15, 1837, Father Brickwedde. 
 now was happy to say Mass and ad- 
 minister the Sacraments in a church 
 building proper, although humble and 
 lowly in appearance; it measured but 
 28x18 feet. Solemn Benediction of this 
 first church of Quincy took place on 
 Pentecost Sunday, 1838. By this time 
 his own private personal resources 
 were well nigh exhausted. Twice he 
 recrossed the ocean for the purpose of 
 gathering funds for his parish and 
 outlying missions of Sugar Creek and 
 Ft. Madison, la. Not only were his 
 friends and relatives asked to con- 
 tribute, nay he solicited even at the 
 courts of Vienna and Munich, bring- 
 ing with him not only the much-
 
 needed cash; but beautiful sacred ves- 
 sels and vestments, yea even an organ, 
 the gift of his sister. 
 
 Of his periodical visits to lowan 
 settlements in and around Ft. Madi- 
 son, Father Zaiser says in his Dia- 
 mond Jubilee edition of St. Joseph's 
 church of Ft. Madison: "In 1837 
 Father August Brickwedde, the first 
 pastor of Quincy, took charge of the 
 missions in this territory and for sev- 
 eral years visited Fort Madison, West 
 Point and Sugar Creek, to give the 
 few Catholics a chance to perform 
 their Easter duties. He celebrated 
 High Mass in Fort Madison at J. H. 
 Dingman's log cabin in 1839. Great 
 must have been the joy ancr consola- 
 tion of the good pioneers. From here 
 he went to Sugar Creek settlement, 
 now St. Paul, where he held divine 
 service in the new log barn of J. H. 
 Kempker, May 13, 1833. Sugar Creek 
 deserves the distinction of having 
 erected the first temple of God in Lee 
 county and in all the surrounding 
 region. In 1839 a few Catholic farm- 
 ers got together, cut down some oi" 
 the tallest trees in the forest of Sugar 
 Creek valley and built a log church. 
 They sent for Father Brickwedde, 
 who came, celebrated Holy Mass for 
 them and dedicated the little church 
 in honor of St. James. 
 
 After the building of the present 
 church, St. Boniface of Quincy, 
 Father Brickwedde had to encounter 
 the accursed spirit of dissension 
 which, rent the parish in twain. The 
 seeds of discontent had been adroitly 
 sown ly a discharged teacher and his 
 obnoxious following. Poisoned shafts 
 of slander were levelled against the 
 hard working priest, his priestly char- 
 acter was attacked and besmirched, 
 his life even threatened. In the midst 
 of his trials he had the consolation 
 of being upheld not only by the testi- 
 mony of a good conscience, but also 
 by the support of his own Bishop, 
 Msgr. Van de Velde, who emphatical- 
 ly decided in his favor and twice 
 closed the church and placed the 
 clerical villifiers under the ban of ex- 
 communication. Though the Bishop 
 of Chicago intervened (Quincy since 
 
 1844 had come under the jurisdiction 
 of the Bishop of Chicago) yet peace 
 would not be restored, and as Quincy 
 was one of the largest and oldest 
 Catholic German congregations and 
 the city was then seriously thought of 
 for a new episcopal see, the division 
 of the people and the factionalism in 
 the parish caused a great deal of ad- 
 verse comment, it hurt -the city, and 
 ultimately fustrated the erection of 
 the new diocese with Quincy as See. 
 Father Brickwedde resigned and left 
 sick at heart in March, 1849. 
 
 To restore unity and harmony 
 among the opposing factions, the Pro- 
 vincial of the Jesuits of St. Louis, was 
 appealed to by the Bishop of Chicago 
 "to send a learned and prudent priest 
 to Quincy." But the Jesuit priest was 
 but a short time there when opposi- 
 tion turned also against him. When 
 this was reported to the Provincial at 
 St. Louis he became indignant, with- 
 drew the priest and left the Catholics 
 of Quincy to themselves. The cholera 
 at that time decimated the ranks of 
 the rebels. "When Father Brick- 
 wedde left Quincy," says Rev. John 
 Larmer in 'Lives of Early Catholic 
 Missionaries of the Nineteenth Cen- 
 tury in Illinois' "he was so disgusted 
 with the world that he determined to 
 take to the woods. He went into the 
 forest where government land was 
 from 12 cents to $1.25 per acre, about 
 twenty-five miles from St. Louis. He 
 selected forty acres for church pur- 
 poses and school. Xot a living soul 
 was near the location. When he got 
 settled he went over to St. Louis, 
 found three poor German immigrants 
 on the river bank not knowing where 
 to go nor what to do. They were 
 humble, God-fearing Catholics of the 
 innocent peasant type. He told them 
 if they would come with him he 
 would give each forty acres of land 
 The only condition he imposed was 
 they were to help the next settlers he 
 found to build homes and get started. 
 This was the way Father Brickwedde 
 settled Columbia in Monroe Co., 111. 
 from St. Libory whither he was sent 
 as pastor after leaving Quincy. When 
 the good old priest related his first 
 
 Page Twenty-Five
 
 start in getting settlers, says Father 
 Larmer, tears came to his eyes. Co- 
 lumbia soon grew into prominence 
 and counted within a few years numer- 
 ous families. 
 
 At St. Libory or Mud Creek as it 
 was then generally known it was his 
 habit, though now advanced in years, 
 to drive to and from St. Louis in search 
 of necessary supplies. In the middle 
 of November, 1865, as he was on his 
 way home from St. Louis, he felt un- 
 well and was compelled to stop at 
 Belleville, where after two days' of 
 sickness he died on the 21st of 
 November of the same year, 1865. 
 
 At first funeral service was held in 
 the Belleville church, attended by the 
 people and clergy of the neighbor- 
 hood, all eager to cast their eyes on 
 the noted victim of Quincy parish 
 persecution and pray for the repose 
 
 of his soul. On the next day the same 
 was repeated at St. Libory. Father 
 Bartels sang the Requiem Mass and 
 Father Baltes, (soon to be the second 
 Bishop of the Diocese), gave the Ab- 
 solution. The remains of good Father 
 Brickwedde were interred at Mud 
 Creek. 
 
 The defunct, says Father Larmer, 
 was a man of great height and pos- 
 sessed a rather homely yet benevo- 
 lent countenance. As a business man, 
 and cautious financier, he would be an 
 example even in these days of careful 
 calculation. This venerable servant 
 of God was moreover a man of learn- 
 ing allied with solid piety. He was 
 liberal in all his views and practical 
 in all the affairs of life. He died as 
 he had lived, a true servant of his 
 Divine Master. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. THEODORE BRUENER. 
 
 The subject of this sketch was a 
 man of great mental caliber and rare 
 intellectual attainments one who com- 
 
 manded attention wherever met or 
 seen. Tall of stature, robust and vig- 
 orous, good natured and smiling, such 
 were the traits in the general makeup 
 of Rev. Theodore Bruener who on 
 
 January 1, 1870 assumed the pastoral 
 reins of St. M'ary's congregation of 
 Quincy. The church had just been 
 built and dedicated to Mary Im- 
 maculate, the first Holy Mass had 
 been said therein three weeks previ- 
 ously and the congregation as such 
 had not as yet fully emerged out of 
 that formative stage into a compact 
 body which is the essential requisite 
 of any stable, active and healthy or- 
 ganization. Rev. Bruener seemed to 
 be the providential man to accomplish 
 and perfect what so far had been left 
 incomplete. It was reserved for him to 
 place St. Mary's on solid basis and to 
 dictate a policy which, if promptly 
 carried out, was to establish and in- 
 sure the congregation's stability and 
 permanence. He at once set out to 
 inaugurate and introduce these neces- 
 sary elements, he organized men and 
 women, old and young, into societies 
 and what was most important of all 
 he started a parochial school. At 
 what heroic sacrifices and manifold 
 personal inconveniences this was ac- 
 complished, he himself tells us in his 
 inestimable work entitled, "Kirchen- 
 geschichte Quincy's" in the chapter 
 exclusively devoted to the interest of 
 
 Page Twenty-Six
 
 St. Mary's. To these interesting pages 
 all may re,fer who would read a detailed 
 account of the history of St. Mary's. 
 
 Father Bruener was eminently a 
 great organizer; from practical prior 
 experience he knew the needs and 
 wants of society, the dangers which 
 beset it and the means to safeguard it. 
 To procure the latter he left no stone 
 unturned, but worked and talked and 
 preached on all convenient occasions, 
 in season and out of season. Success 
 soon crowned his efforts. Some of 
 the societies which flourish today 
 after a half century's existence, owe 
 their beginning to the endeavors ot 
 St. Mary's first pastor. And who can 
 gauge the amount of good they have 
 done since in helping to build up and 
 strengthen the congregation? Xot 
 only that, but they were indirectly 
 the means that parish work preceede-1 
 on systematic lines of action, they 
 proved a vast help and great relief to 
 the oftentimes overburdened priest. 
 
 If Father Bruener proved himself a 
 great organizer, he was still greater 
 as educator. For this latter profes- 
 sion he had been especially trained in 
 Germany, where for a number of years 
 he had been successfully active as 
 teacher. His was the rare gift to 
 communicate and to impart, to model 
 and to train. Possessed of splendid 
 talents and natural aptitude for teach- 
 ing and being generously equipped 
 with broad and liberal training which 
 was solid and thorough in all its es- 
 sentials, Father Bruener soon distin- 
 guished himself as a noted educator 
 and pedagogue not only locally at St. 
 Mary's, where 'under his direction 
 the parochial school attained prom- 
 inence and distinction, nay, his emi- 
 nent qualification in the field of edu- 
 cation induced in 1873 and again the 
 following year the Most Rev. Arch- 
 bishop of Milwaukee to extend a 
 most urgent invitation to our St. 
 Mary's pastor to assume the reins of 
 rectorship of the Normal School of 
 St. Francis, Wis., known as the "Pio 
 Nono" College. So insistent were 
 these repeated calls that Father Brue- 
 ner finally yielded and accepted the 
 proposed position, much to the grief 
 
 and sorrow of his friends and par- 
 ishioners of St. Mary's. 
 
 In this connection it is of interest 
 to state that later Rev. Bruener fol- 
 lowed the example of a predecessor by 
 joining a religious order, thus his 
 successor at the "Pio Nono" college 
 likewise embraced the religious life 
 when ready to resign his position as 
 rector of that institution. It was the 
 Rev. Wm. Neu who came to the Alton 
 diocese from Wisconsin in exchange 
 of Rev. Bruener. Assigned to the 
 parish of Bunker Hill this eminent 
 churchman performed excellent work 
 whilst there and gained in marvellous 
 degree the esteem of Catholic and 
 Protestant alike. No priest ever en- 
 joyed such well merited popularity 
 during the few years stay with us, 
 than -lid Rev. Wm. Neu at Bunker 
 Hill. He finally joined the Benedic- 
 tine Abbey of Atchinson, Kansas, in 
 September, 1889, and was known from 
 thenceforth as P. Longin, O. S. B. 
 He died there a few years ago, sin- 
 cerely mourned by m any. (See 
 sketch.) 
 
 Father Bruener was undoubtedly 
 much stimulated in his chosen pro- 
 fession by the words of Holy Writ: 
 "They that instruct many unto justice 
 shall shine as the stars for all etern- 
 ity." 
 
 His were four years of incessant 
 hard work, of planting, pruning and 
 sowing whilst ooirs, owing to his 
 labors, are years of reaping. 
 
 A worthy counterpart of our sub- 
 ject, one of striking similarity of 
 thought and action as well as of phys- 
 ical appearance, robust and rugged 
 was the Rev. Fr. Wm. Faerber of St. 
 Mary's parish, St. Louis, Mo. Whilst 
 the former distinguished himself as 
 historian and pedagogue the latter be- 
 came widely known as popular Cate- 
 chist in which capacity he published 
 "Faerber's Catechism," a work known 
 in all Catholic schools throughout the 
 land. 
 
 Father Bruener's name will forever 
 continue to live in the grateful hearts 
 of the good people of St. Mary's. 
 
 Born May 27, 1836, he was ordained 
 
 Page Twenty-Seven
 
 to the priesthood September 3, 1859, 
 at Muenster and acted as "Schulvikar" 
 at Wadersloh from the time of his 
 ordination till he set out for America, 
 late in 1867, at the invitation of Bishop 
 D. Junker of Alton. He was sent 
 at once to Quincy to become the first 
 pastor of St. Mary's parish January 
 1. 
 
 This congregation had been organ- 
 ized and the church built under the 
 supervision and by the efforts of good 
 Father Reinhardt, who now by the 
 advent of Rev. Bruener, re-assumed 
 his work at St. Boniface, to be sent, 
 however, shortly after to a different 
 place. From 1874-1879 our former 
 pastor remained at the head of the 
 St. Francis institution from which at 
 the instance of his diocesan Bishop 
 he returned to become pastor of St. 
 Boniface parish of Quincy. Here 
 Father Bruener again performed good, 
 lasting parochial work till November 
 
 9, 1887. Foremost among his under- 
 takings ranks during this time the 
 publication by him of that important 
 work on the "History of the Catholic 
 Church in Quincy," a work which re- 
 ceived unstinted praise even at Rome 
 from such eminent men as Cardinal 
 Simeoni, Cardinal Melchers and Msgr. 
 De Waal. Following a call from 
 heaven our veteran worker bid fare- 
 well to his friends and former asso- 
 ciates of the clergy, and joined the 
 Franciscan Order at Teutopolis, to 
 be known from thence forth as P. 
 Leo. What good he accomplished as 
 an humble follower of the great Sera- 
 phic Saint till the hour of his death. 
 May 15, 1898, and his previous God- 
 like deeds are chronicled 6n the pages 
 of the book of life. 
 
 He died at San Francisco, Califor- 
 nia, where he found his last resting 
 place. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. ALBERT BUSCH. 
 
 "Then with slow, reverent step 
 
 And beating heart, 
 From out the joyous days 
 Thou must depart". 
 
 Amid the reposefulness and quietude 
 of rural surroundings lies the small 
 "God's acre" belonging to the parish 
 of Lively Grove, in Washington 
 county. Here on this consecrated plot 
 of ground we come to a grave, the 
 tenant of which is, as the modest 
 headstone announces, Rev. Father 
 Albert Busch, a priest carried away 
 by inexorable death in the prime and 
 vigor of young manhood, for he had 
 scarcely attained the age of 35 years, 
 when his record came to a sudden 
 close. The cradle of our defunct 
 young priest stood at Xeheim, near 
 Hoexter in Westfalia, where he was 
 born February 26, 1844. After com- 
 pleting the high school studies in his 
 native town, young Albert Busch 
 came to America in 1866, entered St. 
 Francis seminary near Milwaukee 
 shortly after, and was elevated to the 
 priesthood by Bishop Henni, January 
 29, 1868, for the bishopric of Alton. 
 With great vim and vigor the neo- 
 presbyter embraced his holy vocation. 
 
 Page Twenty-Eight 
 
 His first appointment was to St. 
 Alexis' of Beardstown, March 18, 
 1868. Here he built a front addition 
 to the old church, purchased the 
 present parsonage and lots adjoining 
 for the sum of $2,100 and erected a 
 small school house. In 1873 our sub- 
 ject was assigned to Marine where he 
 stayed but one year till 1874, when 
 the Bishop appointed him to Lively 
 Grove. Here he worked successfully 
 for five years till March 18, 1879, on 
 which date he was summoned to his 
 eternal reward. 
 
 In the premature death of Father 
 Busch the diocese lost a promising 
 young man, who during the eleven 
 years of priestly career had worked 
 enthusiastically for the welfare of 
 those committed to his sacred charge. 
 His life though brief was active, 
 meagre in years but fruitful in service. 
 Far better to go before God after 
 few years with full hands than after 
 many years empty-handed. 
 
 May the memory of his good and 
 noble life prove an inspiration unto 
 others to imitate. R. I. P.
 
 REV. D. BYRNE. 
 
 Consumatum est ! 
 
 In the "aul lang syne" in days long 
 ago as early as 1847, St. Mary's 
 parish of Mt. Sterling had not only a 
 church but even a resident pastor. 
 He was Father James Gallagher. 
 Several priests had succeeded him 
 after his departure from there in 
 rapid succession, till Father Byrne 
 was appointed, who remained at the 
 head of the parish from 1856-'59, dur- 
 
 ing which time he looked after the 
 spiritual interests of St. Alexis' parish 
 of Beardstown. From Mt. Sterling 
 he was appointed to Marshall and 
 Paris, where he became the successor 
 of old Father Tom Ryan in 1860-'61. 
 Little is known of his subsequent 
 history except that from September, 
 1870 he had charge for one-half year 
 of St. Mary's congregation of Ed- 
 wardsville. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. MICHAEL CARROLL. 
 
 "The links are broken; all is past; 
 The last farewell when spoken 
 Is the last". 
 
 One of the hardy and rugged old 
 characters of former pioneer days was 
 Rev. Michael Carroll, second pastor 
 of Alton, 1841-1857. He was a native 
 
 of County Limerick, Ireland, and was 
 sent to replace Rev. George A. Ham- 
 ilton, first pastor of St. Mathew's 
 church, in 1841 (compare sketch). 
 When appointed to the Mission of 
 Alton it embraced Madison and the 
 surrounding counties. In 1845 he said 
 first Mass at Collinsville. Father Car- 
 roll purchased a lot on Third and 
 Alby streets, Alton, and at once com- 
 menced the erection of a stone church 
 which was completed in 1843 and ded- 
 
 icated to divine service by Bishop Le 
 Febre, of Detroit. It bore the patronal 
 name of St. Mathew, same as its pre- 
 decessor under Father Hamilton. This 
 church burned down in 1852. Three 
 years the Catholics of Alton wor- 
 shipped in a hall on State street. In 
 1855 Bishop O'Regan, third Bishop of 
 Chicago, permitted Father Carroll to 
 erect another church. He built the 
 present Cathedral church. Rev. M. 
 Prendergast was Father Carroll's as- 
 sistant in 1853. 
 
 In a diary kept by Bishop Quarter, 
 of Chicago, there is repeated mention 
 made of Father Carroll. He assisted 
 at old St. Mary's. Later on under 
 Bishop Van de Velde, he conducted a 
 conference at Alton. On June 15, 1844, 
 he went to Joliet to meet Bishop 
 Quarter. On the 17th the party com- 
 prised of the Bishop, Fathers St. Pa- 
 lais, De Pontavic and Carroll set out 
 in a carriage for Ottawa. The jour- 
 ney was full of hardships as the roads 
 were bad, and twice the Bishop and 
 priests had to apply rails to lift the 
 carriage from the quagmires in the 
 sloughs through which they were 
 compelled to pass. They arrived at 
 Ottawa the following day. 
 
 The first stone church which Father 
 Carroll erected in 1855 is still the 
 handsome Cathedral of the Alton dio- 
 cese today. True, generous sums of 
 money have been expended from time 
 to time for repairs and embellish- 
 ments. Its ultimate completion was 
 reserved for Bishop Juncker. The 
 Cathedral was solemnly consecrated 
 
 Page Tieenly-Nine 

 
 by Archbishop Kenrick, of St. Louis, 
 May 15, 1859. Bishops Luers, of Fort 
 Wayne, Duggan, of Chicago, and 
 Whelan, of Nashville, being present. 
 
 The construction of this substantial 
 church, truly magnificent for the time 
 of its erection, proclaims to coming 
 generations the zeal and noble ambi- 
 tion manifested by this sturdy pioneer 
 priest in the cause of religion. 
 
 In 1857, when Bishop Juncker was 
 about to take possession of the new 
 .see of Alton, Father Carroll returned 
 to his Bishop in Chicago. He was 
 sent to Elgin, where he lived and died 
 a few years afterward. His remains 
 were buried in the old St. Mary's 
 church in that city. 
 
 Father Michael Carroll was a man 
 of tall stature and iron frame, pos- 
 sessing a commanding appearance. 
 When building the present Cathedral 
 church, he is known to have per- 
 
 formed hard manual labor like a com- 
 mon workman. After Mass he would 
 slip into his overalls and begin mix- 
 ing mortar or wheeling building stone 
 to the masons. 
 
 Few of the towns now in Madison, 
 Jersey and Montgomery counties are 
 there which in their incipiency did 
 not enjoy the priestly visits of Father 
 Carroll, and what he gathered in his 
 missionary wanderings says Father 
 Larmer was put in to build the Ca- 
 thedral of Alton. When Father Car- 
 roll left Alton in 1857, he made a trip 
 to Ireland with Rev. Patrick O'Brien, 
 of St. Louis, and on his return was 
 appointed to Lake Forest, near Wau- 
 kegan, and shortly after to Elgin. 
 Whilst visiting a neighboring priest 
 who was sick, a night call came from 
 a distance. The priest could not go, 
 so Father Carroll attended in a storm, 
 the sick person, caught a malignant 
 fever and soon thereafter died. 
 
 REV. JAMES A. CASSIDY. 
 
 "I have fought a good fight, I have fin- 
 ished my course, I have kept my faith. For 
 the rest there is laid up for all a crown of 
 justice, which the Lord, the just judge, will 
 render to me at that day." 2 Tim. 4, 6. 
 
 Among the large class of Ordinandi 
 which presented itself for Holy Or- 
 ders in the Seminary chapel of Mon- 
 
 treal a few days before Christmas in 
 1882, was our subject, Rev. James A. 
 Cassidy. Born at Canajoharie, in New 
 York state, in 1854, he finished his 
 preparatory studies in his native state, 
 after which he pursued his theological 
 course with the Sulpician Fathers of 
 Montreal. Well does the writer of 
 these^ lines recall the days when 
 Father Cassidy, together with the late 
 Father Joseph P'innigan and Father 
 James Gough (Belleville) was elevated 
 to the priesthood. A jovial, genial, 
 good-natured young man was Father 
 Cassidy when a student of the Semi- 
 nary, and these traits he retained dur- 
 ing his subsequent priestly career. 
 Wherever seen during recess hours, 
 he was the centre of an animated 
 gathering. All enjoyed his company 
 and friendship, and as priest he be- 
 came equally popular and well liked 
 by all who came in close contact with 
 him. Hence his success in founding 
 and developing St. Patrick's congre- 
 gation of Alton. Being for a short 
 while an assistant at the Cathedral, he 
 was ordered to inaugurate prelim- 
 
 Page Thirty
 
 inary work for starting St. Patrick's. 
 There were but eighty families to 
 commence -with, but young Father 
 Cassidy was by no means discouraged 
 in his undertakings. He succeeded ad- 
 mirably, for he built church and par- 
 sonage in 1883, and three years later, 
 in 1886, added a parochial school to 
 
 his now flourishing parish. In March, 
 1887, Father Cassidy was transferred 
 from Alton to Murrayville, where four 
 years later he died, February 4, 1890. 
 Father Cassidy was a great promoter 
 of manly sports, hence an ardent lover 
 of base ball. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. BERNARD CLAUS. 
 
 "Sweet Heaven my hope points up to thee 
 When whelming woes sweep over me!" 
 
 On the night of May 19, 1903, a 
 terrible catastrophe occured at the 
 parochial residence of Columbia, 111., 
 casting the pall of genuine mourning 
 
 not over the parish alone, but over 
 the entire diocese as well. On that 
 fatal night, the pastor of Columbia 
 parish, Rev. Bernard Claus, testing 
 doors and windows ere retiring for 
 the night, as usually he did, was sud- 
 denly seized with an attack of diz- 
 ziness, collapsed and expired. A heart 
 stroke had snuffed out his priestly 
 life instanter. In the act of attending 
 to the locking of doors and windows, 
 however, he generally carried a kero- 
 sene lamp in his hand. So this fatal 
 evening. Whilst the stricken priest 
 sank lifeless to the floor, the burning 
 kerosene lamp exploded and flaming 
 oil encircling the body partly in- 
 cinerating it. A thrill of horror went 
 
 forth when next morning the pastor's 
 sad and tragic death was made known 
 to his faithful flock and the numerous 
 friends both in the Belleville and 
 Alton dioceses, where for many years 
 he had worked so well and left such 
 honorable record in every place and 
 parish which had witnessed his un- 
 selfish labors and ministrations. 
 
 Born April 3, 1842, at Niederovschel 
 in Saxony, Father Claus studied 
 classics at Heiligenstadt, philosophy 
 and partly theology at Muenster and 
 Bonn. He came to America in June, 
 1868, and finished his studies at Cin- 
 cinnati, where Archbishop John B. 
 Purcell, D. D., ordained him to the 
 priesthood September 24, 1870. He 
 was stationed as assistant at St. Boni- 
 face of Quincy, December 6, 1870 
 February 14, 1872, a few months at 
 Edwardsville, with Staunton and New 
 Douglas as out-missions; at Mt. Ster- 
 ling from 1872-73; at Taylorville from 
 1873-77. During this period he erected 
 a comfortable parochial residence at 
 Morrisonville, and moving thither 
 became the first resident pastor of St. 
 Maurice congregation. From here he 
 was assigned to parishes in the south- 
 ern part of the state and hence be- 
 came incorporated into the new dio- 
 cese of Belleville when the latter was 
 erected in 1888. There he was active 
 at Madonnaville December 5, 1872 
 January, 1882; at Paderborn from 
 January, 1882-1892, when he became 
 pastor of Columbia and met his tragic 
 death May 19, 1903. He was buried 
 in the cemetery of that parish. R. I. P. 
 
 Page Thirty-One
 
 REV. MICHAEL CLIFFORD. 
 
 "I have come to take thee home 
 Said the veiled guest; 
 The great journey of life is done* 
 I will take thee into rest". 
 
 It was a large class that prepared 
 for ordination which was to take place 
 at All Hallows Seminary, April 17, 
 1863. Among these young aspirants 
 who went through College and Semi- 
 
 nary life together, were some whose 
 future years were to be spent in the 
 Mission field of one and the same dio- 
 cese. In this particular class for in- 
 stance, were a number destined for 
 Alton, where the field was extensive, 
 laborers however few. Whilst on a 
 visit to Ireland, Bishop Juncker had 
 aroused a missionary spirit in the 
 young clerics with the result that a 
 goodly number had applied to be ad- 
 mitted into his diocese, and good and 
 faithful workers they all eventually 
 proved to be. They were men of the 
 old school, blunt and plain, true and 
 honest, worthy and zealous. There 
 was, among others, Michael Clifford, 
 who emerged from that class of '63 to 
 swell the ranks of the Alton clergy. 
 He had accumulated a store of merits 
 when death summoned him in the 
 springtime of 1907, and he was ush- 
 ered into the presence of his Maker. 
 
 Page Thirty-Two 
 
 This native of Limerick has left his 
 distinctive mark on every parish over 
 which he was called to preside and his 
 memory is held by the people in last- 
 ing benediction. And many were the 
 parishes whom he served as pastor. 
 Many a heart was sorely afflicted 
 when it was learned that Father Clif- 
 ford had died. He had been truly a 
 father and friend to all parishioners. 
 His first assignment after ordination 
 was to the parish of Winchester in 
 1863-'66. Next we learn that he is di- 
 recting the destinies of Virden's con- 
 gregation from 1868-'69, whereupon 
 Bunker Hill claimed his ministrations 
 from 1869-72. Mt. Sterling at this 
 time needed a strong man to erect a 
 residence, school building and a new 
 church. The choice fell upon Father 
 Clifford and he proved to be the right 
 man. Twenty-four years of faithful, 
 fruitful service characterized his stay 
 at Mt. Sterling, when in 1896. he was 
 entrusted with the pastorate of St. Jo- 
 seph's of Springfield, where he labored 
 in his own quiet, unobtrusive way till 
 early in 1907, when God called his 
 pious, faithful servant from hence. 
 
 The Springfield deanery in its quar- 
 terly session on June 27, of that year, 
 passed the following set of pertinent 
 resolutions which admirably portray 
 the priestly life and character of de- 
 ceased. They were as follows: 
 
 "Whereas, It has pleased Almighty 
 God to take to Himself the soul of 
 Rev. Michael Clifford, for eleven years 
 pastor of St. Joseph's church, Spring- 
 field, 111., and one of our most efficient 
 and venerable reverend Fathers, and 
 
 Whereas, His consistent conduct in 
 the priesthood for forty-five years 
 was an exemplification in the highest 
 degree of the teachings of our Lord 
 and his Church, and 
 
 Whereas, During life he was a light 
 to many in the way of salvation, both 
 by his prayers and cheerful person- 
 ality, and 
 
 Whereas, Knowing, as we do, ru- 
 mors, to the contrary, notwithstand-
 
 ing, that he died possessed of little of 
 this world's goods, therefore be it 
 
 Resolved, That we, his co-laborers 
 in the priesthood, while deploring- our 
 loss in his death, take this method of 
 showing to the world our heart-born 
 appreciation of his many priestly vir- 
 tues, and further be it 
 
 Resolved, That in view of the many 
 places over which he had jurisdiction, 
 his care in financial affairs in the 
 building of schools, convents and 
 churches, merited for him the implicit 
 undying gratitude of his people, and 
 
 confidence of his superiors, and fur- 
 ther 
 
 Resolved, That out of respect for 
 his memory this Quarterly Confer- 
 ence of the Springfield deanery now 
 in session be adjourned." 
 
 Whoever has known the deceased 
 and witnessed his past saintly, priestly 
 life, will say "Amen" to this set of 
 resolutions which so appropriately 
 memorialize his priestly life. 
 
 May Father Michael Clifford rest in 
 peace. 
 
 REV. T. J. CLIFFORD. 
 
 ''Life is only bright when it proceedeth 
 Toward a truer, deeper Life above". 
 
 Whilst pastor of Carrollton from 
 1865-'66, the cholera broke fiercely out 
 in the community. During this ordeal 
 good Father Clifford edified all by his 
 courage and heroism, attending the 
 
 sick and burying the dead. Finally, 
 he himself, became a victim of the 
 dread disease and was prepared for 
 death. However, Le recovered for the 
 time being but died a few months 
 afterward. He was buried at Alton. 
 R. I. P. 
 
 RT. REV. JOHN HENRY CLUEVER, D. D. 
 
 "Let peace, O Lord! Thy peace, O God, 
 
 Upon our souls descend, 
 From midnight fears and perils, Thou 
 Our trembling hearts defend". 
 
 A priest of eminent learning, pres- 
 tige and subsequent unusual distinc- 
 tion, was the olim pastor of Bunker 
 Hill, Rev. J. H. Cluever, D. D. Our 
 doubly titled subject was born March 
 8, 1845, in the Diocese of Paderborn, 
 Germany, and came to this country 
 in 1871. In that same year he was 
 raised to the priesthood. He acted as 
 pastor of the Bunker Hill parish from 
 1872-74, after which the Doctor left 
 for the East, affiliating with the dio- 
 cese of Albany, N. Y. He became 
 
 pastor of St. Lawrence congregation 
 of Troy, X. Y., and was chosen a 
 member of the diocesan school board. 
 His eminent services which he ren- 
 dered the diocese caused him to be 
 elevated a Monsignor. For many 
 years, however, our Rt. Rev. gentle- 
 man had conceived the idea of ulti- 
 mately embracing religious life. This 
 long-harbored intention assumed 
 tangible form in 1892, in which year 
 the Monsignor bid farewell to diocese, 
 parish and friends, sailed for South 
 Africa and there joined the colony of 
 Trappists. 
 
 REV. TERENCE COWLEY. 
 
 How sweet Thy service and how safe Thy fold. 
 
 Born in Waterford, Ireland, he was 
 
 ordained at the Alton Cathedral 
 
 August 1. 1865, and died January 12, 
 1881. He is a quondam Alton cathe- 
 dral pastor. 
 
 Page Thirty-Three
 
 REV. JOHN CROWE. 
 
 "Life's vesper bells are ringing 
 
 In the temple of my heart, 
 And yon sunset sure is singing : 
 'Nunc Dimittis Now Depart'." 
 
 Father Abr. Ryan. 
 
 Sad and solemn was the tolling of 
 the bells of Our Savior's Church, of 
 Jacksonville, on the morning of March 
 10, 1916. They announced to a grief- 
 stricken congregation that the last 
 rites were about to be performed over 
 the remains of their late pastor, Rev. 
 John Crowe, who had departed this 
 life a few days previous thereto, viz: 
 on March 7. The obsequies gathered 
 a vast concourse of people, irrespec- 
 tive of creed or nationality, within the 
 sacred walls of the handsome church, 
 all eager to pay a last tribute of love 
 and respect to the popular priest and 
 citizen, for Father Crowe was re- 
 spected and admired by the whole 
 city where he had labored faithfully 
 and well since 1892, when he was ap- 
 pointed an irremovable rector by the 
 Bishop of the Diocese. Father Crowe 
 had died from the effects of an opera- 
 tion performed about two weeks be- 
 fore his death. 
 
 The sermon was preached by the 
 Very Rev. J. P. O'Mahoney, President 
 of St. Viator's College at Kankakee, 
 111., and was a splendid .tribute to the 
 life and works of the dead priest. He 
 drew a beautiful pen-picture of the 
 Catholic home in which the pre- 
 destined youth drank in the inspira- 
 tion and high ideals that later on 
 made him the champion of right, the 
 expounder of truth, the enemy of vice 
 and the admiration of all who knew 
 him. 
 
 Defunct attained an age of 64 years 
 and was born at Oswego, N. Y. Father 
 Crowe made his ecclesiastical studies 
 at the Grand Seminary of Montreal, 
 where he was ordained to the priest- 
 hood after a thorough training under 
 the competent guidance of the Sul- 
 pician Fathers. His first charge was 
 at Flora, where he remained but six 
 weeks, when he was promoted to Mat- 
 toon. Here he worked with great de- 
 votion for fifteen years and erected 
 the present beautiful church. Realiz- 
 
 Page Thirty-Four 
 
 ing Father Crowe's worth and ability, 
 the Bishop sent him as pastor to the 
 important charge of Jacksonville t as 
 successor to the Very Rev. Timothy 
 Hicky, V. G., who had assumed the 
 pastorate of the Immaculate Concep- 
 tion Parish of Springfield. 
 
 The history of the church under the 
 rectorship of Father Crowe has been 
 one of indefatigable labor on the 
 rector's part and of a steady expan- 
 sion on the part of the parish under 
 his direction, in all lines of Catholic 
 work, spiritual, financial and intellec- 
 tual. 
 
 The Jacksonville Journal paid the 
 following editorial tribute to Father 
 Crowe: 
 
 "The passing of Very Rev. Dean J. 
 W. Crowe removes from Jacksonville 
 a very influential citizen. Father 
 Crowe has been a resident of Jackson- 
 ville twenty-three years and his record 
 has been such as to prove beyond 
 question his ability as an organizer. 
 Proof of this ability has appeared in 
 various 'ines and during his pastorate 
 the Church of Our Savior has de- 
 veloped in a material way. Father 
 Crowe was especially interested in 
 educational work and because of his 
 leadership Routt college stands in 
 Jacksonville today. Father Crowe was 
 a man of wide learning and liberal ed- 
 ucation. A well known Jacksonville 
 man and a non-Catholic, who accom- 
 panied him on a trip occupying sev- 
 eral days, said recently that the de- 
 ceased rector was one of the most de- 
 lightful men he hac 1 ever known so- 
 cially and in a conversational way. 
 Father Crowe was not especially dip- 
 lomatic in his manner or in his ways 
 in fact he was especially outspoken 
 and had the habit of going directly 
 after anything that he wanted. Oppo- 
 sition to him or disagreement with 
 him did not mean offense, and he had 
 an admiration for men and women 
 with convictions and willing to fight 
 for those convictions. During his years 
 of residence here. Father Crowe be-
 
 
 came a large force in the community 
 and while his parishioners and friends 
 found much in him to admire, even 
 those who disagreed with him had 
 great respect for his knowledge and 
 
 influence. His going marks the end 
 of a very forceful life." 
 
 One brother, Father Donat Crowe, 
 late pastor of Kewanee, died in Rome, 
 Italy in 1912. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. THOMAS CUSACK. 
 
 (From the New World.) 
 
 The Rev. Father Cusack was one 
 of the pioneers of the Alton diocese. 
 Born in Kilmainam, County Cavan, 
 Ireland, he emigrated with a brother 
 to Indian Creek, Mo., some 30 miles 
 west of Quincy, where they purchased 
 and worked a farm. In course of time 
 Mr. Cusack repaired to the Seminary 
 of the Barrens and was ordained 
 August 15, 1842 by Bishop Kenrick 
 for the diocese of St. Louis. In the 
 same year he was sent to Salt River. 
 In 1845 he was given charge of Indian 
 Creek. In 1850 he was found sta- 
 tioned at Arrow Rock, a locality not 
 known to modern geographers. In 
 
 1851 he was stationed at Marshall, 
 Saline County. In the year of the 
 Jubilee, whilst crossing the Salt River 
 with Bishop Kenrick, the stream hav- 
 ing unexpectedly risen, the distin- 
 guished prelate lost his equilibrium 
 and owed his life to the skill of Father 
 Cusack as a swimmer. Afterwards he 
 had charge of Jefferson City, and 
 
 1852 of Lexington. In the list of 
 Missionaries kept in the archives of 
 the Archdiocese of St. Louis, he is 
 described in 1854 as missionary "in 
 via ferrata vaporea" t h e Railroad 
 Apostle. And so he was, not only in 
 Missouri, but also in Illinois, whither 
 he repaired in the following year, 
 with headquarters at London City. In 
 1856 he was stationed at Decatur, 
 
 from thence following the men build- 
 ing the railroads, administering to 
 their spiritual wants and striving to 
 control their excesses. His means of 
 conveyance was a "white mule," still 
 famous wherever he visited. He built 
 several churches, all of a simple and 
 primitive style, neither Greek, Roman- 
 esque nor Gothic, known to the 
 priests as the "Cusack style," a good 
 sort of style notwithstanding their 
 plainness, in which as good prayers 
 could be said as in St. Peter's of 
 Rome. 
 
 Father Cusack left Decatur for 
 Shelbyville where he was stationed in 
 1864, if not before. In 1865 he left 
 for Bloomfield, Adams County, where 
 he remained till 1875 when he went 
 to Grafton. His next and last mis- 
 sion was Shipman, where he moved 
 to in 1876. He died at the Mullanphy 
 Hospital, St. Louis on February 28, 
 1887 at the ripe old age of about 87 
 years. He was burried at Indian 
 Creek, Mo., where he had labored as 
 a former priest in the midst of rela- 
 tives. 
 
 Father Cusack was a hard-working, 
 painstaking priest. He was plain- 
 spoken and had no flattery for any 
 one. He made the youngsters know 
 their catechism. 
 
 A prayer for the repose of the soul 
 of honest old Father Tom. 
 
 REV. PATRICK DEE. 
 
 "Every word man's lips have uttered 
 Echoes in God's skies". 
 
 His 
 
 nary, Milwaukee, Dec. 21, 1872. 
 death occurred Oct. 16, 1886. 
 Our subject was born in Ireland and. Father P. Dee acted for two years 
 ordained a priest at St. Francis Semi- as pastor of the Alton cathedral. 
 
 
 Page Thirty-Five
 
 REV. FRANCIS DERWIN. 
 
 "Every throb of my own heart's beating 
 Tells of the flight of Time". 
 
 Obviously our subject must be 
 numbered with the oldest missionary 
 priests of the state. As early as 1845 
 Bishop Rosatti of St. Louis, assigned 
 him to New Dublin, near Galena, 
 where he said Mass in a log house 
 16x24 and 7 logs high, which had been 
 constructed in 1836. The only men- 
 tion made of Father Derwin in this 
 part of the state, the present Alton 
 diocese, is that in 1846 he was ap- 
 
 pointed pastor of St. Lawrence church 
 (now St. Peter's) of Quincy. He suc- 
 ceeded its first pastor and founder. 
 Father Tucker, and remained in 
 charge of that parish from 1846 
 Dec. 1849. His administration there 
 was uneventful, the parish making but 
 little progress during his incumbency. 
 After his recall from Quincy Father 
 Derwin labored in the northern part 
 of the state, and there he died. R. I. 
 P. 
 
 REV. PATRICK R. DUCEY. 
 
 "Godliness is profitable to all things hav- 
 ing promise of the life that now is and of 
 that which is to come". 1 Tim. 4, 8. 
 
 On December 17, 1908, there expired 
 at Boerne, Texas, whither he had 
 gone for the recuperation of impaired 
 health, the Rev. Patrick R. Ducey, 
 
 pastor of St. Mary's congregation of 
 Marshall, 111. Funeral services were 
 held the following Tuesday at Mar- 
 shall. A large concourse of people 
 was present to attest their respect to 
 him who had labored so earnestly and 
 incessantly among them for eight 
 years in the cause which he repre- 
 sented. This outpouring of the people 
 manifested the high regard in which 
 he was held by the community, 
 whether Catholic or Protestant. Fol- 
 
 Page Thirty-Six 
 
 lowing the Solemn Requiem services 
 the 'body was conveyed to Springfield 
 for interment. Forty of his confreres 
 were present at these services. He 
 was lowered to his last resting place 
 in Calvary cemetery amongst mem- 
 bers of the Immaculate Conception 
 church as he looked upon that congre- 
 gation as a second home, for there 
 he had spent the first years of his 
 young priestly life as an assistant to 
 its venerable pastor. Father Ducey 
 was a man of honor and uprightness, 
 a priest greatly devoted to God's 
 service an^d the salvation of souls. 
 Wherever he was his works remain 
 after him for good. After laboring 
 at Springfield for some three years in 
 the capacity of assistant priest, he 
 was appointed to organize and build 
 a chinch at Effingham, the Sacred 
 Heart church. He did so and suc- 
 ceeded notwithstanding that difficul- 
 ties were great and means very small. 
 Leaving the young parish in flourish- 
 ing condition, Father Ducey assumed 
 charge of the congregation of Mar- 
 shall, where, during the subsequent 
 years of his pastorate he performed 
 good work, always active in behalf 
 of the material and spiritual welfare 
 of his people. When dying his last 
 words were: "May God's holy will be 
 done." 
 
 Father P. R. Ducey, an only son of 
 his parents, was born at Lowell, 
 Mass., in 1862, attended the local St. 
 Patrick's parochial schools and then
 
 entered upon the courses of Classics, 
 Philosophy and Theology at St. Bon- 
 aventure's College of Allegheny, Pa., 
 where on June 20, 1889, on the Feast 
 of Corpus Christie, he was ordained 
 
 by Bishop Stephen Ryan of Buffalo, 
 to the priesthood. 
 
 May Father Ducey, whose untime- 
 ly going is mourned by a host of 
 friends, rest in God's holy peace. 
 
 FATHER DURBIN. 
 
 "Time, like an ever-rolling stream 
 Bears all its sons away". 
 
 A venerable missionary priest, who 
 occasionally exercised his sacred func- 
 tions at places now comprised within 
 the Alton diocese, was Father Durbin. 
 In 1850, his residence or rather stop- 
 ping place, was at St. Vincent's in 
 Union County, Ky., twenty-four miles 
 from Shawneetown. The circuit of 
 this intrepid early crusader included 
 southeastern and southwestern Ken- 
 tucky, a great part of Tennessee, In- 
 diana, and all Southern Illinois, called 
 Egypt. From his Kentucky home he 
 visited on his periodical tours, St. 
 Bonaventure parish of St. Elmo (now 
 connected with Altamont). From St. 
 Elmo he would proceed further north 
 to Christian county, where near Tay- 
 lorville there is still to this day quite 
 a colony of Kentucklans, among whom 
 
 we meet with numerous Durbins. By 
 his occasional visits he would enable 
 these people to receive the Sacra- 
 ments, have their children christened 
 and their marriages solemnized or val- 
 idated. The old settlers are talking 
 of Father Durbin's visits to this day. 
 
 Father Durbin was an American of 
 Maryland stock, and had imbibed the 
 traditions of the persecutions of that 
 colony against the Catholics. This 
 filled him with ardor for his religion, 
 even to rigorism, for he had been in- 
 structed by Bishops Flaget and David, 
 first Bishops of Kentucky, they being 
 exiles from France on account of their 
 faith. They imbued the future mis- 
 sionaries in their seminary with a 
 rigid and self-sacrificing spirit. 
 
 Father Durbin died at Bardstown, 
 Ky., being at the time of death over 
 ninety years of age. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. HENRY EGGENSTEIN. 
 
 "Gone home! He lingers here no longer, 
 A restless pilgrim, walking painfully 
 
 With homesick longing daily growing 
 
 stronger, 
 And yearning vision of the joys to be". 
 
 On January 21, 1916, the angel of 
 death beckoned Reverend Henry Eg- 
 genstein, ''pastor emeritus" of St. 
 Elizabeth's congregation of Marine, 
 to follow and the priestly soul winged 
 its flight to the great white throne of 
 the Master there to receive eternal 
 reward for work well and nobly done. 
 He breathed forth his soul into the 
 hands of the Creator at St. Vincent's 
 Hospital of Taylorville, where he had 
 acted as chaplain ever since his retire- 
 ment from his beloved St. Elizabeth's 
 of Marine, in the fall of 1913. Ad- 
 vanced in years his weakened and 
 feeble body was not able to withstand 
 the inroads which a complication of 
 diseases had caused therein and when 
 finally dropsy made its appearance the 
 
 stricken man knew that the end was 
 not far off. Hence he set his house 
 in order so that when the fatal sum- 
 mons came to him he was fully pre- 
 pared to answer same. Having re- 
 ceived most fervently the last sacra- 
 ments of his Church two days before 
 death and being fully resigned to the 
 inscrutable designs of God's provi- 
 dence, our venerable friend lapsed into 
 a coma from which he was not to 
 awaken ere coming to the shores of 
 eternity. Calmly, without the least 
 of struggle he passed away, his sun 
 had set forever, Father Eggenstein 
 was no more, and another void and 
 vacancy within the ranks of the faith- 
 ful workers of the Alton Diocese had 
 been made. The ranks of older clergy 
 have alarmingly been decimated 
 within recent past years, but few 
 of the old stock are left to tell the 
 tale of former-day experiences of 
 
 Page Thirty-Sevfn
 
 hardships and self-denials which plen- 
 tifully awaited them in newly started 
 parishes in city and country alike. 
 
 Father Eggenstein was born July 
 10, 1843 at Drensteinfurt, Germany. 
 He studied in the local schools, thence 
 attended the gymnasium of Muenster 
 after which he entered as alumnus the 
 American College of St. Maurice (sub- 
 urban to Muenster.) There he was 
 raised to the priesthood on May 8, 
 1869. In autumn of same year, Octo- 
 ber 2, he landed on the American 
 shores, setting out at once for Alton 
 to report "ready for duty" to Bishop 
 Baltes. He was sent to Springfield as 
 assistant to the Pastor of St. Peter 
 
 and Paul's. His stay here, however, 
 was to be of but short duration, as 
 he was after a few months appointed 
 assistant priest to Father Schaefer- 
 meyer at St. Boniface church of 
 Quincy. A vacancy occuring at St. 
 Joseph's church of Carlinville, Father 
 Eggenstein became pastor of that 
 congregation a few months later, 
 working hard for its material and 
 spiritual uplift till September, 1876, 
 when he received his ultimate appoint- 
 ment to St. Elizabeth's parish of 
 Marine and where he remained until 
 forced by age and infirmities to seek 
 the hospitable asylum of St. Vincent's 
 Hospital of Taylorville, in the fall 
 of 1913. 
 
 St. Elizabeth's parish in its com- 
 pleteness, church, school and resi- 
 dence, is, with exception of the latter, 
 the result of Fr. Eggenstein's efforts, 
 it's a bijou among the country par- 
 ishes of the diocese, proclaiming elo- 
 quenitly the priestly spirit of deceased 
 which wrought these telling results. 
 He likewise built the priest's residence 
 at Saline. 
 
 Our defunct was a man of abstem- 
 ious, frugal habits, who required but 
 little for his living. Hardly ever did 
 he leave his habitat at Marine. In 
 
 the summer 1886 he paid a few 
 month's visit to his boyhood home 
 and purchased while abroad a number 
 of fine vestments for his church. He 
 seemed the picture of contentment 
 when ambulating up and down his 
 pretty garden walk and puffing at his 
 long German pipe, dispelling thereby 
 whatever care or worry might hover 
 on his mind. In the performance of 
 priestly duties, administration of 
 Sacraments, visits to the sick and 
 catechetical instructions at school, he 
 was exemplary and exact; in his deal- 
 
 Thirty-Eight
 
 ings with the outside world indulgent 
 and generous, charitable to the poor 
 and needy. He was a man of large 
 stocky built, measuring more than six 
 feet in height. Having never cared for 
 worldly wealth and lucre, he died as 
 
 he had lived, a poor man. May heaven 
 be his reward. His mortal remains 
 were laid to rest at Marine, where 
 funeral obsequies were held Wednes- 
 day, January 26, 1916. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. JOSEPH EILER. 
 
 "The journey is very weary 
 And He only can give me rest". 
 
 Born at Metz, France, (now Ger- 
 many), he came over to America in 
 1857, was ordained in 1869 and ap- 
 pointed an assistant to the Alton Ca- 
 thedral. He remained, however, but a 
 
 few months in Alton when he left for 
 the Cleveland diocese. There he was 
 assigned in similar capacity to the 
 Church of the Assumption, in Cleve- 
 land. All further particulars are lack- 
 ing. 
 
 REV. JOHN NEPOMUCEN ENZELBERGER. 
 
 "You shall reap in joy the harvest, 
 You have sown today in tears'*. 
 
 A trenchant and forceful writer, who 
 fearlessly championed the cause of the 
 church, wa3 Rev. John N. Enzel- 
 berger. For many years his weekly 
 
 glosseries on religio-political topics 
 appeared in the "Herold des Glau- 
 bens" of St. Louis. His name became 
 widely known and his sayings exten- 
 sively quoted by the press. He was an 
 avowed and outspoken antagonist of 
 all modernistic tendencies and other 
 outgrowths which threatened to dam- 
 age the church. He was honest and 
 sincere in his denunciations although 
 probably not always prudent in ex- 
 pressing them. The greatest service. 
 
 however, which forever will redound 
 to his merit is the compilation of the 
 third catalogue of the Catholic Ger- 
 man clergy and of the German par- 
 ishes of the United States, known as 
 "Schematismus der Katholischen 
 Geistlichkeit deutscher Zunge in den 
 Vereinigten Staaten Amerikas" in 
 1892. This work is a valuable addition 
 to the history of the Catholic Church 
 in the United States for the use of 
 present and future generations and its 
 great value has received universal 
 recognition and unstinted praise. Fr. 
 Enzelberger would deserve to be par- 
 alleled with that well-known German 
 writer, Alban Stolz. He served our 
 diocese at Vandalia from July 12, 
 1875-March 22, 1876. 
 
 Rev. John Nepomucen Enzelberger 
 was born March 30, 1852, at Weizen- 
 kirchen, in upper Austria; studied at 
 Linz, Austria, and at St. Francis, Wis- 
 consin; was ordained by Bishop P. J. 
 Baltes, March 19, 1875; substituted at 
 vSt. Joseph's parish, Cairo, April 10 
 till June 23, 1875; substituted at Du 
 Quoin, from June 29 till July 12, 
 1875; was rector of Vandalia until 
 March 22, 1876; then rector of Piop- 
 olis until February, 1902; after which 
 he acted as rector of Germantown 
 rntil his death, November 2, 1907. He 
 is buried at Germantown. R. I. P. 
 
 Page Th'rty-Nine
 
 REV. JOSEPH FINNIGAN. 
 
 "Thou shalt exchange the midnight for the 
 
 morning 
 And thy fair home above". 
 
 A full measure of sincerest sym- 
 pathy was poured forth from every 
 priest's heart when it became known 
 that their cherished confrere and 
 companion, Rev. Joseph Finnigan had 
 been stricken with a fatal affliction 
 against which medical science for ages 
 had battled in vain, viz: cancer of the 
 throat. This dreadful disease claimed 
 our subject in the ripeness of his con- 
 secrated career. Weeks and months 
 of intensest suffering were his portion 
 ere death relieved him of the terrible 
 affliction. 
 
 Born in 1857 at Providence, R. I., 
 young Finnigan was sent in early 
 youth to Montreal, there to study 
 Classics, Philosophy and Theology, 
 under the direction of the Sulpician 
 Fathers. And nobly he acquitted him- 
 self of his studies, bearing away sev- 
 eral college prizes at the annual com- 
 mencement exercises. He was very 
 popular among his fellow students 
 and the Sulpician Fathers in college 
 and seminary had high regard for his 
 talents, manliness and high sense of 
 honor. And yet, as college student, 
 
 he was full of harmless mischief and 
 law-breaking propensities. Had some 
 little prank occurred whose source 
 the good Father Rector could not at 
 once fathom, young Finnigan was 
 looked upon as the culprit, and with 
 threatening finger of indulgent repri- 
 mand he would be addressed: "Ah, 
 Monsieur Finnigan, c'est vous le cou- 
 pable." And, sure enough, our sub- 
 ject had usually been at the bottom 
 of it. After a brilliant course of studies, 
 Father Finnigan was ordained to the 
 priesthood a few days before Christ- 
 mas, 1882, in the Grand Seminary 
 chapel by Archbishop Edward Fabre 
 of Montreal. After reporting ready 
 for duty to Bishop Baltes, he was sent 
 as pastor to Kahokia, after which he 
 successfully filled positions at Virden, 
 Auburn, Charleston, Grafton, 1895-98, 
 Jacksonville, Springfield and Dalton 
 City. Whilst in the latter place, he 
 was stricken with that dreadful mal- 
 ady, cancer of the throat, which con- 
 signed him to an early grave. He bore 
 his sickness with heroic fortitude and 
 great Christian resignation and ex- 
 pired February 9, 1908. A memento 
 for Father Finnigan. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. F. J. FISCHER. 
 
 "Pass on, pass on, poor Spirit, 
 For heaven is yours at last; 
 In that one minute's anguish 
 
 Four thousand years have passed". 
 
 We know that prior to the erection 
 of the Bishopric of Chicago, in 1843, 
 the eastern part of Illinois was under 
 the jurisdiction of the Bishop of 
 Vincennes, Msgr. Brute, whilst the 
 western portion was ruled over by 
 Bishop Rosatti, of St. Louis. And 
 even after the formation of the for- 
 mer diocese priests from Vincennes 
 continued to look after the spiritual 
 interests of many parishes, such as 
 Ste Marie. Paris, Teutopolis and 
 others. Among the priests of Teutopo- 
 lis who originally hailed from Vincen- 
 nes was Rev. F. J. Fischer, who in 
 1847, had put up the first bric'k build- 
 ing at Ste Marie. He administered its 
 
 affairs for several months in 
 1850 after the leave-taking of Father 
 Kuenster. 
 
 Before coming to Teutopolis, Fr. 
 Fischer had been rector of Piquet's 
 Settlement, (Ste Marie), and previous 
 to that for several years an assistant 
 to Rev. St. Palais (who a few years 
 later became Bishop of Vincennes.) 
 When Chicago's first priest, Rev. St. 
 Cyr, was compelled by age and in- 
 firmity to relinquish his pastoral duties 
 of old St. Mary's of Chicago, and 
 retire to St. Louis where he died, Rev. 
 St. Palais succeeded him in 1837, 
 having Father Fischer as assistant. 
 These were the only priests in Chi- 
 cago when Bishop Quarter arrived 
 there May 5, 1844. In August, 1844, 
 our subject was recalled by Bishop 
 
 Page Forty-
 
 Brute back to Vincennes. A few 
 years later, in 1850, he presided for 
 
 several months over the parish of 
 Teutopolis. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. JOSEPH H. FORTMANN. 
 
 ' 'In Te Domine speravi, Non confundar in 
 aeternum' '. 
 
 A Catholic center in the diocese of 
 Alton, is Highland. The first settlers 
 from 1831-1842, were nearly all Cath- 
 olics, at least in name, though without 
 strong affiliations to the church. The 
 years 1840 and 1841 brought more 
 than one hundred from the Grand 
 Duchy of Baden, besides a number of 
 Swiss and a few Bavarian Catholics. 
 Occasionally, probably twice a year, 
 a priest was sent them from St. Louis. 
 More frequent became the visits 
 since Shoal Creek (Germantown), had 
 a resident priest in the person of Rev. 
 Joseph H. Fortmann, ordained at 
 the Barrens, November 1, 1837, and 
 since then pastor of Apple Creek, 
 Mo. He did his best to persuade the 
 Catholics to build a church and in 
 this he succeeded. The cornerstone 
 was placed in 1844 on the first day of 
 May. The first Mass was celebrated 
 in this church of Highland in 1846 by 
 Rev. Kuenster, pastor of Teutopolis. 
 Father Fortmann was recalled from 
 Shoal Creek by Bishop Rosatti in 
 
 1847 and sent as pastor to St. Joseph's 
 church of Grosse Point (Wilmette, 
 Chicago), where he stayed from 1847- 
 '53. During his stay at Grosse Point 
 he erected St. Peter's church at Xiles 
 Center. Next we find him busily en- 
 gaged at St. Mary's of the Woods at 
 Highland Park (Chicago), after which 
 he was appointed pastor of St. Peter's 
 church at Teutopolis. Here he worked 
 against many odds and difficulties 
 from August 5, 1857-January, 1858. 
 He had made arrangements for the 
 construction of a new parochial resi- 
 dence, for which purpose he had col- 
 lected the sum of $723. Before he 
 witnessed the realization of his plans, 
 however, he was sent to Peoria to 
 assume charge of St. Joseph's church 
 of that city. Three weeks after his 
 advent to Peoria, Father Joseph H. 
 Fortmann died. 
 
 His successor in Teutopolis was 
 Rev. B. Bartels, the last secular priest 
 of that parish, which now went over 
 into the hands of the Franciscan 
 Fathers, who had arrived from Ger- 
 many. May God rest his soul. 
 
 REV. THOMAS FRAUENHOFER. 
 
 "No true crown of honor can be given, 
 Till we place it on a funeral bier". 
 
 A great worker was Rev. Thomas 
 Frauenhofer, Teutopolis, Green Creek 
 and Effingham, must forever be grate- 
 ful to his untiring efforts in their be- 
 half. Early in 1857, February 12, he 
 was appointed pastor of St. Peter's 
 congregation of Teutopolis. After re- 
 siding there for some month's, he 
 moved to Green Creek, becoming its 
 first resident pastor. How exact and 
 faithfully he discharged his sacred du- 
 ties may be learned from his diary 
 and publication book which are still 
 extant in that parish. They are, in 
 composition, very neat, though rather 
 exhaustive. Whilst pastor of Green 
 Creek, Father Frauenhofer looked 
 after the spiritual needs of the Cath- 
 
 olic people in and around Effingham, 
 where in 1856 a log church had been 
 built. To this little log shanty he 
 journeyed every other Sunday to say 
 Holy Mass for the few scattered 
 Catholic people thereby laying the 
 foundation for the present strong 
 parish. At times he visited Decatur 
 to minister to the German Catholics 
 there. When, in 1858, the Franciscan 
 Fathers assumed charge of Teu- 
 topolis and subsequently of Green 
 Creek he took charge of lohnsburg 
 parish, (Rockford), from Dec. 1858- 
 Dec. 1860. After this Father Frauen- 
 hofer became stationed at Lourdes 
 (now Peoria diocese), and later on 
 left for the Dubuque diocese. In 1867 
 he was in charge of Sherrilsmount, 
 Iowa, and after that at Petersburg. 
 
 Page Forty-One
 
 Rev. Thomas Frauenhofer was a 
 native of Bavaria, born Dec. 6, 1817, 
 at Pfeffenhausen, in the Diocese of 
 Regensburg. On July 1, 1844, he was 
 ordained to the priesthood and exer- 
 cised his sacerdotal functions for 
 eight years in his native diocese until 
 May 19, 1852, when he came to Amer- 
 
 ica to affiliate with the diocese of Chi- 
 cago. Rumor has it that Father 
 Frauenhofer died at the Trappist 
 monasteo' near Dubuque, in the year 
 1870 or 1871, though lack of positive 
 information prevents from placing 
 him there with any degree of confi- 
 dence. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. J. FREIMUTH. 
 
 ' 'Let the incense of pur prayers 
 Before Thy mercy rise ; 
 The brightness of the coming night 
 Upon the darkness rolls ; 
 With hopes of future glory 
 Chase the shadows on our souls". 
 
 The first resident pastor of Kamps- 
 ville, in Calhoun county, was Father 
 Freimuth. He was appointed to that 
 parish which was still in a formative 
 state, in 1877, and remained there till 
 1879. During his two years stay he 
 built a small frame church and dedi- 
 cated it to St. Anselm. On the 24th 
 day of April, 1879, it'was duly blessed 
 and given over to divine worship. 
 After holding several minor charges 
 in the Southern part of the diocese, 
 Father Freimuth joined the Fran- 
 ciscan Order at Teutopolis in 1887, 
 and was known from that time as P. 
 
 Firmatus, O. F. M. As such he be- 
 came an assistant at St. Joseph's 
 Church of Cleveland in 1892. Being 
 a man of extreme nervousness and 
 delicate health, P. Firmatus was much 
 confined to indoor life. His death oc- 
 curred at Superior, Wis., Nov. 23, 
 1909, being in his 71st year of life, the 
 25th of his solemn profession and the 
 33rd of his priesthood. 
 
 Father Freimuth was born April 10, 
 1838, at Remscheidt in the Archdio- 
 cese of Cologne, was ordained a priest 
 at Maline in Belgium, May 26, 1877, 
 and came to this country the follow- 
 ing October. His solemn profession 
 as member of the Franciscan Order 
 was made on March 8, 1888. R. -I. P. 
 
 REV. HENRY FREDERICK FROHBOESE. 
 
 "Cor Jesu, fac cor meum sicut cor Tuum!" 
 
 This humble and pious priest was 
 born June 7, 1823, in Ringelheim, 
 Hanover, was ordained December 8, 
 1853, and arrived in the states July 
 26, 1858. With the exception of the 
 last five years, the deceased spent his 
 priestly life in parishes of the present 
 Belleville diocese, at Mascoutah, Ger- 
 mantown, Prairie du Rocher and 
 Fayetteville. Broken in health, after 
 serious trials and labors, Father Froh- 
 boese retired in August, 1884, to 
 become a chaplain in the St. Vincent's 
 Home of Quincy. Blindness prevented 
 him from saying Mass after Dec. 24, 
 1888. Peacefully he slept away Janu- 
 ary 9th, 1889. His remains were in- 
 terred in St. Boniface Cemetery of 
 Quincy. R. I. P. 
 
 Page Forfv-J.ro
 
 REV. WILLIAM FUTTERER. 
 
 "So soon, so soon, is the daylight fled! 
 And O, how fast comes the dark to-morrow, 
 Who hides, perhaps, in her veil of sorrow 
 The terrible hour I wait and dread ! ' ' 
 
 Like a flash from a clear noonday 
 sky came the startling- announcement 
 of Rev. Father William Futterer's 
 death on Monday, August 21, 1910. It 
 was cabled to his sister, Mrs. L. Rit- 
 ter, of Mattoon, 111., from Munich in 
 Bavaria, whither decedent had gone 
 to recover lost health. Most of his 
 confreres were even unaware of his 
 
 ailing condition, few knew of his de- 
 parture for Europe. Writer of these 
 lines since 1876 a friend and formes- 
 schoolmate of the departed received 
 a card from him. written on landing 
 in England, on which he stated that 
 owing to the invigorating ocean trip 
 he felt much better and that he antici- 
 pa/ted a pleasant journey on the Con- 
 tinent. But "Man proposes whilst 
 God disposes." This truism became 
 exemplified in the life of our subject. 
 Arrived at Bonn he had to .submit to 
 a serious surgical operation which, as 
 far as is known, turned out to be suc- 
 cessful. Within a short time he had 
 so far recuperated from the effects of 
 it that to journey to Munich seemed 
 to be entirely safe. Prospects for 
 returning health and strength seemed 
 
 reasonably good, nay almost certain. 
 Buoyed up by the hope of finding 
 permanent cure in Bavaria's fascinat- 
 ing capital for his shattered constitu- 
 tion, Father Futterer undertook the 
 trip. From time to time letters and 
 cards contained the information that 
 he was doing well and there seemed 
 hope in every sentence. On August 
 8th, however, he wrote to his sister: 
 "I am doing only fairly well," the 
 last words received from the poor 
 sufferer who was then already proba- 
 bly fighting with death. On the morn- 
 ing of August 21, the scythe in the 
 hand of the grim reaper mowed down 
 the precious life of our esteemed 
 friend in far-away Munich and caused 
 tears of genuine sorrow in many a 
 home, for this whole-souled man com- 
 manded hosts of friends who will 
 continue to bless his memory. 
 
 Rev. William Futterer was an only 
 son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles and 
 Mary Futterer of Mattoon, 111. He 
 attained the age of 47 years and six 
 months, having been born August 21, 
 1863. Strong and powerful of phy- 
 sique, he would inspire one with a 
 sense of that steam-roller vitality 
 which is so conspicuous and notice- 
 able wherever met. His eyes were 
 dark and keen and upon occasion 
 would rather mischievously twinkle, 
 his hands would extend in firm, strong 
 grip and cordial clutch; his whole 
 bearing was one of energy and deter- 
 mination. Though at times blunt of 
 speech, yet he was of transparent 
 honesty of purpose and nobility of 
 character. Generous and unselfish to 
 a fault he would gladly part with the 
 last dollar in his pocket or as some 
 one pertinently remarked w o u 1 d 
 take the shirt off his back and give it 
 to the needy one. His hospitality 
 was lavish. We always found him in 
 happiest mood when either entertain- 
 ing friends or dispensing kindness to 
 deserving people. But how often was 
 his kindness abused and flagrantly 
 taken advantage of by unworthy and 
 ungrateful people, greedy leeches who 
 were ready to smite the hand that had 
 blessed them; and blacken the char- 
 
 Page Forty-Thrr
 
 acter of the noble man who in days of 
 distress had befriended them. 
 
 Rev. Futterer spent his boyhood 
 days and early manhood in Mattoon, 
 where he received his schooling at 
 the parochial schools conducted by 
 the Dominican Sisters. After leaving 
 the Mattoon schools he entered St. 
 Joseph's College at Teutopolis, from 
 which he graduated with high honors. 
 In compliance with the preferred 
 wishes of the late Bishop Baltes he 
 went to the Grand Seminary of Mon- 
 treal, there to study Philosophy and 
 Theology and became ordained to 
 the priesthood by the Most Rev. 
 Archbishop Edouard Fabre, D. D., 
 during the week preceding Christmas, 
 1887. 
 
 The first charge which the young 
 priest enjoyed was at Grant Fork, 
 (Saline) where he succeeded Rev. A. 
 Zurbonsen, who was sent as first resi- 
 dent pastor to Staunton, January 12, 
 1888. From here he was sent by his 
 Bishop to near-by P i e r r o n, where 
 owing to his energetic and generous 
 initiative he was instrumental in 
 starting a parish, erecting a fine 
 church and rectory, purchasing a 
 cemetery site and performing numer- 
 
 ous other duties which will forever 
 redound to his honor and credit. 
 
 At this time Father Futterer became 
 the Bishop's choice as diocesan re- 
 presentative at the Catholic Univers- 
 ity of Washington. Whilst prosecu- 
 ting his studies at that seat of learn- 
 ing, he was placed in temporary 
 charge of St. Mary's German Cath- 
 olic church, the only church in the 
 National Capitol where the German 
 language is spoken. After remaining 
 for about two years in Washington 
 where he became the personal friend, 
 admirer and defender of the late Mgr. 
 Dr. Jos. Schroeder, dogmatic profes- 
 sor at the University he was recalled 
 by the Bishop and appointed pastor 
 of the parish of Petersburg, where 
 he performed noble work, but con- 
 tracted, however,- the malady which 
 eventually resulted in his untoward 
 death. The remains were forwarded 
 after considerable delay to this coun- 
 try, the following October. Solemn 
 obsequies at which almost the entire 
 diocesan clergy assisted, were had in 
 his native town and parish church of 
 Mattoon, after which he was bedded 
 to his eternal rest in the local Catholic 
 cemetery. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. CHARLES GEORGE GEIER. 
 
 "In Domino laudabitur anima mea". 
 A fine young priest, amiable and of 
 winning disposition was Father C. 
 Geier, a former college student of 
 Teutopolis and Seminarian of St. 
 Francis, Milwaukee, who was raised 
 to the holy ministry in the Alton 
 Cathedral by Bishop Baltes, Oct. 31, 
 1880. 
 
 Deceased was a native of St. Louis, 
 son of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Geier 
 (Anna, nee Wollenschlager) born 
 April 26, 1857. Whilst a student of 
 college and seminary he spent the 
 
 annual summer vacations with the 
 late Father F. Stick, of Mattoon, a 
 profitable pastime and enjoyment with 
 such versatile man and talented pastor 
 of wide experience. 
 
 Father Geier was assigned to the 
 Vandalia parish where he worked 
 faithfully and successfully from 1881- 
 '85. Owing to feeble health which 
 gradually developed into consumption 
 he was forced after four years to dis- 
 continue active service. Death claimed 
 our genial young priest January llth, 
 1886. R. I. P. 
 
 - 
 
 Page Forty-Four
 
 REV. HERMAN GESENHUES. 
 
 "Thy life that has been dropped aside 
 Into Time's stream, may stir the tide 
 In rippled circles spreading wide". 
 
 On Sept. 13, 1913, the members of 
 the Immaculate Conception parish of 
 Shelbyville, learned with sincerest 
 feelings of deep regret and poignant 
 sorrow of the sad fate which had be- 
 
 fallen their pastor, and with them, the 
 bishop and every priest in the diocese 
 were most painfully affected, when 
 told of Father Herman Gesenhues' 
 sudden death. A heart stroke early 
 in the morning had terminated the 
 precious life of Shelbyville's pastor. 
 Three weeks before his death he had 
 attended the bi-annual retreat at 
 Quincy, where he edified many by the 
 strict observance of the rules as well 
 as by his unfeigned genuine piety and 
 devotion. During recreation hours 
 when a free intermingling of priests is 
 permitted after the noon and evening 
 meals, good Father Gesenhues would 
 tarry in the chapel, taking but little 
 heed of his fellow-priests' recreation 
 and diversions. Had he a premonition 
 of his impending fate, did he feel the 
 nearness of the last summons? So 
 much, however, seems to be certain, 
 that he who at all times had led a 
 model priestly life, who shortly be- 
 fore death had deeply penetrated into 
 
 his interior, spiritual life to set things 
 aright, needed not to fear nor trepi- 
 date when suddenly the grim reaper 
 appeared and beckoned to accompany 
 him. Father Gesenhues was prepared 
 for such eventuality. 
 
 Of the beautiful life and character 
 we will let "A Member of the Congre- 
 gation" speak who thus, wrote to a 
 local paper after the funeral had taken 
 place: 
 
 "I fail to find words to express the 
 deep sorrow felt by the members of 
 the Immaculate Conception Church of 
 this city over the sudden but peaceful 
 death of our dearly beloved pastor, 
 Father Gesenhues, which occured at 
 the parsonage in this city about 6 
 o'clock Saturday morning. Sept. 13, 
 1913. Death was due to a heart stroke. 
 
 We mourn the loss of our dear pas- 
 tor, an honored priest of the diocese, 
 and our dearest friend. 
 
 I shall endeavor to pay tribute to 
 his memory by mentioning a few of 
 his many virtues. 
 
 Father Gesenhues realized that a 
 priest of the Catholic Church is an 
 ambassador of Christ. The joys and 
 sorrows of his people were his joys 
 and sorrows. He was an ideal priest 
 and the soul of sincerity. 
 
 Father Gesenhues was meek and 
 lowly, kind and gentle and unassum- 
 ing, and was remarkable for his pa- 
 tience. He was to be admired because 
 he strictly minded his own business 
 a character which he also so much ad- 
 mired in others. He was eminently a 
 man of peace; the father of his flock, 
 for whom and for whose sake he la- 
 bored. It made no difference what 
 the occasion or the circumstance 
 might be, Father Gesenhues was al- 
 ways the same kind, gentle pastor. 
 
 Many of his quiet acts of charity are 
 known, but most are only recorded in 
 that great book which some day will 
 be revealed to all. 
 
 Father Gesenhues disliked publicity. 
 He was not a public man in the ordi- 
 nary sense of the word. He had one 
 duty; that was his duty to his parish. 
 
 Page Forty-Five
 
 His religious convictions were firmly 
 fixed, mellowed, however, with charity 
 for all not of his faith. He was a shin- 
 ing light unto all, carefully practicing 
 all he preached. His whole life was 
 devoted solely to the service of God. 
 
 To know him was to love him. To 
 meet him was a joy and a consolation. 
 Not only cheering in the hour of dark- 
 ness, but ever and always bright and 
 cheerful with the spirit of a priest, 
 urging all to do better. 
 
 Could our dear departed pastor 
 speak to us today, he would say: 
 "Friend, cease praising me, but pray 
 for me." "He is worthy of praise, and 
 in that spirit I pay tribute to his mem- 
 ory." 
 
 Deceased, a big, corpulent man of 
 great weight and tall stature, was born 
 in St. Louis, Dec. 13, 1858. Shortly 
 after his parents removed to German- 
 town, where young Herman attended 
 the parochial school and later entered 
 St. Joseph's College of Teutopolis. 
 His classical course finished, he was 
 sent by the Bishop to Milwaukee, 
 there to study Philosophy and Theol- 
 ogy. 
 
 Herman Gesenhues acquitted him- 
 self both at Teutopolis and at Mil- 
 waukee, splendidly for he was a gifted 
 
 and talented young man who suffered 
 not to be outdone by his class-mates. 
 
 Bishop Baltes raised our young the- 
 ologian to the priesthood at Alton, 
 Oct. 23, 1881. Bloomfield, Hillsboro, 
 with Raymond and Gillespie, Alta- 
 mont, Beardstown and Shelbyville 
 were successively the parishes where 
 Father Gesenhues performed excellent 
 work and where his name will remain 
 in benediction. Many a time when 
 coming from Hillsboro to Gillespie on 
 a late evening train and not wishing 
 to incommode anyone, he went to his 
 little church and there spent the night 
 on the hard planks of a church pew. 
 His modesty forbade to ever mention 
 these and other incidents but they elo- 
 quently portray his humility and un- 
 selfishness. He was certainly a priest 
 according to the heart of God. 
 
 When Father Herman Gesenhues 
 then, was called away from the scenes 
 of his manifold exploits and services, 
 may the great High Priest have ad- 
 dressed him in the words of the ante- 
 phone: "Euge serve bone . . . intra in 
 gaudium Domini tui." 
 
 His mortal remains were taken to 
 his old home in Germantown, and 
 there, after solemn services, interred 
 in the Catholic cemetery. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. JOHN W. GIFFORD. 
 
 "Leaving the house forever, 
 To wander out forlorn". 
 
 Our subject was a native of Scot- 
 land, and ordained in Ireland. He 
 succeeded Rev. George A. Hamilton 
 in 1851 in the administration of the 
 affairs of the young Immaculate Con- 
 ception church of Springfield. There 
 had been a vacancy after its first 
 resident pastor, G. A. Hamilton, had 
 relinquished it in 1845. Father Gif- 
 
 ford remained its pastor for two years. 
 He died in the fall of 1853 at O'Hara 
 Settlement (now Ruma), in Randolph 
 county, and there he found his last 
 resting place. Father Gifford arrived 
 in Chicago from Ireland in May, 1850, 
 and was at once accepted by Bishop 
 Van de Velde. He worked mostly in 
 the northern part of the state. R. 
 I. P. 
 
 Page Forty-Six
 
 REV. CHARLES GONANT. 
 
 1 'Death is coming and I hear him 
 
 Soft and stealthy cometh he; 
 But I don't believe I fear him, 
 God is now so close to me". 
 
 Father Ab. Eyan. 
 
 Numbered with the brave band of 
 
 French priests, who, at the solicita- 
 tion of Bishop Juncker, left the sunny 
 hillsides of beautiful France in the 
 latter part of the fifties in order to 
 devote their future lives in the young 
 diocese of Alton, was Rev. Charles 
 Gonant. He was a native of Nancy, 
 where he received Holy Orders in 
 1858. On arriving in the United States 
 in the fall of that same year, his first 
 assignment was to the parish of As- 
 sumption, which then was greatly 
 peopled by French-speaking Catholics. 
 He became their first resident pastor. 
 
 Here Father Gonant remained three 
 years, from 1858-'61, attending during 
 these years to the spiritual needs of 
 the Catholics of Pana. 
 
 From Assumption our worthy 
 priest was ordered to Litchfield to 
 succeed the Rev. Michael Colton as 
 pastor of that young congregation. 
 Father Colton had assumed charge of 
 that parish a few years previous and 
 had caused the first brick church to 
 be built there in 1859. For ten years 
 Father Gonant remained at Litchfield. 
 A considerable debt on the church 
 was liquidated and shortly after suc- 
 ceeded in building a becoming paro- 
 chial residence. A two-story brick 
 was erected and nearly all paid when 
 he took possession of it. Hitherto he 
 had lived in a one-story cottage ad- 
 joining the old church and which he 
 rented for years. From Litchfield he 
 regularly attended Hillsboro. 
 
 Leaving Litchfield in June, 1871, he 
 moved to Arcola, where, however, his 
 stay was but a short one, for he left 
 this charge in September of the same 
 year. At this juncture our good priest 
 went to the Peoria diocese to become 
 a subject of Bishop Spalding Che- 
 banse had become a separate parish 
 and awaited a pastor. Rev. Charles 
 Gonant was sent thither in 1875 and 
 he continued to direct the destinies 
 of that congregation for eleven years, 
 till 1886. He died a priest of that 
 diocese. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. AUGUSTINE GORRIS. 
 
 "Adieu! Farewell! 
 At peace! at rest! 
 Gone home to dwell 
 Among the blest." 
 
 The queenly city of Amsterdam in 
 Holland, was the birthplace of a tal- 
 ented and eager young priest, who 
 during the few years of priestly life 
 had already accomplished a great 
 deal. His premature final leave-taking 
 then caused sincerest regret wherever 
 known. Father Augustine Charles 
 Gorris is this man in question. The 
 lamented young priest had a host of 
 
 friends who all admired him for his 
 deft ways and undismayed courage, 
 which he exhibited to good advantage 
 when placed amid adverse conditions, 
 especially when made pastor of St. 
 Ubaldus parish of New Douglas. 
 
 Our clerical young friend he was 
 but 40 years of age when called to 
 his reward was born in Amsterdam 
 on Christmas day, 1861. Being with- 
 out sufficient means to complete the 
 prescribed course of required studies, 
 he set out to learn the joiner's trade. 
 
 Page Forty-Seven
 
 This he followed for a number of 
 years, husbanding in the meantime, 
 every penny for the accomplishment 
 of his proposed purpose, the study for 
 the priesthood. And he succeeded 
 though hard was the task. 
 
 At the American College of Lou- 
 vain we find our young man pouring 
 over his books, determined to win 
 out, which he did, for he was ordained 
 there on February 25, 1893. In the 
 fall of that same year he came to this 
 country to be appointed as assistant 
 to St. Boniface church of Quincy. 
 This was November 13, 1893. For 
 three years he worked faithfully at 
 St. Boniface, when on November 5, 
 1896, he was transferred to St. John's 
 church of that city, there to lighten 
 the burdens of Father Still, the pastor. 
 Here the young priest performed like- 
 w i s e good and valiant services. 
 Recognizing his merits and persistent 
 endeavors his Bishop made him pastor 
 of St. Ubaldus parish of New Doug- 
 
 las, July 11, 1899. Here the enduring 
 qualities of the man were put to a 
 severe test. As a poor priest, he 
 landed in a poor congregation. St. 
 Ubaldus was not any more what it 
 used to be in the Eighties. The Cath- 
 olic population had dwindled away, 
 causing that parish to struggle for an 
 existence. A mere handful of Cath- 
 olic people, themselves not blessed 
 with riches, to have and support a 
 resident priest and meet current ex- 
 penses when the income was small and 
 meagre, was indeed a task from which 
 many a one would have tried to 
 shrink. Not so with Father Gorris. 
 Finding the church walls bare, and 
 plaster cracked, he papered them, the 
 leaky, rotten roof he tore away, and 
 hunting for his carpenter's tools 
 climbed the roof and re-shingled it, 
 broken down fences he repaired and 
 caused a great many other necessary 
 improvements to be made. Neither 
 did he forget to build up the spiritual 
 life of the parish. When everything 
 was in good running order our young 
 hard-working pastor's health suc- 
 cumbed to the continued strain and 
 hardship and self-denial. Where 
 should he go to in his broken down 
 condition and poor in purse? A sin- 
 cere welcome awaited him with the 
 good Sisters of St. Vincent's Home 
 of Quincy, whose chaplain he had al- 
 ready been whilst stationed as assist- 
 ant at St. John's. Nine months he 
 struggled to ward off the fatal hour. 
 However, he had to yield to the in- 
 evitable on November 16, 1901, tuber- 
 culosis claiming him a victim. 
 
 After solemn funeral services, his 
 remains were buried in St. Boniface 
 cemetery of Quincy. 
 
 May the soul of this worthy young 
 priest rest in God's holy peace. 
 
 Page Forty-Eight
 
 REV. GEO. A. HAMILTON, SR. 
 
 "I will pass from earth and meet him 
 
 Whom I loved thro' all the years, 
 Who will crown me when I greet Him 
 And will kiss away the tears". 
 
 Sparse and meagre are the items 
 left us about Rev. G. A. Hamilton 
 and his doings in parishes now parts 
 of the Alton diocese and the few 
 known facts comprise but seven years 
 of his priestly career among us. 
 
 Rev. George A. Hamilton, together 
 with Rev. Hilary Tucker, the founder 
 of St. Peter's of Quincy, were sent in 
 their young student days by Bishop 
 Rosatti of St. Louis, to Rome, there 
 to enter the College of the Propagan- 
 da. The young men had attracted the 
 Bishop's attention by their extraordi- 
 nary mental endowments. These gifts 
 and talents augured well for their 
 future usefulness. The territory for 
 which they were ordained was im- 
 mense, the laborers, however, were 
 but few. Both young men were of 
 native American parentage. Finish- 
 ing their studies at the Eternal City 
 in 1839, the young neo-presbyters 
 hastened home and presenting them- 
 selves to their Ordinary, were assigned 
 to their respective spheres of work, 
 Father Tucker to Quincy and Father 
 Hamilton to Upper Alton. Here the 
 latter assumed charge as first resi- 
 dent pastor of St. Mathias' church 
 which a few years thereafter was con- 
 sumed by fire. From Alton Fr. Hamil- 
 ton extended his activity in every 
 direction, especially did he center it 
 in Springfield, where in 1845 he or- 
 ganized a parish in honor of St. John 
 Baptist, built a small frame church 
 and took up his residence beside it. 
 Again his usefulness from here radi- 
 ated in many directions, attending 
 from Springfield, the Catholic settle- 
 ments of Sugar Creek, Bear Creek, 
 South Fork, Vandalia, Taylorville, 
 
 Jacksonville and Virginia. On May 
 11, 1845, Father Hamilton celebrated 
 for the first time Mass at Vandalia, the 
 ceremony taking place at the court 
 house. People of every denomination 
 were desirous of seeing the services 
 and administration of baptism per- 
 formed. Consequently the building 
 was crowded to excess, not half of 
 the large concourse of people being 
 able to gain admission. Catholics 
 largely seized the opportunity afforded 
 them by offering up their prayers be- 
 fore the throne of the Most High. 
 Fifty persons received the Sacrament 
 of Baptism that day. Truly a Pente- 
 costal sight. Virginia, one of the sta- 
 tions attended to by Father Hamilton 
 from Springfield relates in the ac- 
 count of 1850 that it had received the 
 accomodations of a frame church. 
 When this frame church was erected, 
 is not stated. 
 
 In May, 1846, he left the diocese 
 (Chicago) and the state, going east to 
 Boston, where he died a few years 
 later. Only once after leaving his 
 diocese we hear from him and this 
 was on the occasion when a petition 
 was signed that was to secure a. char- 
 ter for the "University of St. Mary of 
 the Lake." George A. Hamilton 
 placed his signature thereto July 18, 
 1849, to which was added: removed 
 from the state. 
 
 Our subject, Rev. George A. Hamil- 
 ton must not be confused, however, 
 with a namesake, Rev. Geo. Hamilton, 
 Jr. who received ordination from 
 Bishop Quarter at Chicago, August 19, 
 1845. He labored for awhile at North 
 Arm, this diocese, attending Paris and 
 thereafter worked in Chicago diocese. 
 He was a nephew of Rev. Geo. A. 
 Hamilton, Sr. R. I. P. 
 
 Page Forty-Nine
 
 REV. FRANCIS J. HARBE. 
 
 At the Santa Maria Infirmary of San 
 Antonio, Texas, on June 17, 1913, the 
 life of a fine young priest was 
 snuffed out by cruel death. Rev. Fran- 
 cis J. Harbe died there a victim of the 
 "White Plague," tuberculosis. Medi- 
 cal aid and science had tried in vain 
 to stay the inroads caused by this 
 terrible disease but to no avail. He 
 sank into the grave when but 37 years 
 old. 
 
 Father Harbe's life was one replete 
 with adventures, it reads like a 
 romance in all its phases and features. 
 Born May 2, 1876 at Cleveland, Ohio, 
 he became in infancy orphaned 
 through the death of his mother. The 
 father took the child to far-off Arizona 
 and placed him in the care of the Sis- 
 ters of St. Joseph. Mother Monica, 
 one of the sisters, thereupon confided 
 little Francis to an orphanage in St. 
 Louis, Mo., where he grew up into 
 boyhood. Being endowed with a 
 bright intellect, the boy was sent to 
 St. Francis College of Quincy, where 
 he remained till 1896, making splendid 
 progress in all his studies, especially 
 in music. We next hear of him as 
 music teacher in St. Louis and organ- 
 
 ist at St. Patrick's of that city. When 
 the Spanish-American war broke out, 
 young Harbe joined the Missouri 
 volunteers and saw service in Cuba. 
 In 1900 he decided to again take up 
 his studies and to prepare for the 
 priesthood. He entered the American 
 College of Louvaini, in Belgium where 
 after the completion of his theolog- 
 ical course he was ordained July 12, 
 1903 by Bishop James F. Van der 
 Stappen. 
 
 His first appointment was to 
 Oconee from where he was trans- 
 ferred to Greenville. His health gave 
 way, whereupon in 1910 he sought 
 the more salubrious clime of Oklaho- 
 ma. There he had charge for one year 
 of the parish of Coal Gate, but not 
 seeing any improvement in his broken- 
 down health, he entered in 1911 the 
 Sanitarium at Boerne, Texas. But the 
 result here was not better than in 
 Oklahoma, on the contrary, Father 
 Harbe felt his life slowly ebbing 
 away. From Boerne he journeyed to 
 the Santa Maria Infirmary of San 
 Antonio, where as already stated, he 
 passed away June 17, 1913. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. JAMES HARTY. 
 
 It is a fact, unknown to many, that 
 St. Joseph's College of Teutopolis, 
 combined with the classical course 
 likewise one of Philosophy and Theol- 
 oyg. This was in the beginning of its 
 existence, now more than fifty years 
 ago. It prospered and flourished 
 from 1862-1865 when owing to a lack 
 of professors the theological course 
 was discontinued by the Rector of the 
 institution, the Very Rev. Mauritius 
 Klostermann, O. F. M., who felt that 
 services of the little band of Fathers 
 was more urgently needed elsewhere. 
 During the existence of this theolog- 
 ical department at the College, how- 
 ever, there were twenty-five young 
 clerics graduated for the priesthood, 
 one of whom was our subject, Rev. 
 James Harty. He with three other 
 seminarians was ordained on St. Nich- 
 olas' Day, Dec. 6th, 1863. The co- 
 
 ordinati were the Revs. W. Kinchen- 
 buch (who in later years joined the 
 Peoria diocese), Ferdinand Stick and 
 Jeremiah Sullivan. All these good 
 priests now rest in God, the last to 
 die was Rev. Ferd. Stick of Highland. 
 
 St. Francis Xavier's parish of Jer- 
 seyville, will forever be linked with 
 the name and blessed memory of 
 Father Harty, for it was in this parish 
 that almost his whole priestly career 
 was spent, from 1868-1899, in which 
 latter year (July) he" was summoned 
 to a better world. 
 
 The decendent was born at Old Par- 
 ish, County Waterford, Ireland, on 
 Dec. 6th, 1836. He made his classical 
 studies at the school kept by the 
 Trappist Fathers at Mt. Mellary and 
 entered All Hallows' College in 1859. 
 He left the land of his birth, however, 
 
 Page Fifty
 
 and setting the prow of his future 
 career westward, came to America, 
 landing at Alton in 1862. The theo- 
 logical department having just been 
 opened at Teutopolis, it was thither 
 that Bishop Juncker directed the 
 young aspirant to proceed where in 
 
 1863 he was ordained to the priest- 
 hood. His first appointment was to 
 Olney, whence he was transferred to 
 become the Cathedral Rector of Alton. 
 Shortly after his advent to Alton, St. 
 Francis Xavier's parish of Jerseyville 
 was founded. The church building was 
 under construction. The committee 
 in charge, however, had encountered 
 
 a financial snag and it required the 
 services of a prudent and experienced 
 pilot to extricate the affair out of be- 
 setting difficulties and send the un- 
 finished church on to completion. 
 Father Harty was the man of the 
 hour. He assumed the task. No one 
 was better qualified to undertake this 
 job than he. (1868) With what signal 
 success he labored in this chosen field 
 of St. Xavier's of Jerseyville for thir- 
 tyone long years, is well known to all 
 Church residence, Sister's dwelling, 
 and above all the fine parochial school 
 the pride of the parish, eloquently 
 proclaim better than words can tell 
 Father Harty's untiring efforts in 
 behalf of parish and people. 
 
 It is not often that a priest has 
 departed beyond the meridian sun of 
 life whose taking off has left a deeper 
 sorrow upon parishioners, or has de- 
 prived his friends of a more beloved 
 and genial companion and the diocese 
 at large of a more wise and useful 
 pastor, than Rev. Harty. To say 
 that he was endeared to all who knew 
 him is only to express their faith and 
 trust in his unblemished conduct of 
 priestly life and in his fidelity to all 
 good principles, and to repeat toward 
 the departed the earnest friendship 
 which he inspired by his noble, unsel- 
 fish bearing, extended to all with cor- 
 dial sincerity. His acquaintance was 
 extensive, but it was not wider than 
 that atmosphere of warm and appre- 
 ciative love and respect which per- 
 vades all classes of people who had 
 ever come in contact with him. A 
 good, generous, big-hearted man and 
 true priest of God has left his last- 
 ing imprints upon the Alton Diocese. 
 
 Father Harty found his last rest- 
 ing place in the local Catholic ceme- 
 tery of Jerseyville. R. I. P. 
 
 Page Fifty-One
 
 REV. B. HASSE. 
 
 "Rich the joy to be revealed 
 
 In that hour from labor free 
 Bright the splendors that shall yield 
 Happiness to thee". 
 
 The former "Americanum" of St. 
 Maurice in Muenster, has contributed 
 
 a number of excellent priests to our 
 diocesan clerical ranks. This institu- 
 tion has now ceased to exist as such. 
 The last one of the Alton priests who 
 received their training there, Rev. 
 Bernard Hasse, died May 4, 1911, at 
 the age of 63 years. The cradle of 
 Father Hasse stood on the banks of 
 the river Ems at Warendorf in West- 
 falia, where he was born February 12, 
 1848. There in the primary schools of 
 his native city he received his first 
 marked honor and distinction. In 
 1870 he entered as young cleric above 
 mentioned institution. After four 
 years of strenuous application to phil- 
 osophical and theological studies, he 
 was elevated to the priesthood in the 
 venerable cathedral church of St. 
 Ludger of Muenster, by Bishop John 
 Bernard Brinkmann, May 30, 1874. 
 In company with the late Revs. 
 Augustine W e n k e r, of Naperville, 
 Emmerich Weber of Chicago, and 
 John Stor'p of Green Creek, he set out 
 for America that same summer, ar- 
 riving in New York, September 19, and 
 
 Page Fifty -Two 
 
 a few days after in Alton. From the 
 day of his coming till the day of exit 
 Father Hasse proved himself a con- 
 scientious, faithful and earnest priest 
 in the discharge of his holy office. In 
 a quiet, unobtrusive way he went 
 about his business doing good. Being 
 of a retired disposition he seldom ap- 
 peared in public for he eschewed all 
 notoriety and ostentation. He lived 
 for his parishioners, his best friends 
 were his books on the library shelf, 
 for Father Hasse was solid in his 
 studies. The parishes in which he 
 faithfully worked, Paris, Grant Fork, 
 Fayetteville, Raymond, Petersburg 
 anl Mt. Sterling, will continue to keep 
 his memory sacred. Months prior to 
 death our subject became afflicted 
 with heart trouble angina pectoris 
 for the relief of which he sought a 
 quiet retreat in St. Mary's Hospital or 
 Quincy. This, however, proved of but 
 little avail. The doctors suggested 
 the Southern clime of Hot Springs, 
 Ark. He went thither but soon re- 
 turned to Illinois, the ailment had 
 grown in intensity and assumed 
 alarming proportions. He entered St. 
 John's Hospital of Springfield, for 
 feeling the nearness of death, our 
 good priest wanted to die among his 
 friends of the diocese. On May 4, 
 1911, death relieved him of his suf- 
 ferings and his priestly soul soared 
 upwards to God's holy throne. 
 
 Having been a life-long friend of 
 his former schoolmate and confrere 
 Father Joseph Still, our departed had 
 oft expressed a wish to be buried near 
 him. Thus it happened that the ob- 
 sequies took p 1 a c e at St. John's 
 church, Quincy, on the following 
 Tuesday, May 9. Solemn Requiem 
 followed the recitation of the Office 
 of the Dead, Rev. E. Spalding being 
 celebrant assisted by Rvs. C. Kreck- 
 enberg of Springfield, as deacon, and 
 H. Muckermann of Linn, Mo., as sub- 
 deacon, whilst the pastor, Rev. J. 
 Postner, acted as master of cere- 
 monies. The funeral sermon was 
 spoken by Rev. A. Zurbonsen, of St. 
 Mary's, Quincy. R. I. P.
 
 REV. WILLIAM J. HEALY. 
 
 ' 'Best had come. His task was done. 
 Calm was written on his brow." 
 
 Responding to the heavenly roll- 
 call of his Maker, Rev. William Healy 
 departed from hence June 2, 1915. He 
 was in the summer of life when he 
 harkened to the final summons. 
 Months of illness had defied all medi- 
 cal skill and treatment in hospital 
 and sanitarium. Peacefully and qui- 
 
 etly he breathed forth his soul into 
 the hands of his God. The energetic 
 priest had framed up within his soul 
 a vision of years of usefulness to his 
 congregation, years of endeavor for 
 the welfare of others, years of service 
 to the diocese, years of prayerfulness 
 to Almighty God. Cruel death frus- 
 trated all plans arid projects. Father 
 Healy was beckoned forth to meet 
 his Master. His priestly soul entered 
 Eternity. 
 
 Deceased was of cheerful and sunny 
 disposition, ever ready to report to 
 the call of duty, kind and generous 
 to all. Championing physical culture 
 and recreation, he was an ardent lover 
 of our national sport, baseball. A 
 
 host of friends and admirers mourn 
 his untimely loss, especially the 
 Knights of Columbus, whose state 
 chaplain he had been for several 
 terms. 
 
 Rev. William Healy was born at 
 Scranton, Pa., August 1, 1868. After 
 graduating from the elementary 
 schools of his native city, he entered 
 St. Michael's College of Toronto, 
 Canada, where he pursued his classi- 
 cal course. From there he was sent 
 to "Our Lady of Angels" Seminary 
 of Niagara, for Philosophy and The- 
 ology, and became ordained to the 
 
 priesthood by Bishop S. V. Ryan of 
 Buffalo, December 23, 1894. Imme- 
 diately after ordination the young 
 priest was assigned as assistant to 
 the Cathedral of Alton. Here he re- 
 mained for almost six years, being 
 transferred in March, 1900, in similar 
 capacity to the church of Jacksonville. 
 In September of that same year, 
 Father Healy was appointed pastor of 
 the Sacred Heart congregation of 
 Effingham, succeeding Rev. Father 
 Ducey, who was transferred to the 
 parish of Marshall. After several 
 years of devout faithful service at 
 Effingham, Father Healy was again 
 called upon to succeed his former pre- 
 decessor and move on to Marshall, 
 where Father Ducey's career had 
 been rudely interrupted by death. 
 Here it was that our departed one be- 
 gan to ail, steadily getting worse and 
 worse as time passed on. Thinking 
 that a change to a smaller rural parish 
 might improve his condition, the 
 Bishop appointed him to that of 
 Murrayville, made vacant 'by the 
 death of Father McGuire, but all to 
 no avail. The deadly germs had de- 
 veloped rapidly and on June 2, 1915, 
 Father Healy sank into the arms of 
 death. After solemn funeral services 
 his remains were imbedded in the 
 cemetery of the parish. R. I. P. 
 
 Page Fifty-Three
 
 REV. WILLIAM HEFFERNAN. 
 
 "Ambition have I, and it's with me night 
 
 and day; 
 To live my life for others and to help 
 
 them when I can ; 
 
 To foster hope, and sorrow drive away, 
 And love and be loved by my fellowman' '. 
 
 Thus wrote the priestly pen of one 
 whose sad and sudden passing shocked 
 the community and spread a pall of 
 gloom and mourning over the diocese 
 when the sad news was flashed to 
 priests and people that Rev. William 
 Heffernan had been found dead in 
 bed, had answered the last summons 
 of the angel of death and had passed 
 to his reward in the kingdom of his 
 Master whom he had served so well. 
 It was on the day of the Holy Souls, 
 November 2, 1912, at the rectory of 
 St. Mary's parish of Mt. Sterling, that 
 this catastrophe overpowered the ap- 
 parently strong and healthful man. 
 Little did anyone dream that Father 
 Heffernan would be a corpse before 
 the morning sun had awakened all 
 Nature and called upon the members 
 of the church militant to aid the 
 members of the church suffering by 
 their sacrifices, communions and 
 prayers, little did he dream that the 
 Holy Mass which he intended to offer 
 that fatal Saturday for the suffering 
 souls would be offered for himself 
 by another, his faithful assistant. 
 
 Rev. William Heffernan was born 
 in Blackstone, Mass., May 24, 1869, 
 and hence had but passed the forty- 
 third milestone on life's journey. After 
 finishing his high school education in 
 his native town, young Heffernan de- 
 cided to study for the priesthood. To 
 
 this end he entered the Grand Semin- 
 ary of Montreal for the study of 
 Philosophy and after a two years' 
 course there betook himself to the 
 American College of Louvain, where, 
 after four more years he was elevated 
 to the priesthood in 1896. After his 
 ordination he served as assistant at 
 St. Mary's church of Springfield, re- 
 maining there three years and win- 
 ning a distinguished reputation for his 
 theological sermons and public ad- 
 dresses. From there he was trans- 
 ferred to Shelbyville as pastor, later 
 appointed pastor of the congregation 
 of Arcola from which place he came 
 to Mt. Sterling, July 1, 1907. The 
 want x>f a Catholic high school at 
 this place, a center of Catholic popu- 
 lation and energy, had been long and 
 keenly felt for years. It was reserved 
 for Father Heffernan to accomplish 
 what others had not dared to under- 
 take. St. Mary's Academy, with al- 
 most 200 pupils stands today a per- 
 manent monument of his untiring 
 work and devotion to the cause of 
 education and religion. His memory 
 will continue to live on in the hearts 
 of many grateful people whom he 
 benefitted by his many deeds of kind- 
 ness and priestly ministrations. 
 
 His mortal remains were forwarded 
 to his home town, Woonsocket, R. I., 
 where his aged mother then resided, 
 and there they rest within the shadow 
 of the cross on the pretty Catholic 
 cemetery 'till the dawn of resurrection 
 morn. R. I. P. 
 
 Page Fifty-Four
 
 REV. RODERICK HEIMERLING. 
 
 Mary, our comfort and our hope, 
 
 O may that word be given 
 To be the last we sing on earth 
 
 To be the first we breathe in heaven! 
 
 The Rev. Roderick Heimerling was 
 born February 20, 1825, in Waldfaus- 
 ten, a small town of Bavaria. His 
 parents were persons of social stand- 
 ing and wealth, the father holding an 
 important government position. 
 Young Roderick being the issue of a 
 mixed marriage, his father a protest- 
 ant and the mother a Catholic, was 
 raised a protestant. However, early 
 in life he embraced the religion of his 
 mother. This was in opposition to 
 the law of the land which prohibited 
 the son of a protestant father from 
 becoming a Catholic under a certain 
 age. The violation of this law com- 
 pelled him to flee from home. He 
 went to Switzerland, but was pursued, 
 brought back and sent to a Military 
 Academy. Whilst here he was woun- 
 ded by a shot which caused a slight 
 but permanent lameness. When he 
 had partly recovered from his wound 
 he fled again to Switzerland and from 
 there to Rome. By the intercession 
 of the Bavarian Court he was admit- 
 ted to the College of the Propaganda, 
 where he studied for the next seven 
 years. After completing his course 
 of studies and being unable under the 
 laws of his native land to return home 
 he was sent by the Prefect of the 
 Propaganda to the United States a 
 sub-deacon. Chicago was selected as 
 the field of his future services. Shortly 
 after landing Bishop Van de Velde 
 
 ordained him a priest, September 9, 
 1850. 
 
 Ever since that day he had been 
 in active service. His first appoint- 
 ment was at Galena, and after that in 
 various places of Illinois. In 1856 and 
 part of '57 he had charge of St. 
 Marie, Jasper county. October 26, 
 1859, we find him in charge of St. 
 Alexis' at Beardstown. At this place 
 he established a school in a rented 
 building and purchased land for a 
 graveyard. Here he remained for al- 
 most seven years and here it was this 
 great and generous man died March 
 20, 1866. The story of his last hours 
 of life is a sad one. Having to attend 
 a sick call during the night previous 
 to his death, he waded a stream, con- 
 tracted a severe cold, and instead of 
 returning home at once and caring 
 for himself, went on to Rushville, 
 Schuyler county one of his missions 
 paying with his life the excess of 
 his zeal. Feeling the nearness of 
 death he sent for Father Stick, then 
 pastor of Mt. Sterling, but alas! had 
 to die without the consolations of his 
 church, the priest being unable to 
 reach him in time. After solemn 
 funeral services conducted by Revs. 
 M. Clifford F. Stick and A. Busch, 
 his remains were interred in the Cath- 
 olic cemetery of Beardstown. 
 
 Among his schoolmates in Rome he 
 counted Cardinal Cullen, Archbishop 
 Spalding, Bishop Rosecrans and Dr. 
 Cummings of New York. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. HENRY ALOYS HELLHAKE. 
 
 ' 'And the south-wind sighing in the trees 
 And the dead leaves rustling as they fall". 
 
 Born at Quincy, 111., February 9, 
 1849, Father Hellhake was raised to 
 the priesthood in his native city, April 
 21, 1872. He was an assistant at St. 
 Boniface, Quincy, from May-August, 
 1872, and then served as pastor of St. 
 
 Alexis parish of Beardstown from 
 1873-Aug. '75, after which he joined 
 the Fort Wayne diocese, where he be- 
 came pastor of St. John's church of 
 Remington, in Jasper county. He died 
 within recent years, Aug. 11, 1909, at 
 Sheldon, Ind., where he was pastor of 
 the local St. Aloysius church. R. I. P. 
 
 Page Fifty-Five
 
 REV. EDWARD HERMANN. 
 
 1 'The star of life had risen 
 Only to fade away". 
 
 A priest of migratory propensities 
 was Rev. Joseph Edward Hermann. 
 He was a native of Silesia, born at 
 Steinau, in the Diocese of Breslau. 
 Having almost completed his studies 
 in the old country, he came to the 
 States November 18, 1859, and was 
 ordained a priest by Bishop Juncker 
 at Quincy, July 2, 1860. Among other 
 places which he occupied in our dio- 
 cese was that of St. Mary's, Edwards- 
 
 ville, in 1866, succeeding Rev. G. 
 Tuerk. On May 29, 1867, he left the 
 diocese and entered upon the duties 
 as pastor of St. Joseph's church at 
 Mendota, 111., was transferred to Lin- 
 coln, thereupon was made pastor of 
 Matamora in 1871, and in 1872 was a 
 chaplain in St. John's Hospital of Port 
 Townsend in the diocese of Nesqually, 
 Washington. The date of Father Her- 
 man's death could not be ascertained. 
 R. I. P. 
 
 REV. JOHN HERLITZ. 
 
 "Dies mei sieut umbra declinaverunt et ego ut 
 foenum ami". 
 
 Among the number of Neo-Presby- 
 ters who, as graduates from the 
 American College of Louvain had 
 been ordained in the summer of 1877, 
 was Rev. John Herlitz. A class pic- 
 ture still extant and today in the pos- 
 session of one of the ordinati of that 
 year, shows our subject presiding over 
 that class of graduates, for he was the 
 oldest among them, having been or- 
 dained when well advanced in years. 
 Father Herlitz arrived in the Alton 
 Diocese in the fall of that year and 
 from the very start displayed great in- 
 terest in his work. In 1885 he took 
 .charge of Mitchell, attending at the 
 :same time Bethalto. During a mission 
 given by Father Braun, S. J., prepara- 
 
 tory to the celebration of the patron 
 feast of the church, on the eve of St. 
 Martin's Day, during evening service, 
 a defective flue set the church of 
 Bethalto on fire, destroying it as well 
 as the rectory adjoining. The first 
 years of his priesthood were spent in 
 the southern part of the Diocese, he 
 had charge for several years of the 
 parish of Anna. Before studying for 
 the ministry at all, our deceased priest 
 had been a member of a religious 
 community of brothers and had taught 
 school several years in England. 
 
 Father Herlitz died Nov. 5, 1889, at 
 the rectory of Mitchell and has found 
 his last resting place in the small 
 Catholic cemetery near that town. R. 
 I. P. 
 
 REV. LOUIS HINSSEN. 
 
 "Lingering breezes pass 
 
 As tenderly and slow, 
 As if beneath the grass, 
 A monarch slept below". 
 
 The zealous and self-sacrificing 
 community of Franciscan Hospital 
 Sisters, whose Mother-house is loca- 
 ted at Springfield, sustained a severe 
 loss in the death of their able Direc- 
 tor, Rev. Louis Hinssen. In good 
 health until a few weeks before his 
 death, his friends predicted for him 
 many more years of active work. He 
 died at St. Clara's Hospital, of Lin- 
 coln, 111., whither he had retired at 
 the advice of his physician, June 25, 
 1905. In the annual report for 1904- 
 1905 of St. John's Hospital of Spring- 
 
 field, the Rev. Joseph S t r a u b, ap- 
 pointed successor to decedent speaks 
 at length of the life and merits of 
 Father Hinssen. Here is the well- 
 deserved tribute he pays to his mem- 
 ory: 
 
 Father Hinssen was born at Sons- 
 beck, Germany, December 29th, 1834. 
 In this little town he spent his early 
 years and received his elementary 
 education. After completing the rigid 
 course of studies at the Gymnasium 
 of Cleve, he entered the Seminary at 
 Muenster, Westphalia, to prepare 
 himself for his ordination to the 
 priesthood. 
 
 Page Fifty-Six
 
 About a year before his ordination, 
 an event took place that was to make 
 an important change in his plans. Up 
 to this time Father H i n s s e n had 
 thought of no other field of labor than 
 that of his own native country. An 
 address on the need of Catholic 
 priests in the diocese of Alton, deliv- 
 ered to the students of the Muenster 
 Seminary, by Rt. Rev. Henry Damian 
 Junker, the first Bishop of the diocese, 
 inspired in young Hinssen a zeal 
 lor missionary labor and aroused and 
 confirmed in him the desire to emi- 
 grate to America. With the determin- 
 ation that characterized his actions 
 all through life, he immediately set to 
 work to carry out this new project. 
 He did not wait for his ordination, but 
 as soon as possible made the prepa- 
 rations necessary for his departure; 
 and with one companion landed in 
 New York about the middle of the 
 following year. 
 
 Shortly after his arrival in this coun- 
 try, he was ordained by the Rt. Rev. 
 Bishop Juncker in the Cathedral of 
 Alton, September 21, 1859, and within 
 a few months was assigned to his 
 first mission, the parish of Edwards- 
 ville, Illinois. His work here was the 
 difficult and arduous work of all the 
 Catholic priests of southern Illinois 
 in the early part of the latter half of 
 the last century. He continued work- 
 ing in the smaller parishes of the dio- 
 cese until the beginning of the year 
 1870, when the newly consecrated 
 Bishop Baltes appointed him his suc- 
 cessor at St. Peter's Church, Belle- 
 ville, Illinois. In this congregation he 
 labored indefatigably for thirteen 
 years, doing at times the work of 
 three priests. At the end of this time 
 he made a journey to Rome (to set- 
 tle an acrimonious controversy which 
 had arisen between the bishop and 
 himself. Z.) After a sojourn of four- 
 teen months at Rome he returned and 
 took charge of a parish in Cairo, Illi- 
 nois, whose pastor he remained till 
 the close of the year 1886, when he 
 began his successful work as Superior 
 of the Franciscan Sisters' Community 
 and Director of St. John's Hospital. 
 
 The person who contemplates today 
 
 the extensive building of St. John's 
 Hospital, with its clock-work like 
 management, can not even imagine 
 the difficulties that confronted Father 
 Hinssen when he assumed the duties 
 of Director. No adequate idea of all 
 that his untiring labor did for the 
 hospital, and the Sisters of the hos- 
 pital can be given in the small space 
 of this brief sketch. Suffice it to say 
 that his able financiering worked won- 
 ders in decreasing the debt which 
 weighed heavily upon the sisters. So 
 successful was he that, aside from the 
 many improvements in the hospital 
 building- itself, and the improvements 
 and additions to the branch houses in 
 other cities, the sisters were able 
 some years ago, without any dread of 
 the future, to build the extensive ad- 
 dition to St. John's hospital, which 
 now adds beauty to the building and 
 completes it on the west side. 
 
 More than his successful financier- 
 ing, however, we must admire his ef- 
 ficient work in bringing the nursing 
 in the institution up to the scientific 
 standard found today in modern, well- 
 equipped and well-managed hospitals. 
 When Father Hinssen was made 
 director he was almost a sexagenarian. 
 Men at this age ordinarily are so fixed 
 in their views that it requires, to say 
 the least, a strenuous effort on their 
 part to remain in touch with the pro- 
 gress made in any field of science and 
 art. They praise the practices of their 
 own days and are not easily per- 
 suaded to concede the good accom- 
 plished by the discoveries and inven- 
 tions of the younger contemporaries 
 of their old age. Not so Father Hins- 
 sen. In spite of his advanced years, 
 and in spite of the fact that he was 
 reared and educated at a time when 
 hospital work was still in swaddling 
 clothes, and most people considered 
 the hospital only a place where sick 
 paupers might spend their last miser- 
 able days, Father Hinssen with a 
 mind open to progress, kept pace with 
 the rapid strides of improvements 
 that hospitals were making both in 
 regard to their architecture and man- 
 agement, as well as in the nursing 
 to be had in them. He had not occu- 
 
 Page Fifty-Sev
 
 pied his position as Director very long 
 when he saw the need of a well or- 
 ganized and systematized training 
 school, and in spite of his advanced 
 age, he began to work out a plan for 
 such a school. While thus engaged 
 he was confronted by a serious diffi- 
 culty. In his search for a text book, 
 he found that there was none in ex- 
 istence that would exactly suit the 
 needs of hospital Sisters. This ob- 
 stacle, however, did not deter him 
 from prosecuting his undertaking. 
 Seeing that he could not find a suit- 
 able text book, he resolved to compile 
 one. The result was "The Nursing 
 Sister," a hand book for Sisters train- 
 ing schools, which today is used in 
 many of the Catholic hospitals of the 
 United States and Canada, and which 
 has even found its way across the 
 ocean into some of the hospitals in 
 England. In addition to the "Nurs- 
 ing Sister" he compiled a smaller vol- 
 ume, entitled "Hints for the Clinical 
 Record," which serves as a supple- 
 ment to the former and which met 
 with as much success as its predeces- 
 sor, the Hand-book of Nursing. 
 
 The hospital in his charge, however, 
 furnishes even better proof of Father 
 Hinssen's ability to understand and 
 appreciate modern progress, than his 
 work for the training school and the 
 compiling of text books of nursing. 
 Everybody knows that today a hospi- 
 tal which is not modern in equipment 
 and up-to-date in nursing will fail to 
 receive the patronage of the people, 
 and consequently will not be able to 
 exist, especially in a place where it 
 has to meet the competition of other 
 hospitals. Now St. John's hospital 
 not only exists today, but at times in 
 spite of its size has not sufficient room 
 to accomodate its patrons. The num- 
 ber of its patients has increased from 
 357 in 1886, the year when Father 
 Hinssen was made Director, to 1,839 
 in 1905, the year of his death; In 1915 
 the number of patients was 4,500.) 
 
 More need certainly not be said to 
 show that Father Hinssen not only 
 understood well the necessity of keep- 
 ing in touch with modern progress, 
 but that he also, with a mind fit to 
 
 appreciate modern improvements, so 
 managed the hospital and directed the 
 Sisters that today St. John's hospital 
 can without fear of contradiction be 
 said to be among the foremost hos- 
 pitals in the State. During a long life 
 of labor, vivified by zeal for the honor 
 of God and the good of his fellow- 
 men, Father Hinssen has erected for 
 himself many a monument that will 
 make his name live long in the mem- 
 ory of those for whom he worked. 
 But foremost among these monuments 
 is St. John's hospital, for it will pro- 
 claim his praise to coming genera- 
 tions, a praise that will find its echo 
 in the benedictions, especially of all 
 those who have and will have the 
 good fortune to share the kind care 
 and scientific treatment of the Sisters 
 of this hospital. 
 
 A few closing words on the char- 
 acter of the deceased will without 
 doubt find interested readers in all 
 those who had the pleasure of know- 
 ing him. 
 
 The straight figure of the grey- 
 haired man of three score and ten 
 that could be seen daily on the streets 
 of the city certainly yet lives in the 
 memory of many. The carriage of the 
 man was the index of his character. 
 His erect head and body may be con- 
 sidered the outward manifestation of 
 the lofty ideals with which his mind 
 was im'bued, whereas his firm step 
 gave evidence of his inflexible will in 
 the pursuance of what he considered 
 true and just. Yet in this unbending 
 frame, which harbored a strong mind 
 and autrocratic iron will, also beat the 
 kind heart of a father. His sympathy 
 went out to all. He was a m'an who 
 felt as his own the sufferings and 
 troubles of his fellowmen. No one in 
 trouble knocked in vain at the door of 
 his heart, he was sure to find it the 
 source of kind words of sympathy and 
 consolation, and, if necessary, of sub- 
 stantial aid. Father Hinssen's chari- 
 ties were the cause of his dying a poor 
 man as regards worldly possessions. 
 His purpose in life was not to accum- 
 ulate riches, but to do all the good 
 that was in his power, and to obtain 
 
 Page Fifty-Eight
 
 this end he exerted himself to the 
 utmost. 
 
 The days of Father Hinssen's life 
 were days of labor to the very end. 
 The world gave him little of that 
 with which she is wont to reward her 
 votaries. He asked it not. His view 
 was fixed on another realm a place 
 
 where, he was firmly convinced, a 
 reward would be given him, in com- 
 parison to which all that the world 
 can offer shrinks into insignificance. 
 For this he worked, with this con- 
 viction he died, and we may be cer- 
 tain that his labor was not in vain. 
 R. I. P. 
 
 REV. CORNELIUS HOFFMANN. 
 
 'When my eyes are slowly closing, 
 And I fade from earth away, 
 
 And when Death, the stern destroyer 
 Claims my body as his prey, 
 
 Claim my soul, and then, sweet Mary, 
 Ora pro me''. 
 
 A man of rare qualities of mind and 
 heart, forebearing, gentle and sensi- 
 
 tive, such was our subject, Father 
 Hoffman. Of frail constitution and 
 feeble health, he was wont to lead a 
 more or less retired and quiet life, 
 
 chiefly occupying himself with his 
 friends on the library shelf, his books. 
 He was known to be a fine scholar of 
 literary attainments. 
 
 Rev. Cornelius Hoffmann was born 
 February 15, 1846, at Breyel on the 
 Rhine. His studies were made at 
 Gaesdonk and Muenster and were 
 finished at St. Francis Seminary, Mil- 
 waukee, where he was ordained 
 March 13, 1869, by Bishop Martin 
 Henni, of Milwaukee. He became an 
 assistant at St. Peter's parish, Belle- 
 ville, from March, 1869-June 25, '69; 
 rector of Mt. Sterling from June, 
 1860-June, 71; rector of St. Joseph's, 
 Cairo, which church he built, from 
 June 1871-October, 73; rector of St. 
 Wendel and Newton, from October 
 1873-October, 76; assistant at St. 
 Boniface, Quincy, from August 1878- 
 Xovember, '85; rector of Fayetteville, 
 from November 1885, at Bartelso from 
 September, 1889 till his death, Novem- 
 ber 28, 1891. He was buried at Bar- 
 telso. Solemn obsequies were per- 
 formed by Bishop Janssen whilst the 
 late Msgr. Abbelen of Milwaukee, a 
 former schoolmate and lifelong friend 
 of deceased, spoke a touching funeral 
 sermon. R. I. P. 
 
 Page Fifty-Nine
 
 REV. THOMAS HOGAN. 
 
 "The 'hours fly fast; 
 With each some sorrow dies 
 With each some shadow flies, 
 Until at last 
 The red dawn in the east 
 Bids weary night depart 
 And pain is past". 
 
 'Widespread regret was evoked by 
 the premature demise of Rev. Thomas 
 Hogan, pastor of St. Peter's parish 
 of Petersburg, which occured at the 
 parochial residence, January 12, 1884. 
 The young priest was but twenty- 
 seven years old when death overtook 
 him. Born at Oak Creek, now South 
 Milwaukee, Wis., he lost his parents 
 when yet a tender child. The Aemi- 
 lianum, an orphanage, located next to 
 St. Francis Seminary, became his 
 home, the devoted Sisters his trusted 
 and loving friends and benefactors 
 who at all times watched over his 
 growing years with zealous motherly 
 care and solicitude. At the proper 
 time in the fall of 1870, he entered as 
 student St. Francis Seminary to 
 prepare himself for the attainment of 
 his lofty ideal, the priesthood, and he 
 proved himself an excellent student. 
 By his noble and gentlemanly deport- 
 ment and close application to study 
 he won universal respect. The many 
 priests who were school companions 
 of deceased entertained the highest 
 opinion of him and spoke enthusias- 
 tically of his genial disposition, his 
 solid piety and his sterling character. 
 On June 29, 1879, he was ordained 
 priest by Bishop Baltes at Alton and 
 at once appointed to the pastoral 
 charge of Petersburg and its two de- 
 pendencies, Greenview and Ashland. 
 
 With -characteristic zeal the young 
 priest entered upon his work, captur- 
 ing in a short time good the wishes of 
 every one. The present handsome St. 
 Augustine church of Ashland owes its 
 construction to the indefatigable 
 Father Hogan. Whilst his labors in 
 his sphere of action had already 
 proven abundantly fruitful yet they 
 augured still more so for the future. 
 And with vim and vigor he prosecuted 
 his holy vocation, when a malady 
 flung the zealous worker on the couch 
 of sickness. Medical aid did not avail 
 and the young priest, not yet five 
 years in the ministry, soon sank into 
 the slumber of death. 
 
 We were present at the funeral 
 which took place at St. Francis Sem- 
 inary in accordance with the oft ex- 
 pressed wishes of deceased. The body 
 was accompanied thither by Rev. 
 John Dietrich, then an assistant at 
 Jacksonville. Obsequies were had in 
 the Seminary chapel January 16, with 
 Father Willmes of Milwaukee as cele- 
 brant and Revs. J. Dietrich and Nic 
 Thill as assistants, while Father Jos. 
 Rainer, then professor at the Semin- 
 ary (of late nominated a "Notary 
 Apostolic" by the Holy See, appointed 
 a Vicar General of the Milwaukee 
 diocese and who has acted for years 
 Rector of the seminary) preached the 
 funeral sermon. The remains were 
 interred in the little cemetery ad- 
 joining the Chapel of the Woods. 
 R. I. P. 
 
 REV. HENRY JOSEPH HOVEN. 
 
 "Beyond the Land, 
 
 Beyond the Sea, 
 There shall be rest 
 For thee and me". 
 
 To cele'brate the "Golden Sacerdotal 
 Jubilee" is a privilege accorded to but 
 very few priests, the majority are 
 gathered to their reward long ere this. 
 Such a great commemorative day was 
 reserved for Rev. H. J. Hoven, when 
 in the fall of 1911, he celebrated the 
 50th anniversary of his ordination to 
 
 Page Sixty 
 
 the priesthood. Whoever saw and wit- 
 nessed the solemn ceremonies on that 
 day at the Immaculate Conception 
 church of Springfield, was surely sur- 
 prised how the aged priest, still vig- 
 orous and robust, had so well out- 
 lived, nay, by far surpassed the bibli- 
 cal age of three score and ten. And 
 yet Divine Providence had still three 
 more years in store for him. It was 
 on June 9, 1914, that Father Hoven
 
 peacefully slumbered away at his pri- 
 vate residence in Carlinville, at the 
 age of 79 years. There he was buried. 
 
 The departed jubilarian was born at 
 Kirspenich, in the Diocese of Cologne, 
 June 8, 1835, arrived in the States in 
 June, 1861, and received Holy Orders 
 at Alton, November 24, 1861, from 
 Bishop Juncker. From the day of his 
 ordination to that of his death, he was 
 always and everywhere faithful and 
 exact in his duties. His first mission 
 was Ste. Marie, from whence he was 
 sent to Marshall, where he laid the 
 foundation for the present handsome 
 church. From Marshall he attended 
 Paris, North Arm and Charleston, a 
 territory embracing three counties. 
 From that laborious mission he was 
 transferred to Jerseyville on March 
 26, 1865, where his health began to fail 
 under the constant strain. At this 
 time he absented himself from the 
 diocese for awhile. On his return he 
 was appointed to Carlinville with in- 
 structions to rebuild the church which 
 had been destroyed by a storm and 
 also to erect a new church for the 
 German Catholics of the place, St. Jo- 
 seph's. His next incumbency was 
 Pittsfield, 1878-'80, then Pana and 
 
 Shelbyville. From the latter place de- 
 ceased was transferred to Carrollton, 
 1892-1903. Finally he was moved back 
 to Carlinville where he spent two 
 years as pastor of St. Mary's, and two 
 years and three months as pastor of 
 St. Joseph's church. When by the 
 death of Father Schlegel a vacancy 
 occurred in the parish of Highland, 
 Father Hoven was designated his suc- 
 cessor but declined the offer; instead 
 he became pastor of Morrisonville and 
 later a little while pastor of Ray- 
 mond. His "Golden Jubilee" was cele- 
 brated October 17, 1911. During the 
 latter years of his life his health had 
 gradually been failing, and during two 
 seasons he sought the quiet retreat in 
 St. Mary's hospital of Quincy. 
 
 Old in years, rich in merit, loved by 
 his brother priests and respected by 
 the laity, he obeyed the final call of 
 the Master whom he had ever served 
 faithfully. 
 
 Father- Hoven was a fine English 
 scholar, a man of reserve and retire- 
 ment, a pattern of tidiness and neat 
 appearance. Besides being a zealous 
 priest he had the reputation of an ac- 
 complished musician and skillful or- 
 ganist. May his soul rest in peace! 
 
 REV. LAWRENCE HOYE. 
 
 ''The hours are flying; 
 Each one some treasure takes, 
 Each one some blossom breaks, 
 And leaves it dying". 
 
 Brown's Settlement in Christian 
 county had the honor and privilege of 
 harboring from 1889-98 a conspicuous 
 though humble and unassuming pas- 
 tor in the person of Rev. Father Law- 
 rence Hoye. A ripe scholar of bril- 
 liant attainments was he, one who had 
 distinguished himself for many years 
 of his priestly career an eminent in- 
 structor and had occupied a profes- 
 sor's chair in various seats of learning. 
 He who for years had associated with 
 men of great worth and prominence 
 had come to seek the quiet and repose- 
 ful environments of St. Isidore's 
 there to spend the declining years of 
 his priestly life preparatory to the 
 last summons. Physical infirmaries to- 
 gether with old age demanded an ab- 
 
 solute relinquishment of any further 
 strenuous efforts or new undertak- 
 ings. 
 
 His was a golden heart, at all times 
 kind, gentle and courteous. Serene 
 and happy amid rural surroundings 
 highly esteemed by his confreres and 
 possessing the unqualified love and 
 veneration of this sturdy community, 
 the aged rector appeared to be the 
 personification of contentment. Such 
 at least was the impression the dear 
 old man made upon me when an oc- 
 casional visit led me to his secluded 
 hermitage. 
 
 Sincerely mourned by all, Father 
 Hoyne peacefully passed away on 
 February 20, 1898, at St. Isidore's rec- 
 tory. 
 
 The funeral took place from St. 
 Agnes Church, Springfield, (Rev. J. J. 
 
 Page Sixty -One
 
 Howard, D. D. pastor) from which he 
 wished to be buried. Bishop Ryan 
 pontificated at the solemn obsequies 
 and Rev. Ferdinand Stick, then pastor 
 of Morrisonville, pronounced the fun- 
 eral oration. His body rests in the 
 Springfield Catholic cemetery. 
 
 Father Hoyne was a native of the 
 Emerald Isle, coming to this country 
 when quite young. In the Eastern 
 states where he frequented the schools 
 he received a thorough literary and 
 scientific education. He was on inti- 
 mate terms with Archbishop Hughes 
 and came West with Bishop Quarter, 
 of Chicago. 
 
 In 1847 we find him a sub-deacon 
 studying Theology at the Chicago 
 Catholic University, where two years 
 later he occupied the chair of Philos- 
 ophy, Mathematics and French whilst 
 Mr. J. P. Baltes, the future Bishop of 
 Alton, taught German Literature. In 
 1851 Father Hoye was prefect of the 
 Seminary. 
 
 Afterwards we find him associated 
 with the late Bishop McFaul of 
 
 Rochester, in Seaton Hall College and 
 Seminary. One of his scholars who 
 subsequently rose to national fame, 
 was John Gilmary Shea, the eminent 
 historian, whose graduating diploma 
 he signed. Though a scholar of the 
 first water. Father Hoye was as shy 
 and modest as he was learned. He 
 showed the earnestness of his zeal by 
 attending the cholera patients in 
 Chicago in 1849. 
 
 When Bishop Baltes was appointed 
 to the See of Alton, his old friend 
 returned West to share his labors. He 
 was appointed to St. Patrick's church, 
 Ruma, Randolph county, at the same 
 time teaching in the Diocesan Semin- 
 ary located there. From 1874-78 he 
 acted as pastor of Pittsfield, moving 
 thence to Carlinville, where he built 
 the St. Mary's parochial residence. In 
 view of granting the now aged man 
 in a quiet country place the much 
 needed rest, Bishop Ryan sent him 
 to Brown's Settlement. In March, 
 1889, as above stated, this saintly little 
 man died. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. MICHAEL HURLEY. 
 
 Bishop-elect of Peoria, 1875. 
 
 ' 'The fret, and the strife and the burden 
 Will be softened and laid away". 
 
 A quondam pastor of the Church of 
 
 the Immaculate Conception of Spring- 
 field, was Rev. M. Hurley, having 
 been appointed to the position in 
 1854. He succeeded Rev. Michael 
 Prendergast. Owing to the briefness 
 of his stay of but a few months, 
 which were rather void of any nota- 
 ble achievements, we would be temp- 
 ted to be satisfied with the mere men- 
 tion of this short incumbency were it 
 not for the important fact that the 
 erstwhile Springfield pastor had been 
 chosen by the Holy See to become 
 first Bishop of Peoria. This new dio- 
 cese was created in 1875, by a sub- 
 division of the Chicago diocese. 
 Father Hurley was at the time pastor 
 of St. Patrick's church of Peoria. He 
 had been pastor of all the English 
 speaking Catholics of the city, St. 
 Mary's since 1864, and when the 
 parish was divided in 1868 had chosen 
 the new St. Patrick's parish in which 
 to continue his labors. While he was 
 
 Page Sixty -Two
 
 by virtue of location and his know- 
 ledge of the new diocese, the most 
 available candidate for the position, 
 he modestly and humbly signified his 
 wishes to the Holy See, at the same 
 time returning the bulls of appoint- 
 ment. Singularly his declination and 
 the bulls never reached Rome, but 
 went down off, the coast of France in 
 a vessel lost at sea. Pope Pius IX 
 and the Prepaganda were advised 
 from other sources of the state of 
 affairs and on November 28, 1876, 
 Rev. John Lancaster Spalding was 
 appointed Bishop of the new See. 
 
 Father Michael Hurley built the 
 present St. Patrick's church of Peoria 
 in 1878, and erected a commodious 
 brick school house in 1888. 
 
 He was born in Tipperary, Ireland, 
 in the year 1826. His education was 
 completed at Dublin, where he was 
 raised to the priesthood. Coming 
 to this country he labored as priest 
 in Lockport, Bloomington and Spring- 
 field before coming to Peoria as pastor 
 of St. Patrick's church in 1864. His 
 death occured at Peoria on December 
 11, 1892. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. FRANCIS H. HUSSEY. 
 
 "Let us revere the power of the Unseen 
 And know a world of mystery is near". 
 
 On November 18, 1914, a young dio- 
 cesan priest breathed his last in 
 Providence, R. I. It was Father 
 Francis H. Hussey. After his ordina- 
 tion in Buffalo, February 29, 1896, he 
 acted as assistant at St. Peter's church 
 of Quincy, after which he was made 
 pastor of the parish of Bloomfield in 
 1898, to be transferred the next year, 
 in 1899, to Virden. The latter place 
 he relinquished after a few years in- 
 cumbency for that of New Douglas. 
 Failing in health Father Hussey went 
 
 to Beresford, South Dakota. In Au- 
 gust, 1914, he returned to his former 
 home in Central Falls. R. I., in hopes 
 that a rest would enable him to regain 
 his lost health. He died from cerebral 
 hemorrhage at his sister's house in 
 Providence on above mentioned date. 
 His funeral took place from Holy 
 Trinity Church of Central Falls, R. I., 
 Nov. 21, 1914. 
 
 Father F. H. Hussey was the son of 
 John and Catherine (McDermott) 
 Hussey, and was born in Albion, R. 
 I., October 2, 1869. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. ADOLPHUS JACQUES. 
 
 "Then strange words upon the silence broke, 
 And I listened as the Angels spoke". 
 
 Among the brave band of early 
 missionaries whose coming hither was 
 more or less contemporaneous with 
 the advent of the First Bishop of 
 Alton, Rt. Rev. Damian Junker, D. 
 D., were a number of zealous apos- 
 tolic men from France. Here as 
 everywhere else they performed yeo- 
 man work, they were truly pathfinders 
 and trail-blazers who left in their wake 
 many a grateful heart to bless their 
 memory. 
 
 In looking over the accounts of the 
 pioneer work accomplished by these 
 heroic men we encounter such names 
 as Gonant, Dubois, Bedard, Laurent, 
 Recouvreur, Zabel, Jacques and others 
 equally distinguished. With a single 
 
 exception, these men have all passed 
 away from the scenes of their ex- 
 ploits, all have received from the 
 Master of the great vine yard in which 
 indefatigably they toiled and moiled 
 through so many years from early 
 till late merited compensation. 
 
 From the above mentioned list we 
 single out one whose tragic ending 
 elicited at the time universal sympa- 
 thy and sorrow, namely, Rev. Father 
 A. Jacques. In detailing his life and 
 activity in the Alton diocese, we turn 
 for information to the columns of the 
 "New World," where the following 
 narrative is thus related. It reads: 
 
 Rev. John Adolphus Jacques was 
 born in 1836 at Buriville, diocese of 
 Nancy, France. He made his classical 
 
 Page Sixty-Three
 
 course at the Seminary of Pona- 
 Mousson and his philosophical and 
 theological studies at the Great Sem- 
 inary of Nancy, leading his class in 
 both establishments. After spending 
 a few months at All Hallows' College 
 in Ireland he came over to America 
 with Bishop Junker and was ordained 
 by him on the 3rd of May, 1859. 
 
 After assisting for awhile at St. 
 Mary's, Springfield, he was sent suc- 
 cessively to Shawneetown, Kaskas- 
 kia, Paris, Virginia, Beardstown 1867- 
 68 and then to Assumption where he 
 did very good work. Two years be- 
 fore his coming thither a general sub- 
 scription had been taken up for the 
 building of a new church, but nothing 
 was accomplished until he came. In 
 the fall of 1869 the corner-stone of 
 the new building was laid by Ad- 
 ministrator P. J. Baltes; Rev. D. S. 
 Phelan, the late well known editor of 
 the Western Watchman, of St. Louis, 
 preaching the English and Rev. F. H. 
 Zabel, D. D., the French sermon. 
 Fairs and subscriptions supplied the 
 means. It took until the year 1872 
 to have the building under roof. 
 
 In 1874, Father Jacques finding the 
 
 congregation unwilling to supply him 
 with a becoming residence, left and 
 went to Shelbyville, though still at- 
 tending Assumption. This move 
 stirred up the people who at once 
 built a house. 
 
 When Father Jacques left Shelby- 
 ville he was sent to Cahokia, at the 
 same time attending Centerville Sta- 
 tion. In the heated term of July, 
 1878, he was compelled to travel from 
 Centerville to Cahokia in an open 
 wagon under the mid-day broiling 
 sun to attend the funeral of a child. 
 As he reached home, he felt prostra- 
 ted, had no one to help him in his 
 sad condition, and expired unattended, 
 being found two days afterwards, July 
 17, dead, a martyr to priestly duty. 
 His body, swollen beyond measure, 
 was buried in the village graveyard 
 by Rev. P. J. O'Halloran and Rev. 
 Chris Koenig, both of East St. Louis. 
 
 Father Jacques was a refined 
 scholar, a writer of uncommon merit, 
 as honorable as he was eccentric. His 
 delight was to impart religious in- 
 struction to the rising-generation, 
 thus planting the seeds for future 
 harvest. R. I. P. 
 
 V. REV. JOHN JANSSEN, V. G. 
 
 "What words can speak the joy 
 
 For thee in store ? 
 What smiles of earth can tell 
 
 Of peace like thine? 
 Silence and tears are best 
 
 For things divine". 
 
 'Very Rev. John Janssen, V. G. 
 (late Bishop of Belleville), was born 
 March 3, 1835, at Keppeln, Rhine- 
 land. He received his early educa- 
 tion in the parochial schools of his 
 native town and pursued the higher 
 studies, classics and theology, partly 
 at Gaesdonck, partly at Muenster. 
 When he had almost finished the the- 
 ological course, the young ecclesiastic 
 decided to come to America. On 
 November 19, 1858, Bishop Juncker 
 conferred Holy Orders on him in the 
 Cathedral church of Alton. Our neo- 
 presbyter was assigned to old St. 
 John's church of Springfield. (This 
 has since ceased to exist and in its 
 place the present St. Peter and Paul's 
 church and parish were built.) Besides 
 
 Page Sixty-Four 
 
 being pastor of the Springfield congre- 
 gation he likewise extended his pas- 
 toral care over the parish of New 
 Berlin. Next we find him in the chan- 
 cellor's office and a few years later 
 he is made Vicar General of the dio- 
 cese, which position he retained till 
 elevated to the episcopacy. On Sep- 
 tember 1st, 1877-December 31st, 1879, 
 Father Janssen acted as pastor of St. 
 Boniface parish of Q u i n c y, after 
 which he was appointed rector of the 
 Cathedral parish of Alton. At the 
 death of Bishop Baltes, which oc- 
 cured February 18, 1886, Archbishop 
 Feehan of Chicago made him an ad- 
 ministrator of the diocese (sede va- 
 cante,) and after its division on Janu- 
 ary 7, 1887, also administrator of the 
 new See of Belleville. On the 28th 
 day of February he was chosen by 
 Rome to become the first Bishop of 
 the newly created southern diocese
 
 and received the episcopal consecra- 
 tion at St. Peter's Cathedral of Belle- 
 ville on April 25, of the same year. 
 
 Father Janssen was a man of gentle 
 and amiable disposition. His priestly 
 career as pastor was rather unevent- 
 ful; as chancellor and Bishop's secre- 
 
 tary, he was known to be very prompt 
 and accurate; as Vicar General and 
 Administrator, wise and prudent. 
 
 He died July 2, 1913. His remains 
 were sepulchred in a vault beneath 
 the sanctuary in St. Peter's Cathedral 
 of Belleville. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. JOSEPH JELE. 
 
 "Gone to the beautiful city above 
 To rest in the bocom of infinite love". 
 
 From among the visions of the past 
 there arises before me in the con- 
 tours of imagined reality the great, 
 bulky figure of a generous and ten- 
 der-hearted man, one whose principal 
 
 fault, if such it may be called, was a 
 tendency of over-communicativeness; 
 it is Rev. Joseph Jele, simple, kind, 
 child-like man. Born in wonderful 
 Alpine Tyrol, September 4, 1850, he 
 joined in the early days of his young 
 manhood the Capuchin Friars, who 
 are particularly numerous in his 
 native land, and was ordained to the 
 
 priesthood during Eastertide, 1876. 
 As professed religious he was known 
 by the name of Father Angelus. O. 
 M. Cap. As such he taught for a 
 number of years at the St. Lawrence 
 Capuchin College, of Mt. Calvary, 
 Fond du Lac Co. Wisconsin, where 
 he enjoyed the universal esteem and 
 love of the college boys. When in 
 1884 he applied for permission to join 
 the secular clergy and having obtained 
 the permit from the Superior General 
 of the Capuchins at Rome, Bishop 
 Baltes assigned him assistant to 
 Father Meckel of St. Paul's church of 
 Highland, there to look after the in- 
 terests of the various out-missions 
 then connected with Highland, viz: 
 Pocahontas, St. Jacob, Troy and Black 
 Jack. He was of a rather impetuous 
 and impulsive zealousness in the per- 
 formance of his work. 
 
 In September, 1888, Father Jele was 
 transferred to Springfield, there to 
 assist Rev. A. J. Pennartz, in the work 
 at 'St. Peter and Paul's parish, where 
 he was likewise successfully active. 
 In less than two years, however, he 
 was stricken down with illness which 
 within a few days terminated fatally 
 for the then still young priest. April 
 26, 1890. His body was sepulchred on 
 Tuesday, April 29, followed to its 
 last resting place in the priest's lot 
 by many mourning parishioners and 
 a number of brother priests. R. I. P. 
 
 Page Sixty-Five
 
 REV. HERMAN JOSEPH FRANCIS JUNGMANN. 
 
 "The time of toil is past, and night has 
 
 come 
 
 The last and saddest of the harvest eves. 
 Worn out with labor long and wearisome 
 Drooping and faint, the reapers hasten home 
 Each laden with his sheave". 
 
 When Rev. F. Metzger, the then 
 newly appointed pastor of St. An- 
 thony's parish of Effingham and dean 
 of that district had unexpectedly died 
 
 whilst visiting at his boyhood home in 
 Germany, Rev. H. Jungmann was 
 selected his successor to fill the vacan- 
 cy. At the time of this appointment 
 he was stationed in the Southern part 
 of the diocese, at Murphysboro, with 
 jurisdiction over the neighboring 
 towns. How judiciously the selection 
 of Father Jungmann to the vacant 
 post of Effingham was made, his 
 splendid administration of parish 
 affairs, both temporal and spiritual, 
 fully demonstrated. For eighteen 
 years St. Anthony's pastor served his 
 congregation most efficiently. It was 
 done in a quiet, unobstructive manner. 
 The secret of his success was his 
 
 Page Sixty-Six 
 
 kindness, modesty and charity. Har- 
 mony and peace reigned within the 
 parish, hence great results were 
 scored. In this connection we quote 
 the following from the columns of the 
 Effingham Democrat of April 6. 1895: 
 
 "The members of St. Anthony's con- 
 gregation are sensible of the great 
 work done by Father Jungmann, their 
 priest and pastor, whose ministrations 
 towards his flock were ever full of 
 that fervor and zeal which character- 
 ized his life as a faithful and devoted 
 priest and which earned and main- 
 tained that love and respect of all in 
 the communities in which he labored. 
 Father Jungmann will be long re- 
 membered in Effingham. The mater- 
 ial monuments which speak of his 18 
 years of labor in this community may 
 crumble into dust but the influence of 
 his zealous, self-sacrificing work will 
 endure. Fearless in the pulpit, tire- 
 less in labor, he was the advisor, 
 teacher and model of his flock. When 
 he took charge of the Effingham con- 
 gregation he found an indebtedness of 
 $17,000 to meet. So well he managed 
 the finances that at his death there 
 would have been practically no debt 
 had not extensive improvements been 
 made in 1884 and 1885. During these 
 years several thousands of dollars 
 have been spent upon the church; and 
 the fine parochial school house and 
 residence have been built. Never in 
 the city has there been a more largely 
 attended funeral. Father Jungmann 
 had earned the love and respect of 
 all classes." 
 
 Father H. J. F. Jungmann was born 
 October 1, 1846, at Ochtrup in West- 
 phalia, of a pious family, which gave 
 to the church three priests, two of 
 whom distinguished themselves as 
 professors and authors, both gradu- 
 ates of the Roman College, one a 
 Jesuit, professor of sacred eloquence 
 at the Insbruck University, and the 
 other professor of Church History at 
 the Louvain University. After previous 
 studies made in Westphalia, Father 
 Jungmann repaired to the American
 
 College of Louvain, where he studied 
 for the diocese of Alton. Ordained 
 to the priesthood December 23, 1871, 
 at Malines, he started for the future 
 field of his labors the following Sep- 
 tember. Wherever he was, he edified 
 all by his sincere piety and zeal, espe- 
 
 cially in the training of the young 
 the hope of the Church. 
 
 Good Father Jungmann was called 
 to his reward on April 6, 1895, and 
 slumbers in the shadow of the cross 
 in St. Anthony's cemetery of Effing- 
 ham. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. MANASSES KANE. 
 
 "Here the scene ends! The shadows flee 
 
 away! 
 
 And morning breaks in everlasting day! 
 O what a contrast! What ecstatic bliss 
 On passing thither from a world like this!" 
 
 In the list of our Cathedral rectors 
 we find the name of Rev. Manasses 
 Kane enumerated. He was called 
 thither from Macon, where he had re- 
 sided from 1874-75, and served in the 
 capacity of Cathedral pastor from 
 1875-76. At this time steps were con- 
 templated for the founding of a new 
 parish in Springfield. The Ursuline 
 Academy there had for years been in a 
 flourishing condition, the city had de- 
 veloped with strides and bounds in 
 that direction so that a "crying need" 
 was felt for a new parish. It was to 
 be St. Joseph's and Father Kane its 
 founder and first pastor. The good 
 man performed laudable work and put 
 up a fine church. During his pastor- 
 ate of St. Joseph's the energetic 
 priest looked likewise after the in- 
 
 terests of St. Mary's of Illiopolis, 
 where he enlarged the little frame 
 church by adding an addition to it so 
 as to accomodate the seventy-five 
 families forming the parish. Father 
 Kane remained at the head of St. 
 Joseph's of Springfield from its in- 
 ception in 1876 till his retirement in 
 1881. 
 
 Rev. Mannasses Kane was born in 
 Banagher Diocese of Derry, Ireland, 
 in January, 1836, and was raised to the 
 priesthood at Montreal, Dec. 17, 1870. 
 After relinquishing St. Joseph's. 
 Father Kane went West, subsequent- 
 ly became a Trappist and died in 1914 
 at Long Point near Montreal. 
 
 Before deceased took up studies for 
 the priesthood he had been a Brother 
 of the Holy Cross Community, a 
 teaching order connected with the 
 great educational institution of Notre 
 Dame, Ind. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. PATRICK KEARNEY. 
 
 "Where the golden evening light was burn- 
 ing". 
 
 All that is known of Father Kear- 
 ney is that from 1865-'66, he was pas- 
 tor of St. Mary's at Pittsfield, from 
 
 1866-'69 pastor at Winchester, and 
 from 1869-70 at Mt. Sterling. Whence 
 he came and whither he went is a 
 question that awaits solution. 
 
 Page Sixty-Seven
 
 REV. J. P. KERR. 
 
 Among the church's priests who dis- 
 tinguished themselves by ever faith- 
 fully attending to their entrusted 
 stewardship, Rev. John Patrick Kerr, 
 for twenty-one years pastor of St. 
 Peter's parish of Quincy, occupies a 
 promin entplace. When death claimed 
 him, the members of St. Peter's con- 
 
 gregation sincerely mourned because 
 deprived of a loyal friend, safe guide 
 and exemplary shepherd, the com- 
 munity had lost a good and upright 
 citizen. 
 
 On the morning after his demise, a 
 local paper had the following "In 
 Memoriam" penned by a brother 
 priest: 
 
 "When death invaded the St. Peter's 
 presbytery on last evening summon- 
 ing the pastor of his flock away from 
 the scene of his many year's ministra- 
 tions and activities, many a heart was 
 overpowered with sincerest, genuine 
 sadness at the mournful intelligence 
 for he whose demise was the cause 
 of so much regret was an exemplary 
 good man. 
 
 "Ever since his ordination to the 
 priesthood, Rev. Father J. P. Kerr 
 
 Page Sixty-Eight 
 
 has proven himself a faithful worker 
 in the cause of his Master, eschewing 
 notoriety and publicity but in a 
 quiet, unassuming way conscientious- 
 ly complying with his sacerdotal 
 pastoral duties. True to his calling 
 his every word and deed was calcu- 
 lated to stimulate the weak to action 
 and the strong to perseverance to 
 bless and to uplift. The duty of the 
 hour claimed and received all his at- 
 tention, he spent himself in earnest, 
 persevering labor in an humble, 
 modest and kindly way. 
 
 To his superiors in authority he 
 showed forever a loyal heart and 
 submissive will, to his clerical friends, 
 a companionable disposition. 
 
 "His late years have been years of 
 suffering patiently borne. The cross 
 was his solace, and no doubt he of- 
 fered his sufferings in unison with 
 those of his Master for whom he 
 spent the toilsome years of his minis- 
 try. And the evening found him still 
 working. He would work until the 
 lassitude of a fatal malady at last laid 
 him prostrate. His work was well 
 done, and the Master called him to 
 his reward. His day-star has risen to 
 set no more for him." 
 
 The following poem, a tribute to the 
 late Father Kerr, appeared in a local 
 paper: 
 
 Farewell, but not for aye, kind friend 
 
 Firm faith and hope once more 
 
 Shall reunite our friendship's bonds 
 
 More closely than before. 
 
 Where suns of glory never set, 
 
 Where souls of mortals never fret, 
 
 On that bright shore 
 
 For evermore. 
 
 Firm faith and hope thy heart upheld 
 
 When life waned on thy sight, 
 
 Amid the tumult of the sea 
 
 They steered thy barque aright, 
 
 And led thee to the roadsted mild 
 
 Where thou wert welcomed as tfod's child 
 
 To heaven's shore 
 
 For evermore I 
 
 Rev. John P. Kerr was born De- 
 cember 29, 1843, in Enniskillen, Ire- 
 land. At the age of 24 he came to 
 America and was raised to the priest- 
 hood March 19, 1875, by the Rt. Rev. 
 P. J. Baltes, second Bishop of Alton. 
 Among the various parishes which 
 he successively presided over were 
 Bloomfield, in Adams county, Brown s 
 Settlement, in Montgomery county, 
 Carlinville, and finally St. Peter's in 
 Quincy, to which latter position he
 
 was appointed upon the death of his 
 predecessor Rev P. McGirr in 1893. 
 On the death of Rev. Michael Weis 
 which occured November 9, 1909, 
 Father Kerr succeeded him as Dean 
 of the Quincy Deanery. For many 
 years he had been in poor, feeble 
 health; various trips to Ireland, his 
 
 native country, and to sunny Florida 
 for the sake of recuperation, were in 
 vain. A complication of diseases de- 
 veloped which hastened his death on 
 March 2, 1914. Among other legacies 
 and charitable bequests the thought- 
 ful man willed the sum of $10,000 to 
 St. Peter's parish. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. ANTON KERSTING. 
 
 "The flash that struck thy tree 
 No more to shelter thee . 
 
 Coming to this country and dio- 
 cese in 1881 from Germany, Rev. 
 Anton Kersting was ordered to assist 
 the pastor of St. Paul's church of 
 Highland. Possessed of fervor and 
 enthusiasm for his holy calling, our 
 young assistant priest gathered before 
 long a nucleus of a promising future 
 congregation at Troy. Divine service 
 was temporarily held in a small rented 
 hall until 1883, when a modest little 
 frame church took its place. In 
 Black Jack, another mission connected 
 with Highland at the time the young 
 priest succeeded in putting up a neat 
 brick church. His continuance in 
 Highland, however, was soon to ter- 
 minate. Father Kersting asked for 
 and was given an indefinite leave of 
 absence. He repaired to his native 
 country from whence he failed to 
 return. His death there was chroni- 
 cled in recent years. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. JOHN PETER KLEIN. 
 
 "Fast and deep the river floweth, 
 Floweth to the West". 
 
 This aged, venerable priest claimed 
 
 Saargemuend, in Lorraine his birth- 
 place. There he was born May 17, 
 
 1822. Having duly prepared himself 
 for his lofty vocation in the schools 
 and Seminary of Metz, he received 
 Holy Orders June 6, 1846 and arrived 
 in the States September 20, 1853. Pre- 
 vious to his departure from his native 
 land the young priest had been sta- 
 tioned as teacher in various colleges. 
 He was appointed April 4, 1867, to the 
 parish of Carrollton. He found a 
 heavy church debt to contend with 
 but by contsant exertions succeeded 
 in paying it off. His subsequent ap- 
 pointment was to the pastorate of 
 French Village, where he worked 
 faithfully from August 17, 1871, till 
 November, 1890. Partially paralyzed, 
 he retired to St. Mary's hospital of 
 East St. Louis, where he died August 
 9, 1896. His remains were interred 
 in Holy Cross cemetery. R. I. P. 
 
 Page Sixty-Nine
 
 VERY REV. P. MAURITIUS KLOSTERMANN, 0. F. M. 
 
 "I heard a promise gently fall 
 I heard a far-off Shepherd call 
 The weary and the broken-hearted 
 Promising rest unto each and all.' ' 
 
 The greatest and noblest of all dio- 
 cesan Franciscan priests, one who 
 most earnestly worked for and gladly 
 spent his energies both physical and 
 mental in the upbuilding of our dio- 
 
 cese, was undoubtedly dear old Father 
 Mauritius Klosterrmann, O. F. M. 
 The mere mention of his name evokes 
 with all who had the good fortune and 
 privilege of knowing him more inti- 
 mately many happy memories of by- 
 gone days, especially with those over 
 whose training and education he pre- 
 sided. The former college boys of 
 Teutopolis, now men of mature age, 
 are foremost in gratefully treasuring 
 his name and memory and in giving 
 unstinted praise and appreciation of 
 this good man's efforts in their 
 behalf. He was the heart and soul of 
 that institution. No boy was ever un- 
 justly or even harshly dealt with by 
 him, nay, many were there whose 
 
 faults and shortcomings were gener- 
 ously overlooked and kindly par- 
 doned, a slight reprimand and all was 
 serene and calm again as ever. His 
 was a personality therefore which 
 won the susceptible hearts of the boys 
 in uncommon degree. He was of an 
 unusually magnanimous disposition, 
 manifesting at all times a spirit of 
 broadest charity and utter unselfish- 
 ness. Though firm and unalterable in 
 his convictions and the sense of 
 right, he was by no means a stern 
 man, on the contrary, was very 
 pleasant in his manners, humorous and 
 witty in his conversation and made 
 himself beloved by all with whom he 
 came in closer contact. He was also a 
 man of profound piety and showed an 
 extraordinary zeal and devotion for 
 the Blessed Sacrament which is evi- 
 denced by the little book entitled: 
 ''Three Days of Spiriutal Exercises Be- 
 fore Receiving First Holy Commun- 
 ion," and again in his "Meditations 
 For Each Day o.f the Month." He was, 
 moreover, a man of broad intellect 
 and a fluent and forcible German pul- 
 pit speaker, a fact which at times is 
 still alluded to by older people. Being 
 well on in years when coming to this 
 country, Father Mauritius found some 
 difficulty in expressing himself cor- 
 rectly and faultlessly in English 
 which fact gave rise to many inno- 
 cent little jokes and stories which are 
 related to this very day of course 
 by former students. For many years 
 he accompanied the late Bishop Bal- 
 tes on the annual confirmation trips 
 through the diocese. 
 
 Adolph Klostermann was born at 
 Lippborg in Westphalia, August 30. 
 1820, of a family which, as record 
 show, had furnished teachers of this 
 place continually since 1751, if not 
 earlier. Like his father, Adolph chose 
 the vocation of teacher. His primary 
 education he received from his father 
 and after attending the Seminary at 
 Buerren from August, 1838-40 he 
 graduated with honors, being declared 
 "eligible for a position as teacher and 
 well qualified for the position of or- 
 
 Page Seventy
 
 ganist, having practiced well on the 
 piano and organ.' After teaching 
 school for fourteen years, the unex- 
 pected death of a dear friend a lady 
 to whom he was engaged to be mar- 
 ried opened the eyes of the young 
 teacher, who was a man of high ideals, 
 to the vanity of worldly pursuits, and 
 encouraged 'by a Franciscan brother, 
 he entered the Order at Warendorf 
 as lay brother, October 12, 1854. But 
 his superiors, noticing his talent for 
 teaching, advised him to study for 
 the priesthood. He volunteered for 
 the American Missions. In 1859 he 
 came to Teutopolis, and in February, 
 1860, to Quincy, where he was or- 
 dained July 2, 1860 in St. Boniface 
 church by Bishop Junker. He be- 
 came the first pastor of St. Anthony's 
 in Melrose, near Quincy, the first or- 
 ganist of St. Francis and its first 
 parochial school teacher. From 1864- 
 1882 Father Mauritius acted as Rector 
 of St. Joseph's college at Teutopolis 
 and for ten years, 1869-79 filled the 
 office of Commissary to the Provin- 
 cial. In 1882 our veteran College 
 Rector resigned his position owing to 
 failing eye-sight and was elected 
 guardian of the Quincy Monastery. In 
 July, 1885, Father Mauritius was elec- 
 
 ted Provincial of the newly estab- 
 lished Province of the Sacred Heart, 
 which had become independent of the 
 old German "Saxonia" Province. His 
 term of office over, he went to In- 
 dianapolis and thence soon after to 
 Teutopolis, where on April 28, 1890 
 he returned his beautiful spotless soul 
 into the hands of his Maker. 
 
 With the passing of this great, illus- 
 trious good man there passed away a 
 true Nathaniel in whom there was no 
 guile, an able teacher, an ideal pious 
 priest and a model religious. Few 
 men enjoyed such an extended circle 
 of friends as he did, for to know him 
 was to love him. P. M a r i t i u s was 
 moreover an able musician and fine 
 composer; he left a number of valu- 
 able compositions, among which two 
 able compositions, among which are 
 two Masses and a beautiful "Abend- 
 lied." In pedagogics decedent was 
 without question an accepted authority. 
 
 His mortal remains were interred 
 in the Franciscan crypt at Teutopolis, 
 where they rest in peace until 
 they will be re-united with their nobler 
 tenant on the Great Judgment Day 
 to participate in and partake of the 
 happiness and bliss of heaven. R. 1. 
 P. 
 
 REV. PETER KOLOPP. 
 
 The deceased was born in 1834 at 
 Nancy, France; ordained to the priest- 
 hood July 14, 1858, and acted as as- 
 sistant priest to Father Schaefer- 
 meyer at St. Boniface church of 
 Quincy, from September 17, 1863 
 
 April 19, 1864. He went to the Cleve- 
 land diocese, where, in June, 1866, he 
 was appointed to St. Peter's parish of 
 Doylestown, in Wayne county. He 
 died a subject of that diocese. R. I. P. 
 
 Page Seventy-One
 
 REV. WM. KUCHENBUCH. 
 
 "Lead me, O Lord, till perfect Day shall 
 
 shine 
 Through Peace to Light". 
 
 Among the twenty-five theological 
 students who pursued their higher 
 studies at the St. Joseph's College of 
 Teutopolis from 1862-65, was Rev. 
 
 William Kuchenbuch, a native of 
 Hundshagen, Westfalia, where he was 
 born August 15, 1836. At the age of 
 fourteen he came to America, July 28, 
 1850, took up the regular course of 
 classical studies, entered the above 
 
 mentioned Seminary and was or- 
 dained by Bishop Juncker, December 
 6th, 1863, in the college chapel of Teu- 
 topolis. With him were three more 
 young men ordained, viz: J. Harty, 
 Ferd Stick and Jeremias Sullivan. 
 From the time of his ordination in 
 1863 till the year 1875, young Father 
 Kuchenbuch worked well in various 
 parishes, of the Alton diocese, such as 
 Edwardsville, where in 1867, he pur- 
 chased a plot of land 500x300 to DC 
 used for church purposes, respectively 
 for a new church by the German 
 Catholics of Edwardsville, at same 
 time he caused a brick yard to be 
 started to supply the necessary brick 
 for the contemplated building. From 
 Edwardsville he was sent to Quincy 
 as assistant to Rev. Schaefermeyer 
 of St. Boniface, after which we meet 
 him as pastor of St. Mary's parish 
 of Mt. Sterling. For several reasons 
 Father Kuchenbuch severed connec- 
 tion with the Alton diocese and joined 
 that of Peoria, where he served the 
 parishes of Danville, Brimfield, Hen- 
 nepin and Peterstown (Troy Grove.) 
 To this last named place he was sent 
 in 1892 and continued till February 
 17, 1906, on which date after a short 
 illness he died and was buried in the 
 small Catholic cemetery of Peters- 
 town. 
 
 Father Kuchenbuch was a worthy 
 and conscientious priest, very exact 
 in his functions and duties but rather 
 eccentric and singular in disposition 
 and habits. His thin, haggard feat- 
 ures and snow white hair stamped him 
 an ascetic. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. JOSEPH KUENSTER. 
 
 "Faithful servant! sweet thy rest 
 With thy Savior and the blest! " 
 All thy trials now are o'er, 
 Sorrow ne'er shall pain thee more." 
 
 The first resident pastor who was 
 assigned to St. Peter's congregation 
 of Belleville, 111., was Rev. Joseph 
 Kuenster. This was in November, 
 1842. Conditions there were anything 
 but agreeable and encouraging. Of 
 undaunted determination and will 
 
 Page Seventy-Two 
 
 power, however, which knew neither 
 defeat nor failure, he at once planned 
 the erection of a church. In the face 
 of marked opposition he succeeded in 
 his undertaking. Great was his joy 
 when on Christmas morning, 1843, he 
 was able to say Holy Mass in -the 
 modest little structure 60 x 40, to 
 which Archbishop Kendrick in the 
 spring of that year had laid the cor-
 
 ner stone. But alas! Opposition grew 
 stronger as time passed. This was 
 principally occasioned by his stern 
 refusal to permit a fallen-away Cath- 
 olic woman to act as sponsor at 
 Baptism. Xot only that, but he him- 
 self became the object of villification, 
 slander and blackguardism. His 
 enemies conspired to rid themselves 
 
 of his presence. In this they suc- 
 ceeded. When met on a lonely coun- 
 try road homeward bound, they 
 dragged him from his conveyance and 
 for almost 24 hours kept him im- 
 prisoned in a stable beyond Center- 
 ville. Utterly disheartened and dis- 
 gusted at the indignant treatment to 
 which he was subjected, Father Kuen- 
 ster left Belleville and went to Teu- 
 topolis, there to assume charge of St. 
 Peter's parish. This was in 1845. 
 (With the advent of the Franciscans ?n 
 Teutopolis, September 25, 1858, the 
 name of the patron of that parish 
 was changed from St. Peter's to that 
 of St. Francis.) 
 
 Those years spent at Belleville had 
 been hard and trying. Besides look- 
 ing after the interests of a steadily 
 growing congregation with its many 
 daily demands and sacrifices, our sub- 
 ject made trips at regular intervals 
 
 to the young mission parishes of St. 
 Libory, Germantown, Red Bud, Ed- 
 wardsville and Prairie du Long. 
 
 Father Kuenster was now located 
 at Teutopolis (1845 as first resident 
 pastor of St. Peter's, which had been 
 organized in 1839 by Rev. Joseph 
 Masquelet. But he was of the old 
 but practical type. When he went 
 there he found but few struggling 
 German Catholic families, who in the 
 fall of 1838 had come thither from 
 Cincinnati. Like them, he turned in 
 to help himself and make the building 
 of church and school for his poor, but 
 pious people, as light and easy as pos- 
 sible. 
 
 Father Kuenster had his little piece 
 of cultivated land, his garden and his 
 fowls. "One day," writes Rev. John 
 Larmer, "he was called on to pay his 
 cathedraticum for the support of the 
 Bishop. He astonished all by paying 
 his cathedraticum with a goose and a 
 gander, carried by him across the 
 prairie. The good priest saw nothing 
 funny about it, as he got only pay in 
 kind, for there was little or no money 
 in the settlement. As time passed 
 Father Kuenster's flock of fowl and 
 geese increased and so did the world- 
 ly possessions of his thrifty German 
 parishioners. His success did not 
 escape the authorities in Chicago, and 
 he was removed to take charge of the 
 rebellious and annoying parish of 
 Qiiincy." 
 
 As the cholera had returned to 
 Quincy' in 1850, the malcontents and 
 peace disturbers of St. Boniface 
 parish again wished for a priest, de- 
 ploring their past conduct towards 
 noble Father Brickwedde whilst the 
 good regretted their indolence in al- 
 lowing a bold and desperate minority 
 to bring shame and confusion upon 
 the congregation and the fair name 
 of the city. 
 
 During his term at Quincy, Father 
 Kuenster caused a great mission to be 
 given by the popular Father Wennin- 
 ger, S. J., built the church steeple and 
 purchased three bells in 1852, a pipe 
 organ in 1854. established an Orphan 
 society and built a two-story brick 
 
 Page Seventy-Three
 
 residence. But now he was likewise 
 to experience from wicked people, 
 what poor Father Brickwedde had ex- 
 perienced, opposition, slander and 
 calumny. For seven years the cholera 
 continued to rage in the unfortunate 
 city claiming many a one from the 
 ranks of his opponents and enemies 
 and taxing the strength of the priest 
 beyond the actual capacity and endur- 
 ing powers, thus bringing him to a 
 premature grave on September 15, 
 1857. Funeral services were held by 
 Bishop Junker, the newly enthroned 
 Bishop of Alton, who hearing of the 
 serious illness of the good man, had 
 hastened to his bedside, but on his 
 
 arrival there found him already bat- 
 tling with death. 
 
 The defunct, of whose early life but 
 little is known, was born in 1806 at 
 Dueblich, on the Rhine, came to 
 America, studied for the priesthood at 
 the "Barrens," St. Louis, was ordained 
 by Bishop Kendrick of St. Louis, 
 August 15, 1842, together with Revs. 
 T. Cusack and P. McCabe. 
 
 Father Ktienster has a monument 
 to his memory in St. Boniface ceme- 
 tery of Q'uincy, whilst many of his 
 early co-workers are now in unknown 
 graves, "unwept, unknown and un- 
 sung." R. I. P. 
 
 REV. PETER PAUL LEFEVRE. 
 
 Coadjutor-Bishop of Detroit, 1841-1869. 
 
 "I do not ask my cross to understand my 
 
 way to see ; 
 
 Better in darkness just to feel Thy hand 
 And follow Thee'. 
 
 soil of Illinois, was undoubtedly Rev. 
 Peter Paul Lefevre. It was in the 
 beginning of the thirties of the- past 
 One of the earliest missionary century that this heroic man set out 
 priests who set foot on the virgin from St. Paul's on the Salt River in 
 
 Rails county, Mo., to evangelize 
 Northern Missouri, Southern Iowa, 
 and Middle Illinois. Already, in 1833, 
 he ministers to the spiritual wants of 
 
 Page Seventy-Four 
 
 the few Catholics of Quincy, where 
 he said Mass in the private house of 
 Adami Schmitt. Springfield was also 
 the beneficiary of his priestly minis-
 
 trations, yea, most of the incipient 
 towns where Catholics were known to 
 reside, were included in Father 
 Lefevre's itinerary. He was hailed 
 with unfeigned joy and delight where- 
 ever his coming was heralded by the 
 orphaned Catholic people. This genial 
 man of true apostolic spirit was a 
 native of Belgium, born at Roulers, in 
 Flanders, April 30, 1804, ordained a 
 priest at the Seminary of Cape Girar- 
 deau, Mo., under Bishop Rosati of 
 St. Louis, July 17, 1831, and conse- 
 
 crated a bishop November 21, 1841. 
 He died March 4, 1869. 
 
 Bishop Lefevre was never actually 
 Bishop of Detroit. He was made a 
 titular Bishop of Zela i. p. i., Coad- 
 jutor Administrator of Detroit then 
 embracing all Michigan and Wiscon- 
 sin and acted as such during the 
 mental incapacity of Bishop Frederick 
 Rese, first Bishop of Detroit, who 
 died December 29, 1871, surviving his 
 Coadjutor and Diocesan Administra- 
 tor. R. I. P. 
 
 V. REV. P. NICHOLAS LEONARD, 0. F. M. 
 
 "At each shrine, O Mother of Mercy! 
 Let still more of thy love be given, 
 Till I kneel at the last and brightest 
 The Throne of the Queen of Heaven". 
 
 One day, in August, 1900, a tragic 
 accident happened on the streets of 
 Omaha, Neb. Whilst alighting from 
 a street car and in the act of cross- 
 ing the street a priest was run down 
 by a car coming from an opposite di- 
 rection, he was knocked down by the 
 fender, the wheels passing over his 
 right leg crushing and mangling it 
 so that amputation of the injured 
 mem'ber was at once declared impera- 
 tive so that the crippled man's life at 
 least be saved. This awful mis- 
 fortune overtook Father Nicholas, the 
 Rector of St. Francis Solanus College 
 of Quincy, who had arrived in the 
 Western city that morning for the 
 purpose of giving the annual retreat 
 to a community of Sisters. As a true 
 priest and model religious he bore 
 this infliction resignedly, he almost 
 considered it a visitation sent by Al- 
 mighty God in order to chasten, 
 strengthen and purify him in the cru- 
 cible of such calamitous adversity. 
 Father Nicholas had been Rector of 
 the Quincy College since 1892. Dur- 
 ing the eight years of his administra- 
 tion the institution signally grew and 
 expanded in influence and importance 
 new life seemed to have pulsated 
 through its halls and class rooms 
 whilst the number of scholars in- 
 creased from year to year. New 
 buildings and additions to old ones 
 were put up, renovations in various 
 departments made, so that St. Francis 
 
 had become a keen competitor with 
 any institution in the state. In 
 enumerating and lauding the merits 
 of Father Nicholas as Rector of the 
 College, it is far from us to detract 
 from or minimize the grand achieve- 
 ments attained or the invaluable 
 services -rendered that seat of learn- 
 ing by its veteran president, Father 
 Anselm, who for more than forty 
 years put forth his best efforts in be- 
 half of the College/ Though our 
 stricken priest survived the terrible 
 ordeal and was restored somewhat 
 to his former usefulness yet the 
 shock to his system had been such 
 that within a few years thereafter 
 the good man suffered a complete 
 break-down, physical and mental. 
 Death came to his relief at St. 
 Anthony's monastery of St. Louis, 
 March 17, 1903. 
 
 Father Nicholas was an unusually 
 scholarly bright man of rare talents 
 and attainments, a splendid college 
 professor and amiable companion to 
 his confreres. No one received a 
 heartier welcome by the secular cler- 
 gy than he, hence his misfortune and 
 subsequent death elicited universal 
 sorrow and sympathy. 
 
 V. Rev. Nicholas Leonard, O. F. M., 
 was a native of Alsace, born in the 
 town of Kerprich, April 23, 1853, at- 
 tended St. Joseph's College of Teu- 
 topolis, entered the Order of Friars 
 Minor June 13, 1870, and was raised 
 to the priesthood February 1, 1877 
 at St. Louis. His life was conse- 
 
 Page Seventy-Five
 
 crated to the education of young men 
 in which he achieved great results, 
 both at St. Joseph's College of Teu- 
 
 topolis as well as at St. Francis 
 Solanus of Q'liincy. 
 
 REV. HERMANN LIERMANN. 
 
 "When the sunset came in glory 
 And the toil of day was o'er". 
 
 But few details are known of the 
 life and personality of Rev. Hermann 
 Liermann, and that what is known of 
 him may be summarized in a few 
 lines. He hailed from the diocese of 
 Osnabrueck in the former Kingdom 
 of Hanover. Coming to this country 
 he affiliated with the diocese of Chi- 
 cago and was appointed in 1851, pas- 
 tor of Centerville, and form thence 
 sent to Teutopolis, where he stayed 
 from 1856-'57, becoming the success- 
 or to Rev. Father Frauenhofer, who 
 
 had in the meantime taken up his 
 domicile in Green Creek. From 1857- 
 1860, Father Liermann became pastor 
 of St. Peter's church, Chicago, one 
 of the two oldest German parishes of 
 that city. From 1861-March 1865, he 
 is pastor of McHenry, and became in 
 1865-1879, pastor of St. Nicolas' parish 
 of Aurora. His last charge was at 
 Rock Island, where he was given the 
 pastorate of St. Mary's congregation 
 in 1880, exchanging places with Father 
 Schnuekel. Eight years of faithful 
 service marks his life at Rock Island, 
 where in 1888, he died. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. PAUL LIMACHER. 
 
 ' 'Thy treasures wait thee in the far-off skies 
 And death will give them all to thee". 
 
 A man of forcefulness of character, 
 a wise and prudent pastor, was Father 
 Limacher of St. Peter and Paul's 
 
 parish of Waterloo. He enjoyed the 
 unlimited confidence of his people, 
 while the public at large paid homage 
 to his rare qualities of mind and heart. 
 Success attended his every undertak- 
 
 Page Seventy-Six 
 
 ing though often beset by serious 
 difficulties and outspoken opposition 
 as is frequently the case when at- 
 tempts at reformation are inaugurated 
 and the judgment of the pastor is to 
 prevail. He ripened in the school of 
 such varied experiences whilst pastor 
 of seditious Highland from August, 
 1851-September, 1861. After the latter 
 date his transfer to the prominent 
 parish of Waterloo took place, where 
 his unselfish labors were properly ap- 
 preciated by an ever grateful congre- 
 gation and where his memory will 
 forever be held in benediction. For 
 39 years Father Limacher acted the 
 zealous pastor of his Waterloo flock 
 until June 11, 1899, when the weary 
 soul of this venerable priest leaped 
 forth to meet his maker. 
 
 Rev. Paul Limacher was born June 
 26, 1826, at Fluehelen, in the Canton 
 Luzern, Switzerland. He studied at 
 Luzern four years, at Solothurn two 
 years and thereafter four years at 
 the University of St. Mary's of the 
 Lake, Chicago He had come to this 
 country May 1, 1847. On July 3, 1851, 
 our future diocesan priest was or- 
 dained to the priesthood by the second 
 Bishop of Chicago, Rt. Rev. Jarmes 
 Oliver Vandevelde, at Florissant, Mo.
 
 He was at once assigned to the 
 parish of Highland to succeed the 
 Rev. Charles Joseph Count von 
 Morogna, then pastor of Shoal Creek 
 (now Germantown) who had looked 
 
 after the spiritual interests of that 
 parish since 1849. He became the first 
 resident pastor of St. Paul's of High- 
 land. Father Paul Limacher was 
 buried at Waterloo. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. JOSEPH LOCHER. 
 
 The average American priest does 
 not attain the age of sixty. He passes 
 away within the decade of the fifties. 
 Such is the conclusion at which one 
 arrived after many years of careful in- 
 vestigation and close observation. By 
 
 naturally be justified to still expect 
 great things from them. 
 
 Rev. Joseph Locher was one of 
 those who prematurely sank into an 
 early grave. Of vigorous constitution, 
 yea, the very embodiment of rugged 
 
 far the greatest number of those 
 whom we accompanied to their last 
 resting places in the cemeteries have 
 been called from hence before enter- 
 ing their sixties. Whether there are 
 statistics to prove or disprove this 
 assertion we know not; however, cer- 
 tain it is that of our own diocesan 
 clergy at least, the greater percentage 
 died when still in the prime of man- 
 hood, at a time when one would 
 
 health and well-being, he had all rea- 
 son to confidently look forward to yet 
 many years of active life and the re- 
 alization of many fond dreams and 
 cherished hopes. But "in the midst 
 of life we are surrounded by death." 
 This passage of Holy Scripture be- 
 came true with a shocking and start- 
 ling reality on December 10th, 1904, 
 when the mournful news of Rev. 
 Father Locher's untimely death was 
 
 Page Seventy-Sev
 
 heralded to the vast number of friends 
 and parishioners. Such was the case. 
 St. Mary's of Quincy had lost her pas- 
 tor, a short, brief illness had felled the 
 strong and vigorous man in the midst 
 of his labors when apparently in the 
 bloom and ripeness of manhood, in the 
 zenith of priestly activity. But though 
 his life was of comparatively short 
 duration, our deceased was but in his 
 54th year yet he could exclaim in the 
 hour of his last summons with St. 
 Paul: "I have fought a good fight, I 
 have finished my course, I have kept 
 my faith. As to the rest, there is 
 laid up for me a crown of justice, 
 which the Lord, the just judge, will 
 render to me in that day; and not to 
 me alone, but to them also that love 
 His coming." 
 
 When on April the 2nd, 1895, Rev. 
 Gerard Mirbach had answered the 
 final roll call, it was an easy matter 
 for the bishop to find a ready and wil- 
 ling successor to this eminent pastor 
 of St. Mary's. The parish in all its 
 appointments was now perfected and 
 complete, it ranked high among the 
 parishes of the diocese, some of the 
 very best men had given it tone and 
 prestige, the community spirit was a 
 good one, generous and of sacrifice, no 
 dissensions nor any opposition parties 
 to the pastor had ever stigmatized the 
 conduct of her exemplary members, 
 and the finances were in fairly good 
 condition; all things then considered 
 the orphaned congregation at this 
 time was quite a desirable one for any 
 priest to covet. The man to fill the 
 vacancy, however, was near at hand, 
 he had lived for several years a quasi- 
 retired life in a cottage build for him- 
 self on Locust Street, on property 
 bought from St. Vincent's Home. It 
 was Rev. Joseph Locher, for many 
 years, from 1874-1890, pastor of St. 
 Joseph's Church of Mt. Sterling, and 
 at the time of his appointment to the 
 pastorate of St. Mary's a chaplain as- 
 signed to the needs and ministrations 
 of the Catholic inmates of the Sol- 
 diers' Home. On leaving Mt. Sterling 
 our subject seriously considered em- 
 bracing monastic life in the Capu- 
 chine Order at Dertoit, Mich. It so 
 
 happened, however, that at this very 
 time when he had planned to execute 
 his intention, the Rev. Francis Ostrop 
 of Carlinville, was about to leave for 
 Europe. His choice of substitute dur- 
 ing the six months absence fell upon 
 Father Locher, who accepted at once 
 ' the profered position. From Carlin- 
 ville he removed on Rev. Ostrop's re- 
 turn, to Quincy. In doing so he 
 yielded to the importunities of his 
 clerical friend, Rev. Jos. Still, of St. 
 John's Church. 
 
 Every one was highly elated when 
 it became known that Father Locher 
 was the newly chosen pastor of St. 
 Mary's; even that younger priest 
 whom Father Mirbach had repeatedly 
 petitioned the Bishop, in 1894, to ap- 
 point as assisstant "cum jure succes- 
 sionis" to him, felt equally pleased 
 and reconciled at this appointment. 
 Nine and one half years Father 
 Locher presided over the destinies of 
 St. Mary's. A brilliant German scholar 
 he soon paved his way into public 
 esteem and regard by his acknow- 
 ledged erudition, culture and learning. 
 As pulpit speaker he is even today yet 
 referred to as having been most elo- 
 quent and convincing. In his dealings 
 with others he was always kind, char- 
 itable and proved himself a true friend 
 and sympathizer of people in need 
 and distress. He lived for St. Mary's. 
 
 To advance her interests was his 
 one great thought. That he at times 
 would encounter some petty difficul- 
 ties or caused differences of opinion 
 to arise which were calculated to up- 
 set some pet schemes or frustrate 
 plans and hopes is but natural to ex- 
 pect, esp. of a somewhat high minded 
 man of Rev. Locher's temperament 
 whose disposition it was, as quite re- 
 cently a good friend of his expressed 
 himself, to become at times a little 
 "hitzig und blitzig." When it became 
 known however, that good Father 
 Locher had died after but a few days 
 illness occasioned by pneumonia, 
 mourning and grief were deep and sin- 
 cere, every one of his numerous friends 
 felt he had sustained a keen personal 
 loss. 
 
 Page Seventy-Eighl
 
 His funeral was solemn and impres- 
 sive, attended by the Bishop and the 
 majority of the diocesan clergy, to- 
 gether with a vast concourse of peo- 
 ple. 
 
 Rev. Joseph Locher was a native of 
 Wuertenberg, a "Swab," as the say- 
 ing goes, born January 22nd, 1851, at 
 Aulendorf, near Rottenburg, the old- 
 est son in the family of three chil- 
 dren. After finishing his classical stu- 
 dies at Ellwangen he entered upon a 
 university course at Insbruck, and 
 later on at Munich, graduating there- 
 from with honors and distinction in 
 
 1872. Deciding to study for the priest- 
 hood and to devote and consecrate 
 his life to foreign missions, he came 
 to America in September, 1873, and 
 entered Mt. St. Mary's College, Cin- 
 cinnati, Ohio. In September of the 
 following year he was raised to the 
 priesthood at Alton, 111., by the Bishop 
 of the diocese, the Rt. Rev. P. J. 
 Bates. 
 
 His untimely demise o ecu red 
 December 10th, 1904. He was buried 
 in St. Boniface cemetery of that city. 
 R. I. P. 
 
 REV. FREDERICK LOHMANN. 
 
 "Laetentur 
 Domine". 
 
 omnes qui sperant in Te 
 
 A meritorious veteran priest went to 
 
 his eternal reward February 10, 1917, 
 one who had performed hard and 
 laborious work from 1869 1876 at 
 Hillsboro, Taylorville, Morrissonville, 
 Raymond, Staunton, New Douglas 
 and Pana, it was the Rev. Frederick 
 Lohman, since 1876 till the day of 
 death pastor of Aviston, 111. (Belle- 
 ville) Father F. Lohman was born 
 at Drensteinfurt, Westfalia, April 24. 
 1842, studied theology at the Col- 
 legium American in Muenster and 
 was ordained to the priesthood May 
 8, 1869, (together with Fathers Jos. 
 Meckel and H. Eggenstein.) 
 
 His funeral occured at Aviston, 111. 
 February 15, attended by a vast con- 
 course of sympathizing fellow priests 
 and sorrowing parishioners. 
 
 REV. PETER JOSEPH MACKIN. 
 
 Old St. Patrick's of Decatur, was 
 in deep mourning. Wierdly and sad- 
 ly her tolling bells had announced 
 to an apprehensive congregation the 
 passing of their beloved pastor, Rev. 
 Peter Joseph Mackin. The expected 
 had happened, death had invaded the 
 rectory and deprived the loyal faith- 
 ful parishioners of their worthy pas- 
 tor. The intelligence of his demise 
 was received with expressions of pro- 
 foundest regret not .n'y by his own 
 devoted people but throughout the 
 diocese and bevoncl. Cut the people 
 of St. Patrick's whom he had so ably 
 served were the >:h'.ef sufferers. Cinef 
 
 stricken they bowed their heads in 
 sorrow and will long continue to 
 mourn their great loss. They will 
 continue to pay tribute to the charac- 
 ter, the priestly virtues, the ability 
 and thei service of their departed pas- 
 tor whose death, caused by intense 
 rheumatic affections, called all too 
 soon from hence. The grim reaper 
 mowed down his victim on March 26, 
 1898, in the 51st year of his life. Our 
 defunct then stood on the high pla- 
 teau of middle life, in that serene at- 
 mosphere where conditions are most 
 favorable for noble enduring achieve- 
 ments. 
 
 Page Seventy-Nine
 
 Father Mackin was a big man in 
 every sense, big in stature, big in 
 heart and sympathy, big in ideas and 
 of unflinching fortitude. He was em- 
 
 inently a man of character, a man 
 whose life was regulated by principles 
 of the noblest type. He was widely 
 read in many branches and on useful 
 topics. His taste was cultured and re- 
 fined, he abhorred show. His orator- 
 ical abilities, which were known far 
 and wide, were devoid of artifice. 
 He was not a posturer nor phrase- 
 monger, for he was too intense, too 
 earnest, to employ the cheap and pal- 
 try decorations of discourse. 
 
 Father Mackin strove to implant 
 big ideals in the minds of his young 
 men as they should be the guiding 
 and animating force in the life of 
 every Catholic young man without 
 which his life is dull and common- 
 place. Ideals of manhood, achieve- 
 ment and service should mark every 
 one. He was more-over a great pro- 
 moter of Catholic Education which he 
 deemed the essential and all-vital re- 
 quisite for the present day. Judged 
 by the severest tests of human worth 
 we must confess that Father Mackin 
 
 was a great man. This is the verdict 
 of those who lived with him on terms 
 of intimacy and of his wide circle of 
 admirers amongst the clergy and lai- 
 ay throughout this and adjacent dio- 
 ceses. By way of passing, we may 
 add that Father Mackin was great and 
 lavish in hospitality and was more- 
 over a great story teller. In his 
 priestly functions and administrations 
 of parochial temporal affairs our de- 
 cedent was punctual and exact. St. 
 Patrick's blossomed and prospered 
 under his guiding influence. He threw 
 concentrated energy into all parish 
 work, hence great results were 
 achieved not only in Decatur but in 
 all other parishes where Father Mack- 
 it was called to preside over. No 
 wonder then that sorrow was so uni- 
 versal when it became known that 
 this ideal man and ideal priest had 
 been beckoned by the palled messen- 
 ger with the inverted torch to depart. 
 Though dead and gone, Father Mack- 
 in continues to live in the hearts and 
 memories of his numerous friends 
 and faithful people. 
 
 ' 'You may break, you may shatter 
 The vase, if you will, 
 But the scent of the roses 
 Will hang around still' 1 . 
 
 If it be true that "death loves a 
 shining mark," it may surely be said 
 that calumny, slander and ignorance 
 always turn their attention in the same 
 brilliant direction. They are the or- 
 dinary weapons of warfare employed 
 to undermine and ruin a good man's 
 character. Father Mackin was not 
 exempted from the attacks of the foul 
 and loathsome creatures who crawl 
 about the footsteps of so many illus- 
 trious men, especially the servants of 
 God's holy altar. The injured priest 
 however was vindicated. The unpleas- 
 ant and painful incident occasioned 
 his transfer from Jacksonville to Ed- 
 wardsville and from thence ot Deca- 
 tur. 
 
 Rev. Peter Joseph Mackin was 
 born in 1847 in Xewtown, Hamilton 
 County, Armagh, Ireland. When 
 about 16 years old he began to study 
 for the ministry at All Hallows Col- 
 lege, Dublin. During his college life 
 he distinguished himself in his studies 
 
 Page Eighty
 
 standing at the head of his classes 
 and carrying off many of the first 
 prizes. When twenty-three years of 
 age he was ordained to the priest- 
 hood June 25, 1870 by Rt. Rev. Bishop 
 Woodlock, who sent him to Alton 
 diocese with encouraging words as to 
 the success of his ministry. His first 
 work was assistant to Fr. Walsh, but 
 he was sent after a short time as 
 pastor to Carrollton, where he re- 
 mained two years. Next Father 
 Mackin was appointed to Our Sav- 
 ior's parish of Jacksonville, where he 
 worked well for six years, going from 
 thence to Edwardsville. On October 
 31, 1878, he was installed in St. Pat- 
 rick's Decatur, succeeding Father 
 Timothy Hickey. Here he was made 
 an irremovable rector and a dean of 
 the district. The good he has ac- 
 complished in Decatur and elsewhere 
 need not be detailed here. In sum- 
 
 ming up Father Mackin's activity in 
 Decatur, the "Review" of that city 
 said of him: "The Catholics of Deca- 
 tur and all good citizens have reason 
 to be thankful to him." 
 
 When Henry Ward Beecher was in 
 Decatur one Sunday, he attended 
 Father Mackin's church. On his re- 
 turn to Brooklyn at the first sermon 
 to his congregation, he spoke of the 
 sermon of Father Mackin and eulo- 
 gized him highly. 
 
 When approaching death threw its 
 shadows over the life of Father 
 Mackin, he was attended by his 
 brother, the late Father M. T. 
 Mackin, of St. Brandon's church, Chi- 
 cago and Father Alois Teppe, of De- 
 catur. He was conscious to the last 
 and his passing away was easy. He 
 died in his arm chair fully prepared 
 to meet his Lord and God. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. THOMAS F. MANGAN. 
 
 "The lone churchyard is dark and dim 
 And the mourners raise a funeral hymn". 
 
 A fearless champion of the church 
 and her teachings, a man of trans- 
 
 parent honesty and purpose and 11 p- 
 rightness, one who combined in his 
 person the characteristics of a true 
 disciple of the Master, was Father 
 
 Thomas F. Mangan. None was ever 
 more beloved and liked by his parish- 
 ioners in the various parishes than he. 
 His personality was majestic, hence 
 his great influence for good. Among 
 all creeds he stood out as a shining 
 light. In all public affairs Father 
 Mangan took an active interest and 
 was always intimately connected with 
 all that tended toward the uplift of 
 humanity. 
 
 Under his management the incipi- 
 ent parish of Jerseyville, which had 
 constructed a small frame church in 
 1857, the year previous to his coming 
 there, began to feel self-assertive. 
 During the three years of his stay at 
 Jerseyville, from the time of his ordi- 
 nation in February, 1858 January 19, 
 1861, our young, vigorous pastor laid 
 the foundation for that congregation's 
 subseq'iient strength and power. 
 From here he attended to Carroll- 
 ton's spiritual wants and at times 
 sought out the scattered Catholic 
 families in the surrounding counties. 
 
 From Jerseyville he was sent in 
 1861 to Jacksonville and thence to 
 Alton, where for some time he acted 
 as rector of the Cathedral. In June, 
 
 Page Eighty-One
 
 1863, the aged Father Thomas Ryan 
 had died at Mattoon. Who was to 
 fill the vacancy at this already im- 
 portant Catholic centre? Father 
 Mangan. And with his coming the 
 young and energetic priest infused 
 new life into the affairs of that parish 
 At once he started with the erection 
 of a priest's residence, which was 
 afterwards used as a Sisters' convent 
 Then he added to the church a sanc- 
 tuary, sacristies and gallery. To- 
 wards the close of his stay, he bought 
 the ground on which the present St. 
 Joseph's school stands and built a 
 two-story school house at his own ex- 
 pense, which outlay, however, the 
 parish re-imbursed. He called the 
 Ursuline Sisters to teach the schools. 
 His success in the cause of education 
 was remarkable and the temperance 
 cause which he valiantly espoused in 
 those days, owes him a debt of grati- 
 tude. In 1870 Father Mangan relin- 
 quished his charge of Mattoon, 
 severed his connection with the dio- 
 cese of Alton and was received into 
 the Chicago diocese where he died 
 full of honors, years and merit as 
 dean of Joliet, February 5, 1898. 
 
 The Joliet Daily News spoke of our 
 subject thus: 
 
 "There is probably no clergyman 
 in Joliet the news of whose demise 
 would cause more widespread sorrow 
 through the city and surrounding 
 country than Father Mangan. The 
 decade which he has spent as a priest 
 of St. Mary's parish has been the 
 brightest in the history of the Church 
 and the entire city has been benefitted 
 by his pure influence. 
 
 Intensely pivblic spirited, he took 
 the keenest interest in all matters of 
 importance to the community in 
 which he lived and his counsel has 
 been sought most eagerly on many 
 occasions. His kindness of heart and 
 his greatness of sympathy were pro- 
 
 verbial among those who knew him 
 and while no person was a more 
 thorough Catholic than he, he was 
 always willing to lend his assistance 
 to the work of Protestant or secular 
 organizations which he thought like- 
 ly to prove of benefit to the com- 
 munity. His payment of $50.00 for a 
 street car ride between Joliet and 
 Lockport last summer when the ladies 
 were running the cars for the benefit 
 of the Silver Cross Hospital, was a 
 good example of his feeling toward 
 agencies for good, whether or not 
 they were conducted by the Church 
 of which he was an honored light. 
 Numbers of similar instances of his 
 kindly feeling could be related. He 
 had the warmest affection of his 
 parishioners and the hearty esteem 
 of all with whom he came in contact. 
 His sermons were full of the most 
 inspiring advice and exhortations] and 
 he was one of the finest pulpit orators 
 who has ever been heard in Joliet. 
 Although he was a magnificent 
 preacher it was as a pastor that he did 
 the greatest good. His kindly advice 
 and wise counsel have aided many of 
 his parishioners in times of difficulty 
 and trial and to no priest more than 
 to him does the term "Father" seem 
 more appropriate. 
 
 "Thomas Francis Mangan was a 
 native of County Clare, Ireland, and 
 came to America when 18 years of 
 age. He received his education at 
 Ottawa, Canada, and at once began 
 studying for the priesthood. He was 
 ordained in St. Louis in 1858, and has 
 been continually a Catholic pastor 
 since that time. Among the cities in 
 which he held charges were Jersey- 
 ville, Alton, Jacksonville, Mattoon, 
 Macomb and Freeport, and in 1897 
 came to Joliet from the last named 
 place. Shortly after his arrival here 
 he was made a dean and has been 
 honored in other ways by the officials 
 of his Church." R. I. P. 
 
 Page Eighty-Two
 
 REV. CHARLES. MANUEL. 
 
 It was a crisp and sunny fall day, 
 that 25th day of September, 1901 
 when the bells of St. Mary's Church 
 of Illiopolis, mournfully tolled the 
 sad and distressing news that Rev. 
 Charles Manuel, the all-beloved pas- 
 tor of the parish, had answered the 
 last summons. It is not easy to ex- 
 
 press the heart-pain felt by the peo- 
 ple of the parish and the clergy of 
 the diocese when it became known 
 that this great good man had been 
 called by death and passed from this 
 world. We all who heard of this sad 
 tolling either by wire or mail felt a 
 keen personal loss by his passing. 
 And yet death came to him as a bless- 
 ing. Many long months Father 
 Manuel had suffered excruciating 
 pain and intense suffering, occa- 
 sioned by an abcess on the lungs. 
 Medical treatment had been sought 
 in vain, repeated operations proverl 
 fruitless, institutional care in the 
 Sisters' hospital at Colorado Springs 
 availed but little, on the contrary 
 the ailment became aggravated and 
 attained such acute stage that the 
 precious life of our subject soon be- 
 came a forfeited one. With almost 
 super-human strength and courage he 
 bore this terrible infliction heroically 
 
 resignedly to God's holy will for 
 weeks and months, never complaining 
 never murmuring against the designs 
 of divine Providence. Father Manuel 
 as a true priest of God looked upon 
 his suffering as upon a purifying and 
 chastening process preparatory to his 
 entering into glory. And when the 
 end approached he was ready to re- 
 spond with Samuel in the temple: 
 "Ecce adsum Domine," "Lord here I 
 am," Peacefully he sank into the last 
 long slumber from which he was to 
 awaken on the shores of eternity. 
 Strengthened for the final journey by 
 the Sacraments of Holy Church, sur- 
 rounded in his last moments by a 
 prayerful community of good Sisters 
 and the hospital chaplain, Rev. Aug. 
 Happe, he expired at Colorado 
 Springs on above mentioned date. 
 
 The emaciated and shrunken body 
 was shipped back to Illiopolis for 
 burial. There it was placed before 
 the altar where so often the dead 
 priest had raised hands ana heart to 
 Almighty God in holy prayer and 
 pious supplication for his parishion- 
 ers and himself. He was placed on 
 the bier that his loved ones might 
 cast a last glance upon those well- 
 known and benevolent features which 
 alas! were now distorted and dis- 
 figured by death. Those sacred walls 
 which erstwhile rang with solemn 
 chant and inspiring music now re- 
 echoed the sorrowful strains of tlie 
 "Dies Irae" and the wail of the "De 
 Profundis." 
 
 The life of Father Manuel was con- 
 sumed in the exercise of his holy 
 ministry. Nothing was nearer and 
 dearer to his heart than his St. Mary's 
 parish of Illiopolis, together with its 
 two affiliated parishes of Niantic and 
 Buffalo. For N the welfare of these he 
 lived, and we may add for them he 
 died, for he fell a victim of his assid- 
 uous labors which his position en- 
 tailed. 
 
 His spotless priestly life was unto 
 all a shining pattern and bright ex- 
 ample. Whenever a pastoral visit or 
 a sick call ushered him into the homes 
 
 Page Eighty-Three
 
 of his parishioners, Father Manuel 
 would invariably before leave-taking 
 kneel down with his people in short 
 prayer and impart them his priestly 
 blessing. His familiar and customary 
 good-bye to a friend would be couch- 
 ed in the additional expression "God 
 bless you," which had become so well 
 known that one of his personal 
 friends in a jocular vein dubbed him 
 "the father God bless you," undc r 
 which epithet he is at times alluded 
 to this very day yet. Of his parish- 
 ioners he was want to call them usual- 
 ly by their given names which was so 
 expressive of that bond of familiarity 
 and intimacy as existed between pas- 
 tor and flock, father and children. 
 For the needy and destitute he always 
 had an open hand and a warm sym- 
 pathetic heart. At all hours of day or 
 night he was ready to respond to any 
 call, be it of sickness or distress. 
 
 There is no one of 'us who does not 
 recognize the great task set before 
 us in meeting our responsibilities for 
 the religious life of our people. 
 Parishes must be organized, churches 
 and schools are to be built, orphans 
 and wayward ones to be looked after. 
 Father Manuel in all instances rose 
 to the occasion. The beautiful Gothic 
 church of Illiopolis, built in 1895-96, 
 over which the genial Father J. C. 
 Daw presides at present, whose 
 pointed spire with golden cross over- 
 looks many miles of Sangamon's fer- 
 tile fields and happy rural homes is 
 among many other notable achieve- 
 ments an eloquent testimonial of his 
 burning zeal for the honor and glory 
 of the Eucharistic God, it will con- 
 tinue to enshrine his memory in the 
 hearts of all who had the good fort- 
 une to know him and will carry his 
 name to future generations as that of 
 
 a mighty figure in the history of the 
 Alton diocese. The good Franciscan 
 Sisters of the St. John's Hospital of 
 Springfield will never forget him, 
 they will forever recall his many 
 blessed deeds of kindness and charity 
 he so generously lavished upon them. 
 During all the years of his pastoral 
 activity at Illiopolis Father Manuel, 
 regular as a clock would once a week 
 on a specified day enter the Commun- 
 ity Confessional and there sit for 
 many weary hours hearing confes- 
 sions. It was done with a readiness 
 and cheerfulness that demanded hom- 
 age and grateful recognition. 
 
 His was a loveable character, up- 
 right and sincere, always serene and 
 joviable. To know him was to love 
 him. God's holy angel, so we trust 
 and hope, has recorded Father Man- 
 uel's name and accumulated merits 
 upon the pages of the Book of Life, 
 
 The autumn leaves commenced to sear 
 
 And flowers drooped their head 
 
 It seemed as though they mourned too, 
 
 That Father Manuel was dead. 
 
 The bell tolled forth at early morn 
 
 His span of life was run 
 
 But with a martyr's spirit he said: 
 
 "Oh Lord, Thy will be done I" 
 
 Rev. Charles Manuel died at Colo- 
 rado Springs, Sept. 25, 1901. He was 
 born at Etteln, in the Diocese of 
 Paderborn, Germany, where his father 
 held the position of Burgomaster, on 
 May 25th, 1853, studied classics at 
 Paderborn, philosophy in the Ameri- 
 can Colleges at Louvain, Belgium, 
 and Theology in the Grand Seminary 
 at Montreal, under the Sulpician 
 Fathers. On December 23d, 1877, 
 Father Manuel was raised to the 
 priesthood at Alton by the late 
 Bishop P. J. Baltes, D. D., who as- 
 signed the neopresbyter at once as 
 pastor to the St. Mary's church, Illi- 
 opolis, 111. R. I. P. 
 
 Page Eighty-Four
 
 REV. JOHN A. MARK. 
 
 "My heart is no longer restless". 
 
 This priest hailed from Wuerzburg 
 in Bavaria, where he was born April 
 3, 1827, was ordained there August 
 6, 1859, and came to this country the 
 following year. He acted in our dio- 
 cese at Brussels, in Calhoun county, 
 from 1865-'67, at Marshall from April, 
 1867-Oct. 72, at Beardstown from 
 1875-76, and then a short while at 
 Edwardsville, succeeding Father Rus- 
 tige, first at St. Mary's then at St. 
 Boniface, where he was succeeded by 
 
 Father Chas. Kuhlmann. After his 
 removal from St. Boniface it seems 
 that Father Mark joined the Fort 
 Wayne diocese, where he was ap- 
 pointed to the parish of Hammond, 
 Ind. Here he built a frame church in 
 spite of the advise of wiser men, on 
 a lot undermined by a coal mine. The 
 ground settled, the church was 
 wrecked the debts remained. He 
 then was removed to Hessen Cassel, 
 near Fort Wayne, where he died in 
 1897. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. CHARLES JOSEPH COUNT VON MAROGNA. 
 
 "Pause where the Pilgrim's day is done 
 Where scrip and staff aside are laid". 
 
 Charles Joseph Marogna, a scion of 
 an old illustrious Catholic family, was 
 
 born September 17, 1802 in the an- 
 cestral castle of Villa Lagrima, near 
 Trent in the Tyrol. While yet very 
 young he was ordered to repair to the 
 Court of Florence to act as page, and 
 there had an opportunity of seeing 
 Pope Pius VII on his way to Pisa. 
 After completing his classical course 
 
 he was sent to Mayence, where he 
 studied Theology under the famous 
 Liebermann. Raised to the priest- 
 hood March 30, 1824, he worked first 
 as an assistant and then as parish 
 priest at Algaeu, diocese of Augsburg, 
 till 1846, at which time he had deter- 
 mined to devote the remainder of his 
 lift to the promotion of the material 
 and spiritual welfare of the immigrants 
 in America. In due time he reached 
 Chicago where for two years he faith- 
 fully worked in St. Joseph's parish. 
 Thence he was sent to Germantown 
 and Highland in 1840. The Father 
 seems to have spent much of his time 
 at Highland in the early part of 1840, 
 after which he left for Germany, 
 whither he repaired in quest of alms 
 for his poor congregation and where 
 he spent six months. On his return 
 he supplied his church with plate and 
 vestments thus obtained, spending the 
 cash in improving the church and se- 
 curing forty acres of land for burial 
 purposes. 
 
 At that time the political convul- 
 sions of Europe brought an increased 
 number of immigrants, Highland re- 
 ceiving its share of them. Father 
 Marogna persuaded Bishop Van de 
 Velde to send to Highland a perma- 
 nent pastor. In consequence Father 
 Paul Limacher was appointed pastor 
 whilst Father Marogna went to St. 
 Vincent's Pa., there to enter the 
 Benedictine Order. In 1852 he was 
 admitted into the Order and on 
 
 Page Eighty-Five
 
 August 21, 1853, he made the pro- 
 fession of solemn vows, receiving the 
 name of Demetrius. For awhile he 
 was employed as professor and prior. 
 Later on, at the request of the Bishop 
 of St. Paul, Minn., he was sent to the 
 Northwest to start an institution of 
 
 the Benedictine Order which after- 
 wards became St. John's Abbey. 
 Father Marogna died March 27, 1860, 
 at St. Paul, Minn., and was buried in 
 the cemetery belonging to the Abbey. 
 R. I. P. 
 
 REV. J. V. MARTIN. 
 
 "Toward the West I turn my weary spirit". 
 
 The parishes of Shipman, Neoga, 
 Arcola, Shelbyville and Bethany, will 
 for many years to come, remember 
 the ministrations of Father J. V. Mar- 
 tin. He served them in succession 
 from the time of ordination until 
 called by his heavenly Master. With 
 earnest endeavor he tried to shepherd 
 them into the ways of godliness him- 
 self setting a bright example. 
 
 Father Martin was a man of stu- 
 dious habits a ripe scholar, modest 
 and unobtrusive. The welfare of his 
 various parishes constituted his chief 
 concern. And success attended his 
 
 efforts. Wherever he had labored, 
 there he left imprints of his unselfish 
 endeavors, hence his death appeared 
 all too untimely. He was taken away 
 when in the zenith of usefulness and 
 virile strength, both intellectual and 
 physical. 
 
 Father Martin was the son of John 
 Martin and Mary Kelly, born at 
 Champlain, Minnesota, November 27, 
 1857, and ordained by Archbishop 
 Edward Fabre in the Grand Seminary 
 chapel at Miontreal, Dec. 18, 1886. 
 
 His remains were buried at Beth- 
 any. 
 
 REV. JOSEPH MASQUELET. 
 
 "The Past's bright diadem had paled before 
 The starry crown, the glorious Present 
 wore". 
 
 One of the oldest parishes of the 
 diocese, next to Quincy and Ste. Ma- 
 rie, is Teutopolis. Its history dates 
 back to 1833. An organized body of 
 Catholic Cincinnatians, who had been 
 prospecting out west, had started a 
 colony there in 1837. They purchased 
 a tract of land comprising 10,000 
 acres at $1.25 per acre. With the first 
 settlers came a priest by the name of 
 Rev. Joseph Masquelet, a native of 
 Elsace. The first divine service was 
 held in this new settlement towards 
 the end of November, 1839. The fol- 
 lowing year, 1840, a small log church 
 was built, 32x28, and dedicated to St. 
 Peter. Frictions and dissensions, 
 however, soon broke forth which in- 
 duced the pastor to build a second 
 log church at a distance of 1^ miles 
 
 from the former. It was built on his 
 own land, on "Masquelet Place." 
 The internal parish dissensions were, 
 however, not allayed, on the contra- 
 ry, they continued to grow for many 
 a year, causing much discomfiture and 
 annoyance to the various pastors, and 
 making the parish rather notorious 
 for its stubborn opposition to the ef- 
 forts of the clergy. Father Masque- 
 let, tired of the ill-feeling and oppo- 
 sition manifested toward him, left 
 Teutopolis in 1842 for New Orleans. 
 There he was assigned a parish and 
 built a fine church. Twice he re- 
 turned on a visit to Teutopolis, in 
 November, 1855, and again in the sev- 
 enties, when he donated a set of cost- 
 ly vestments to the parish. After his 
 last visit he returned to his native 
 land, where he soon died. R. I. P. 
 
 Page Eighty-Six
 
 REV. JOSEPH MAURER. 
 
 "Fret not when grievous woes annoy, 
 Who sow in tears shall reap in joy". 
 
 A precious life was snuffed out at 
 St. Anthony's Hospital, of Effingham, 
 on Monday, March 20, 1916, when the 
 captive spirit of Rev. Jos. Maurer 
 broke forth from its temporary prison 
 cell and winged its flight to God's 
 holy throne. Deceased could join in 
 
 the simple and pathetic words of 
 Moses concerning his lonesome jour- 
 ney in Egypt: "I have been a stran- 
 ger in a strange land." Shakespeare 
 says of a certain king that in his very 
 look was writ a tragic volume. As 
 much may be said of our departed 
 one. His whole life seemed to have 
 been a continued tragedy caused by 
 self-imposed austerities and abnega- 
 tions, mortifications and penances, 
 especially, however, when we con- 
 sider it towards its close. The intens- 
 ity of suffering occasioned by the in- 
 '"iction of an incurable ailment, can- 
 cer of the throat, must have often 
 re-awakened in his heart an echo of 
 the words of world-weary St. Paul 
 who longed and prayed to be dis- 
 solved from "the body of this death." 
 This frightful affliction our subject 
 carried with him for months patient- 
 ly and submissively to God's in- 
 scrutable, holy will. For him it 
 
 meant a final God-given process of 
 purification ere entering the portals 
 of eternity. Days and nights of untold 
 misery and agony had been his por- 
 tion, for there seemed neither cure 
 nor relief for him anywhere, neither 
 north in Wisconsin's invigorating 
 clime, nor south in Texas, nor in 
 sunny California. Feeling the near- 
 ness of death he rallied in last effort 
 his waning strength that he might die 
 among friends. On the brink of utter 
 collapse he arrived from his long tire- 
 some California journey at the St. 
 Anthony's Hospital in Effingham. All 
 that the care of loving hands of the 
 good Sisters could do, was lavished 
 on him. Some of his clerical friends 
 and the community of Sisters knelt 
 in prayer around the bedside when 
 the end came, and the spirit of this 
 truly suffering Job was released from 
 captivity. Cardinal Newman's poetic 
 composition had often been his 
 prayer: 
 
 "Lead, Kindly Light, amid encircling gloom 
 
 Lead Thou me on! 
 The night is dark, and I am far from home 
 
 Lead Thou me on"! 
 
 This beautiful poem our friend had 
 always much admired and was often 
 heard to hum it to himself. 
 
 And sure, God's grace and power 
 had blest and upheld him during the 
 36 years of his priestly life and con- 
 tinued to uphold him now and lead 
 him on during the most critical of 
 all moments till the black night was 
 gone, and with the morn sweet angel 
 faces smiled upon him. Truly with 
 the peaceful passing of Father Maurer 
 we all had reason to exclaim: "Pre- 
 tiosa in conspectu Domini, mors sanc- 
 torum." 
 
 Fidelity to his priestly duties at all 
 times, in season and out of season, 
 characterized the otherwise uneventful 
 life of our departed one. Wherever 
 he displayed his sacerdotal functions 
 or acted as pastor over a parish, he 
 was unto all a source of edification. 
 His unselfishness had become rather 
 extreme. Hence he died as poor as 
 the proverbial church mouse, scarcely 
 having a dollar to his name. Our de- 
 
 Page Eighty-Seven
 
 funct was a bright scholar and was 
 possessed of great retentive mental 
 power. 
 
 Rev. Joseph Maurer was born at 
 Rauenberg in the Archdiocese of 
 Freiburg, Baden, February 12, 1858, 
 studied at the American College of 
 Louvain and was ordained to the 
 priesthood at Utrecht, Holland, Aug. 
 15, 1880. He landed on the American 
 shores Oct. 16, 1880, and. at once en- 
 tered upon his priestly duties, first 
 as assistant at St. Peter's church, 
 Belleville, and then for a short time 
 as pastor of St. Francisville. For up- 
 wards of 24 years he presided as pas- 
 tor over St. Stanislaus parish of 
 
 Macon, with Oconee and Moweaqua 
 as out-missions attached, which posi- 
 tions he reluctantly relinquished when 
 ordered to the rectorship of St. 
 Mary's of Quincy, January 1, 1905- 
 May 1906. Owing to impaired health 
 Father Maurer was successively as- 
 signed to the parishes of Brussels, 
 Brigton, Lillyville and Marine. 
 
 Solemn obsequies were held March 
 23, 1916, at St. Anthony's church of 
 Effingham, after which his remains 
 were escorted to St. Anthony's ceme- 
 tery, followed by 40 of his confreres 
 and a great concourse of sympathiz- 
 ing, sorrowing friends and former 
 parishioners. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. PATRICK McCABE. 
 
 ''My God, I thank Thee, that my pain 
 Of day by day, and year by year, 
 Has not been suffered all in vain". 
 
 Adelaide Procter. 
 
 The galaxy of heroic missionary 
 priests of early days who labored so 
 disinterestedly in planting the seeds 
 of religion on the virgin prairie soil 
 of Illinois would remain incomplete 
 were the name of Father McCabe 
 omitted. This true old soggarth, 
 born, raised and ordained in Ireland 
 had come to Chicago when that dio- 
 cese was still in its formative process 
 He was one of the thirty-two priests 
 present when Bishop Quarter con- 
 vened the first synod on April 18, 
 1847. Three years later, in 1850, 
 Father McCabe was sent as pastor to 
 Shawneetown, and from 1852-'54 to 
 Mt. Sterling. Whilst he had charge 
 of this parish our veteran priest had 
 likewise charge of the parishes of 
 Pittsfield, Jacksonville and Beards- 
 town, to all of which he devoted most 
 conscientiously his best efforts. The 
 results soon became apparent as the 
 history of these missions show. 
 Father McCabe had popularized him- 
 self in the minds and the hearts of his 
 grateful people. At this time Cairo, 
 at the confluence of the Mississippi 
 and Ohio rivers, promised to become 
 a populous center. Church and pastor 
 were needed for the growing spiritual 
 demands. Father McCabe was sent 
 to Cairo. He set to work and built 
 
 Page Eighty-Eight 
 
 St. Patrick's church. Had the sun 
 been shining heretofore on the zeal- 
 ous priest's endeavors, now dark 
 clouds were to gather on the horizon 
 around him, pathetic were the years 
 to come. Out of all the difficulties, 
 false accusations and petty persecu- 
 tions which were let loose against 
 him, Father McCabe emerged a 
 broken-down man. Father Larmer, 
 writing of this episode in the poor 
 priest's life, says: "St. Paul labored 
 at tent-making to earn his own ne- 
 cessaries. Father McCabe worked as 
 common laborer on the railroads for 
 seventy-five cents a day, paid in 
 orders or store truck and said Mass 
 on Sundays for the few Catholics. 
 Jeans were his clothing, corn bread, 
 badly baked in the ashes and badly 
 cured hog meat, his food, for such 
 was the living in those days in 
 Southern Illinois. His niece, a bounc- 
 ing, vigorous Irish girl, started a re- 
 spectable boarding house , and for 
 three or four years after, while Father 
 McCabe lived, kept him in comfort he 
 never knew in the active life of a 
 priest." 
 
 Whole-souled, big hearted Father 
 McCabe, whose name was one to con- 
 jure by in every Irish cabin and 
 wherever he was known, died at Cape 
 Girardeau, in 1863. 
 
 The same historian, quoted above, 

 
 continued to say: "Illinois can be 
 proud of such an apostle. In zeal, 
 sufferings, labor and charity unseen. 
 
 Father McCabe has not been excelled 
 by anyone." 
 
 May his soul rest in peace. 
 
 REV. JAMES j. MCCARTHY. 
 
 Meeting instantaneous death by be- 
 ing ground under the wheels of a 
 fast speeding railway train, what 
 tragic, horrible ending for a talented 
 zealous, bright young priest! And 
 yet, such was the deplorable fate 
 
 which lurked in quest of Rev. James 
 J. McCarthy, when one rain-soaked 
 September day in 1915, he in company 
 with a good loyal parishioner crossed 
 the railway tracks near Paris, 111., in 
 a closed automobile. A thrill of 
 horror seized all when the news of 
 this terrible double accident became 
 known. Sorrow and grief entered 
 many a home, especially in old Ire- 
 land, where at Youghal, in County 
 Cork, the bereaved parents and rela- 
 
 tives of the 'unfortunate young priest 
 reside, and where he was ushered in- 
 to the world July 11, 1884. 
 
 When the day of the funeral ar- 
 rived, Friday, September 17, St. 
 Mary's Church of Paris, 111., was un- 
 able to accommodate the thousands 
 of Catholic and non-Catholic laity 
 who sought admission to the obse- 
 quies. All felt that in the death of 
 Father McCarthy they had lost a 
 distinguished young priest who had 
 endeared himself to them by his kind 
 and amiable qualities. Men, women 
 and children gathered sadly around 
 his bier and offered fervent prayers 
 for their stricken priest and friend 
 who was ever ready with a helping 
 hand in the face of trials and diffi- 
 culties. Xot the least conspicuous 
 among the mourners were his St. 
 John's sacerdotal friends and fellow 
 students of college days at Water- 
 ford, Ireland. The celebrant of the 
 Requiem Mass was the pastor of the 
 parish, Rev. Patrick Fallen, Paris; 
 deacon the Rev. J. Mee, of Jersey- 
 ville; sub-deacon, the Rev. B. Man- 
 ning, of Alton, and the Rev. W. 
 O'Sullivan of Marshall, master of 
 ceremonies. 
 
 In an eloquent sermon, Rev. W. 
 Costello, of Charleston, touched on 
 the brilliant student career of the de- 
 ceased young priest and his remark- 
 able achievements in his first and 
 only charge as assisstant pastor of St. 
 Mary's church, Paris. Many things 
 conspired, he said, to enthrone him 
 in the hearts of the people of Paris 
 his Irish wit, his fluent oratory and 
 amiability, but these were only inci- 
 dental to the sacred character of the 
 priesthood since it was the duty of 
 the priest to become all things to all 
 men, etc. The following beautiful 
 poem "In Loving Memory," was 
 composed by (Mrs.) Isabel Burke, of 
 
 Page Eighty-Nine
 
 Rocksavage, Cork, and published in 
 one of our Catholic papers: 
 
 That ever-smiling face is gone 
 To dwell where angels tread, 
 
 A sainted priest, a cherished one 
 Now mingles with the dead. 
 
 To do his Master's will, 
 
 Those soulful eyes are closed for aye, 
 That voice forever still. 
 Sudden the call, God loved him so, 
 
 This blossom passing sweet, 
 Too fair to bloom on earth, must go 
 
 To grace the Savior's feet. 
 
 Surely a touch of Heaven's Lord 
 Dwelt in that pure young heart, 
 
 His was the kind and soothing word 
 Why? Ahl So soon to part. 
 
 Far from his Emerald Isle he lies 
 
 Wrapt in the silent clay ; 
 Hearts o'er the sea 'neath Erin's skies 
 
 Mourn for that dead and pray. 
 
 Come! Twine the Shamrocks oe'r his grave, 
 
 Shamrocks of Erin blest ; 
 May the dear Lord Who died to save 
 
 Grant him eternal rest I 
 
 REV. PATRICK J. McELHERNE. 
 
 Arrtong the young cleric who were 
 elevated to the prieshood by the first 
 Bishop of Chicago, Rt. Rev. Wm. 
 Quarter, was Patrick J. McElherne. 
 The day on which he received Holy 
 Orders was June 8, 1845. At the first 
 diocesan synod, held in the chapel 
 of the "Holy Name," Nov. , 10, 1847, 
 Father MsElherne took prominent 
 part. Thirty-two priests were present 
 Among this number we meet with 
 sonne whose names have become 
 familiar in the history of the Alton 
 diocese: Revs. Brickwedde, Fort- 
 mann, Carroll, Prendergast, Hamil- 
 ton, Kuenster and McCabe. On 
 April 10, 1848, a great calamity over- 
 whelmed the young and prosperous 
 diocese of Chicago in the death of 
 Bishop Quarter. The Bishop had de- 
 livered a course of lectures during the 
 Lenten season, and on Passion Sun- 
 day, after a powerful discourse on 
 the Church, his whole frame visibly 
 trembled, his voice gave out, but not 
 until he said: "On next Sunday I 
 will conclude." Alas! that voice was 
 hushed in death on the following Sun- 
 day. 
 
 Shortly before three o'clock on the 
 morning of the 10th of April, Father 
 McElherne, who was pastor of old 
 St. Mary's and resided with the 
 Bishop, was awakened by loud moans. 
 He hastened to the sufferer's room, 
 where he found him sitting on the 
 side of the bed pressing his head with 
 his hands. He soon grew worse and 
 signs of immediate dissolution mani- 
 fested themselves so rapidly that 
 Father McElherne administered the 
 Sacrament of Extreme Unction; 
 which was no sooner done than the 
 
 soul of the zealous, pious and disin- 
 teresited Bishop took its flight to 
 heaven, there to receive the merited 
 reward for his many achievements in 
 behalf of Holy Church in the State 
 of Illinois and the city of Chicago. 
 He expired in Father McElherne's 
 arms. 
 
 Under the second Bishop, Oliver 
 Van de Valde, Father McElherne was 
 transferred from Galena, where he 
 had built a church, St. Michael's to 
 St. Lawrence congregation of Quincj 
 (St. Peter's), as successor to Rev. 'F, 
 Derwin, who had been there from 
 1846 Dec. 1848, following Father 
 Tucker. Father McElherne served 
 the Quincy parish from 1849 Oct. 
 1852. During his pastorate he did a 
 great deal in pacifying a censorious 
 clement which had gained the uppei 
 hand in that city, and proved him- 
 self a true brother and counsellor to 
 Father Brickwedde. He became the 
 first resident pastor of Jacksonville. 
 Later on, from Oct. 1857 May 1862. 
 Father McElherne served the Quincy 
 parish a second time. Trouble had 
 likewise arisen in St. Lawrence church 
 Bishop O'Regan deemed him the 
 proper priest to straighten out the 
 difficulties as he was best acquainted 
 with existing conditions. He came 
 to Quincy from Springfield, where, in 
 1856, he had been pastor of the Im- 
 maculate Conception church. Father 
 McElherne filled the office of Admin- 
 istrator during the interregnum be- 
 ween the second and third Bishops of 
 Chicago. Larmer says of him: "His 
 personal dignity was inimitable, and 
 I had the greatest respect for him 
 and his acquirements. He was a 
 scholar of the old school. The ancient 
 
 Page Ninety
 
 classics, French and the standard 
 writings, both of prose and poetry, 
 were ready on his tongue. Having 
 served the principal churches in his 
 time in Illinois, it was his custom to 
 write every sermon so that it was a 
 literary treat to hear them, although 
 
 his eloquence was not of the finest 
 sort. He could be exceedingly sar- 
 castic and was not always over civil." 
 From Quincy, Father McElherne 
 was appointed to the Rock Island 
 parish, 1862-1868. He died about 1870 
 at Apple Creek, Illinois. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. PETER McGIRR. 
 
 "Then as daylight slowly vanished 
 And the evening mists grew dim, 
 Solemnly from distant voices 
 Rose a vesper hymn". 
 
 A most worthy man whose name 
 and memory remains in benediction 
 with the parishioners of St. Peter's 
 parish of Quincy, was Father McGirr. 
 For upwards of thirty-one years he 
 was the shepherd and guide of that 
 
 
 community. None more revered than 
 he has ever been at the head of that 
 congregation. Father McGirr's name 
 today is still a house-hold word with 
 the older Irish people of St. Peter's, 
 and many are the humorous stories 
 and well-intentioned puns and jokes 
 they delight in telling about him. 
 He had captured the hearts of his 
 people in an uncommon degree. The 
 trust and confidence they reposed so 
 entirely in his prudence and good 
 
 judgment was never known to have 
 been misplaced, as Father McGirr 
 was first, last and all the time watch- 
 ing over the spiritual and material 
 welfare of his parochial subjects. 
 Under his pastorate the parish rapid- 
 ly developed, its present status, finan- 
 cial and otherwise, is mainly due to 
 his continued efforts and unselfish 
 exertions. He was yet one of the 
 old school, sturdy, blunt and honest, 
 a rare type of those whole souled 
 Irish pioneer workers of whom we 
 occasionally read or hear spoken of 
 by older people, by those who have 
 still known the old silk-hatted "Sog- 
 garths" as they travelled about either 
 afoot, on horseback or on handcar. 
 That class of men is no more nor 
 ever will return as conditions have 
 changed since then, and the quondam 
 obligatory "silk tile" has been rele- 
 gated to the garret. 
 
 Well, our subject, Rev. Peter Mc- 
 Girr was born June 29, 1833, in Fan- 
 tona, diocese of Clogher, Ireland. In 
 1848 he and his brothers emigrated 
 to America, settling in Massachusetts. 
 Having determined to study for the 
 priesthood, our future Quincy pastor 
 entered Holy Cross College for the 
 classical course of studies and later 
 the Grand Seminary of Montreal. 
 Bishop Juncker ordained Father Mc- 
 Girr to the priesthood on April 22, 
 1862. Pittsfield, in Pike county, was 
 his first charge, but here he stayed 
 but a few months, till the following 
 October, when he was appointed to 
 the pastorate of St. Lawrence church 
 of Quincy. But is there a St. Law- 
 rence parish at Quincy? No, not any 
 more, for the original St. Lawrence 
 church was changed into that of St. 
 Peter's at the time when Father Mc- 
 Girr had the present structure erected. 
 
 Page Ninety-One
 
 His first care was to open a school in 
 a room rented for this purpose. 
 Afterwards a new two story brick 
 building, which still serves its purpose 
 was constructed, adjacent to and 
 south of the church. Sisters of Notre 
 Dame from St. Mary's Academy 
 were engaged as teachers. The paro- 
 chial school at once grew into promi- 
 nence for within a few years after 
 its opening there were as many as 250 
 children enrolled as pupils. The next 
 step he took was to purchase a house 
 for parochial residence, after which 
 came the greatest of all propositions, 
 a new church. In this he encountered 
 however, much opposition from his 
 people. The pastor thought the build- 
 ing too old and dilapidated to serve 
 its purpose much longer, hence to 
 radically end the subsequent heated 
 controversy he ordered the old shack 
 to be torn down on Easter Monday, 
 
 1868. The new structure to be erected 
 a $70,000 one is the present St. 
 Peter's. As the people were neither 
 numerous nor rich, it is much to the 
 credit of Father McGirr that in spite 
 of vehement opposition he succeeded 
 to build and pay for such a costly 
 building. This shows the man's great 
 influence over the masses as such, his 
 determination and indomitable will 
 power. 
 
 Father McGirr passed away in 
 March, 1893. For many years he had 
 been a sufferer from acute rheumatic 
 afflictions occasioned by the constant 
 dampness of his residence. As soon 
 as the financial conditions of the 
 parish permitted it he built a new and 
 elegant rectorate which he did not 
 live long to enjoy. His remains were 
 interred at Bloomfield, where many 
 of his friends and relatives were then 
 residing. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. EDWARD McGOWAN. 
 
 "Here, now, it is required among the dis- 
 pensers that a man be found faithful''. 1 
 Cor. 4, 2. 
 
 Father E. McGowan's pastoral life 
 was a busy and industrious one. He 
 never let an opportunity of doing 
 good pass by. Ever cheerful under 
 often trying conditions, he won the 
 love and veneration of his devoted 
 people, the well-wishes of superior 
 and fellow-priests. He found relaxa- 
 tion in work, and hard-telling strokes 
 he delivered during his long priestly 
 career in the various parishes over 
 which he was called to preside. Re- 
 sults are the best gauge by which 
 man's worth in the various walks of 
 life is measured. The work accom- 
 plished by Father McGowan testify to 
 his determined and resolute activity 
 in attaining results. Churches and 
 rectories in various parishes o-we 
 their existence to this indefatigable 
 priest. His first mission where he 
 displayed his industriousness and re- 
 sourcefulness was that of St. Patrick's 
 at Grafton. To this charge he was 
 appointed when first coming from 
 Ireland. He worked for his Grafton 
 people from Oct. 18, 1872-November 
 18, 1875, when the Ordinary, recog- 
 
 Page Ninety-Two 
 
 nizing the merits and ability of our 
 subject, assigned him to St. Stanis- 
 laus of Macon, where he labored 
 equally well from 1875-1883. A new 
 congregation was to be started at that 
 time at Dalton City. Father Mc- 
 Gowan was' chosen to do it and he 
 did it. How success crowned his ef- 
 forts is manifested by the pretty 
 church and rectory which, during the 
 nine years of his incumbency, he 
 erected there, (1883-'92). When this 
 new parish had been placed on solid 
 footing and become prosperous and 
 self-sustaining, our good man was 
 transferred to the neighboring con- 
 gregation of Bethany, where his stay 
 lasted from 1892-'97. Here he was 
 not less active than he had been in 
 previous places, for St. Cokimkill's 
 church of Sullivan is built and Father 
 McGowan ministers to the little flock 
 on alternative Sundays. Next he is 
 made pastor of Pittsfield, which he 
 soon exchanges, however, for the 
 parish of Murrayville, January 1, 1900. 
 How well this zealous pastor acquit- 
 ted himself of the various duties 
 which he performed to the very last 
 is known to everyone. When death
 
 claimed him at Our Savior's hospital 
 of Jacksonville, the fruits of his active 
 and industrious life were ripe. 
 Peacefully he slept away June 26, 
 1905. His bier was surrounded by 
 Bishop, priests and people, all sorrow- 
 ing over the passage of God's good 
 
 and faithful steward. He was buried 
 at Murrayville, June 29, Father 
 McGowan was born at Ballinascreen, 
 County Derry, Ireland, March 9, 1842, 
 and was ordained at All Hallows 
 June 24, 1872. May he rest in peace. 
 
 REV. WILLIAM McGUIRE. 
 
 Farewell friends 1 Yet, not farewell! 
 Where I am, ye too, shall dwell. 
 I am gone before your face, 
 A moment's time, a little space. 
 
 Germantown, Pa., a part of greater 
 Philadelphia, was the birthplace of 
 Rev. William McGuire, whose loss in 
 1914, the diocese, Bishop and priests, 
 greatly deplored. Deceased was born 
 in 1858 and had completed his studies 
 at Niagara and Allegheny. On the 
 feast of Corpus Christi, June 20, 1889 
 he was raised to the priesthood in the 
 Franciscan Seminary chapel of Alle- 
 gheny for the diocese of Alton and 
 at once assumed charge of his ap- 
 pointment as assistant to Rev. P. J. 
 Mackin of St. Patrick's church of De- 
 catur. Two years he was at Decatur 
 and thence was transferred for a year 
 to Virden. In 1892 Father McGuire 
 acted as assistant priest to Rev. Peter 
 McGirr of St. Peter's congregation 
 of Quincy, whence in 1894, he as- 
 sumed charge of St. Augustine's of 
 Ashland. Sickness and misfortune 
 the burning of the parochial residence 
 overtook him here. Having suffici- 
 ently recuperated after some months' 
 vacation which he spent in Eastern 
 watering places, decedent was ap- 
 pointed to the Parish of Franklin in 
 1898, where after years of fruitful 
 labor he passed away in 1914. His 
 remains were interred in the Catho- 
 lic cemetery of Franklin. 
 
 Of the worth and character of our 
 departed confrere, a friend wrote the 
 press of Decatur. 
 
 "Biographers and historians may 
 
 venture estimates of the truly good 
 and great but these estimates are 
 personal and inadequate. Righteous 
 living has many attainable degrees to 
 which all are invited and to which all 
 are welcome. Thus it follows that 
 we find around us so many good peo- 
 ple in every calling no matter how 
 sublime or how humble, living right- 
 eously, striving to make themselves 
 more perfect and to make the beauti- 
 ful, world even more beautiful Thrice 
 blessed is that country whose people 
 live righteously, for in it we find 
 peace, liberty and security. The 
 righteous die, but their deeds are 
 more enduring than time itself. Ever 
 increasing, ever expanding and always 
 advancing, righteous living blesses 
 every human being, and the best 
 civilization that ever existed or will 
 exist is its fruitage. 
 
 "Just what degree of excellency 
 Father McGuire reached in righteous- 
 ness, I do not know, but it is certain 
 that his was a most beautiful charac- 
 ter admired and beloved by everybody. 
 For more than a quarter of a century 
 he labored in the Alton diocese, caring 
 little for himself, but intensily inter- 
 ested in the welfare of others. His 
 kind cheering greetings his generous 
 deeds and exemplary life weje steps 
 that lead to the throne of his Divine 
 Master. God knows the worth of a 
 righteous life and I do hope and pray 
 that Father McGuire now wears the 
 crown of eternal life." R. I. P. 
 
 Page Ninety-Three
 
 REV. FRANCIS McVEIGH. 
 
 "Hush! for the ages call 
 
 The Love of God lives through eternity 
 And conquers all!" 
 
 He was an ex-religious who had 
 spent the greater part of his priestly 
 life in the Chinese missions. He came 
 to the diocese in 1899, and was as- 
 signed to Bloomfield with St. Joseph's 
 on Columbus road and St. Edward's 
 of Mendon, as out-missions. Shortly 
 
 after he changed his habitat from 
 Blooomfield to St. Joseph's, erecting 
 there a neat and comfortable resi- 
 dence. Serious sickness overtook him 
 in the summer of 1906; he entered St. 
 Elizabeth's Hospital, Chicago, where 
 he died in the fall of that year. R. 
 I. P. 
 
 REV. JOHN JOSEPH MENGE. 
 
 "... and the fire had died away". 
 
 When Rev. Damian Juncker, of 
 Dayton, Ohio, was chosen by the 
 Holy See first Bishop of the new dio- 
 cese of Alton, in 1857, he selected the 
 Rev. John Joseph Menge, a priest of 
 Cincinnati, to act as first Cathedral 
 rector and chancellor of the diocese. 
 The latter accompanied the former 
 on his advent to Alton. Father Menge 
 filled the office of pastor and chancel- 
 lor till October 2, 1862, with great 
 credit and ability. Whilst thus em- 
 ployed he still found time to look 
 after the spiritual needs of the Ger- 
 man Catholics in and around Alton, 
 who then numbered some twenty-five 
 families. He organized them into a 
 parish, started a Ladies' Altar Society 
 and said Holy Mass for them on Sun- 
 
 days in a small rented house. These 
 few families formed the nucleus of the 
 present strong St. Mary's congrega- 
 tion of Alton. Their first resident 
 pastor was Father Ostrop in 1858. 
 Father Menge was recalled by his 
 Ordinary in October, 1862, back to 
 Cincinnati to 'become pastor of St. 
 Francis de Sales parish of that city 
 whilst the office of chancellor was 
 conferred upon Rev. John Janssen, 
 who subsequently became the first 
 Bishop of Belleville, and Rev. T. F. 
 Mangan was made rector of the 
 Cathedral. 
 
 Rev. John Joseph Menge was born 
 at Osnabrueck, Hanover, July 12, 
 1829, ordained to the priesthood Octo- 
 ber 18, 1854, and died in the early 
 seventies in Cincinnati. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. G. MEITTINGER. 
 
 "Et dixit ad eum ; 
 Ingredere in requiem meam". 
 
 When on February 1, 1866, the 
 priests of St. John's church of Spring- 
 field had discontinued to attend the 
 parish at New Berlin, it received its 
 first resident pastor in the person of 
 Rev. Gustavus Meittinger. He stayed 
 
 at New Berlin until July 18, 1867, 
 when he was relieved of his charge 
 by Rev. Francis Schreiber. Little is 
 known of this priest beyond the fact 
 that he died as pastor of St. Ann's 
 parish at Holstein, Calumet county, 
 Wisconsin, in 1867. R. I. P. 
 
 Page Ninety-Four
 
 REV. FREDERICK METZGER.D. D. 
 
 "While I live a wretched beggar, 
 One bright hope my lot can cheer; 
 Soon, soon thou shalt have thy kingdom, 
 Brighter hours are drawing near". 
 
 Far removed from his colleagues 
 and friends and parishioners, sepa- 
 rated by world-wide distance from the 
 scenes of his eminently successful 
 priestly endeavors and enterprises, 
 Rev. Frederick Metzger, one of God's 
 
 noblemen, respected and beloved by 
 all, was suddenly summoned by death 
 in far away Bavaria, on Friday, Oct. 
 25, 1895. It was but few weeks prior 
 to this that decedent had been ap- 
 pointed pastor of St. Anthony's parish 
 of Effingham, and dean of that dean- 
 ery. Before assuming vigorous hold 
 of the reins of that parish, he was 
 advised by medical authority and in- 
 sistent friends, to first go in quest of 
 health and strength in order to quali- 
 fy himself for the impending onerous 
 duties and responsibilities which 
 awaited him in the newly appointed 
 charge of Effingham. With the 
 Bishop's approval -and endorsement 
 and the many well-wishes for a bon 
 voyage, he sailed for his native land, 
 Bavaria, among attractive home en- 
 vironments to fully recuperate 
 
 from a general collapse occasioned 
 by many years of unremitting, stren- 
 uous work and worry. This, in time, 
 had brought on chronic heart trouble. 
 In the meridian of life he became a 
 premature victim of his calling. 
 There are no words too extravagant 
 or too effusive to be said in behalf 
 of Father Metzger, as hosts of friends 
 and admirers, both Catholic and Prot- 
 estant, will testify to. When the 
 cable then flashed the news of his 
 untoward demise, genuine heartfelt 
 sorrow became universal in places 
 which had known him. Expressions 
 of sincerest sympathy were but poor 
 symbols of expressions when a man 
 of Father Metzger's mold was the 
 themie, a gentleman and priest of 
 flawless type and character. Death 
 overtook him when visiting at the 
 house of a clerical friend, some twenty 
 miles distant from his own home. 
 
 The Pike County Democrat in its 
 edition of Wednesday, Oct. 30, 1895, 
 said of the departed: 
 
 "Dean Metzger while rigid in his 
 church views and strict in the faith- 
 ful performance of all duties that 
 pertained to his priestly office, yet so 
 lived and moved among his fellow- 
 citizens as to command their esteem 
 and respect and caused them' to re- 
 gret his removal from their midst. 
 By the very large body of parish- 
 ioners over whom he was set as their 
 spiritual guide and counsellor he will 
 ever be remembered as one well 
 worthy of their warmest feelings of 
 affection and his memory be long 
 cherished in their hearts." 
 
 Rev. Frederick Metzger was born at 
 Waldmohn, Rheinpfalz, Bavaria, Sept. 
 22, 1843. From early boyhood days 
 he longed to dedicate himself to God's 
 service, to become a priest and work 
 for the spiritual good of man-kind. 
 Since, however, young Metzger dis- 
 played great aptitude for mechanical 
 skill his parents placed him at an 
 early date in a cabinet factory, where 
 at the age of sixteen he had already 
 advanced to the position of foreman. 
 He couldn't be idle. To make, build 
 
 Page Ninety-Five
 
 or construct something was his de- 
 light; this trait accompanied him into 
 the priesthood. The profession which 
 his parents seemed to have chosen 
 for himi did not satisfy our subject's 
 yearning, he aspired to become one 
 of God's anointed. To attain this end 
 he set out for America. At the St. 
 Francis Seminary, near Milwaukee, 
 the future Dean of Effingham com- 
 pleted his classical course and like- 
 wise took up the study of Philosophy 
 and Theology. His fondest desire, 
 nurtured since childhood days, be- 
 came satisfied when on Dec. 23, 1872, 
 Bishop Baltes raised him to the 
 priesthood. 
 
 At Mishawaka, Ind., the young neo- 
 presbyter celebrated his first holy 
 Mass two days later, namely, on 
 Christmas morning, 1872. Now he 
 was ready for work, however ardu- 
 ous it might be. Accordingly the 
 Bishop appointed him; to Kaskaskia 
 in "Egypt," one of the oldest Catho- 
 lic settlements in the entire Mississip- 
 pi valley. Here he remained eight 
 years doing such noble service that 
 even today yet his name need only be 
 mentioned and it awakens grateful 
 and loving sentiments in the hearts of 
 the KasLaskians. 
 
 On Dec. 9, 1880, Father Metzger 
 was transferred to Pittsfield. Fifteen 
 years of strenuous work and worry 
 broke down his former robust con- 
 stitution and caused chronic heart 
 trouble. He was sent abroad, travel- 
 led from place to place, consulted the 
 famous Father Kneipp at Woerish- 
 ofen, rested among the peaceful sur- 
 roundings of his home, and early boy- 
 hood scenes, received the most kind 
 and tender care of his nearest rela- 
 tives and yet all this proved ulti- 
 mately of little or no avail. At the 
 home of a clerical friend at Reifen- 
 berg, where he happened to be a 
 chance visitor, Father Metzger 
 breathed forth his spirit in peace on 
 Oct. 25, 1895. 
 
 Before leaving in quest of strength 
 
 and health we know that our de- 
 cedent had been appointed to the 
 parish of Effingham. On leaving 
 Pittsfield for his new mission field, 
 everyone Catholic and Protestant 
 alike, seemed to have sustained a 
 great personal loss, they all revered 
 and loved him tenderly. 
 
 Besides the pastoral and parochial 
 work which our subject discharged 
 with conscientious exactitude, he 
 opened up in the fall of 1882 a paro- 
 chial school which he maintained for 
 more than six years, when finally 
 owing to a lack of children he was 
 obliged to discontinue same. His 
 hospitality knew no limits. At times 
 he invited poor seminarians to come 
 and spend their summer vacations 
 with him at Pittsfield; his doors were 
 always wide open to receive friends 
 and callers, and many there were who 
 journeyed thither in order to enjoy 
 his magnanimous and liberal hospital- 
 ity. 
 
 I said that Father Metzger had 
 great aptitude and talent for mechan- 
 ical work. How true that is he 
 showed in the building and construct- 
 ing of church .pipe organs. It is 
 justly astounding and wonderful how 
 he excelled in this amateur occupa- 
 tion installing a fine pipe organ which 
 is still in use at Kaskaskia, his first 
 mission; another pipe organ he in- 
 stalled in his own church at Pittsfield, 
 and yet another one he constructed 
 for the St. Francis College chapel of 
 Quincy. Mt. Sterling and Springfield 
 churches likewise proclaim the merits 
 of Father Metzger's fine pipe organs. 
 And withal he was humility personi- 
 fied. 
 
 Thus did this splendid worker of 
 the Alton clergy lead an active, edify- 
 ing, priestly life. By word and ex- 
 ample he scattered the seeds of his 
 holy calling promiscuously about; 
 how much good they effected is 
 known to God alone. May the 
 crown of eternal glory be his reward. 
 
 Page Ninety-Six
 
 REV. GERARD MIRBACH. 
 
 Rev. G. Mirbach, the "grand old 
 man" and second pastor of St. 
 Mary's, was a splendid type of man, 
 
 strong, high-minded and of noble pur- 
 poses, a man of tact and refinement, 
 of erudition and learning. In ap- 
 pearance he was of rather striking 
 personality, patriarchal and venerable 
 looking, earnest and severe of mien 
 and countenance which but seldom 
 was lit up by hearty laugh or mirth- 
 ful smile. Long gray whiskers added 
 to his impressive and somber bearing. 
 And yet, withal, he was a man of 
 tender sympathies and magnanimous 
 disposition, kind and generous to a 
 fault. His highest ambitions culmin- 
 ated in promoting the interests of St. 
 Mary's, spiritual and material. Hence 
 it is, in a marvelous degree all clung 
 to him in good and evil days seeking 
 advice and counsel, strength and com- 
 fort with a confidence and assurance 
 that eloquently proclaimed the har- 
 monious and intimate bond and union 
 between pastor and people as it ex- 
 ists between father and children. And 
 today no name stands forth in such 
 vivid relief before the people of St. 
 Mary's and no former pastor's mem- 
 ory commands such universal love 
 and grateful veneration after almost d 
 quarter century than Father Mirbach 
 does. And well he deserved the peo- 
 
 ples homage and confidence, for he 
 was surely a worthy and exemplary 
 priest of God and a great benefactor 
 of man. 
 
 Having come to America at the age 
 of 32 years, at a time of life when the 
 acquisition of a foreign language is 
 by no means as easy a task as it is 
 in earlier years, and owing to the 
 fact, moreover, that the various 
 charges over which he presided were 
 almost exclusively all German it is 
 easy to explain why Fr. Mirbach 
 greatly lacked in the use and know- 
 ledge of the English language. Hence 
 his official communications and cor- 
 respondences with the Diocesan Chan- 
 cery and even with the Bishop were 
 mostly carried on in German. On 
 the other hand, however, we find him 
 to be a tine Latin scholar; in that 
 language he excelled, he wrote and 
 he composed in it with remarkable 
 facility, ease and fluency, of which 
 some still extant manuscripts bear 
 ample testimony. As an example of 
 his choice latinity I may allude to the 
 beautiful address which he as the 
 Senior of the Quincy clergy was 
 asked to draft on the accession of our 
 present Bishop to the See of Alton. 
 For many years Rev. Mirbach suf- 
 fered from acute rheumatism, he be- 
 came practically an invalid and was 
 necessitated to accept aid from the 
 Franciscan Monastery and College on 
 Sundays and Holy days for a number 
 of years until in November, 1893, the 
 Bishop sent a young assistant priest 
 to St. Mary's. It was the newly or- 
 dained Rev. John Wand. Already in 
 1880 Fr. Mirbach had sought relief 
 from this painful malady by under- 
 taking a trip to Europe, there to make 
 use of the world-renowned Sulphur 
 Springs of Germany; again in 1886 
 he was most urgently induced by his 
 Bishop, Rt. Rev. P. J. Baltes, to try 
 a several week's course of mineral 
 baths at Hot Springs, Ark., which the 
 Bishop described to him as the best 
 baths known anywhere in the world 
 for their wonderful curative qualities. 
 Again we find our rheumatic sufferer 
 
 Page Ninety-Seven
 
 a patient at the Sisters' Sanitarium 
 in Milwaukee. All these trials brought 
 only temporary relief but effected no 
 cure. 
 
 Of all the tests, trials and afflictions 
 which good Father Mirbach had to 
 undergo during the 21 years of his 
 pastoral life at St. Mary's, none was 
 so acute and severe, however, as was 
 the mental strain endured on the 
 night of February the 2nd, 1891, when 
 proud, noble, beautiful St. Mary's fell 
 prey to fire and flame and was reduced 
 in a short time to a smouldering heap 
 of ruins. Poor man how we pitied him 
 when this sad story of St. Mary's mis- 
 fortune was made known next day by 
 the papers. The strong minded pas- 
 tor, however, soon rose to the occa- 
 sion, and like a phoenix from the 
 ashes, thus did stricken St. Mary's 
 under the undaunted leadership of 
 Father Mirbach arise to vigorous new 
 life and activity, and soon a beautiful 
 structure arose, more handsome and 
 more queenly than the former one 
 had been. 
 
 Rev. Gerard Mirbach was born 
 September 8th, 1832, at Gerderhahn, 
 near Aachen; he finished his higher 
 classical studies in 1856 at Neus and 
 
 then for three years went to the Uni- 
 versity of Bonn to prepare himself by 
 the study of philosophy and theology 
 for his chosen vocation, the priest- 
 hood. On September the 3rd, 1860, he 
 was ordained by the Auxiliary Bishop 
 of Cologne, Msgr. Baudri, and in 
 October of that year sent as Vicar to 
 Raeren, where he stayed 'till he emi- 
 grated to America, May 8, 1869. Ar- 
 rived at Alton, where he presented 
 himself to Bishop Baltes, he was at 
 once assigned to the parish of Fayette- 
 ville, 111. In 1874 Rev. Theodore Brue- 
 ner, then pastor of our St. Mary's 
 parish, accepted the position as Rector 
 of the Pio Nono College, a normal 
 school for the training of Catholic 
 teachers and organists, situated at St. 
 Francis, Wis., near Milwaukee. St. 
 Mary's therefore, became vacant. The 
 right man for the position was found 
 when the Bishop's choice fell on 
 Father Mirbach. For and with St. 
 Mary's people he worked with singu- 
 lar devotion for 21 years, from 1874- 
 1895, when on April the 2nd, 1895, he 
 was summoned by the Master whom 
 he had served so faithfully and so 
 well throughout the years of his ex- 
 emplary life to receive the promised 
 reward. May he rest in peace! 
 
 REV. LEOPOLD MOCZYGEMBA, 0. M. C. 
 
 "Then I heard a strain of music 
 So mighty, so pure and so clear". 
 
 In the latter part of the sixties, a 
 member of the Order of the Conven- 
 tual Franciscans, a native of Selesia, 
 came to the diocese and was given 
 charge of the parish of Carrollton. 
 He had been for some time an English 
 Confessor at St. Peter's, Rome. 
 From Carrollton Father Leopold was 
 assigned to St. Mary's of Litchfield, 
 where he remained about four years. 
 This was in 1869. The diocese of 
 Chicago holding out probably better 
 prospects to our secularized Fran- 
 ciscan Father, he moved to that city 
 
 in 1873, where on April 15, 1892, he 
 died. 
 
 When Father Leopold cam, e to 
 Litchfield he lost no time in opening 
 a school. On one side of the old rec- 
 tory he put up school rooms, on the 
 other he built spacious apartments 
 for a convent and academy for the 
 use of the Ursuline Sisters coming 
 from the Motherhouse of Alton. His 
 zeal and successful labors, which he 
 displayed in Litchfield, are still vivid- 
 ly remembered and often spoken of 
 by the older members of the parish. 
 R. I. P. 
 
 Page Ninety-Eight
 
 REV. JOHN F. MOHR. 
 
 "The shadows grew longer and longer 
 The evening wind passed by; 
 And the purple splendor of sunset 
 Was flooding the western sky". 
 
 Thirty-five years pastor of one and 
 the same parish is a record seldom at- 
 tained and hardly ever surpassed by 
 any priest. Looking over the list of 
 departed mem'bers of our diocesan 
 clergy we find but very few instances 
 Where priests assigned to pastoral 
 work in congregations have uninter- 
 ruptedly retained their charges for 
 
 such length of time. True, we met 
 with some who not only equalled but 
 even out-distanced this record, but 
 they prove to have been rare excep- 
 tions. Various reasons may be ad- 
 duced why pastors are more or less 
 shifted about, be it from a rural to a. 
 city parish or vice versa. Conditions, 
 environments, personal traits and 
 characteristics, constructive parochial 
 work and many other factors may en- 
 ter into the consideration of appoint- 
 ments, changes or removals from one 
 place to another; it is left to and de- 
 termined by the Bishop's wise discre- 
 
 tion and stern authority. The one 
 who with few exceptions seemed to 
 be immune from experimental tests 
 and changes was our suave and amia- 
 ble Father John F Mohr, of New Ber- 
 lin, 111. 
 
 Possessed of personal charm and 
 magnetism combined with child-like 
 disposition whom no one who ever 
 met the kind-hearted and generous 
 minded man could withstand, he 
 counted his friends and loyal adhe- 
 rents by hundreds. Wherever he went 
 Father Mohr made conquests winning 
 over to him new friends and admirers. 
 "Papa Mohr" his clerical friends were 
 pleased to call him, to which appel- 
 lation he offered no serious objection. 
 No one was a more welcome visitor 
 to the home of friends or parishion- 
 ers than he. A humorous vein was 
 his. Commanding an inexhaustible 
 fund of anecdotes and catchy little 
 stories which, by the way, he was at 
 times guilty of repetition a circle of 
 expectant listeners would gather 
 around .him to enjoy the good man's 
 company and liberally applaud his in- 
 nocent sayings. He loved the plain 
 people. How much sunshine did he 
 cast into gloomy corners thereby dis- 
 pelling depression, \yorry and anxiety 
 from so many minds and hearts. 
 
 A model of a worthy, pious and 
 zealous priest was he, admired and 
 worshipped by his time-honored con- 
 freres and subjects for his spotless 
 priestly life and gentlemanly bearing 
 always trying to be all unto all 
 omne omni. Punctuality and scrupu- 
 lous exactitude in the performance of 
 parochial ministrations, at the altar 
 or the recitation of divine office, in 
 the confessional or on sick calls char- 
 acterized his beautiful life. In out- 
 ward personal appearance Fr. Mohr 
 was a pattern of neatness, which is 
 not to say, however, that he was a 
 stylish dresser; far from it, for our 
 good man would make a collar, shirt 
 or suit last just as long as decency 
 and propriety would permit. He loved 
 out-door exercise, to roam in the 
 woods or with fishing-pole sit for 
 
 Page Ninety-Nine
 
 hours on the banks of creek or pond 
 and watch the cork usually without 
 result. 
 
 To make private home life interest- 
 ing every man must have a hobby. 
 Father Mohr had his. And what was 
 it? Collecting and sacredly storing 
 away old newspapers and magazines, 
 ordos and breviaries, scrap-books and 
 tickets, etc., for if anything he was a 
 man of great economic, conservative 
 habits, a survivor of the old school, 
 clinging to customs and traditions. 
 An accumulation of odds and ends 
 was found among his modest in- 
 ventory, a great deal of which served 
 as fuel for a bon-fire by an injudicious 
 temporary and hasty substitute. 
 
 Rev. John Francis Mohr, a dean of 
 the Springfield deanery, was born at 
 Minster, Ohio, on February 2, 1839, 
 At the age of 23 years he was raised 
 to the priesthood in the Alton Cathe- 
 dral by the first Bishop of the dio- 
 cese, Rt. Rev. Damian Juncker, D. D. 
 After filling minor charges, Father 
 Mohr was appointed in 1870, pastor 
 of the Cathedral parish. He acted 
 successfully as such for nearly three 
 years, when the Bishop saw fit to 
 place him at the head of that ill- 
 starred Diocesan College of Ruma, 
 111. now the convent-home of the 
 
 "Sisters of the Precious Blood." After 
 the short incumbency at Ruma he 
 was assigned to St. Mary's church of 
 New Berlin, 111., in January, 1873. 
 His death occured at the St. John's 
 Hospital, Springfield, on Holy Thurs- 
 day, April 16, 1908. La Grippe, super- 
 induced by paralysis carried him off. 
 The solemn obsequies were had the 
 following Tuesday. The Rt. Rev. Or- 
 dinary of the diocese together with 
 64 members of the clergy were there 
 to pay their last tribute of love and 
 respect to him whose memory will 
 continue to live enshrined in the 
 hearts of all who knew him. On this 
 funeral occasion the Solemn Requiem 
 was said by the Rt. Rev. Bishop 
 James Ryan, D. D., assisted by Rev. 
 P. Anselm Mueller, O. F. M., the then 
 venerable and popular rector of St. 
 Francis College of Quincy, as deacon 
 and Dean Michael Weis, of Quincy, 
 as sub-deacon, whilst Revs. Francis 
 Zabell, D. D., of Bunker Hill and 
 Ferdinand Stick of Highland, acted as 
 assistants to the celebrant. Very Rev. 
 Timothy Hickey, V. G., of St. Mary's 
 Springfield, delivered a pathetic 
 funeral oration on the life and labors 
 of our departed one, whose body was 
 bedded in the little parish cemetery 
 of New Berlin, 111. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. JOHN MOLITOR. 
 
 Cold is the hearth when the last spark dies, 
 And empty and lone are the western skies 
 When the red sun sinks in. his cloudy bed; 
 And cold are our hearts, for the priest is 
 dead. 
 
 In the cemetery of quiet and peace- 
 ful Brussels in Calhoun county, we 
 come upon a small weather-beaten 
 headstone which 'bears the inscrip- 
 tion: "Sacred to the Memory of Rev. 
 John Molitor." He who sleeps be- 
 neath the grassy plot and whose 
 name is recalled by the humble mon- 
 ument was the first resident priest of 
 that parish. A fellow-student of the 
 late Bishop Baltes, he was raised to 
 
 the priesthood together with him at 
 the Grand Seminary of Montreal on 
 May 21, 1853. He was at once ap- 
 pointed to the St. Mary's congrega- 
 tion of Brussels. Father Molitor was 
 a native of Belgium and in memory 
 of him the village was named Brus- 
 sels. His time of labor, however, was 
 very short, for after some three 
 months it was already rudely inter- 
 rupted by death. He died at a lone 
 farm house after a very brief illness. 
 R. I. P. 
 
 Page One Hundred
 
 REV. JOHN MOLITOR, R. D. 
 
 There's no place like "Home". 
 Forty years pastor of one and the 
 same parish is indeed a remarkable 
 occurrance and seldom equalled in 
 this Diocese. Such extraordinary rec- 
 ord stands to the credit of Reverened 
 John Moliter, late pastor of Sewton 
 ord stands to the credit of Father 
 and Dean of the Effingham Deanery 
 Quiet and unostentatious in the 
 daily discharge of his duties, during 
 all these years he earned the respect 
 and well-wishes of all, both of the 
 clergy and laity. The high regard 
 with which his Ordinary looked upon 
 his systematic and fruitful labors 
 caused his appointment as District 
 Dean and well did Father Miolitor 
 merit such distinction from above. 
 Everyone heartily seconded the un- 
 sought promotion. True to his God, 
 
 he was at all times equally true to 
 his Bishop and Confreres. Zeal and 
 devotedness characterized his long 
 pastorate. The parishioners clung to 
 him as children would to their father. 
 His dictum, was decisive, his words 
 conveyed authority. Keen, therefore, 
 was the pain and deep the wound 
 caused by his death which occurred 
 January 17, 1917. A great out-pouring 
 of sorrowing people on the day of 
 funeral attested the universal love 
 and esteem the departed enjoyed at 
 Newton and surroundings. 
 
 Father John Molitor was born at 
 Germantown, 111., Dec. 6, 1845 and 
 ordained to the priesthood March 25, 
 1874, by the late Bishop Baltes. His 
 was the distinction of being the first 
 native diocesan priest ordained for 
 the diocese of Alton. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. VINCENT NAGLER. 
 
 "Sitivit in Te anima Mea". 
 Whilst his predecessor's tenure of 
 office lasted but from September, 1872 
 to May, 1873, Father Nagler served 
 St. Mary's parish of Alton likewise 
 but one year, from May, 1873 till 
 May 15, 1874, the date of his death. 
 
 Father Nagler was of frail body and 
 poor health, nearly always sick and 
 unable to perform his manifold duties, 
 although over-anxious to comply 
 with them. Dropsy caused his death. 
 He lies buried at Alton. May God 
 rest his soul. 
 
 REV. WM. NEIL. 
 (P. Longinus, O. S. B.) 
 
 "Karth and heaven tell of rest that shall not 
 
 cease ; 
 
 Where the cold world's farewell 
 Fades into endless peace". 
 
 In exchange for Rev. Theodore 
 Bruener, who on leaving St. Mary's 
 parish of Quincy, in 1874, had ac- 
 cepted the rectorship of the Pio Nono 
 Normal School of St. Francis, Wis., 
 the Archbishop of Milwaukee permit- 
 ted Rev. Wm. Neu to come to our 
 diocese. He was appointed to Bun- 
 ker Hill in May, 1874. The new pas- 
 tor was a born pedagogue and his 
 best exertions were used in that di- 
 rection. This was evidenced by the 
 flourishing parochial school which at 
 once he opened. He also embellisher! 
 the church and reformed the choir ac- 
 cording to the Cecilian idea. In 1878 
 Rev. Wm Neu undertook the build- 
 ing of a small church at Gillispie 
 
 Page One Hundred and Ore
 
 large enough to accommodate the 
 small congregation. To raise the 
 means sufficient and necessary to 
 carry out this plan, our gifted priest 
 delivered a series of lectures in 
 neighboring places. In 1879 Father 
 Neu returned to Wisconsin to relieve 
 Father Bruener of his duties at the 
 Normal. In 1889 our subject became 
 a Religious. He joined the Benedic- 
 tine Order at Atchison, Kansas, and 
 was henceforth known to the world 
 as P. Longinus, O. S. B. 
 
 As such he acted as assistant at the 
 Abbey church till 1891, was pastor 
 of St. Peter's church at Council Bluffs 
 
 Iowa, July, 1892-97. From January, 
 1898-'99, Father Longinus presided as 
 pastor over the Abbey church of At- 
 chison. On the 3d day of March, 
 1899, good Father Neu died at St.' 
 Vincent's Hospital, Birmingham, Ala- 
 bama, and was buried in the Abbey 
 cemetery at Atchison, March 7, 1899. 
 He was born at Bocholt, in the 
 Diocese of Muenster, July 23, 1846, 
 emigrated with his parents to Ameri- 
 ca in December, I860, and was or- 
 dained to the priesthood by Bishop 
 Henni of Milwaukee, at St. Francis 
 Seminary December 21, 1871. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. JOHN NEUHAUS. 
 
 "Labia mea laudabunt Te". 
 
 Practically the whole priestly 
 career of our subject was spent in the 
 
 southern part of the state, now the 
 Belleville Diocese, with the exception 
 of four months, when he acted as 
 pastor of St. Boniface congregation 
 of Edwardsville, and attended St. 
 Michael's parish of Staunton, which 
 was then affiliated to St. Boniface of 
 Edwardsville. 
 
 Rev. John Neuhaus was born Feb- 
 ruary 13, 1844, at Coesfeld in West- 
 falia; studied in his native city and 
 at Muenster and was ordained a priest 
 by the Auxiliary Bishop of Muenster, 
 Rt. Rev. John Bossman, on June 21, 
 1870. He became stationed at Red 
 Bud, October 29, 1870-A u g u s t 14. 
 1871; at Belle Prairie from August 15, 
 1871-March 17, 1875, and attended the 
 missions of McLeansboro, Mt. Ver- 
 non, Enfield, Carmi and Flora. At 
 Edwardsville from March 19, 1875- 
 July 6, 1875, after which he was 
 ordered to act as chaplain of the Sis- 
 ters of the Precious Blood of Ruma. 
 and attended from there Glasgow 
 City, now Renault. This young Sis- 
 terhood is greatly indebted to his pru- 
 dent management for its spiritual and 
 material advancement. 
 
 Father John Neuhaus died at 
 Ruma, February 22, 1905, and lies 
 buried in the parish cemetery. R. I 
 P. 
 
 Page One Hundred and Tico
 
 REV. WIMAR OBERDOERSTER. 
 
 "Dust thou art, and 'into dust thou shalt 
 return". Gen. 3, 19. 
 
 In the fall of 1888 a talented and 
 promising young priest arrived in the 
 diocese from Germany. But shortly 
 
 previous thereto he had been ordained 
 to the priesthood at the American 
 College of Louvain, in Belgium. It 
 was Rev. Wimar Oberdoerster. Born 
 March 17th. 1860, at Lenhof near 
 Seelscheidt in the Archdiocese of 
 Cologne, he finished his classical stu- 
 dies in the schools of his native place, 
 whilst for the completion of the Sem- 
 inary course, Philosophy and Theo- 
 logy, he was directed to the American 
 College of Louvain, because of his 
 decision to spend his future priestly 
 life in the American missions. When 
 the time for ordination drew near, he 
 applied for admission into the Alton 
 diocese, where he was readily ac- 
 cepted. On June 24. 1888, the class of 
 young clerics to which Father Ober- 
 doerster belonged, was raised to the 
 priesthood. A few weeks later we ex- 
 tended a hearty welcome to the genial 
 young man, who was introduced to 
 us as the newly appointed assistant to 
 St. Paul's of Highland. During the 
 lengthy absence of the pastor. Rev. 
 Jos. Meckel. who in company with 
 
 the present Vicar-General of Belle- 
 ville had started that fall on a Euro- 
 pean journey which was to include 
 a trip to the Holy Land, the young 
 assistant was given charge of the 
 parish affairs until the return of the 
 pastor the next summer. How well 
 he carried out his responsible obliga- 
 tions is attested to by the fact that 
 immediately on the return of the pas- 
 tor to Highland the young man was 
 appointed to the parishes of Troy 
 and Black Jack. Here he performed 
 good work and won the love and 
 esteem of every one in a marked de- 
 gree. After several years of fruitful 
 labor the Ordinary saw fit to trans- 
 fer Father Oberdoerster to the pros- 
 pering young parish of Pierron, which 
 had been founded only a few years 
 before 'by the energetic Father Fut- 
 terer, whilst stationed at Grant Fork 
 and who had become its first pastor. 
 The Bishop at that time was in quest 
 of a talented and bright young priest 
 to send to the Catholic University at 
 Washington, to be the beneficiary of a 
 scholarship which had been founded 
 there for the Alton diocese. His 
 choice fell upon the pastor of Pierron. 
 Father Futterer. In consequence 
 Father Oberdoerster was transferred 
 from Troy and given the rectorship 
 of Pierron. Here he completed and 
 embellished what his predecessor had 
 to leave in rather unfinished condition, 
 church, house and cemetery. Hence 
 the Pierron parish under his prudent 
 management signally developed, both 
 materially and spiritually, it grew in 
 numbers and waxed strong, so that in 
 a few years it favorably compared 
 with the best rural congregations of 
 the diocese, thanks to the good men 
 who successively guided its destiny. 
 
 How often, however, does man ex- 
 perience the truth of Holy Writ: 
 "Meda vita in morte sumus," "in the 
 midst of life we are surrounded by 
 death." 
 
 Father Oberdoerster had now been 
 a priest for upwards of nine years. 
 His light-heartedness and sunny dis- 
 
 Page One Hundred and Three
 
 position, his enthusiastic endeavors 
 and continued good health were to 
 the average observer a guarantee of 
 many more years of precious useful- 
 ness in the Master's cause. The career 
 of our estimable friend of Pierron 
 augured so well. Sickness, however, 
 dreaded pneumonia overtook him and 
 ended the precious life and valued 
 services suddenly, on Friday, July 30, 
 1897, at a St. Louis hospital. 
 
 He was buried August 1, in the 
 Catholic cemetery of Pierron, fol- 
 lowed thither by a vast concourse of 
 people from, his own as well as neigh- 
 boring parishes and many of his de- 
 voted friends and admirers of the 
 clergy. 
 
 "His race was run, his crown is won 
 The goal is reached in heaven, 
 He fought the fight, he kept the Faith 
 For which that crown is given". 
 
 REV. CHARLES OBERPRANTACHER. 
 
 "And leaving all behind, 
 Come forth alone, 
 To join the chosen band 
 Around the throne". 
 
 In an interesting historical souve- 
 nir-edition of St. Paul's parish of 
 
 Highland, issued September, 1896, the 
 author, Rev. Jos. Meckel, devotes a 
 brief chapter (page 94) on his worthy 
 and distinguished predecessor, Rev. 
 Charles Oberprantacher. By the 
 transfer of Rev. P. Peters to St. 
 Mary's, Alton, he was appointed to 
 succeed him as pastor of St. Paul's. 
 Prior to this he had been pastor of 
 the parish at Millstadt from August, 
 1866-August, 1868, where he suc- 
 ceeded in erecting a $4,000 school 
 house; from 1868-73, pastor at Free- 
 burg, and from Novemiber 73-August, 
 74 at Edwardsville. At the time when 
 this change of pastors was made, 
 
 Highland was not a desirable place for 
 any priest to covet. Repeated disturb- 
 ances which had occured under 
 Fathers Limacher, Bartels and Peters, 
 had given that congregation "a black 
 eye," each one of these able and effici- 
 ent men had left without regret. Father 
 O'berprantacher, says our historian, 
 was eminently a man of peace, a paci- 
 fist and with his coming an era of 
 peace seemed to have dawned upon 
 that fractious parish. The tomahawk 
 was buried and the future promised 
 bright. At once the new incumbent 
 proceeded to make some necessary re- 
 pairs and purchased two lots adjoining 
 the church property. New spiritual life- 
 began to awaken in the parishioners 
 and the schools soon flourished. All 
 this, however, was to be of but short 
 duration for within less than two 
 years Father Oberprantacher sent his 
 resignation as pastor of Highland 
 and asked the Bishop that he not only 
 be relieved of his charge but be per- 
 mitted to return to his native land, 
 mountainous, beautiful Tyrol. At the 
 end of May, 1876, he left Highland 
 and sailed for Europe, never to re- 
 turn. 
 
 Rev. Charles Oberprantacher was 
 born March 19. 1829, at Biffian in the 
 Tyrolean Alps. He was ordained at 
 Brixen, July 15, 1855, and came to 
 America in July, 1866. After his re- 
 turn to Europe he was assigned a 
 large parish in his native country. We 
 are not in position to state when 
 and where our former diocesan priest 
 died nor where he was buried. R. 
 I. P. 
 
 Page One Hundred and Four
 
 V. REV. P. J. O'HALLORAN, V. G. 
 
 ''The sun shone bright again 
 When slowly up the highway 
 Came a long funeral train". 
 
 This popular priest, for more than 
 25 years pastor of St. Patrick's of 
 East St. Louis, was one of the most 
 
 prominent clergymen of the state. He 
 was born August 15, 1830, in Bluff, 
 County, Limerick, Ireland. At the age 
 of 1C 1 years he was brought to this 
 
 country by his parents, who settled 
 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He received his 
 education at Bardstown Seminar}', 
 Kentucky, and was finally graduated 
 from Mount St. Mary's, Cincinnati. 
 Raised to the priesthood in 1862, 
 Father O'Halloran held successively 
 the pastorate of Jacksonville, Bunker 
 Hill and Cairo, in each of the places 
 building a church. During his incum- 
 bency at Bunker Hill he erected also 
 St. Michael's church of Staunton in 
 1873, and greatly distinguished him- 
 self for his financial ability in church 
 matters and was made Vicar General 
 of the diocese. He built a parochial 
 residence and the convent at East St 
 Louis and moreover purchased the 
 present Mount Carmel cemetery for 
 $12,000. Furthermore Father O'Hal- 
 loran organized a building and loan 
 association that has built 72 homes 
 for its members. He died, greatly re- 
 gretted, December 29, 1898, and was 
 buried in Mt. Carmel cemetery of East 
 St. Louis. R. 1. P. 
 
 REV. FRANCIS AUGUSTIN OSTROP. 
 
 Beyond life's stormy seas of woe 
 
 There is a happy shore, 
 Where tears of sorrow never flow, 
 
 And trials are no more. 
 
 Rev. Francis Augustine O s t r o p 
 was born at Dorsten in Westfalia, 
 September 1, 1823. From his earliest 
 years he exhibited an ardent desire to 
 enter the holy ministry, but his 
 parents were too poor to enable him 
 to accomplish it For seven years he 
 worked as painter and cabinet maker. 
 At the age of twenty-one he began 
 the study of classics in his native 
 place, but a few months afterwards 
 removed to Coesfeld. Such was his 
 diligence and application to study 
 that in three years he made double 
 time and went through six classes. At 
 the same time, as a means of support. 
 he gave private lessons to less ad- 
 vanced students. After graduating he 
 repaired to Muenster, there to study 
 Philosophy and Theology. On leav- 
 ing Muenster he became for awhile 
 a tutor in the family of Count 
 Schmiesing-Kerstenbrock, whereupon 
 
 for two years he acted as teacher at 
 the Osnabrueck High school, giving 
 popular lectures on astronomy. After- 
 wards for five years he had charge of 
 the Ibbenbueren High school. 
 
 When, in 1857, Bishop Juncker went 
 to Westfalia to recruit subjects for 
 his diocese, Francis Ostrop offered 
 his services, which were gladly ac- 
 cepted. He reached Alton, November 
 11, was sent to the Carondelet Semin- 
 ary, of St. Louis, and ordained 
 May 1, 1858. His first appointment 
 was to St. Mary's church of Alton. He 
 found a two-story building, erected 
 the previous year by Rev. John 
 Menge, with the help of the eight 
 families constituting the congregaton 
 and serving for church, school and 
 rectory, with a debt of $3,OCO. On 
 Trinity Sunday, 1860, a tornado de- 
 stroyed the building, burying in its 
 ruins priest and housekeeper: both, 
 however, were safely extricated from 
 their perilous plight. He was anxious 
 
 II,,, Hundred and Fit
 
 to build anew, but the debt, how- 
 ever, had first to be liquidated. Un- 
 able to find sufficient help at home he 
 obtained permission to seek it abroad. 
 He went, in turn, to Cincinnati, Cov- 
 ington, St. Louis, Quincy; Belleville, 
 and was thus enabled to begin the 
 
 building of the church, 110x50, with 
 steeple 100 feet high. He also built 
 a rectory which for a time was partly 
 used for a boys' school, the girls 
 attending the Ursuline Academy. In 
 1869 he built a High School at the 
 cost of $11,000. 
 
 In September, 1872, he was ap- 
 pointed pastor of St. Boniface parish 
 of Quincy. There he soon erected a 
 school, at the time one of the finest 
 parochial school buildings in the 
 West, purchased property and was 
 resolved on building a $100,000 
 church, which no doubt he would have 
 accomplished had not the debt of 
 $82,CCO alarmed the less sanguine 
 hopes of the Bishop and aroused op- 
 position- and protest from the mem- 
 bers. Hence his plan failed. 
 
 On September 1, 1887, he was trans- 
 ferred to Carlinville, there to become 
 the rector of St. Joseph's parish. The 
 congregation had but forty families 
 and the overhanging debt amounted 
 
 to $10,000. The condition of affairs 
 seemed desperate. The new rector 
 in no way dismayed, went to work 
 with all energy, started four associa- 
 tions, to take in all the members, the 
 receipts going to the benefit of the 
 church. He soon paid the whole debt, 
 built a becoming school for which he 
 purchased ground, bought a rectory 
 for $2,200 and put an addition 30x35 
 to the sanctuary at a cost of $4,000. 
 In 1891 his health was failing fast. 
 He, nevertheless, during the winter 
 1891-92 attended to his duties with 
 the occasional help of neighboring 
 priests. His condition continued to 
 grow worse. Father Ostrop realized 
 the nearness of the last summons and 
 duly prepared himself for the last 
 call. He piously died on June 26, 
 1892. His funeral was held June 30, 
 attended by the Bishop, forty priests 
 and a vast concourse of people. 
 
 Father Ostrop was a wonderful 
 man, an enthusiast about his work 
 and had the peculiar talent of spread- 
 ing the sacred fire around him. Plain 
 and simple in his way of living, he 
 was always very kind and hospitable. 
 In him the poor and afflicted found 
 a friend never failing, education a 
 warm champion, science an ardent de- 
 votee. 
 
 Have you ever observed that quad- 
 rangular glass enclosure on top of 
 St. Boniface school building? It was 
 Father Ostrop's observatory, where 
 he loved to spend many an hour dur- 
 ing clear, bright nights, with his large 
 adjustable telescope, studying the 
 constellations in the starry heavens 
 above. 
 
 His voluminous library which filled 
 two large rooms, was probably one of 
 the choicest and most valuable in the 
 possession of any private individual. 
 
 What has become of that splendid 
 library with its many valuable books, 
 charts and manuscripts? Scattered 
 here, there, or everywhere. Some 
 were sold for a song, others given 
 away. Too bad, indeed, for such loss 
 to the diocese would seem well nigh 
 irreparable. 
 
 Page One Hundred and Six
 
 Father Ostrop was loved and ad- 
 mired by all that knew him. Peace 
 to his noble soul. R. I. P. 
 
 P. S. For a detailed account of 
 
 the life of Father Ostrop, see his ex- 
 haustive biography written in 1894 by 
 Rev. B. Hartmann. 
 
 REV. ADAM J. PENNARTZ. 
 
 "Dirigatur, Domine, oratio mea 
 Sicut incensum in conspectu tuo". 
 
 To the inscrutable designs of Divine 
 Providence it seemed good to call 
 from hence on November 10. 1917, the 
 
 Rev. Adam J. Pennartz, pastor of St. 
 Michael's parish of Sigel, 111., dean of 
 the Effingham district and member of 
 the board of diocese examiners. 
 
 With his passing a prominent 
 priest and eminent man has passed 
 away, one who, as it were, towered 
 above his fellow-priests by a certain 
 air and semblance of superiority, 
 whose opinion and judgment in mat- 
 ters ecclesiastical and profane carried 
 weight and conviction, in whose com- 
 pany it was a pleasure to be. Of him 
 it was pertinently said at the obse- 
 quies: ''He was every inch a gentle- 
 man, every inch a priest." To his 
 parishioners Father Pennartz proved 
 at all times a wise and prudent coun- 
 sellor, a true father and friend. In 
 the performance of sacred functions 
 no one was more exact and conscien- 
 
 tious than he. Great were the results 
 he achieved during the 44 years of 
 ministry. The various parishes over 
 which he was placed to preside give 
 eloquent testimony of his unflagging 
 zeal and devotion to his holy calling, 
 Arcola, Paris, Ste Marie, particularly 
 however, Assumption (1881-'88) with 
 Taylorville as mission where he con- 
 structed the present church edifice, and 
 Springfield (1888-'96.) Here St. Peter 
 and Paul's substantial parochial school 
 building stands a lasting monument 
 to his earnest advocacy of things 
 educational. The splendid condition 
 of St. Michael's congregation of Sigel, 
 both spiritual and material, is pre- 
 eminently due to the efforts of its now 
 fallen leader. 
 
 The joyous strains of the Golden 
 Jubilee celebration of his beloved 
 Sigel parish were still vibrating on 
 the air when the heralds of the ap- 
 proaching pale messenger announced 
 themselves to him under the guise of 
 vehement heart-attacks which medi- 
 cal authority atonce declared serious 
 with probably early fatal ending. The 
 prediction proved, alas, too true, for 
 death claimed the good, valiant man 
 scarcely a week later at St. Anthony's 
 Hospital of Effingham whither the 
 suffering patient had been brought 
 for treatment and rest. When on the 
 evening of November 10, towards mid- 
 night the nursing Sister approached 
 the patient's bedside to administer a 
 cordial, good Father Pennartz had 
 peacefully slumbered away. 
 
 Our departed was born July 7, 
 1850 at Trevern in the Archdiocese of 
 Cologne, studied at the American Col- 
 lege of Louvain and was ordained a 
 priest at Brussels in Belgium July 27, 
 1873, coming to this country and the 
 Alton Diocese in October of that 
 same year. May heaven be his reward! 
 
 Page One Hundred and Set-en
 
 REV. PETER PETERS. 
 
 "How peaceful and how powerful is the 
 grave ! ' ' 
 
 We turn our spirit-gaze to the con- 
 secrated little mound in Alton's Cath- 
 
 olic cemetery, beneath which lie en- 
 tombed the ashes of Rev. Peter 
 Peters, one of the diocese's illustrious 
 dead. Born in the town of Keppelen 
 in Rhenish Province, near the border 
 of Holland, on April 15, 1833, he 
 pursued a course in classics in his 
 home town, thereupon entering the 
 Academy of Emmerich for the study 
 of Philosophy and Theology. After 
 two years of close application to his 
 studies in the Academy the young 
 aspirant emigrated to the United 
 States, landing at Alton in 1859. 
 Shortly after his arrival, at the solici- 
 tation of Bishop Juncker, who had 
 been consecrated first Bishop of the 
 Alton diocese but a short time previ- 
 ously, he embarked for Cape Girar- 
 deau, Mo., and completed his theo- 
 logical course in the Seminary of that 
 place. On April 21, 1861, the ambiti- 
 ous young cleric was ordained to the 
 Priesthood by Bishop Juncker, cele- 
 brated his first Holy Mass at SS. 
 Peter and Paul's church of Spring- 
 field, where Father John Janssen, 
 afterwards Bishop of Belleville, a 
 countryman of his. was pastor. 
 
 Page One Hundred and Eight 
 
 Father Peter's first appointment was 
 to St. Mary's of Edwardsville. After 
 two years service at Edwardsville, 
 during which time he erected a sub- 
 stantial residence and started a paro- 
 chial school, Bishop Juncker sent him 
 to Highland, that there in the roll of 
 peacemaker he might succeed in con- 
 ciliating opposing and warring fac- 
 tions which until then had caused the 
 lives of resident pastors to become 
 miserable. His transfer to Highland 
 was in 1863 and lasted eleven years 
 till 1874. During all these years he 
 ministered faithfully not only to the 
 spiritual needs of his Highland people 
 but likewise to those of the neighbor- 
 ing St. Elizabeth's parish of Marine. 
 At this latter place he was instru- 
 mental in having a parochial residence 
 built. He labored most zealously for 
 the good of his congregation, yet 
 periodical squabbles were want to 
 turn up, for the fighting spirit and 
 antagonism to priestly authority was 
 peculiar to the Highlanders. Father 
 Peter's firmness of character, how- 
 ever, together with his model priestly 
 bearing, gradually subdued the bel- 
 ligerence of the malcontents; it almost 
 disappeared under the suave and leni- 
 ent rule of his successor, Rev. Father 
 Joseph Meckel, who was appointed 
 pastor of St. Paul's of Highland, 
 while our Father Peters was trans- 
 ferred to St. Mary's of Alton, which 
 parish had become vacant by the 
 transfer of Rev. Francis Ostrop to 
 St. Boniface of Quincy, 111. Rev. 
 August Schlegel (the sledgehammer 
 priest) muzzled the rest of the kickers 
 when he became their pastor. Today 
 Highland again ranks with the fore- 
 most parishes of the diocese, its can- 
 tankerous spirit is subdued, the paro- 
 chial prize-fighters are either dead or 
 gone. Father Peters took charge of 
 St. Mary's of Alton in 1874. He was 
 a man who for all time left a lasting 
 impress upon affairs ecclesiastical of 
 Alton. Soon after coming to his new 
 parish the zealous priest worked with 
 might and main to further the status 
 of St. Mary's parochial school then 
 as now under the efficient manage-
 
 ment of the Xotre Dame Sisters. 
 With the combined efforts of priest 
 and teachers, great results were ob- 
 tained so that today St. Mary's school 
 ranks with the best in that city. 
 Father Peters, moreover, was a man 
 of distinct business qualifications. 
 Prudence and sagacity advised the 
 purchase of adjoining property; thus 
 it was that in a quiet and undemon- 
 strative way lot after lot and house 
 after house passed into the ownership 
 of St. Mary's, so that before long the 
 parish commanded the whole block. 
 And he it was who rested not until 
 the present splendid $60,CCO church 
 was erected, a monument which for 
 all time will continue to proclaim the 
 untiring zest and zeal of Rev. Peter 
 Peters. And when the day of its 
 consecration came, the climax of hap- 
 piness and joy to the then aging man, 
 his countenance was beaming with 
 happy contentment, it seemed that he 
 had no more desire or need of any 
 new measure to be filled. The con- 
 secrating Bishops on this occasion 
 were the Right Revs. James Ryan of 
 Alton and John Janssen of Belle- 
 ville, whilst the pastor, Father Peters, 
 sang the Solemn Mass at which the 
 Very Rev. Michael Richard O. F. M., 
 
 delivered a grand and powerful ser- 
 mon. Father Peters took delight in 
 showing the occasioned caller his 
 newly-purchased additional property. 
 He would don an old overcoat over 
 his cassock, be it winter or summer, 
 perch a biretta upon his head, light an 
 old, time-honored, long meerschaum 
 pipe and ready he was for the trip 
 around his property. This perform- 
 ance the good old man repeated as 
 often as a visitor would call on him. 
 
 Quietly and peacefully without 
 making any noise or stir, he lived a 
 most useful life in Alton, and just as 
 quietly and peacefully was his passing 
 away on March 5th, 1896. His mem- 
 ory we all affectionately love and 
 cherish. His body sleeps in the grave 
 but his spirit rests in Paradise with 
 God. 
 
 In the demise of Father Peters, Al- 
 ton had sustained a great loss. 
 A man of fine natural gifts and high 
 accomplishments his departure not 
 only affected St. Mary's of Alton but 
 was keenly felt by the diocese at large. 
 
 May this worthy priest of God who 
 so insessantly worked in the cause of 
 Holy Church rest forever in God's 
 Holy peace. 
 
 REV. MICHAEL PRENDERGAST. 
 
 
 Owing to the early period when he 
 worked in this portion of the vin- 
 yard of the Lord, the Rev. Michael 
 Prendergast should not be passed 
 over in silence. Father Prendergast 
 was born at New Park, County Wex- 
 ford, Ireland in the year 1810. He 
 studied for the priesthood at Carlow 
 College. There he was ordained for 
 the Archdiocese of Dublin. For some 
 time he was in the mission of Ank- 
 low, County Wicklow. After spend- 
 ing ten years on the mission in Ire- 
 land, he came to the United States, 
 affiliating himself with the diocese of 
 Chicago, and was sent at once as' an 
 assistant to Rev. M. Carroll of Alton. 
 This was in 1853. In the following 
 year, 1854, Rev. M. Prendergast was 
 sent to Decatur to 'become the first 
 resident rector of St. Patrick's. He 
 
 Page One Hundred and Nine
 
 remained two years at Decatur, from 
 where he attended Winchester, Pitts- 
 field and other places, till replaced by 
 Rev. Thomas Cusack. Next we find 
 him starting the congregation of 
 Winona, Minn. In 1868 he was at 
 Danville, 111., which he left to take 
 charge of Batavia, attending at same 
 time Geneva and St. Charles. He 
 died at Batavia, March 3, 1875 and 
 
 REV. THOMAS 
 
 Rev. Thomas Quigley was ordained 
 in 1849 by Archbishop Kenrick of St. 
 Louis. He was a subject of the 
 Bishop of Chicago, in whose diocese 
 he spent almost his entire priestly 
 life. Whilst the Illinois Central R. 
 R., was being constructed, Rev. Quig- 
 ley made many trips along that line 
 and his success with the poor fellows 
 is said to have been marvelous. In 
 1855 he came to Springfield as pastor 
 of the old St. John's church. He 
 soon formed the design of erecting a 
 
 was buried in Calvary Cemetery, 
 Chicago. 
 
 Being a man of considerable means 
 he left a goodly portion to relatives 
 living near Xew Douglas, devoted 
 larger sums to charitable purposes 
 and bequeathed the remainder to 
 Bishop Foley of Chicago for diocesan 
 uses. R. I. P. 
 
 QUIGLEY, D. D. 
 
 new building and placing it under the 
 patronage of the Immaculate Concep- 
 tion B. V. M. Dr Q'uigley built the 
 foundation but did not remain to com- 
 plete the work. When leaving he was 
 replaced by Father P. McElherne, 
 whilst he assumed charge of parish 
 work in the northern (Chicago and 
 Peoria) part of the state. 
 
 Rev. Thomas Quigley was known 
 in literary circles as a writer of some 
 note. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. LONGINUS QUITTER. 
 
 "Justum deduxit Dominus per vias rectas". 
 
 For many years, from 1866-1891, a 
 quarter century, this humble priest of 
 God exercised his sacerdotal func- 
 tions with promptness and alacrity, 
 retiring from active service only 
 which compelled by bodily infirmities, 
 leaving an honorable record wherever 
 the call of duty had summoned him. 
 
 Rev. Longinus Quitter was born 
 Fe'bruary 26, 1830, at Daseburg, West- 
 falia, studied classics at Rietberg and 
 Warendorf, philosophy at Muenster. 
 He came to this country in 1863, en- 
 tered the Seminary of St. Joseph's 
 College Teutopolis and was elevated 
 to the priesthood vy Bishop Juncker 
 at Alton. 
 
 Aug. 8, 1865. His first assignment 
 was to St. Marie, Jasper county, as 
 assistant from 1856-67; then 'became 
 rector of Mt. Carmel, 1867-1872, of 
 Westwood 1872-1874, of Paderborn 
 1874-1876, at Aviston, an assistant at 
 Quincy 1876-1878, rector of Vandalia 
 1878-1882 (during which incumbency 
 he built St. Lawrence church of 
 Greenville in 1878) Madonnaville, 
 1882-1886, of Lively Grove in 1886, till 
 his retirement on account of pro- 
 tracted illness to St. Mary's hospital, 
 East St. Louis, a short time previous 
 to his death, December 5, 1891. He 
 lies buried at Lively Grove. R. I. P. 
 
 Page One Hundred and Ten
 
 REV. J. B. RAHO, C. M. 
 
 "And thou shall stand where 
 Winged Archangels worship, 
 And trembling bow before thee". 
 
 The Lazarist Fathers of Cape 
 Girardeau, Mo., were among the first 
 priests who performed heroic, lasting 
 missionary work in Illinois. These 
 veterans in the field were inured and 
 hardened to fatigue and privations, 
 they all had graduated from the 
 school of experience, they were rug- 
 ged men of deep learning and saint- 
 ly lives. Wherever these sons of St. 
 Vincent of Paul put forth their lofty 
 aims and tireless labors forgetful of 
 self, they changed dreary prairie spots 
 into fragrant flower gardens, built 
 churches, schools and charitable in- 
 stitutions in communities which' 
 seemed not only barren and hopeless 
 of higher spiritual life and ideal, nay 
 proved even inimical to any attempt 
 to plant God's blessed church in their 
 midst. Wonderful has been the suc- 
 cess of these Mission priests whose 
 eminent qualifications as Missionaries 
 achieved such marvellous results 
 wherever the voice of obedience 
 called them. Some of their achieve- 
 ments in Illinois form bright pages 
 in the annals of the Order. What's 
 now a large part of the Alton diocese, 
 was an outmission of the C. M. 
 Fathers in the latter part of the 
 thirties. The facile and gifted pen of 
 Father Thomas Shaw, C. M., has 
 saved the doings and operations of 
 these Missionary priests on the prair- 
 ies of Illinois from falling into ob- 
 livion, he has given us the "Story of 
 the La Salle Mission," by which the 
 learned Father has earned the lasting 
 gratitude of every lover and student 
 of the history of the Catholic Church 
 in Illinois. 
 
 Among the priests who traversed 
 the broad acres of Illinois late in the 
 thirties and early in the forties, his 
 splendid narrative cites men for 
 whom the clergy and people of the 
 Alton diocese have more than pass- 
 ing interest, because of their mission- 
 ary activity and ministrations in cities 
 and towns now incorporated in our 
 own diocese. Fathers J. B. Raho, 
 
 Parodi and Orlando, and others, all 
 members of the order of St. Vincent 
 of Paul, or C. M.'s as they are called 
 for brevity's sake. The most con- 
 spicuous of these Mission Fathers 
 portrayed on the pages of the "Story 
 of the La Salle Mission" was unques- 
 tionably Father J. B. Raho, the 
 Superior. 
 
 These Lazarist Fathers (so-called 
 from their first Community House 
 dedicated to St. Lazarus and given 
 over to works of charity in Paris) 
 sailing for first time the Illinois river 
 on their way from St. Louis to La 
 Salle, arrived at the latter place 
 March 29, 1838. At once they entered 
 upon the work mapped out for them 
 by Bishop Rosati and Father Timon, 
 their Superior, with Father Raho as 
 their guiding genius. 
 
 "The old pioneers of the Sanctu- 
 ary," says Father Shaw, "had great 
 provisional gifts and fertile brains, 
 excellent tact, wonderful qualities of 
 adaptation, and happy dispositions. 
 As the Israelites in the desert carried 
 and located the ark wherever they 
 roamed, so the Missioner carried and 
 built the altar wheresoever in the 
 valley or on the prairie he would pass 
 the night. The tail of a wagon, the 
 box of a buggy or now the table of 
 the family of the host served as a 
 stand; the saddle-bags contained all 
 the requisites in altar stone, vest- 
 ments, linens, etc., for the due cele- 
 bration of the divine mysteries. In 
 the largest room of the cabin the 
 temporary altar was erected and 
 everything for the holy sacrifice was 
 in readiness." 
 
 Of Father Raho's strenuous exer- 
 tions in behalf of the scattered Cath- 
 olic population in the counties of 
 Sangamon, Cass, Macoupin and Mor- 
 gan the Superior of the Lazarists, 
 Father Timon afterwards Bishop of 
 Buffalo wrote to the Superior Gen- 
 eral Xozo, at Paris: 
 
 "I received a letter from Msgr. Ro-^ 
 sati, who missioned one of the Fathers 
 to visit another congregation 180 
 miles from La Salle. From a careful 
 
 Page One Hundred and Eleven
 
 perusal of the book of expenditures 
 and a letter which will be found in 
 records, the people requested to visit, 
 were in Morgan and Cass counties, 
 covering an area of 60 miles, and 
 embracing the towns of Beardstown, 
 Meredosia, Virginia and the capital 
 of the State of Illinois, Springfield. 
 The Northern Cross railroad was 
 then in course of building and there, 
 too, were gathered a congregation of 
 the children of the Faith. In the 
 opening of June, the indefatigable 
 Missionary takes the St. Louis boat, 
 and arrives after a day's sail at 
 Beardstown on the Illinois river. He 
 will describe the town in which as in 
 a mirror he closely denned the zeal 
 and resignation so worthy a son of 
 St. Vincent de Paul: 
 
 "I discovered about 200 Catholics 
 scattered over 60 miles. For the 
 space of a month I exercised among 
 them the holy ministry, almost al- 
 ways traveled on foot, carrying on my 
 shoulders saddle-bags containing 
 altar necessaries, and in my hand a 
 carpet-bag, in open air and into the 
 night hearing Confessions, in the day 
 time occupied teaching the children 
 the catechism. 
 
 I was amazed at the work of grace 
 and at the eagerness with which 
 these poor people rushed to hear the 
 instructions I gave, flinging aside for 
 this purpose hours of sleep and 
 nourishment." 
 
 Father Raho, Superior of the La 
 Salle Mission, on his return home 
 writes of his labors in Southern Illi- 
 
 La Salle. La Salle Co., 111. 
 June 21, 1838. 
 
 Dear Sir: On last Saturday I ar- 
 rived here. My health is at present 
 tolerably well. The success of my 
 mission eight miles from Beardstown 
 has been, that a small church is to 
 be built there, and five children were 
 baptized, of whom one was of Catho- 
 lic parents, two of parents one Cath- 
 .olic and the other Protestant, and 
 the other of Protestant parents. 
 That church is located in the town 
 of Virginia, ten miles from Beards- 
 
 town, on the road to Springfield, and 
 chief town or county seat of the new 
 county of Cass, being the county oi 
 Morgan divided into two, Morgan 
 and Cass. I have no time to write 
 longer. I shall do so another time. 
 
 Your most obedient servant in 
 Domino. 
 
 J. B. Raho, P. of Cong, of Missions. 
 Rev. Father Raho and his valiant 
 band of Missionary confreres, who 
 worked so well in parts of our pres- 
 ent diocese and the heroic Jesuit 
 Father Quickenborne, of St. Louis, 
 who ministered to the Catholics of 
 Beardstown as early as 1833 enjoy 
 the compensation which God has 
 promised to the workers in his em- 
 ploy. 
 
 For information as to the subse- 
 quent career and life of Father Raho 
 we are indebted to the pains-taking 
 researches of the Very Rev. Theodore 
 Arentz, ex-provincial O. F. M., of 
 Santa Barbara, California. It runs 
 thuswise: With the creation of the 
 Diocese of Chicago, the larger num- 
 ber of Lazarist Fathers who were 
 connected with the La Salle Mission 
 were withdrawn from Illinois. Rev. 
 Raho was one of these. Being re- 
 called by his Superior he was made 
 President of the St. Louis Theologi- 
 cal Seminary, replacing the Rev. 
 Thaddeus Amat, C. M., who was ap- 
 pointed to the headship of St. Mary's 
 Seminary (Barrens) in Perry county. 
 Mo. Father Raho remained Superior 
 of the Seminary till 1847, when he 
 was ordered to New Orleans to as- 
 sume a professorship in the St. Vin- 
 cent of Paul Seminary. With the 
 exception of two years, from 1848-'5i 
 when he acted as Cathedral pastor at 
 Natchez, our learned and talented 
 professor retained his position in New 
 Orleans till 1855. At this time, Nov. 
 23, 1855, his friend and confrere, Rev. 
 Thaddeus Amat, who on March 12, 
 1854 had been consecrated at Rome 
 as Bishop of Monterey, persuaded our 
 subject to accompary him to sunny 
 California. Father Raho accepted 
 and forever proved himself most valu- 
 able and loyal to his episcopal friend 
 and superior. It happened that whilst 
 
 Page One Hundred and Twelv
 
 making a visitation of the diocese. 
 Bishop Amat came to the "Old Mis- 
 sion" of Santa Barbara. He was so 
 favorably impressed wi*h the town 
 and surroundings that temporarily, at 
 least, Santa Barbara becarre. the 
 Bishop's residential city. Thr Fran- 
 ciscan Fathers weic in charge of the 
 cny parish. He induced them to ex- 
 change their 'foldings for die "Old 
 Mission" place. It was no sooner 
 said than, done. This was in 1856 
 Father Raho was appointed pastor 
 of the city parish of Santa Barbara, 
 which pastorate he retained till the 
 
 summer of 1857, when the Bishop 
 sent him in similar capacity to the 
 "Plaza Church" of Los Angeles. 
 
 In 1858 Father Raho became the 
 Vicar General of the diocese. After 
 three more years of strenuous life 
 our former active and pious Illinois 
 pioneer priest answered the final 
 summons. He died a well prepared, 
 edifying death at Los Angeles, Dec. 
 11, 1862. 
 
 The diocese of Chicago, Alton and 
 Peoria should forever keep the mem- 
 ory of this good man in grateful, 
 sacred benediction. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. A. RATTE. 
 
 "Then lead him through this desert 
 Back to Thy Holy Land". 
 
 He was an assistant at St. Boni- 
 face, Quincy, under its pastor, Father 
 John Reis in 1857-'58, and acted as 
 pastor of the parish a few months till 
 
 the coming of Father Shaefermeyer. 
 Rev. A. Ratte thereupon went to 
 Cincinnati, and later returned to his 
 native country, Germany. He is said 
 to have been a fine pulpit speaker. 
 
 REV. CHARLES RAPHAEL. 
 
 "Hush! was that some one passing, 
 Who paused before the door?"' 
 
 Our subject was a native of Luxem- 
 burg, born at La Rochette, Nov. 3, 
 1826, came to America in 1853 and 
 was ordained to the priesthood very 
 likely at the Seminary of Our Lady 
 of the Lake, by Bishop Oliver Van 
 de Velde on June 10, 1854. After 
 his ordination Father Raphael was at 
 once assigned to the parish of Teu- 
 topolis, where he stayed from July, 
 1854-Xov. 1856, becoming a success- 
 or to Rev. Joseph F. Zoegel. His next 
 appointments were those of Millstadt 
 and Mascoutah. In 1859 he succeeded 
 the pastor of St. Mary's parish of 
 Brussels, Rev. John Regal. Father 
 
 Raphael commenced the erection of 
 a commodiou.s two-story residence 
 for the rector; it was completed in 
 1862. He occupied it. The following 
 year the present church was com- 
 menced and rendered ready for divine 
 service. Father Raphael was, how- 
 ever, too soon removed to accomplish 
 all his designs. Whilst he was pastor 
 of Brussels he succeeded in building 
 the first log church six miles above 
 Hardin, now called Michael. Later 
 on, in 1866 he was in charge of Sum- 
 mit Springs, Butler county, Pa., and 
 at the time of his death, which oc- 
 cured in 1900, he was a chaplain in the 
 Convent of the Good Shepherd in 
 Milwaukee. 
 
 I 
 
 Page One Hundred and Thirteen
 
 REV. FRANCIS N. RECOUVREUR. 
 
 "No grief, though loud and deep 
 Could 1 stir that sleep". 
 
 Sad and tragic was the ending of a 
 very industrious and useful life of one 
 of the diocese's most venerable priests, 
 that of Rev. Francis N. Recouvreur. 
 Deceased had attained the age of 75 
 years. He had retired from active 
 service and intended to spend the re- 
 
 mainder of his declining days in well 
 merited rest and repose with a niece 
 in Kirkwood, Mo. To this end he re- 
 linquished the parish of New Douglas 
 and moved into his prepared quarters 
 near St. Louis. It was the custom of 
 deceased to retire every evening at 
 7 o'clock. It was on a Saturday 
 night, October 24, 1908, that his rela- 
 tive was awakened by the smell of 
 gas. She investigated and discovered 
 that the fumes came from her uncle's 
 rooms. A new gas stove had recent- 
 ly been placed in his room. It is 
 supposed that the aged priest went to 
 sleep in his arm-chair which stood 
 in front of the gas stove and thus be- 
 came asphyxiated. 
 
 The funeral took place from St. 
 Malachy's church, St. Louis, and was 
 attended by many of the clergy who 
 had come to pay their last tribute of 
 respect and pray for the soul of their 
 esteemed venerable confrere. 
 
 Solemn High Mlass was celebrated 
 by Rev. F. X. Zabell, D. D., a coun- 
 tryman and former fellow student of 
 deceased, with Rev. C. L. Souvay, C. 
 M., as deacon and Rev. Wm Michael 
 of Pieron, as sub-deacon, whilst V. 
 Rev. E. Spalding of Alton, delivered 
 the funeral sermon touching on the 
 long and useful career of the de- 
 parted and his many noble traits of 
 character. 
 
 Father Recouvreur was known as a 
 great organizer and church builder. 
 Almost in every parish over which he 
 presided during his long priestly life 
 he left some memento of his zeal and 
 labor. In the dioceses of Alton and 
 Peoria this good man's name will re- 
 main a benediction. In looKing over 
 the long record of his accomplish- 
 ments we find him to have 'been ac- 
 tive at Assumption in 1865, Pittsfield 
 where he erected a church and frame 
 rectory in 1867 and opened a school 
 in 1870, Edwardsville, 1872, from 
 which place he attended Taylorville, 
 where he built a substantial parson- 
 age and bought some choice lots for 
 a new church, Carrollton, 1873-77, 
 where he built a schoolhouse. After 
 this he displayed his activities in the 
 Peoria diocese, at Clinton, 1S79-'80, 
 Campus, 1881 -'82, Dwight, 1882-'85, 
 Delavan, 1887, and L'Erable, 1887-'90. 
 At this juncture Father Recouvreur 
 returned to the Alton diocese and was 
 assigned to St. Ubaldus parish of New 
 Douglas, where at once he com- 
 menced to erect a parish house in 
 which he lived nine years from 1890- 
 '99, the time of his retirement to 
 Kirkwood, Mo. 
 
 Father Francis Nicholas Recouv- 
 reur was a native of La Belle France, 
 born in the Diocese of Nancy, Jan- 
 uary 23, 1833, was raised to the priest- 
 hood by Bishop Juncker in the Alton 
 Cathedral, August 4, 1859, and died 
 as stated, Oct. 24, 1908. 
 
 May God rest and crown the soul 
 of this persistent worker in his vin- 
 yard. 
 
 Page One Hundred and Fourtett
 
 REV. JOHN REGAL. 
 
 " God knows I did it for the best". 
 
 The second resident pastor of 
 Brussels. He was .a native of Nancy, 
 France, and governed the parish of 
 
 Brussels from 1853-1859. He was the 
 rirst priest to conduct divine services 
 in private houses above Hardin. R. 
 I. P. 
 
 REV. FRANCIS REINHARDT. 
 
 Rev. Francis Reinhardt, the organ- 
 izer of St. Mary's Parish and superin- 
 tendent of the construction of the first 
 St. Mary's church building of Quincy, 
 was at the time of his assignment to 
 the. cause of the newly formed con- 
 gregation an assistant priest to the 
 
 Rev. Herman Schaefermeyer, then 
 pastor of St. Boniface parish. In like 
 capacity he acted 1876-1877, under 
 Rev. Francis Ostrop, who, after Rev. 
 Schaefermeyer had donned the Fran- 
 ciscan habit in 1872 (to be known 
 from thenceforth as P. laborious) suc- 
 ceeded to the pastorate of St. Boni- 
 face. It was Father Reinhardt who 
 suggested name and title of the newly 
 planned parish. Commissioned by the 
 Bishop to promote and further the 
 initial interests of St. Mary's congre- 
 gation, this good man at once put 
 forth his best endeavors to accom- 
 plish what seemed to many an almost 
 impossible task, hopeless of tiltimate 
 success. And how he worked and 
 
 labored day after day and week after 
 week incessantly and cheerfully for 
 and with the Catholic people of the 
 South Side, of all this we read on the 
 pages of Father Bruener's meritorious 
 and exhaustive work entitled ''Kir- 
 chengeschichte Quincy's" p. 285. 
 
 Suffice it to say that Rev. Rein- 
 hardt had the happiness to see his 
 persistent endeavors crowned with 
 unqualified success and that the 
 united efforts of promising St. Mary's 
 had succeeded to erect a most beau- 
 tiful Gothic edifice was formally de- 
 dicated to its lofty end and purpose 
 on December 8, 1867. A sore disap- 
 pointment, however, was in store for 
 our indefatigable worker, a disappoint- 
 ment over which he justly grieved 
 very much and which grief was uni- 
 versally shared by all parishioners of 
 St. Mary's, viz: that after accom- 
 plishing this great task at the sacri- 
 fice of thousands of personal con- 
 veniences not he but someone else 
 should 'be assigned as pastor to the 
 new parish. This disappointment was 
 seemingly a hard and cruel one, but 
 Father Reinhardt knew how to bear 
 it humbly and submissively. He re- 
 turned to the labors of an assistant 
 priest of St. Boniface until shortly 
 after the voice of his superior called 
 him to another field of labor. 
 
 The subject of this biographical 
 sketch was born April 20, 1834 at 
 Fulda in Hessia. a place forever hal- 
 lowed by the life and death of Ger- 
 many's great apostle, St. Boniface. 
 Ordained to the priesthood on St. 
 Joseph's day, March 19, 1859 by the 
 Bishop of that city and diocese, our 
 young levite exercised his priestly 
 functions in his native land until the 
 year 1864, when, encouraged by the 
 example of so many zealous mission- 
 aries and the appeal for priests by 
 
 Page One Hundred and Fifteen
 
 our American Bishops, young Father 
 Reinhardt determined to devote the 
 remainder of his life to the American 
 missions. Invited by Bishop Damian 
 Juncker, he came to the Alton Diocese 
 where the sturdy, rugged young man 
 son found abundant opportunities for 
 the display of his zeal and talents. 
 Thus it is that our subject was suc- 
 cessively appointed to positions at 
 Quincy with Revs. H. Schaefermeyer 
 and Francis Ostrop, to Breese, as as- 
 sistant to Rev. Reineke, to Highland 
 with Rev. Jos. M e c k e 1, to West 
 Woods, Taylorville and the chaplain- 
 cy at St. John's Hospital of Spring- 
 field, where at that time the energetic 
 Superioress, Ven. Sr. Ulrica, O. S. F., 
 was erecting the fine chapel building. 
 Here I had the good fortune of meet- 
 ing the quondam organizer of our St. 
 Mary's congregaton. On conversing 
 with him on a numlber of topics and 
 
 various timely subjects 1 found him 
 a man of erudition and mature judg- 
 ment though oftentimes of rather 
 straightforward and blunt expression, 
 one who was very unassuming and 
 modest in appearance, an humble and 
 unselfish priest of God and sympa- 
 thetic friend of man. 
 
 It seems that in the latter part of 
 the eighties his health became seri- 
 ously impaired; to seek relief for a 
 shattered and broken down constitu- 
 tion, Father Reinhardt obtained per- 
 mission from his Ordinary to return 
 to his native country, to beautiful 
 Hessia, where after some few years 
 of lingering sickness, he expired on 
 August 25, 1892, at the village of 
 Lettgenbrunn near the city of Fulda. 
 There he has found his last resting 
 place. May this good man, to whose 
 untiring efforts Quincy owes so much, 
 forever rest in God's holy peace! 
 
 REV. JOHN REIS. 
 
 "Per aspera ad astra". 
 
 When Rev. Father Kuenster, pas- 
 tor of St. Boniface, Quincy, had died, 
 Sept. 15, 1857, Bishop Juncker as- 
 signed a successor in the person of 
 Father J. Reis. This priest had come 
 from Missouri, where at Merrimac, 
 St. Louis county, he had acted as pas- 
 tor of St. Mary's parish. He was frail 
 and sickly; foreseeing the work which 
 awaited him at Quincy, the appointee 
 
 refused to accept the proffered posi- 
 tion, but finally yielded to his superi- 
 ors insistence. However, Father Reis 
 was compelled the next August to 
 resign the pastorate of St. Boniface, 
 as his impaired health threatened to 
 break down under the weight of 
 manifold daily duties. He retired 
 from active pastoral life and died a 
 few years afterward. 
 
 REV. J. W. REPIS. 
 
 The first resident pastor of SS. 
 Peter and Paul's congregation 01 
 Collinsville, was Rev. W. J. Repis. 
 He was a Bohemian by birth and was 
 sent to this parish in 1857. During his 
 stay he performed excellent work till 
 
 the fall of 1858. At this time he re- 
 solved to go South to Tennessee, 
 and was admitted into the diocese 
 of Nashville, where in that city he 
 was given charge of St. Mary's parish. 
 
 Page One Hundred and Sixteen
 
 REV. P. MICHAEL RICHARD, 0. F. M. 
 
 "Creative Lord Incarnate, let me lean 
 Myself on Thee; 
 
 Xor let my utter weakness come between 
 Thy strength and me." 
 
 B. H. Benson. 
 
 The Franciscan Order sustained a 
 severe loss when on June 8, 1916 the 
 Very Rev. P. Michael Richard, O. F. 
 M. died. A man of extraordinary 
 
 mental endowment and great moral 
 force had passed away. A brilliant 
 pulpit orator, deep theologian, an 
 ideal retreat master, and above all a 
 sincere pious and unaffected follower 
 of St. Francis, is mourned not only 
 by the regular but likewise by the 
 secular clergy of this and many other 
 dioceses. Wherever Father Michael 
 was known, there he was honored, re- 
 spected and loved. The impressions 
 he created are to be lasting. The 
 
 Alton Diocese is particularly affected 
 by his demise, for it was at Teutopolis 
 and Quincy that for many years he 
 was successfully active not only as 
 College Rector and Convent Guardian 
 but likewise pastor of various parishes 
 such as Antonius, St. Joseph and Al- 
 tamont. 
 
 Father Michael's personality was 
 one of striking physique and com- 
 manding appearance. Mis strong- 
 voice in pulpit discourses and ser- 
 mons was audible for blocks and as 
 a Franciscan said he caused the pul- 
 pit to shake and tremble. As mission- 
 ary and retreat master Father Michael 
 was known from New York to San 
 Francisco. Twice his brothers voted 
 him a Provincial of their Order 1891- 
 '97. In 1895 he became a delegate to 
 the ''Congregatio Intermedia" which 
 on Pentecost Sunday of that year as- 
 sembled at Assisi, Italy; the birth- 
 place of their holy founder, St. Fran- 
 cis. 
 
 When the health of the good aged 
 Father began to fail, he was retired 
 to the Convent of Santa Barbara in 
 sunny California, where on above 
 mentioned date he calmly and peace- 
 fully expired at the age of 72 years. 
 
 Father Michael was born Sept. 25, 
 1844 at Effelder near Muehlhausen in 
 the Province of Saxony, studied at 
 Heiligenstadt and entered the Fran- 
 ciscan Order at Warendorf in 1861. 
 Having completed the theological 
 studies, his superiors sent him to their 
 American Missions in 1867. The 
 following year, Dec. 4, 1868 our 
 young Franciscan Friar received Holy 
 Orders from Archbishop Kenrick in 
 St. John's Church, St. Louis. 
 
 May this true, intrepid and loyal 
 champion of God's Holy Church rest 
 in peace. 
 
 Page One Hundred and Seventeen
 
 REV. A. B. RINKES. 
 
 "Grant him rest where never sorrow 
 Enters more, nor pain nor foe ; 
 Grant him light that neither morrow, 
 Night, nor yesterday shall know; 
 Joy that ever shall increase, 
 Light perpetual, rest in peace'". 
 
 Among the teaching staff of pro- 
 fessors of the former College of Ruma 
 we find the name of Rev. A. B. 
 Rinkes enumerated. Before he took 
 up college work he had been actively 
 engaged in parish work at various 
 places in the diocese. In scanning 
 over the different congregations, we 
 meet him as pastor of St. Mary's 
 parish of Pittsfield from 1861-'62. It 
 was he who shortly after coming to 
 that place laid the foundation to the 
 present solid brick structure in 1862 
 which was however, not completed 
 till 1864 when on Christmas morning 
 the first Holy Mass was celebrated 
 in it. The next two years from 1862- 
 '64 we find our subject installed as 
 pastor of Mt. Sterling, from which 
 place he was transferred to Bunker 
 Hill when he built the church of the 
 
 "Annunciation B. V. M. His stay 
 here lasted also but two years. From 
 1865-'66 he served Marshall. From 
 Marshall it seems that Father Rinkes 
 was called to the newly created Ger- 
 man parish of East St. Lo'uis which 
 at the time became a factor inde- 
 pendent of St. Patrick's. He was still 
 young and energetic. Twenty-five 
 adults represented the full parish. 
 Father Rinkes assembled the children 
 for daily instructions and thus soon 
 established the first parish school. 
 Next he purchased ^ building site, 
 and the erection of a two-story frame 
 building was 'begun in which the 
 school occupied the first and the 
 church the second floor. The young 
 parish was placed under the protec- 
 tion of St. Henry. At this time Father 
 Rinkes took sick. He left East St. 
 Louis March 9, 1867 and went to 
 Ruma to accept a position as college 
 professor. He died a priest of the 
 Green Bay diocese. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. PROF. ANTHONY ROETTGER. 
 
 In Te Domine Speravi, 
 
 Non Confundarin Aeternum. 
 
 It is but meet and just that deserved 
 
 tribute be paid to the moral intellec- 
 
 tual and spiritual excellence and 
 power of a good man, and that his 
 name be perpetuated and his memory 
 be preserved from oblivion and de- 
 cay. The honorable record of our 
 subject's priestly life, the accomplish- 
 ments as teacher in the class-rooms, 
 the loveafole disposition toward his 
 fellow-confreres, all unite in demand- 
 ing that mention be made of Father 
 A. Roettger. 
 
 Whilst professor at the College of 
 Ruma and again at the Salesianum 
 near Milwaukee where he occupied the 
 chair of philosophy he had shown his 
 great capacity for the excellent per- 
 formance of vocational duty and 
 loyal devotion to the interests of 
 these institutions. They were worthy 
 of the highest encomium. The kind- 
 ly nature of the man, the strength of 
 character which distinguished^ him, 
 and his agreeable ways won for him 
 a multitude of friends and admirers, 
 especially among the student body. 
 He passed away at a time whilst on 
 
 Page One Hundred and Eighteen
 
 a visit at the rectory of Highland 
 when the powers of his mind were 
 attaining their greatest strength, and 
 the largest opportunities were offered 
 him for their exercise. 
 
 His reputation was that of genero'iis 
 faithful and conscientious priest, less 
 qualified, however for parochial work 
 than for a professorial chair. The 
 pale messenger approached Father 
 Roettger under the guise of a sun- 
 stroke, within 48 hours he was a 
 corpse. 
 
 Particulars of his death and funeral 
 may be culled from the entry made in 
 the church records of the Highland 
 parish by his friend Rev. Jos. Meckel 
 the pastor. It reads as follows, 
 
 "Die 15 m. Julii 1878 sepultus est 
 Reverendus Antonius Roettger, Pro- 
 fessor Philosophiae in Seminario Sti. 
 Francisci Salesii, prope Milwaukee, 
 qui recreationis causa hue venerat die 
 12 h. m; bona, ut apparebit, vale- 
 tudine gaudens. Die 13 Missa in hon. 
 B. V. M. celebrata, horis p. m. de 
 aegritudine qua laboraret conquereba- 
 tur; cuius periculosa conditio die se- 
 quenti, Dominica V. p. Pent hora 8 
 p. m. apparuit, qua hora in Domino 
 obiit, Sacramento Extremae Unctionis 
 recepto. Die 15 hora 5 p. m. sepultus 
 est optimus meus amicus, cuius mem- 
 oria cordi meo impressa remanebit. 
 Reverendus Dom. W. Cluse lugubri 
 sermone dolorem patefecit, quern 
 morte amici sui concipiebat. Officium 
 defunctorum peregerunt Revdi. 
 
 Domini G. Cluse, Wm. Neu. Fr. 
 Reinhart, Th. Kamann, H-uckestein 
 and H. Eggenstein." 
 
 Rt. Rev. Mgr W. Cluse of Okaw- 
 ville who calls the deceased "a noble 
 priest, a noble scholar and a noble de- 
 voted friend" thus outlined the life 
 and activity of our subject: 
 
 Rev. Anthony Roettger was born at 
 Velen, Westfalia in 1850, made his 
 classical studies at Cosfeld, studied 
 philosophy and theology at the uni- 
 versity of Muenster and at Cincin- 
 nati, Ohio. After having been or- 
 dained a priest in 1874 at Alton he 
 was appointed a professor of philoso- 
 phy at the Sacred Heart College of 
 Ruma, 111., where he taught for two 
 years during which time he also acted 
 as rector of St. Boniface parish of 
 Edwardsville, 111. From 1876-78 he 
 taught philosophy at the theological 
 Seminary of St. Francis de Sales 
 near Milwaukee, Wise. Father Roett- 
 ger was admired for his proficiency 
 in scholastic philosophy and theolo- 
 gy, -unusual for so young a priest. 
 His piety, zeal, and cheerful character 
 endeared him to his fellow-pro- 
 fessors, priests, students and ac- 
 quaintances. Great was their grief 
 when the telegraph flashed the news 
 that he had died July 18, 1878, after 
 but one days illness at the residence 
 of his clerical friend at Highland 
 where he intended to spend a part of 
 his summer vacation. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. BERNARD ROSSMOELLER. 
 
 Born at Muenster, in Westfalia, he 
 was raised to the priesthood in the 
 venerable Cathedral of his native city 
 in 1868. Coming to this country soon 
 after the young priest was assigned 
 to Rev. H. Schaefermeyer of Qoiincy, 
 Oct. 5, 1868-Jan. 22, '69. In 1874 he 
 was appointed to Fayetteville, a year 
 
 later to Lebanon, in 1876 to Marine, 
 from 1878-1884 to Grafton and from 
 Oct. 1884-Aug. '87, to Smithon. At 
 this time Father Rossmoeller peti- 
 tioned the Bishop for permission to 
 return to his native country. There 
 he died April 10, 1891. 
 
 Page One Hundred and Nineteen
 
 REV. ANTHONY RUSTIGE. 
 
 "Who in the Savior's footsteps tread 
 Up to the world above are led. ' 
 
 St. Mary's parish of Edwardsville 
 had continued from 1844-1869 the one 
 and only parish of that place. Trans- 
 ient as well as permanent pastors 
 had looked after the congregation's 
 interests. The English and German 
 speaking Catholics had so far wor- 
 shipped at the same altar and jointly 
 borne the expenses of the erection 
 and maintenance of church, school 
 and parochial residence of St. Mary's. 
 The teutonic forces of the parish 
 growing stronger and more numerous 
 however, the partition of the parish 
 together with the building of a new 
 church for a separate German congre- 
 gation seemed 'both feasible and desir- 
 able. This plan, already inaugurated 
 in 1867 under Rev. Father Kuchen- 
 buch, the pastor of St. Mary's, was 
 consummated under Rev. Anthony 
 Rustige in 1869. He is looked upon 
 as the actual organizer and founder 
 of St. Boniface parish. 
 
 Who was Father Rustige and 
 whence did he come? At the time 
 when starting the new parish, he was 
 a young man of about 28 years of 
 age. His native country was West- 
 falia, where he was born near the city 
 of Paderborn in 1841. In the latter 
 city he completed his classical studies 
 prepared himself at the American 
 
 College of Muenster for the priest- 
 hood and was ordained at Teutopolis 
 by Bishop Juncker for the Alton dio- 
 cese in 1866. By his Ordinary he 
 was assigned as assistant to St. 
 Patrick's of East St. Louis, and as 
 such had charge of the congregations 
 of Collinsville and Lebanon from 
 1866-'6S. In the latter part of Dec- 
 ember, 1868, he succeeded the Rev. 
 William Kuchenbuch as pastor of St. 
 Mary's of Edwardsville. When St. 
 Boniface parish of that city was 
 started he relinquished his prior 
 charge, handing it over to the Rev. 
 D. Burne. Incessantly he planned 
 and worked for the good of the new- 
 parish some six years, till his frail 
 constitution yielded to undue pressure 
 and collapsed under the continued 
 strain of mental and physical exer- 
 tion. His physician advised the young 
 priest to seek repose and rest at the 
 St. Mary's hospital of St. Louis. 
 All medical skill and human efforts, 
 however, proved futile. Father Rus- 
 tige had done his work at the ex- 
 pense of his health. Consumption had 
 set in, which claimed the good and 
 zealous worker when but thirty-three 
 years old, Sept. 8, 1874. In the death 
 of Father Anthony Rustige the dio- 
 cese mourned the loss of one of her 
 most exemplary priests. He was 
 buried in Edwardsville. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. DANIEL J. RYAN. 
 
 "Thy will, O God, be done". 
 
 A man of effable and sunny disposi- 
 tion, efficient and thorough in all un- 
 dertakings, popular with clergy and 
 laity, such was Father Daniel Ryan 
 the lamented late pastor of St. Mary's 
 parish of Mt. Sterling. He was the 
 son of William Ryan and Margaret 
 nee Kough, born at Kickapoo, 111., 
 August 3, 1852, and ordained at the 
 Alton Cathedral by Bishop Baltes, 
 June 29, 1876. His first appointment 
 was to Grafton from October, 1876- 
 '77, whence he was assigned to Virden 
 where he remained from 1877-'81. At 
 this time it happened that Rev. 
 
 Manasses Kane, founder and builder 
 of St. Joseph's church, Springfield, 
 was induced to resign. No one was 
 thought a more capable man to handle 
 the entangled affairs of that parish 
 than Father Ryan, who during the 
 next fifteen years proved his un- 
 questioned ability as a wise and pru- 
 dent pastor and capable administra- 
 tor. He overcame the difficulties in 
 reducing heavy debt, built a commo- 
 dious parochial residence and sup- 
 plied the church with a splendid pipe 
 organ. Father Ryan's heart and mind 
 were justly centered in the affairs of 
 his beloved St. Joseph's, which in- 
 
 Page One Hundred and Twenty
 
 creased and developed under his un- 
 flagging care and devotion steadily 
 
 and constantly. In 1895 our Spring- 
 field priest was requested to exchange 
 places with Rev. M. Clifford of St. 
 Mary's parish, Alt. Sterling. Father 
 
 Ryan continued his priestly activity 
 with the same eagerness and zeal in 
 the new parish as he was wont to do 
 at Springfield. For three years he 
 successfully directed the destinies of 
 the Mt. Sterling charge, when, on 
 November 23, 1899, he met with a 
 serious accident which, alas, was to 
 cause his premature death. On that 
 day the parochial residence burned 
 down. In his efforts to extinguish 
 the fire and save his home, Father 
 Ryan sustained injuries which ulti- 
 mately proved to be fatal. With the 
 house he lost his library and all the 
 church records. The badly burned 
 pastor was rushed to Our Savior's 
 Hospital at Jacksonville, where the 
 best of medical treatment was given 
 him. For awhile our patient seemed 
 to 'be on the road to recovery. But 
 this was delusive. He lingered till 
 July, 1900, when he had to yield to the 
 inevitable. 
 
 Father Daniel Ryan's remains were 
 buried in the Catholic cemetery of 
 Jacksonville. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. MICHAEL RYAN. 
 
 ' 'And Heaven awaits thee 
 And fills thy spirit with delight". 
 
 A good natured and always jovial 
 man was the late pastor of Virginia, 
 Father Michael Ryan. Tall of sta- 
 ture, habitually wearing a silk hat, he 
 towered above his confreres where- 
 ever assembled. St. Luke's of Virgin- 
 ia, held out but precarious emolu- 
 ments to its pastor, and yet he seemed 
 the exemplification of contentment 
 which is best demonstrated by the 
 sixteen long years which he spent in 
 this poor mission without ever in- 
 
 sisting on a change for the better. 
 And Father Ryan's memory remains 
 deeply engraven on the hearts of the 
 grateful parishioners of Virginia to 
 this day. Rev. Michael Ryan, son of 
 Michael Ryan and Mary Finnally, was 
 placed in the arms of his parents a 
 Christmas gift, 1850. He hailed from 
 Kil Macow, Ireland, and was ordained 
 to the priesthood at All Hallows on 
 June 24, 1875. From 1876-'92, the 
 year of his death, he proved himself 
 a persistent and faithful worker at 
 Virginia. R. I. P. 
 
 Page One Hundred and Tvtcnty-One
 
 REV. THOMAS RYAN. 
 
 "Long ago Time's mighty billows 
 Swept your footsteps from the sand". 
 
 About the year 1852, Rev. Thomas 
 Ryan was appointed a missionary 
 priest of Central Illinois. His terri- 
 tory extended nearly all over the big 
 
 prairies. Nine counties he covered in 
 his ministry. Edgar, Vermillion, 
 Champaign, Douglas, Clark, Cumber- 
 land, Coles, Shelby, Moultrie and part 
 of Macon county. The principal ob- 
 ject of his appointment was to look 
 after the religious welfare of those 
 employed in the construction of the 
 Illinois Central Railroad. Shortly 
 after his appointment Father Ryan 
 undertook the erection of a brick 
 church at Urt>ana, (Champaign') 
 which, however, was blown down toy 
 a prairie cyclone just as the men were 
 preparing to put on the roof. In 
 1853, when he lived in Baldwinville, 
 (North Arm), he is known to have 
 attended Arcola. Some years later, in 
 1856, Mattoon was organized as a 
 station. Father Thomas Ryan was 
 appointed its pastor by the Chicago 
 Bishop and he at once located there. 
 In 1858 our pioneer priest commenced 
 the first church building in that thrifty 
 
 town, which, however, was not 
 finished till the following year, when 
 it was dedicated 'by Bishop Juncker. 
 The number of resident Catholic 
 families at that time were 'but eight. 
 The visits made by Father Ryan over 
 his extensive territory were neither 
 frequent nor regular. When pastor 
 of Mattoon he lived in a small house, 
 and in it he died in June, 1863. 
 
 The body of this pioneer of religion 
 in the West lies in the little village 
 churchyard of St. Mary's of the 
 Woods, Indiana. 
 
 One day, Father Ryan was visited 
 by a young priest, newly ordained, 
 and just starting out on the mission. 
 "When you go back to Alton, tell the 
 Bishop to leave you here with me. I 
 am too old and feeble to attend sick 
 calls. The people don't mind me any 
 more. My pews are rented to them 
 for $2.50 a year, and the blackguards 
 wont pay me." The young priest 
 would have been delighted to help old 
 Father Tom, but the Bishop could not 
 spare him. 
 
 Whatever Father Ryan may have 
 been intellectually, physically he was 
 a tall, fine looking old gentleman. He 
 had overflowing Irish wit and 
 shrewdness under his jokes and funny 
 ghost stories, few gave him credit for. 
 
 Like Father Alleman in Northern 
 Illinois, Father Ryan travelled mostly 
 on foot from mission to mission. His 
 historian vouches for the fact that 
 during retreat time he kept his fellow- 
 priests laughing by his funny stories. 
 That Father Ryan was a zealous 
 priest and founder of future churches 
 in Eastern Illinois, no one can dis- 
 pute. That he made light and merry 
 of his hardships was to his credit as 
 a representative of the 'buoyancy and 
 cheerfulness of his race, 
 
 May God rest the soul of old 
 Father Tom Ryan. 
 
 Page One Hundred and Twenty-Two
 
 REV. IRENAEUS ST. CYR. 
 
 "And earth and heaven tell of rest that shall 
 
 not cease, 
 
 Where the cold world's farewell fades into 
 endless peace". 
 
 Among the first priests known to 
 have ministered to the Catholics in 
 the then sparsely settled places now 
 comprised within the confines of the 
 Alton diocese, was Rev. Paul Lefevre, 
 who subsequently became Bishop of 
 Detroit. In his wake came Father 
 
 Irenaeus St. Cyr, rightly styled the 
 Apostle of Chicago. He was sent 
 thither by Bishop Rosatn, of St. 
 Louis, at the instance of an urgent 
 petition signed by the first Catholic 
 settlers of that nascent city: 
 
 The following is Bishop Rosatti's 
 letter appointing Father St. Cyr to 
 the Chicago mission: It is of more 
 than passing interest to the priests oi 
 the Alton Diocese, hence we append 
 it in full. It read as follows: 
 
 Joseph Rosatti of the Congregation of 
 Missouri by the Grace of God and 
 the Apostolic See to the Rev. John 
 Irenaeus St. Cyr, Driest of Our Di- 
 ocese, Health in the Lord: 
 
 Dear Sir Whereas, not few Catho- 
 lic men inhabiting the town common- 
 ly called Chicago, and its vicinage, in 
 the state of Illinois, have laid before 
 me that they are deprived of all spirit- 
 ual consolation and vehemently desire 
 that I should send thither a priest, 
 who by the exercise of his pastoral 
 gifts should supply to them the means 
 
 of performing the offices of the 
 Christian religion and providing for 
 their eternal salvation. Wishing, as 
 far as in me lies to satisfy a desire 
 at once so pious and praiseworthy, by 
 virtue of the power of Vicar-General 
 granted to me by the Bishop of 
 Bardstown, Ky., I depute you to the 
 mission of Chicago and the adjoining 
 regions within the state of Illinois, all 
 of which have been hitherto under the 
 spiritual administration of the said 
 Most Illustrious and Most Reverend 
 Bishop of Bardstown, grant you un- 
 til revoked, all the powers as de- 
 scribed in the next page, with this 
 condition, however, that as soon as 
 soever it shall be known to you that 
 a new Episcopal See shall have been 
 elected and established by the Holy 
 and Apostolic See from the territory 
 of other Sees now existing, to that 
 Bishop within the limits of whose dio- 
 cese the aforesaid Chicago mission is 
 included, you shall render an account 
 of all things which shall have been 
 transacted by you, and surrender the 
 place to such priest as shall be by 
 him deputed to the same mission and 
 you with God's favor shall return to 
 our diocese from which we declare 
 you to be by no means separated by 
 this present mission. 
 
 Given at St. Louis from the Episcopal 
 Building the 17th day of April, 1833. 
 
 JOSEPH, Bishop of St. Louis. 
 
 After a hard, tedious journey Father 
 St. Cyr arrived in Chicago on the 3rd 
 of May, and received a most cordial 
 greeting from the people of Chicago. 
 Father St. Cyr, with the hearty sup- 
 port of both Catholics and Protest- 
 ants, commenced the erection of a 
 frame church on a lot donated by 
 the Beaubien family, situated on the 
 southwest corner of State and Lake 
 streets. The location was near the 
 fort, where Father St. Cyr obtained 
 hospitable quarters with Major Whist- 
 ler until his house of logs was built 
 and sufficiently out of town. 
 
 He dedicated it to the Blessed Vir- 
 gin Mary. This was in 1834. Under 
 
 Page One Hundred and Twenty-Three
 
 date of January 11, of that same year 
 he reports to his Ordinary of St. 
 Louis, that he had visited Sugar 
 Creek, Bear Creek, Springfield and 
 other missions." 
 
 From June 12, 1837-May 1839, 
 Father St. Cyr periodically visited 
 Quincy and the outlying missions in 
 Missouri and Iowa, having St. Aug- 
 gustine in Fulton county as head- 
 quarters. He looked av:er tne spirit- 
 ual needs of the English speaking 
 people of Quincy till relieved by the 
 advent of Father Tucker. 
 
 The life of Father St. Cyr was 
 naturally' an eventful and self-sacri- 
 ficing one. The manifold hardships 
 he underwent in those now distant 
 pioneer days, are almost beyond be- 
 lief, and yet he but did what almost 
 any one priest had to do in those early 
 years, building rough log churches 
 for the growing flocks, gathering the 
 scattered members into congrega- 
 tions, riding for months from one 
 town and village to another, fording 
 streams, driving over impossible 
 roads, often sleeping on saddle-bags 
 or wrapped in a blanket seeking a 
 night's rest under some protecting 
 tree, sharing with the poor settlers 
 their scanty meals which mostly con- 
 sisted of but rancid bacon and hard 
 corn bread, etc. And yet our sub- 
 ject bore all such hardships and pri- 
 vations cheerfully whilst we in our 
 day and generation would soon des- 
 pair of such missionary efforts. His 
 visits were always looked forward to 
 by the Catholic people with eager 
 anticipation. 
 
 He was accustomed to travel the 
 prairie of Illinois on a little white 
 horse, says Larmer, and when he was 
 expected it was the custom of the 
 Catholics to look out for him as he 
 could be seen and known from great 
 distance from the upland prairies. 
 
 On one occasion a prairie cyclone 
 
 arose and the Catholics were looking 
 out for the priest. Father St. Cyr 
 came near one of the settlers cabins 
 as the wind increased in fury and the 
 people fearing he and his horse would 
 be blown away, a tall herculean Ken- 
 tucky Catholic ran and lifted Father 
 St. Cyr and his little white horse into 
 a cellar and saved both. It was after- 
 wards a common joke to point to the 
 man who had lifted alone a little 
 French priest and his little white 
 steed into a cellar and saved both 
 from destruction by the cyclone. 
 
 After Father St. Cyr was removed 
 from Chicago he devoted his life en- 
 tirely to the missions, principally to 
 those of Central Illinois. He at- 
 tended the French Socialists at War- 
 saw, who had abandoned the Socialist 
 colony of the Icarians founded by 
 Etienne Cabet at Nauvoo, in 1848, 
 after the Mormon exodus from that 
 place, and succeeded in bringing most 
 of them back to the Catholic Church. 
 
 After years of toil and extraordi- 
 nary zeal in Northern Missouri and 
 the prairie of Illinois, Father St. Cyr 
 was retired as a chaplain to a Con- 
 vent at Carondolet, St. Louis, where 
 he died at the ripe old age of more 
 than eighty years, in 1882. 
 
 Father St. Cyr had the reputation 
 of a mild and scholarly priest. His 
 simplicity of character and refined 
 manners were often a source of mer- 
 riment to the big earnest and honest 
 but rough Kentucky Catholics who 
 had settled Central Illinois. But he 
 inspired all with respect and venera- 
 tion for him. 
 
 Our pioneer priest of the present 
 Alton territory was a native of Lyons, 
 France, where he was born January 
 2, 1804. He was ordained to the 
 priesthood at St. Louis by Bishop 
 Rosatti, April 6, 1833. 
 
 May he rest in peace. 
 
 Page One Hundred and Twenty-Four
 
 REV. JOHN SANDROCK. 
 
 "Rest to the weary spirit 
 Peace to the quiet dead". 
 
 When, in September, 1872, Rev. 
 Francis Ostrop was transferred from 
 St. Mary's parish of Alton to assume 
 the rectorship of St. Boniface congre- 
 gation of Quincy, Bishop Baltes ap- 
 pointed Rev. John Sandrock, at the 
 time pastor of St. Marie, in Jasper 
 County, to become his successor at 
 Alton. He was a picture of robust 
 health. Though his priestly life of 
 some fourteen years had been spent in 
 hard work, accompanied by many 
 hardships and trials. A pioneer priest 
 he had been inured to these many au- 
 sterities and self-denials. Before long 
 he was enthroned in the hearts of the 
 people of Alton. By his earnestness 
 of demeanor, genuine piety and elo- 
 quent sermons, he soon gained their 
 respect and affection in an uncom- 
 mon degree. His countrymen, the 
 people from the Eichsfeld, were just- 
 ly proud of him. But his administra- 
 tion of the affairs of St. Mary's was 
 
 to be rudely interrupted by premature 
 cruel death. It was during the small- 
 pox epidemic in 1873 that he caught 
 the contagious disease while attend- 
 ing some of these small-pox sufferers. 
 He exposed himself to its violent con- 
 tagion more than proper caution 
 would have warranted. The stricken 
 priest, forsaken and alone, died with- 
 out the consolation of his church, on 
 May 10, 1873. His remains were in- 
 terred in the Catholic cemetery of 
 Alton. 
 
 Rev. John Sandrock was born near 
 Paderborn in Westfalia, on Nov. 4, 
 1833, emigrated to this country Aug. 
 4, 1858, and became ordained to the 
 priesthood November 19, 1858. From 
 March 1, 1859, till his transfer to 
 Alton in 1872, he acted a= pastor of 
 St. Marie. 
 
 Almost as short as Father Sand- 
 rock's career at St. Mary's, proved 
 that of his successor, Rev. Vincent 
 Xagler. 
 
 VERY REV. HERMAN JOSEPH SCHAEFER 
 MEYER, V. G. 
 
 "He hath holier and nobler fame 
 By poor men's hearths, who love and bless 
 
 the name 
 
 Of a kind friend; and in low tones today 
 Speak tenderly of him who passed away '. 
 
 Whilst Rev. A. F. Brickwedde, the 
 founder and first pastor of St. Boni- 
 face congregation of Quincy, was 
 visiting in Europe, he succeeded in in- 
 ducing several young clergymen to 
 espouse the cause of the American 
 missions and to accompany or follow 
 him across the ocean and here work 
 in the Lord's vineyard where a scarc- 
 ity of priestly laborers was keenly 
 felt. Less defections from the faitli 
 would have taken place and less leak- 
 ages been chronicled, had there been 
 a sufficiency of priests at the time 
 when town and hamlets sprung up 
 over night like mushrooms after a 
 warm summer-day's shower and the 
 fame of the California goldfields had 
 lured thousands of people thither, 
 when the best of farm lands were of- 
 fered to the homeseekers for a song. 
 
 a mere pittance. In those days, in the 
 fifties of the last century our young 
 diocese hailed amongst others the ad- 
 vent of a loyal, true and self-sacrific- 
 ing priest, one who had already 
 labored with apostolic zeal for more 
 than fifteen years in the fatherland, 
 it was Rev. Herman J. Schaefer- 
 meyer. Highly recommended for effi- 
 ciency and priestly virtues by his own 
 Ordinary, the new-comer from Europe 
 was cordially welcomed by the Bishop 
 of Alton, and at once assigned to the 
 pastorate of St. Boniface of Quincy, 
 the incumbency of which was vacant, 
 there being an inter-regnum since the 
 death of Father Kuenster from 1857- 
 58. On December 18, of the last named 
 year, the new pastor formally took 
 charge of its parochial affairs. The 
 loyal people of the parish at once 
 stood by their pastor, seconded his 
 views and helped to carry out his far- 
 reaching plans. And in fact. Father 
 Schaefermeyer was just the man these 
 
 Page One Hundred and Ticenty-Five
 
 people needed, kind but firm and ener- 
 getic. Reforms were inaugurated and 
 soon new life began to course through 
 the veins of the parish, the obstreper- 
 ous spirit of former days became sub- 
 dued and began to fade and vanish. 
 St. Boniface was on the eve of an era 
 of prosperity and progress. 
 
 It was at this juncture that Father 
 Schaefermeyer suggested to the 
 Bishop that he extend an invitation to 
 the German Franciscans to come and 
 locate in the diocese. In 1859 they 
 came to Quincy, as did likewise the 
 Sisters de Notre Dame. On June 12, 
 1860, Bishop Damian Junker ap- 
 pointed him a Vicar General, which 
 appointment was later re-affirmed by 
 his successor, Bishop Baltes. Be- 
 tween the years 1859 and 1867, Father 
 Schaefermeyer lent a helping hand in 
 the founding of St. Francis College, 
 St. Mary's Hospital and St. Mary's 
 Academy; likewise do St. Antonius 
 parish of Melrose, St. Joseph's on 
 
 Columbus Road and St. Mary's parish 
 of Quincy, owe him a debt of grati- 
 tude for the interest he took in their 
 beginning and subsequent develop- 
 ment. 
 
 The great work he accomplished at 
 St. Boniface during the fourteen years 
 of incumbency has been eloquently 
 told by Father Bruener in his ''His- 
 tory of the Catholic Church of Quin- 
 cy." For a long time it had been 
 Father Schaefermeyer's desire to re- 
 tire from the turmoil of the world into 
 the seclusion of the cloister. Now 
 his work of reformation in St. Boni- 
 face parish had been accomplished, 
 his cherished wish assumed tangible 
 form and on September 23, 1872, he 
 quietly slipped away from Quincy to 
 join the Carmelite Order of Scipio, 
 Kansas. After some months of proba- 
 tion, however, he decided to exchange 
 the Carmelite habit for that of the 
 Franciscans. He entered the Francis- 
 can Monastery at Teutopolis where 
 from thenceforth he became known to 
 the world as Father Liborius, O. F. 
 M. 
 
 Father Herman Joseph Schaefer- 
 meyer was born July 18, 1818, at Boke, 
 near Paderborn, Germany. He was 
 elevated to the priesthood August 14, 
 1843, and worked with great fervor 
 in the parish of Neiderwernger until 
 setting sail for America. He arrived 
 on our shores September 14, 1858. 
 After donning the Franciscan habit he 
 labored at Chicago, 1876-79, St. Louis 
 1879-'82, then at Joliet, returning to 
 Quincy November 19, 1886, where, 
 after a long and patiently borne ill- 
 ness, he died at St. Francis Monastery 
 May 10, 1887, and was buried on the 
 13th from St. Francis church. His re- 
 mains were deposited in St. Boniface 
 cemetery of Quincy. May God grant 
 him eternal rest. R. I. P. 
 
 Page One Hundred and Twenty-Six
 
 REV. WILLIAM SCHAMONI. 
 
 "Twilight's mystery is so sweet and holy 
 Just because it ends in starry night". 
 
 Among the number of assistant 
 priests who served St. Boniface parish 
 of Quincy, we find the name of Rev. 
 Wm. Schamonie enrolled. He proved 
 to be an efficient helper to the pastor, 
 Rev. H. Schaefermeyer. His stay 
 there, however, lasted only from April 
 19-Oct. 25, 1868, when he was trans- 
 ferred to East St. Louis to assume 
 temporary charge of St. Henry's con- 
 gregation, succeeding the Rev. Ger- 
 hard Leve, who had been ordered to 
 Mascoutah. When, on January 26, 
 1869, Rev. Christopher Koenig was 
 appointed pastor of St. Henry's, 
 Father Schamonie was assigned to the 
 parish of Red Bud, in Randolph 
 county. We next find him presiding 
 as pastor over the parish at Lourdes, 
 
 and later on, in 1877 at Henry and 
 Metamora inthe diocese of Peoria, 
 where he became favorably known to 
 Bishop and priests, for his talents and 
 energies were such that success at- 
 tended his every undertaking. This 
 was forcibly put forth by Bishop 
 Spalding, for when Father Schamonie 
 had died at Henry in 1882, the learned 
 and eloquent Bishop delivered a most 
 impressive funeral sermon in the 
 course of which he paid unstinted 
 praise to the efforts and priestly 
 virtues of the deceased. 
 
 Father Wm. Schamoni was a na- 
 tive of Germany, born at Holinghau- 
 sen, Westfalia, in 1835; studied at Teu- 
 topolis and Montreal. At the latter 
 place he was ordained in April, 1868. 
 R. I. P. 
 
 REV. AUGUSTINE SCHLEGEL. 
 
 "For soon the ashes of the day 
 
 Are gathered in the west, 
 And one by one we lay us down 
 Forever more to rest". 
 
 Sublime in moral courage and ex- 
 alted in ambition, strictly honorable 
 in all actions and true in all friend- 
 ships, Father Schlegel combined in 
 his character a multitude of virtues 
 which elevated him far above the 
 average man. By his forcefulness of 
 character and indomitable will power 
 he succeeded where others had signal- 
 ly failed, he was a martinet who 
 fearlessly carried out his plans once 
 they seemed plausible and advantage- 
 ous to the interests of religion in 
 general and his parish is particular. 
 Little did he care for public opinion 
 and he spurned the plaudits of men. 
 Plain and outspoken, he never tried 
 to hide the meaning of his sayings 
 by equivocal and ambiguous language 
 he never minced words but called "a 
 spade" by its proper name. Castigat- 
 ing, for instance, the stubbornness 
 of his own country people, those hail- 
 ing from Baden, he hesitated not to 
 call them at times "Badische Kuh- 
 hoerner," a well known appellation 
 not very flattering and yet seemingly 
 not hurting the feelings of his listen- 
 
 ers to any appreciable degree. Both 
 in private and public utterances he 
 held to his opinions and followed his 
 convictions. The height of his ambi- 
 tion was to do his duty well. He 
 loved his church and his country with 
 equal intensity. Beneath an often 
 blunt and harsh exterior there pu' 
 sated a sott and tender heart full of 
 sympathy and pity for his fellow men 
 the needy and destitute. His exalted 
 character, his intellectual powers, his 
 extensive and varied learning were 
 united with steady industrious and 
 economic habits. To all these gifts 
 may be ascribed the large measure of 
 success which he attained in the vari- 
 ous parishes over which he was sent 
 to preside, Mt. Carmel, Edwards- 
 ville and Highland. In a brief historic 
 sketch of the St. Boniface congrega- 
 tion of Edwardsville, he is spoken of 
 as "the second founder" of that 
 parish. 
 
 Rev. Augustine Schlegel was born 
 August 30, 1851, at Allmansdorf, in 
 Baden, and came to this country 
 when he had finished his classical 
 studies. Here St. Francis Seminary 
 near Milwaukee became his Alma 
 Mater. And when the theological 
 
 Page One Hundred and Twenty-Sevtn
 
 studies were ended, he received ordi- 
 nation from Bishop Baltes in the 
 private chapel at Alton, June 24, 1877. 
 Father Schlegel's first appointment 
 was to Mt. Carmel (now Belleville 
 diocese), where he worked splendidly 
 
 for some four years at the end of 
 which by mutual agreement he ex- 
 changed places with Rev. Father 
 Gerard Janssen, then pastor of St. 
 
 Boniface parish of Edwardsville. His 
 stay here dates from 1877 till July 15, 
 1896. Here he is styled as already 
 mentioned "the second founder" of 
 the parish, because it was he who 
 brought order out of chaos, introduced 
 a number of necessary reforms and 
 caused many improvements to be 
 made. Thus in 1882 a new school 
 building was erected, in 1889 the leaky 
 church roof covered with slate shin- 
 gles, in 1890 new altars purchased, a 
 Sisters' residence constructed in 1892, 
 a new pipe organ installed in 1894, 
 and a new heating plant two years 
 later. 
 
 Father Schlegel had for awhile an 
 assistant in the person of REV. GER- 
 HARD H'OPPE, whose duty it was to 
 look after the parish of Staunton. This 
 Father Hoppe exiled himself to the 
 Trappist Monastery of Gethsemane, 
 Ky., joined the membership of the 
 Community, and died there some fif- 
 teen years ago as Father Leonhard. 
 
 Our zealous and untiring priest, 
 however, could not draw on his 
 strength supply indefinitely, his health 
 in meantime had become undermined 
 and a sick man, he was ordered to the 
 pastorate of St. Paul's of Highland, 
 whose pastor had been transferred to 
 St. Mary's of Alton. Father Schlegel 
 suffered of cancer of the stomach and 
 it was that painful affliction which 
 caused his death at the hospital of 
 Highland, September 24, 1903, at the 
 age of 52 years. At the solemn obse- 
 quies presided over by the Bishop in 
 the presence of scores of clerical 
 friends, Rev. Albin Breinlinger of 
 Millstadt, 111., a countryman and for- 
 mer schoolmate of departed, pro- 
 nounced a fine eulogy on the life and 
 character of our lamented friend, Rev. 
 Augustine Schlegel. His remains 
 bedded' in St. Paul's cemetery of 
 Highland, 111. R. I. P. 
 
 Page Ont Hundred and Tirenty-Eight
 
 REV. ADOLF SCHNEIDER. 
 
 "Farewell for ever, now; 
 In peace we part: 
 Remember that I thank you from my heart". 
 
 A companionable and good-natured 
 man was Rev. Adolf Schneider, who, 
 after a brief illness of but few weeks, 
 was claimed by death at the rectory 
 of St. Ann's parish of Edgewood, 
 January 26, 1914. An abcess on the 
 
 brain had caused his early demise, 
 for when called our subject was but 
 40 years old. His birthplace was 
 Frankfort, in Germany. 
 
 An only child of his parents, our 
 defunct friend received a splendid edu- 
 cation. Desirous for a higher spiritual 
 life he decided to enter the services of 
 
 the Church. To that end he applied for 
 admission to the Seminary of Knecht- 
 stetten, conducted by the "Fathers of 
 the Holy Ghost," of which communi- 
 ty he soon became a member. Having 
 almost finished his theological course, 
 he decided on coming to America. At 
 St. Francis Seminary, Wisconsin, . he 
 completed his unfinished ecclesiastical 
 studies, was ordained by Bishop Eis, 
 in St. Peter's Cathedral, of Marquette, 
 June 1, 1901, whose diocese he had 
 joined, and was appointed to the 
 parish of Grand Marrais, Mich. Here 
 he remained several years. Xot being 
 accustomed nor acclimated, however, 
 to the severity of the long northern 
 winters and the keen, icy blasts that 
 sweep the northern lakes and im- 
 pelled moreover by rather more per- 
 sonal reasons, Father Schneider, with 
 his Bishop's permission, went to 
 Davenport, Iowa, to become an assist- 
 ant to the Jate Monsignor Xiermann. 
 After a stay of about one year in that 
 city, he drifted into the Alton diocese, 
 where at Collinsville and Quincy, (St. 
 Boniface and St. Mary's) he acted as 
 assistant and thereafter was sent as 
 pastor to Edgewood, where he was un- 
 expectedly summoned away .from the 
 field of his labors by death . 
 
 Funeral services were held at Car- 
 linville, where he had substituted for 
 awhile during the illness of the late 
 Father Ader. His remains were 
 buried in St. Joseph's cemetery of 
 that place. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. FRANCIS X. SCHREIBER. 
 
 ''Death alone has strength to take me 
 Where my foe can never be". 
 
 A contributor to German papers 
 and a poet of some merit was Rev. 
 Francis Schreiber. His poetic ef- 
 fusions laid down in ''Amanda" are de- 
 scriptive of customs and traditions 
 and folk lore of his native land. 
 Among his English poems is that of 
 "Grace Darling", the railroad heroine 
 who in the nick of time saved a pas- 
 senger train from crossing a burning 
 bridge, the most popular. It was 
 copied by the press of the land. 
 
 Father Francis Xavier Schreiber 
 was born at Warsburg, in the diocese 
 of Paderborn, Dec. 16, 1834. He came 
 to this country Nov. 3, 1856, and re- 
 ceived Holy Orders from Archbishop 
 Kenrick at St. Louis, June 25, 1858, 
 ordained for the diocese of Alton. 
 
 During his activity in our midst we 
 meet him as pastor of St. Mary's 
 church of Carlinsville in 1861 and 
 later on July 18. 1857, he takes charge 
 of St. Mary's church of Xew Berlin. 
 The present handsome brick building 
 
 Page One Hundred and Tmenty-Nin
 
 of that parish owes its existence to 
 the efforts of Father Schreiber. Here 
 
 he remained five years when circum- 
 stances compelled him to hand in his 
 
 resignation to the Bishop. Father 
 Schreiber's next place was Vandalia, 
 1872-73. From there he moved to 
 Henry, and then comes the important 
 charge of Bloomington, at St. Mary's, 
 where he became the first resident 
 rector of that parish from 1877-'81, 
 after which it went over into the 
 hands of the Franciscan Fathers. At 
 this juncture our subject retired from 
 active pastoral duty and lived the life 
 of seclusion at Havana, 111. When 
 sickness and the accompanying in- 
 firmities of old age crept upon him 
 he betook himself to the Ursuline con- 
 vent of St. Louis, where he peacefully 
 expired June 20, 1905. His remains 
 were interred at Arcadia, Mo. 
 
 Father Schreiber was the first priest 
 to offer holy Mass at Todt's school 
 house in the present parish of Ray- 
 mond, corning occasionally thither 
 when pastor of St. Mary's at Carlin- 
 ville. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. JOHN SHERIDAN. 
 
 ' 'For what God designs to try with sorrow 
 He means not to decay tomorrow". 
 
 But meagre are the details known 
 
 its first resident rector, from 1864- '65, 
 succeeding Rev. A. Laurent. Father 
 Sheridan thereupon joined the Cleve- 
 
 of Father Sheridan. He was pastor of land diocese, where he died some years 
 St. John's church of Carrollton, and later. 
 
 REV. F. X. SMITH. 
 
 "Our feet are worn and weary 
 But we will not despair". 
 
 He was the son of William J. Smith 
 and Alice Wittaker, born Decemiber 
 9, 1869, and ordained at Mt. St. Mary's, 
 Cincinnati, by Archbishop Elder, on 
 June 21, 1893. Among the various 
 minor charges which he presided over 
 
 was that of Brighton from 1896- '99. 
 Sickness and conditions induced him 
 to repeatedly seek a change of climate, 
 but, nevertheless, the bright young 
 priest succumbed to an early death at 
 the Alton hospital November 28, 1905. 
 R. I. P. 
 
 REV. JAMES P. SMITH. 
 
 On July 31, 1880, the people of Ed- 
 wardsville, but more particularly the 
 members of St. Mary's congregation 
 became shocked when they learned 
 of Father Smith's tragic death. On 
 that morning when Mass time arrived 
 and the priest could nowhere be lo- 
 cated, upon investigation by the 
 alarmed parishioners poor Father 
 Smith's lifeless body was found in the 
 
 well adjoining his residence. It was 
 known that the good priest habitually 
 drew a bucket of water from the well 
 before retiring. This he did on the 
 fatal evening, for the lamp was still 
 found burning on his library table 
 next morning. Father Smith was a 
 very corpulent man, hence the suppo- 
 sition that when he was bending for- 
 ward over the open well he became 
 
 Page One Hundred and Thirty
 
 overbalanced and thus met his cruel 
 fate. 
 
 To Father Smith's credit it can be 
 said that he again placed St. Mary's 
 of Edwardsville on a good footing. 
 During his administration ground was 
 bought and plans for a new church 
 were secured which were carried out 
 by his successor on a more conveni- 
 ent new site. 
 
 Rev. James Smith, son of Patrick 
 Smith and ?.!ary Galligan, was born 
 Aug. 15, 1848 at Grosser-Laugh, Ire- 
 land, and ordained a priest June 29, 
 1879, at the Alton Cathedral by 
 Bishop Baltes. He was buried at Ed- 
 wardsville. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. CLEMENT ALOYS SOMMER. 
 
 "Faithful soldier of the cross! 
 Peaceful be thy rest 
 On thy Savior's breast. 
 Gain is thine, though ours is loss!" 
 
 "God's finger touched him and he 
 slept." That which was mortal of 
 Rev. C. A. Sommer lapsed quietly 
 into death's embrace at St. Clara's 
 
 rectory of Altamont during the mid- 
 night hour on the day before Epipha- 
 ny, January 5, 1903. His death was 
 wholly unexpected by his parishioners 
 and confreres of the clergy to whom 
 the cruel news came with a force that 
 greatly saddened. Strengthened and 
 
 fortified by the last sacraments of his 
 church, consoled by the presence and 
 prayers of a brother priest, L. Lam- 
 mert, and a good Sister of Mercy who 
 knelt by the bedside when the end 
 came, he passed calmly and peaceful- 
 ly away. Dreaded pneumonia, con- 
 tracted during the previous Christ- 
 mas holidays caused his premature 
 demise. And no wonder. In a coun- 
 try parish a priest often has to com- 
 bine the office of pastor and sexton in 
 one person. Aside from long hours 
 in the Confessional and that not in- 
 frequently in a cold, damp and 
 draughty church, he trims the altars, 
 rings the Angelus bell and in early 
 morning hour kindles the fire in the 
 church stove for the comfort of his 
 people. And Father Sommer met in 
 the struggles of his priestly life such 
 multitudinous demands with unwav- 
 ering courage and unflagging devo- 
 tion, not only here at Altamont dur- 
 ing the three and one-half years of 
 service, but especially so during the 
 fourteen years' labor in isolated Cal- 
 houn county at Michaels, with Kamps- 
 ville and Hardin as missions attached 
 to his parish, in all of which places, 
 his name has become a house- 
 hold word. The good which he ac- 
 complished and the seeds he so gen- 
 erously has sown by word and ex- 
 ample and the sacrifices and priva- 
 
 Page One Hundred and Thirty-One
 
 tions he so cheerfully shouldered dur- 
 ing the 26 years of priestly life will 
 surely have met at the hands of his 
 God with a generous response. Father 
 Sommer was a man of a retiring dis- 
 position, unostentatious and humble 
 in all his doings. 
 
 Born in Anfeld, Westfalia, July 26, 
 1852, he graduated in his classical 
 studies at Paderborn, became there- 
 upon an alumnus of the American 
 College of Muenster and received the 
 grace of Ordination in the venerable 
 Cathedral of Osnabrueck, May 2t>, 
 1877. Bishop Baltes directed the 
 young priest for one year ro May- 
 ncoth in Ireland, there to familiarize 
 
 himself with the English language ere 
 coming to America. For fourteen 
 years he labored in Calhoun county 
 with those two doughty pioneer 
 priests, Revs. Winterhalter and With- 
 out, and on the death of Fr. Ostrop 
 was transferred to Carlinville. There 
 as pastor of St. Joseph's parish he 
 worked nine years till his health 
 broke down and he was given the 
 smaller congregation of Altamont, 
 where after three and one-half years- 
 work conscientiously performed he 
 entered eternal rest. His remains 
 were interred in St. Anthony's ceme- 
 tery og Efifingham. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. JOSEPH SPAETH. 
 
 ''The joys now seem so trivial 
 The griefs so poor and small". 
 
 The name of Father Jos. Spaeth 
 will forever remain linked with St. 
 James' parish of Decatur. The Ger- 
 man Catholics prior to 1877 had held 
 membership in St. Patrick's, but grow- 
 ing in number and influence Bishop 
 Baltes considered it opportune to 
 gather them into a separate parish. 
 This was done in 1877 with Father 
 Spaeth as organizer and builder. 
 Church, school and rectory were 
 erected and before long St. James 
 enjoyed progress and prosperity. 
 
 Rev. Joseph Spaeth was born at 
 Blitzenreuthe in the diocese of Rot- 
 
 tenburg in Wuertemburg, Germany, 
 February 20, 1849, came to this coun- 
 try May 5, 1867, studied Theology at 
 St. Francis Seminary, Milwaukee and 
 was ordained at Alton, June 24, 1877. 
 From Decatur our subject -.-.us trans- 
 ferred to Southern Illinois, became 
 Cathedral choir director at Belleville, 
 which position, however, he soon re- 
 linquished. Early in the nineties, 
 (1893) he joined the Detroit diocese, 
 where he displayed his talents to 
 great advantage. He died as pastor 
 of the German St. Joseph's parish of 
 Port Huron. Mich., April 19, 1913. 
 He was buried in Decatur. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. FERDINAND STICK. 
 
 "For thy Good Master thou hast daily 
 
 wrought, 
 Enfranchising the souls His blood hath 
 
 bought, 
 
 Directing them upon their heav'nward way, 
 Unto the dawn of Life, the 'Perfect Day'." 
 
 In these days when the church and 
 the world at large needs every voice 
 unpraised for high thinking and doing, 
 every hand armed to strike for right- 
 eousness, it is hard to see the gaps 
 death has caused in the ranks of our 
 clergy Of course, there always will 
 be new recruits to till the vacant 
 places, but just the same one can ill 
 afford to lose any of the true an.l 
 tried standard bearers, such as Father 
 Stick. His people's spiritual and tem- 
 poral welfare was the aim of his long 
 
 Page One Hundred and Thirty-Tuo 
 
 life-work, for our defunct had the sin- 
 gular privilege to commemorate the 
 fiftieth anniversary of his ordination 
 to the priesthood, his "Golden Jubilee 
 Day," December 6, 1913. 
 
 Advanced in years, yet young in 
 zeal for his Master's work. Father 
 Stick passed on to the higher re- 
 wards of faithful service. 
 
 A symphony of simplicity in 
 thought, speech and action was the 
 predominant note in the life of Rev. 
 F. Stick, pastor emeritus of St. Paul's 
 parish of Highland. In consequence 
 he left his stamp on the various com- 
 munities which witnessed his stay
 
 among them, Alt. Sterling, Tiptown, 
 Mattoon, Madonnaville, Pana, Ray- 
 mond, Alorrisonville and Highland. 
 
 Father Stick was a man of many 
 hobbies. He would study Spanish 
 and Yiddish, turn to his flute, take up 
 history and delve into old musty vol- 
 umes. He had probably some of the 
 
 oldest codices on his library shelf to 
 be found in any priest's private libra- 
 ry, those ancient tomes bound with- 
 in worm-eaten wooden covers and 
 kept together with huge silver or 
 brass clasps. Truly it was interesting 
 to spend a few hours in his company, 
 or at his modest home. 
 
 With the passing of Father Stick, 
 the ranks of the diocesan clergy ex- 
 perienced a keen void, not that he 
 was one of the few Xestors who of 
 a by-gone generation still lingered 
 among -us, but more so of his general 
 great usefulness. Recognizing his 
 merits, the Bishop appointed him a 
 dean of the district, and later an ir- 
 removable rector of St. Paul's parish 
 of Highland. Father Stick's main 
 parochial achievements rest, however, 
 with the parish of Mattoon, where 
 his memory will not die until the old- 
 est member thereof has sunk into the 
 
 grave. The motives of the well-in- 
 tentioned man were at times miscon- 
 strued by evil-minded persons, such 
 as he experienced to his sorrow whilst 
 pastor of Pana. 
 
 Months prior to his demise, in 
 July, 1911, our departed one had re- 
 linquished parochial 'duties and had 
 retired, a patient to the hospital of 
 Highland, where he resignedly bore 
 his affliction, which ultimately culmi- 
 nated in death, dropsy. With a won- 
 derful buoyancy of spirit which never 
 left him, he submitted to God's holy 
 will and calmly awaited the day and 
 moment when the Angel of Death 
 was to beckon him from hence. Sur- 
 rounded by the Community of the 
 Good Sisters, Father Stick expired 
 Aoig. 22, 1914, attaining the age of 75 
 years and six months. 
 
 After the solemn obsequies which 
 were largely attended by Bishop, 
 clergy and laity, his mortal remains 
 were buried in St. Paul's cemetery of 
 Highland. 
 
 Rev. Ferdinand Stick was born at 
 Birkesdorf, in the Archdiocese of 
 Cologne, February 10, 1839. When 
 fifteen years of age he emigrated, with 
 his parents, to this country, landing 
 on our shores July 1, 1854, and set- 
 tling near Guttenberg, la. His early 
 classical education he received at the 
 College of Bardstown, Ky. Of his 
 first arrival at the college, he often 
 spoke. "When I presented myself 
 there," he related, "I was but a small 
 little chap and about as green as you 
 could make him. 1 wore my German 
 cap and carried my few belongings 
 wrapped up in a multicolored big 
 bandana. The rector and professors 
 were much amused at my appear- 
 ance." 
 
 Young Stick carved his way through 
 college and splendidly acquitted him- 
 self of his studies. Later on he was 
 sent to Teutopolis to finish the pre- 
 scribed courses in Philosophy and 
 Theology, at the end of which he was 
 ordained by Bishop Junker at Alton, 
 December 6, 1863. R. I. P. 
 
 Page One Hundred and Thirty -Three
 
 REV. JOSEPH STILL. 
 
 "Rest now is yours, O noble priest, 
 
 Your work you've done, and well, 
 For truth you fought any always taught 
 As countless souls can tell". 
 
 It was on Easter-Tuesday morning, 
 April 3rd, 1907. Large crowds of peo- 
 ple wended their way to St. John's 
 church, of Quincy. Their features 
 bore the stamp of grief and mourning. 
 
 29. The solemn obsequies prior to 
 final interment were had that morning 
 at which Rev. P. Andrew, O. F. M., 
 delivered the funeral oration. 
 
 The news of the death of this popu- 
 lar and beloved priest were every- 
 where received with expressions of 
 sympathy and sorrow, for to all, Cath- 
 
 Two Bishops Right Revs. Ryan and 
 Janssen followed by a long line of 
 surpliced clergy entered the sanctu- 
 ary and when there commenced the 
 recitation of the Office of the Dead. 
 Upon a raised dais surrounded by a 
 profusion of palms, flowers and burn- 
 ing candles, were catafalqued the re- 
 mains of the beloved pastor of the 
 parish. Rev. Father Joseph Still, who 
 after a long and painful illness borne 
 with heroic patience and resignation 
 to God's holy will had yielded to the 
 inevitable, dying on the Friday pre- 
 vious thereto Good Friday March 
 
 Page One Hundred and Thirty-Four 
 
 olics and Protestants alike, he had 
 proved a warm-hearted, loyal friend 
 and benefactor. Broad-minded, liberal 
 and kind frank and just, strong in 
 mind and strong in character, such 
 were the traits of Father Still. All 
 who knew him respected him, anrt 
 those who knew him well loved him. 
 
 Father Still was a plain man, he 
 was an ordinary man to meet, he was 
 a commoner easy to approach and 
 easy to understand. He was plain 
 spoken and outspoken, a man who 
 gained one's respect from the start 
 and held it. It was his frankness that
 
 was captivating, his sincerety that was 
 fascinating. He was a power for good, 
 a leader among men and his life was 
 an example to follow. 
 
 Father Still was undaunted by re- 
 verses. When in February, 1891, St. 
 Mary's church was reduced to ashes 
 he came to the rescue with his money, 
 his advice and his hands. While the 
 embers were still smouldering, he was 
 working with hammer, saw and 
 hatchet, helping to erect a temporary 
 structure to keep the congregation to- 
 gether, which answered its purpose 
 while the present beautiful house of 
 worship was being constructed. Out 
 on Xorth Tenth street stand -a num- 
 ber of monuments which will perpet- 
 uate his memory, St. John's church, 
 school, rectory and St. Vincent's 
 Home. 
 
 In his passing the congregation lost 
 the pastor who started it in 1880, the 
 man who loved the people of it and 
 the friend of all who lived within it. 
 Hence the universal grief and sorrow 
 on the day of his funeral. 
 
 Father Still was born in Uerdingen, 
 Germany, May 25, 1849, being scarcely 
 fifty-eight years of age when death 
 summoned him. He made his philo- 
 sophical and theological studies at the 
 American College of St. Mauritz, 
 Muenster, and was ordained to the 
 priesthood May 22, 1875, for the dio- 
 cese of Alton. He landed in New 
 York, Sept. 8, 1875, and journeyed at 
 once to Alton, where he received the 
 appointment of assistant to Father 
 Bartels of Germantown, which posi- 
 tion he held until transferred to 
 Quincy, May 22, 1880. Being told to 
 start there the contemplated new St. 
 John's parish, young Father Still flung 
 himself with great ardor and enthusi- 
 asm into the projected work with the 
 remarkable result already mentioned. 
 His last achievement shortly before 
 his death, was the purchase jointly 
 with the St. Francis Parish of that 
 fine tract of land, now Calvary ceme- 
 tery, on which he was to find his last 
 resting place. R. 1. P. 
 
 REV. JOHN STORP. 
 
 On Westphalia's heathered soil, 
 made famous by song and story, there 
 
 stands a quaint village with ancient 
 
 gabled houses whose red-tiled roofs 
 are seen from afar. It is Schapdetten, 
 the birthplace of one of our disting- 
 uished priests and yeomen workers. 
 Rev. John Storp. July 6, 1850 was his 
 natal day. On May 22, 1875, he was 
 raised to the priesthood in the vener- 
 able St. Ludger Cathedral of Munster 
 and landed in America on Sept. 20 of 
 the same year. 
 
 The first charge assigned to our 
 young Levite was that of St. Patrick's 
 of Pana. Rev. F. Lohmann, then 
 stationed at Hillsboro, to which this 
 place was affiliated, had just pur- 
 chased a residence there to be used 
 as rectory. Father Storp then be- 
 came the first resident pastor of Pana, 
 1875-77, whereupon he was transferred 
 to Shelbyville, where during four 
 years of unremittent work he wrought 
 a wonderful change, erecting the pres- 
 ent brick church at a cost of $6,000 
 and a handsome brick residence at a 
 cost of $2,000, causing Shelbyville to 
 
 Page One Hundred and Thirty-Five
 
 become an independent ana self-sus- 
 taining congregation. 
 
 In 1831 the indefatigable priest was 
 assigned to St. Agnes' of Hillsboro to 
 which Nokomis belonged as out-mis- 
 sion. Giving for some years to both 
 places undivided attention, he con- 
 cluded that in order to achieve lasting 
 results, the promising and ever-grow- 
 ing St. Louis' Parish of Xokomis 
 should and ought to have its own per- 
 manent pastor. With the sanction of 
 the Bishop, Father Storp, in 1834. pur- 
 chased a modest dwelling house and 
 took up his residence in Nokomis, 
 thus becoming its first resident pastor. 
 
 Truly, he was a great man, his capa- 
 bilities were second to none. 
 
 His fellow students of the Ameri- 
 can College of Munster (St. Mauritz) 
 which has since ceased to exist as 
 such are nearly all dead. They com- 
 posed a notable class of young eccle- 
 siastics, each and every one perform- 
 ing in after life good service in their 
 future mission fields across the At- 
 lantic. Among those who were his 
 associates and life-long friends and 
 admirers we may mention the Revs. 
 A. Wenker of Xaperville, 111., H. 
 Schrage and B. Stempker of St. Louis, 
 Mo., A. Pieke, Macoutah, Emmerich 
 Weber, Chicago, B. Hasse Mt. Ster- 
 ling, B. Ahne, Bayonne, N. J., and 
 others equally distinguished for their 
 merits. 
 
 Our decedent commanded a wide 
 range of information and knowledge, 
 being thoroughly familiar with all 
 leading questions of the day. He was 
 unquestionably an eminent scholar in 
 Theology and History, both ancient 
 and modern. An independent think- 
 er, free from bias and prejudice, 
 Father Storp's judgment had the 
 weight of mature reasoning, his argu- 
 ments brought conviction. Once de- 
 termined upon a plan he would set 
 every wheel in motion to carry it out, 
 and this was done in a quiet, un- 
 heralded way, it was the "Storp way." 
 Hence his success in the various mis- 
 sion fields over which he was called 
 to preside. He was a lover of nature. 
 Cheerfully, therefore, he acceded to 
 
 the Bishop's appointment which in 
 1893 called him away from Xokomis 
 to the pastorate of Green Creek, a 
 parish located amid the waving corn 
 and teeming wheat fields of Effing- 
 ham county, several miles off the 
 railroad. Whilst others had refused, 
 he was ready to accept. The Francis- 
 can Fathers of Teutopolis had re- 
 linquished the charge, he then was to 
 become its first resident pastor. Our 
 subject at once proceeded with the 
 construction of a commodious, splen- 
 did two-story bric'< residence. The 
 good farmers were equally proud of 
 their zealous, democratic pastor and 
 helped him in every way tD accom- 
 plish his purpose. He had but to ex- 
 press his wish and they cheerfully 
 complied with its execution, for they 
 soon had learned to love and respect 
 their unpretentious good priest whose 
 modest demands never exceeded the 
 bounds of reasonable necessity. 
 
 Father Storp was a man of the peo- 
 ple. He felt with and for them, liv- 
 ing their own simple, frugal lives. 
 And yet, withal, that priestly with- 
 drawal and reserve which was charac- 
 teristic of a fine spun sensitive nature 
 never left him. An interesting con- 
 versationalist, jovial, kind and gener- 
 ous, the Green Creek pastor dispensed 
 indiscriminate hospitality and many 
 a one journeyed thither to enjoy a few 
 hours of his benevolent company. 
 
 Lillyville, five miles distant, was at- 
 tended from Green Creek. It had like- 
 wise been relinquished by the Fran- 
 ciscan Fathers and our good Father 
 John attended it not only on Sundays, 
 but likewise often on week days, say- 
 ing Mass at an early hour. Xot 
 wishing to inconvenience the farmers 
 in furnishing him a team, especially 
 when the busy season was on, he 
 would walk the distance afoot. On 
 warm summer mornings when the dew 
 drops still sparkled on ferns and 
 grasses, he would pull off his boots 
 and socks, sling them over his 
 shoulders on some hickory sapling 
 and make for Lillyville, saying his 
 prayers and meditations on the way. 
 Such was Father John Storp with that 
 little black chin whiskers and rather 
 
 Page One. Hundred and Thirty- Si*
 
 pronounced Semitic cast of counten- 
 ance, the scholarly priest and exem- 
 plary man, pattern of zeal and piety, 
 uncompromising of principle but ready 
 to respect opinions of others though 
 they widely differed from his own. 
 
 A violent attack of pneumonia, con- 
 tracted in a drafty railroad car when 
 coming from a visit to St. Marie, 
 ended the precious life and useful ca- 
 reer of one of the peers of the Alton 
 diocese on February 8, 1902. He 
 sleeps within the shadow of the cross 
 in the little cemetery adjoining the 
 church in Green Creek. The congre- 
 gation he loved so well together with 
 
 his clerical friends deeply mourn his 
 untimely departure. 
 
 Let me adapt the following beauti- 
 ful lines to our departed friend, 
 Father John Storp: 
 
 Sleep, gentle priest, the way was long and 
 
 sad 
 
 y mark of pain rests on thy marble brow; 
 Tlly shadowy form in priestly vestments clad 
 Unsoiled by thee. Death was a sweet release 
 
 Slumber in peace! 
 
 Closed is thy book of life, .never again 
 To ope. And tho' its leaves were not a few 
 Each page is fair without a blot or stain 
 To mar its sheen. Death was a sweet release. 
 
 Slumber in peace! 
 Sleep on, O priest of God! thy cross laid 
 
 down 
 
 A brilliant trophy at thy Master's feet; 
 He will reward thee with a saintly crown 
 Death was to thee nought but a sweet release. 
 
 Slumber in peace ! 
 
 REV. JAMES STREMLER, D.D., LL.D. 
 
 "The way is long and dreary, 
 The path is bleak and bare' 1 . 
 
 In the latter part of the sixties the 
 Cleveland Diocesan Seminary was 
 presided over by a brilliant, gifted 
 man, he was Rev. Dr. J. Stremler. In 
 1870, however, this same Seminary 
 Rector offered his services to our 
 diocese. They were promptly ac- 
 cepted and Father Stremler was en- 
 
 trusted with the care of the parish 
 of Mattoon, which just then had 'been 
 made vacant by the resignation ot 
 Father Mangan. About one year he 
 managed the temporal and spiritual 
 affairs of Mattoon, when on Dec. 11, 
 1870, the Bishop appointed him pastor 
 of the Vandalia parish, which place he 
 held till July, 1872. Further particu- 
 lars of our Doctor are lacking. 
 
 REV. JOHN H. STUEBE. 
 
 "This life is worth but little save 
 To gain a home beyond the grave." 
 
 Secluded Okawville, in Washington 
 county, has in recent years sprung in- 
 to public notice from the fact that its 
 
 humble young pastor was selected by 
 the Holy See to occupy the episcopal 
 chair of the Diocese of Belleville, 
 made vacant by the death of Bishop 
 Janssen. Okawville is s o m e w h a t 
 
 known to the surrounding counties for 
 its health-giving springs, producing a 
 mineral water that is said to be a sure 
 cure for gout and rheumatism. This 
 same Okawville, which gave a Bishop 
 to Belleville, has likewise given a 
 priest to Alton, Rev. John H. Stuebe, 
 late pastor of St. Clare's parish of 
 Altamont. 
 
 Deceased was the eldest son of 
 Christian Stuebe and his wife Eliza- 
 beth, nee Bergkoetter. He was ush- 
 ered into the world March 6. 1873. 
 When eighteen years old he entered 
 St. Francis College of Quincy, for he 
 had determined to dedicate his life 
 to God and his fellow-men. Since 
 early childhood the thought of becom- 
 ing a priest had been uppermost in 
 his mind. Finishing the prescribed 
 classical course at St. Francis Col- 
 lege, young Stuebe thereupon became 
 an alumnus of St. Mary's Seminary, 
 (Price Hill) Cincinnati. March 2, 
 
 Page One Hundred and Thirty-Seven
 
 1901, our young candidate for Holy 
 Orders saw his fondest hopes realized, 
 for on that day he was ordained a 
 priest by Rt. Rev. Camillus Maes in 
 the Cathedral of Covington, Ky. 
 
 Having filled various appointments 
 as an assistant priest, such as St. 
 Patrick's, Decatur, St. John's Hospi- 
 tal of Springfield, and St. Mary's of 
 Quincy, Father Stuebe was appointed 
 to the charge of St. Charles' congre- 
 gation at Altamont, January 9, 1903. 
 During the nine years of splendid 
 pastoral work at Altamont he proved 
 himself a power for good and had 
 
 caused a new church to be built al 
 St. Elmo, a mission attached to the 
 jurisdiction of the pastor of Alta- 
 mont. In the midst of his active and 
 fruitful life, however, our hard-work- 
 ing young pastor was suddenly strick- 
 en with appendicitis, was at once 
 rushed to St. Anthony's Hospital of 
 Effingham and there underwent a 
 surgical operation from the effects 
 and shock of which he soon expired, 
 June 2, 1912. After solemn funeral 
 services his remains were interred in 
 St. Barbara's cemetery of Okawville, 
 his native town. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. JOHN SULLIVAN. 
 
 ' 'Yearning for a deeper peace, not known 
 before.' ' 
 
 He was a native of County Limer- 
 ick, Ireland, and a subject of Arch- 
 bishop Kenrick of St. Louis. The 
 erection of the present spacious St. 
 Malachy's church of St. Louis, is the 
 result of Father Sullivan's efforts 
 while pastor of that congregation. 
 Coming to the Alton diocese in 1865, 
 he was appointed to Marshall and 
 some time later to the charge of 
 Paris in April 1866-April 1867. Whilst 
 at Marshall and Paris he looked like- 
 wise after the spiritual interests of 
 the Catholics who lived in and around 
 Charleston. In 1867-'68 Father Sulli- 
 van acted as rector of St. Francis 
 
 Xavier's church of Jerseyville. During 
 his incumbency he started the build- 
 ing of the present church, a large and 
 solid structure. Before he saw it com- 
 pleted, however, he became involved 
 in financial difficulties from which the 
 young struggling parish knew not how 
 to free itself. His successor, Father 
 Harty, proved himself the man of the 
 hour. Father Sullivan was sent to 
 Springfield as pastor of the Immacu- 
 late Conception church. He suc- 
 ceeded Father Louis Hinssen. The 
 newly appointed pastor enjoyed his 
 stay at Springfield but a short while, 
 for in the following year, 1869, Father 
 Sullivan died. He was buried in the 
 Springfield cemetery. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. FRANCIS TECKLENBURG. 
 
 Every thought was full of grace, 
 
 Pure and true ; 
 
 And a heavenly radiance bright, 
 From the soul's reflected light 
 
 Shining through. 
 
 God in His infinite wisdom and 
 mercy saw fit to call from hence a 
 promising young priest in the flowery 
 springtime of his sacerdotal career. It 
 was the end of May, 1879, when Rev. 
 Francis Tecklenburg succumbed to the 
 oppressive heat of the season and 
 after a few days' sickness died a well 
 prepared death. Parishioners of two 
 congregations which the departed had 
 served so well, namely, Bethalto and 
 Mitchell, knelt in deep sorrow over 
 the untimely death of their beloved 
 young pastor around his bier and of- 
 
 fered fervent prayers for the repose 
 of his soul. To all, clergy and laity, 
 this tragic event was an eloquent 
 "Memento Mori." How deeply the 
 young priest had endeared himself in 
 the affections of the people is shown 
 by the fact that today after so many 
 years his memory is still kept alive 
 and many of the older people love to 
 recount his kindly acts. 
 
 Rev. Francis Tecklenburg was a 
 native of Germany, born in May, 1851, 
 at Auenshausen, Westfalia. His clas- 
 sical studies the young student pur- 
 sued partly at Warburg and partly at 
 Paderborn, graduating in 1873, Having 
 determined upon the vocation that 
 
 Page One Hundred and Thirty-Eight
 
 ultimately leads to the steps of the 
 altar, the talented young aspirant 
 matriculated the following year at 
 the University of Muenster and a year 
 later at that of Wuerzburg. For the 
 theological studies and the more im- 
 mediate preparation for Holy Orders 
 he became an alumnus of the Ameri- 
 can College of Louvain, at the con- 
 clusion of which he was ordained in 
 the Cathedral of Malines, May 27, 
 1877. In September of that year the 
 young priest landed at Alton and was 
 assigned at once to the parish of 
 Bethalto where soon he erected a 
 parochial residence, thus becoming 
 the first resident pastor of the place. 
 Mitchell was then affiliated to Bethal- 
 to and depended on his services. 
 After less than two years faithful labor 
 young Father Tecklenburg was sum- 
 moned by death. He lies buried in 
 St. Mary's cemetery of Alton. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. DENIS TIERNEY. 
 
 "Jesu, Tibi sit Gloria". 
 
 He was the first pastor of the young 
 congregation of Charleston in 1865. 
 Soon after his arrival the congrega- 
 tion purchased an edifice, used as a 
 Christian church, for hitherto Mass 
 had been said in a private house. 
 
 Father Tierney remained in Charles- 
 ton till 1868, when the church was con- 
 sumed by fire. We next find him, 
 from 1869-70, pastor of the parish of 
 Virden, after which further informa- 
 tion fails. 
 
 REV. AUGUSTINE TOLTON. 
 
 "Back, ye Phantoms, leave 
 O leave me 
 To my new and happy lot'". 
 
 The unique and enviable distinction 
 of having had within the ranks and 
 membership of her diocesan clergy 
 the first colored priest in the United 
 States, belongs to the diocese of 
 Alton. Of this fact the credit of 
 whose accomplishment primarily be- 
 longs to the efforts of Rev. P. Michael 
 Richard, O. F. M., and the late Father 
 McGirr, of St. Peter's church of 
 Quincy, we all have reason to be 
 proud. He who thus successfully 
 emerged from the lowly condition of 
 the black man, who had been born and 
 raised in bondage and slavery under 
 most trying and adverse conditions, 
 became an ornament to his priestly 
 vocation, winning his way to the 
 
 hearts of the Catholic people and gain- 
 ing the esteem and benevolence of all 
 by his unassuming manner and humble 
 and devout bearing. He cared not 
 what people, white or black, might 
 think of him; he knew his duty as 
 priest and hence could not be swerved 
 from its path by any considerations of 
 popular favor or disfavor. All liked 
 and loved him. The services were at 
 all times well patronized not only by 
 his own colored people but also large- 
 ly by whites, so much so that this 
 even aroused a bit of jealousy and 
 envy in the neighborhood. The little 
 frame church, St. Joseph's, on 7th and 
 Jersey streets, now a tinner's shop, 
 had risen in popular favor through- 
 out Quincy, It received generous 
 support and assistance from clergy 
 
 Page One Hundred and Thirty-Nine
 
 and laity and the good colored priest 
 was forever grateful for the aid thus 
 rendered his poor people and congre- 
 gation. 
 
 Father Augustine Tolton, for such 
 was our distinguished colored priest's 
 name, was a man of education and di- 
 
 verse rare attainments, speaking be- 
 sides his own language, Latin, Ger- 
 man and Italian. After graduating 
 from St. Peter's parochial school and 
 St. Francis College with honors, the 
 Franciscan Fathers, through the good 
 offices of their Superior General in 
 Rome, obtained for our poor negro 
 aspirant a place at the Propaganda. 
 They had perceived the latent fine 
 talents and qualities which the young 
 man possessed. Here in Rome, the 
 fountain head of Catholicity and the 
 seat of learning, our Propaganda 
 student prosecuted his theological 
 studies with great diligence and appli- 
 cation, evidencing the fact that where 
 a proper share of attention is cen- 
 tered upon the education of the 
 colored people, they can soon be 
 lifted to a high plane of intelligence 
 and responsibility. Some of our best 
 
 missionary talent trained for the 
 specific purpose in the newly founded 
 "Josephite House" of Baltimore, is ex- 
 clusively devoted to the cause of the 
 American negro. One can point with 
 justifiable pride to many illustrious 
 men who have gone forth from the 
 lowly ranks of the colored people, the 
 greatest of whom was undoubtedly 
 the late Booker Washington, a man 
 of national repute, a great educator 
 and leader of his people, born and 
 raised a poor, despised negro. When 
 given proper attention and placed 
 amid wholesome influences and moral 
 surroundings, the colored people are 
 able to compete with their more for- 
 tunate white brethern in the attain- 
 ment of honor and distinction. Father 
 Tolton has demonstrated this fact 
 whilst studying for the priesthood in 
 Rome, and subsequently as priest of 
 Quincy and Chicago. His studies 
 completed, Father Tolton was or- 
 dained a priest by His Eminence, 
 Cardinal Parochi, April 24, 1886. The 
 first colored young man of the United 
 States out of ten million negroes, a 
 priest. What a joyous and happy 
 event for the Diocese whose product 
 he was, what a memorable and im- 
 portant fact in the history of the 
 Church in these United States which 
 had worked among the colored race 
 with but varied success. 
 
 Father Tolton at once came back to 
 Quincy, where he said his first Holy 
 Mass at St: Boniface church, July 18, 
 1886, and was given charge of the 
 small negro parish, the history of 
 which is briefly told as follows: 
 
 After the Civil War (1861-1865) 
 many former negro slaves, a number 
 of whom were Catholics, settled in 
 Quincy. To prevent their drifting 
 away from the church, the Rev. 
 Michael Richard, O. F. M., undertook 
 to collect the scattered sheep, if 
 possible, into a separate parish. The 
 pastor of St. Boniface, Rev. John 
 Janssen, placed a former small pro- 
 testant church on Seventh and Jersey 
 streets, purchased in 1866 by Father 
 Schaefermeyer for $7,000, which was 
 temporarily used for school purposes 
 but vacant at the time, at P. Michael's 
 
 Page One Hundred and Forty
 
 disposal. A Sunday school was be- 
 gun Oct. 21, 1877. The attendance 
 was good and kept on increasing. 
 Ven. Sister Herline of St. Mary's 
 Academy, on February 11, 1878, 
 opened a day school with 21 pupils. 
 This number increased to 60. The 
 baptism of seven negro children April 
 22, following, caused a protest by 
 Methodists and Baptists. No stone 
 was left unturned to prevent the negro 
 children from attending, many of 
 whom stayed away Several of the 
 priests, such as Bruener, Hoffman and 
 Samuel Macke, kept up the good work 
 until the coming of Father Tolton 
 from Rome in 1886. How successful 
 this colored priest worked among the 
 members of his own race and among 
 the white people likewise has been 
 stated. His services were in demand 
 everywhere, even Cardinal Gibbons 
 summoned him repeatedly to Balti- 
 more, there to preach and minister 
 to the numerous colored population. 
 He was a great lover of his snuff- 
 box. In Chicago a philanthropic 
 wealthy lady, Mrs Anne O'Neil, es- 
 tablished a $10,000 fund for the found- 
 ing of a church, St. Monica's, for the 
 use of .the colored people. Nobody, 
 however, would do but Father Tol- 
 ton. In consequence the Archbishop 
 requisitioned his services, Bishop 
 
 Ryan consented to his transfer to 
 Chicago and "Father Gus" as he was 
 familiarly styled by m any of his 
 clerical friends moved to that Babel 
 by the Lake Shore, on Nov. 28, 1889. 
 Everything went well with new St. 
 Monica's. The parish was in a fair 
 way of developing when our dusky 
 Reverend friend took sick and soon 
 afterwards died July 9, 1897, a sun- 
 stroke claimed him. Father Tolton's 
 remains were brought back to Quincy 
 and buried in the Priest's lot in St. 
 Peter's cemetery. He attained the 
 age of but 43 years having been born 
 at Brush Creek, Rails county, Mo., on 
 April 1, 1854. His parents were 
 Peter Tolton and Martha Chisely, 
 they moved to Quincy in 1861. 
 
 What became of St. Joseph's colored 
 parish of Quincy after the transfer 
 of its pastor to Chicago? The shep- 
 herd being gone and none to replace 
 him, it died of inanition. Many of the 
 Catholic negroes moved away, others 
 returned to the Methodists and Bap- 
 tists, the church edifice was sold and 
 serves today as tin-shop. There are 
 not a half dozen colored Catholics, if 
 any, left in Quincy, out of a popula- 
 tion of about 3,000 or more. Sad in- 
 deed! God speed the day when again 
 a colored Catholic parish shall be- 
 come an actuality in Quincy. 
 
 REV. FRANCIS TROJAN. 
 
 "Within thy Savior's Heart, 
 Place all thy care, 
 And learn, O weary soul, 
 Thy Best is there' 1 . 
 
 Rev. Francis Trojan was born and 
 ordained a priest in Europe. He was 
 a Bohemian by birth and hence his 
 first appointment was that of assistant 
 to the pastor of St. John' Nepomuk 
 church, St. Louis, a Bohemian parish 
 From St. Louis our deceased priest 
 came to the Alton Diocese and was 
 
 assigned to Paderborn in 1864, Free- 
 burg 1865-'68, Millstadt 1868-71 and 
 to Collinsville 1871-79, after which he 
 was transferred to Lebanon, leaving 
 the field to his successor, Rev. H. 
 Degenhardt. 
 
 At Lebanon Father Trojan's life 
 came to an end in 1881. He was 
 buried in the parish cemetery of Le- 
 banon. Defunct is known to have 
 been a fine musician. R. I. P. 
 
 Page One Hundred and_Forty-On
 
 REV. HILARY TUCKER. 
 
 After having been attended as one 
 flock by Father Lefevre, the future 
 Bishop of Detroit, from 1833-1837, the 
 Catholics of Quincy found themselves 
 divided, the German speaking under 
 their resident pastor, Rev. A. Brick- 
 wedde, and the English speaking 
 under Rev. Irenaeus St. Cyr, residing 
 at St. Louis and afterwards at St. 
 Augustine. In 1839 Rev. Hilary 
 Tucker, a native Missourian, who had 
 been sent together with Rev. Geo. A. 
 Hamilton, by Bishop Rosatti to Rome, 
 there to prepare themselves for the 
 priesthood, became the resident priest 
 of the English speaking people of 
 Quincy. This was his first appoint- 
 ment since ordination. Soon after his 
 arrival Father Tucker succeeded in 
 collecting the sum of $2,000 in cash, 
 obtaining from Mr. Whitney, a con- 
 vert, a corner lot for building pur- 
 poses, erected a church under the 
 
 patronage of St. Lawrence, with the 
 hope of having it ready for divine 
 services by the feast of the Assump- 
 tion. Unfortunately the Northern 
 Cross railroad for the construction of 
 which many Irish laborers had gath- 
 ered at Qunicy, became bankrupt and 
 with it the building of the church. 
 The same was sold under the hammer 
 before its completion, but afterwards 
 secured for the use of the congrega- 
 tion. 
 
 Father Hilary Tucker remained in 
 Quincy for seven yeears, from 1839- 
 1846, then for some years went to 
 Chicago and Batavia, and ultimately 
 he and Father G. A. Hamilton, whose 
 headquarters were then at Springfield, 
 both left for the East, joining the 
 clergy of the Boston diocese. Father 
 Tucker died at Boston as pastor of 
 one of that city's parishes and there 
 he found his last resting place. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. JULIAN TURMEL. 
 
 "And angel voices 
 Shall ring in heavenly chant 
 Upon thine ear". 
 
 When Father Turmel was privi- 
 leged to look back upon a long, well- 
 spent life as priest in God's vineyard, 
 he retired from active work to spend 
 some time in the seclusion of St. 
 John's Hospital, Springfield, after 
 which he wended his steps westward 
 to seek the invigorating climate 
 among the Colorado Rockies. There 
 his eventful career came to an end 
 on January 12, 1910. 
 
 Father Turmel assumed charge of 
 the rectorship of the Shelbyville con- 
 gregation in 1865, becoming thereby 
 its first resident pastor. From 1870- 
 73 he is made rector of the Pana 
 parish, by which he likewise became 
 the first resident priest of that place. 
 Whilst stationed at Pana, he under- 
 took the extension of the church 
 building, constructed a room in con- 
 junction with the church where he 
 lived and even for short while opened 
 a school. During the Pana pastorate 
 he turned his attention to promising 
 Xokomis, where in 1871, the people 
 
 had resolved on building a church 
 and had the work actually done that 
 same year. St. Louis, King of France, 
 became the patron of the mission, no 
 doubt from the fact that Fatner Julian 
 Turmel, the pastor of the church was 
 a native of Brittany, France. As the 
 people were mostly from Ireland, "a 
 tempest in a tea-kettle" arose on that 
 score. The Bishop was repeatedly 
 petitioned that he take St. Louis off 
 the Nokomis pedestal and have him 
 superceded by St. Patrick. Their 
 singular request, however, was 
 promptly turned down. In 1874 
 Father Turmel was transferred to the 
 parish of Winchester, where in a 
 quiet, unostentatious manner he con- 
 tinued his good offices for thirteen 
 years, till 1887, at the expiration of 
 which time he petitioned for permis- 
 sion to retire from pastoral duty, 
 which request was graciously acceded 
 to. 
 
 It was a pleasure to meet Father 
 Turmel; his personality was magnetic, 
 his ways simple and unaffected, hence 
 a host of friends surrounded him. 
 R. I. P. 
 
 Page One Hundred and Forty- TV
 
 REV. ALBERT A. ULRICH. 
 
 ' 'Who this life for Jesus give 
 Through eternity shall live". 
 
 Within the space of few years pro- 
 saic Calhoun county sustained in 
 rather rapid succession the loss of 
 some of her eminent priests. To. 
 those who were claimed by inexorable 
 death must be added the name of one 
 
 who at all times has proved himself 
 a valiant champion of the cross, who 
 was an able and ardent exponent of 
 the faith, a zealous priest and ripe 
 scholar; it is the name of Rev. Albert 
 A. Ulrich, the quondam pastor of St. 
 Anselm's church. In this country 
 parish, our subject felt rather handi- 
 capped from being unable to properly 
 utilize his accumulated store of 
 knowledge or to accomplish results 
 for which he was eminently qualified. 
 Proof of his abilities and brilliant at- 
 tainments is couched in the fact that 
 prior to his advent into our diocese, 
 Father Ulrich had been for years pro- 
 fessor of sciences at the Jesuit Col- 
 lege of Woodstock, where most suc- 
 cessfully he occupied the chair of 
 chemistry. In the pulpit he was most 
 eloquent, hence his superiors had sent 
 him frequently as missionary into 
 various eastern cities to conduct mis- 
 sions and give retreats to large com- 
 munities of men and women. In this 
 
 connection it is pertinent to state that 
 our deceased priest had for many 
 years been a member of the Society 
 of Jesus, which, however, he had left 
 shortly before joining the clergy force 
 of Alton. He was of a very sunny 
 disposition, full of amiability and good 
 cheer, a splendid conversationalist and 
 a man of mature judgment. Having 
 acted for awhile as assistant to the 
 pastor of Marshall, the Bishop soon 
 appointed him pastor to Rampsville, 
 made vacant by the transfer of Rev. 
 J. A. Duval to Staunton. 
 
 Rev. Father Albert A. Ulrich was a 
 native of Breslau, Germany, born 
 March 1, 1858. His classical studies 
 finished, he came to America to enter 
 the Novitiate of the Jesuit Order at 
 Woodstock, Maryland, where in due 
 course of time he was ordained priest 
 June 26, 1885. He proved himself a 
 valuable member of the community, 
 success attending his strenuous ef- 
 forts in the various fields of labor and 
 usefulness to which the voice of his 
 superiors called him. In 1902 Father 
 Ulrich severed connection with the 
 Order, came west and was admitted 
 into the Alton Diocese, where he 
 worked most zealously for souls for 
 more than six years, especially as 
 pastor of Kampsville and the out- 
 mission Belleview. The latter place 
 he attended faithfully once a month, 
 making a drive of 16 miles Sunday 
 mornings after having said early Mass 
 at Kampsville. Finally succumbing 
 to a very painful, lingering disease, 
 he died well prepared, at St. Anthony's 
 hospital of St. Louis, Wednesday, 
 March 24, 1909. The funeral took 
 place at Kampsville the following 
 Monday, March 29, at which his suc- 
 cessor in office, Rev. Father Neveling 
 was celebrant of the Mass, assisted 
 by Revs. A. Schockaert. of Grafton, 
 and Joseph Kopp, of Hardin, whilst 
 Revs. J. Duval, of Staunton and J. B. 
 Wand, of Meppen, delivered the Eng- 
 lish resp. German funeral orations. 
 R. I. P. 
 
 Page One Hundred and Foryt-Three
 
 REV. JOSEPH VAHEY. 
 
 "In life and death we call on the Star of the 
 Sea' '. 
 
 An intellectual man of great literary 
 attainments, a known writer of ability, 
 .whose name had become familiar to 
 the world of letters and education was 
 Father Valey. His treatise on "Men- 
 tal Philosophy" had given him a wide 
 reputation. He occupied some of the 
 foremost parishes in Wisconsin, 
 among them Madison, and built St. 
 Patrick's church of Milwaukee. 
 
 Father Valey was for some years 
 a missionary priest in Iowa and Cen- 
 tral Illinois, and amongst other places 
 
 he occupied in this state and diocese 
 were that of Paris in 1862 and Van- 
 dalia from April 12, 1863-December 3, 
 1866. 
 
 When the evening of life had set 
 in, Father Vahey retired to Elkhorn 
 Wisconsin. There he peacefully ex- 
 pired and his remains were buried 
 there. Whilst defunct was located at 
 Paris he built a plain frame church 
 and cottage along the railroad track 
 and west of the town, too far away 
 to be comfortable and convenient of 
 access. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. ANTHONY VOGT. 
 
 "The precious souls for whom his life was 
 
 spent, 
 The souls he sought and 1 warred for night 
 
 and day, 
 
 Now sheltered in the everlasting arms. 
 Ah! this his crown exceeding great shall be 
 Throughout the cycles of eternity." 
 
 St. Patrick's of Decatur owes to a 
 great extent its present flourishing 
 condition to the disinterested and un- 
 selfish labors of Rev. Anthony Vogt, 
 who ruled over that parish from 
 1857-70. Not minimizing nor de- 
 tracting from the merits and achieve- 
 ments of his successors such as 
 Fathers Hickey, Mackin and espe- 
 cially the wonderful progress made 
 under its present pastor, Rev. J. 
 Murphy, yet it remains true that all 
 this advancement was built more or 
 less upon that solid foundation which 
 was placed there during eleven years 
 faithful service by deceased. A neo- 
 presbyster he was sent thither. His 
 heart was aglow with that divine ar- 
 dor and holy enthusiasm of a young 
 priest who counts obstacles and re- 
 verses as insignificant. Ceaselessly he 
 planned and worked out the prob- 
 lems which confronted him. And 
 success crowned his efforts. The 
 small church which had been built in 
 the early days of the existence of 
 the congregation by Father Cusack, 
 was soon replaced by a substantial 
 brick church with residence adjoining. 
 From St. Patrick's as center, radiated 
 Father Vogt's activities in many direc- 
 tions. All surrounding towns and 
 hamlets experienced his priestly func- 
 
 Page One Hundred and Forty-Four 
 
 tions and ministrations. He attended 
 the missions of Shelbyvilje, Macon, 
 Marrowbone, Moweaqua and Bement, 
 Ivesdale, Monticello, Cerro-Gordo, 
 Illiopolis, Buffalo, Blue Mound and 
 Stonington. In 1870 he was replaced 
 by Father R. Welsh (who died in 
 1874.) He was appointed pastor of 
 Macon, where in 1867, he had erected 
 a church in honor of St. Stanislaus. 
 This church was blown down by a 
 cyclone. Father Vogt went again to 
 work, this time putting up a brick 
 church. It was no sooner built than 
 it too was destroyed by a cyclone. 
 Without losing courage, however, he 
 set to work a third time to build a 
 church in his Macon parish. This 
 church stands to the present day, al- 
 though somewhat enlarged, to ac- 
 commodate the growing members of 
 the parish by the late Father Maurer. 
 From Macon he moved to Litchfield 
 in 1873, where his stay lasted but one 
 year, till 1874. Ruma was the next 
 parish. Here deceased was its pastor 
 for almost 20 years until his transfer 
 to the Glen Addie Orphanage near 
 Belleville, some few months previous 
 to his death, May 25, 1903. 
 
 Rev. Anthony Vogt was born 
 November 29, 1832, at Lohne in Olden- 
 burg, studied at Notre Dame, Ind., 
 St. Thomas, Ky., and Mt. St. Mary's 
 Cincinnati, and was raised to the 
 priesthood by Bishop Juncker at 
 Alton, May 3, 1859. R. I. P.
 
 REV. SYLVESTER WEGENER. 
 
 During the years when priestly fer- 
 vor animated the action of Rev. S. 
 Wegener, they were productive of 
 good results, Collinsville (1867-77), 
 Paris (1871-73) St. Marie (1873-74) 
 Beardstown (1876-77,) testify to his 
 zeal. After his ordination in 1866, 
 being stationed in East St. Louis, he 
 attended Collinsville as out-mission 
 for awhile. It was during this period 
 
 that he purchased there a residence 
 adjoining the church with a large plot 
 of ground for the sum of $3,000. 
 Whilst at Paris he built a church at 
 Charlestovvn, in 1872. 
 
 Rev. Sylvester Wegener was born 
 at Paderborn, April 29, 1833; ordained 
 to the priesthood, November 22, 1864, 
 having come to this country in 1856. 
 He died in Chicago. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. ROMAN WEINZAEPFLE. 
 
 "My fate is in Thy hands, 
 Whatever it may be 
 Pleasant or painful, bright or dark, 
 As best may seem to Thee 1 '. 
 
 With what diabolical rage and fury 
 Knownothingism assailed the church, 
 her institutions and clergy, about the 
 middle of the last century, is well 
 known. Its history among the vic- 
 tims against whom the venemous 
 darts and false accusations were direc- 
 ted reached its climax in one who was 
 hounded until the prison doors closea 
 behind him, namely, Rev. K o m a n 
 Weinzaefel. Though entirely ignorant 
 and innocent of a crime they had ac- 
 cused him of, nevertheless, this worthy 
 
 young priest had to wear the convict's 
 garb for five years at the Jefferson- 
 ville, Ind., state prison, until pardoned 
 by President Polk. He was a priest of 
 the Vincennes diocese, and as such 
 was sent to Teutopolis in 1845, where 
 he performed his duties in most ex- 
 cellent and praiseworthy manner. 
 Shortly after his release he entered 
 the Benedictine Order, celebrated his 
 Golden Jubilee in 1890, and died a 
 pious death in 1895. 
 
 Rev. Roman Weinzaefel was a 
 native of Strassburg in Elsace, born 
 April 15, 1813, and ordained to the 
 priesthood April 5, 1840. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. MICHAEL WEIS. 
 
 "How many a tranquil soul has passed away 
 Fled gladly from fierce pain and pleasures 
 
 dim 
 
 To the eternal splendor of the day; 
 And many a troubled heart still calls for 
 him : 
 
 'The Angel Death'." 
 
 An informal gathering of Church 
 trustees and choir members took 
 place at the St. Boniface rectory on 
 the evening of November 10, 1887, 
 occasioned by the pastor's namesday, 
 Rev. Theodore Bruener. Whilst the 
 generous host entertained his visitors 
 he made known to them his future 
 intentions, namely; that he was to 
 leave them even that very evening 
 for the purpose of joining the Fran- 
 ciscan Order at Teutopolis, at same 
 time introducing the new pastor to 
 them, Rev. Michael Weis, who had 
 arrived in the meantime. Father 
 Bruener set out that very night for 
 Teutopolis, assumed the habit of St. 
 
 Francis and was henceforth known 
 as Father Leo, O. F. M. 
 
 Father Weis, the seventh pastor of 
 St. Boniface, was born in Bavaria, in 
 the town of Nuerbach, June 8, 1838, 
 the oldest of nine children, seven 
 boys and two girls. At the age of 
 thirteen the family came to America, 
 landing in New York. For the first 
 five years Mrchael was employed as 
 a farm hand near New York, when 
 the family moved to Teutopolis, where 
 he continued to follow the same oc- 
 cupation at the same time devoting 
 all his spare moments to useful study. 
 After a short time he was engaged 
 as teacher in the public school of Teu- 
 topolis and after one year he took a 
 similar position in St. Mary's Catholic 
 school of Edwardsville, remaining two 
 years. Believing himself called to the 
 sacred ministry, he entered St. 
 
 Page One Hundred and Forty-Five
 
 Joseph's College of Teutopolis, where 
 he pursued his studies for three years 
 and later entered the Grand Seminary 
 
 turned after some time to become 
 chancellor of the diocese, which posi- 
 tion he held till January 1, 1880, when 
 
 of Montreal. He was ordained to the 
 priesthood at Alton, April 4, 1868, and 
 at once assigned to the parish of Van- 
 dalia, where he labored one year and 
 seven months. He was next trans- 
 ferred to Marine and a short time later 
 to Effingham, where he remained five 
 years and constructed the present 
 handsome parish church, St. Antho- 
 ny's. In 1877 ill health compelled him 
 to seek relief in California, but he re- 
 
 at his own request, he was sent to 
 Grant Fork, and afterwards to Litch- 
 field and Springfield, whence on No- 
 vember 10, 1887, he came to Qiiincy 
 as pastor of St. Boniface and Dean of 
 the district, which double position he 
 very creditably filled until his death, 
 which occured November 9, 1909. R. 
 I. P. (Extract from Diamond Jubilee 
 Souvenir of St. Boniface Congrega- 
 tion, 1912.) 
 
 f\S 
 
 
 Page One Hundred and Forty-Six
 
 REV. EDWARD WELSH. 
 
 "O, may God grant that you may be 
 As noble and as good as he 
 As gentle and as brave". 
 
 A noble and talented young priest 
 was Rev. Edward Welsh. Alas! he 
 was called away all too soon. But 
 
 three years of priestly life and the 
 Master summoned him to Himself. 
 His career, though short, was exem- 
 plary and edifying. Of a sunny dispo- 
 
 sition, kind and forebearing, young 
 Father Welsh had a host of friends 
 and admirers. His confreres of the 
 clergy regarded their young colleague 
 highly. His earnestness, talents and 
 unfeigned piety, all combined to make 
 his career a promising one; hence his 
 premature loss was a doubly keen one. 
 
 Rev. E. Welsh was born at Litch- 
 field, 111., October 1, 1863, and was the 
 son of Lawrence Welsh and his wife 
 Catherine, nee McNamara. After his 
 preparatory studies he entered St. 
 Francis Seminary, Milwaukee, but be- 
 fore his course was half completed, 
 Bishop Baltes recognizing the quali- 
 ties of the unusually bright student, 
 sent him to the American College of 
 Rome. There, in the Eternal City, he 
 was elevated to the priesthood on 
 June 26. 1888. Returning to the United 
 States, young Father Welsh was as- 
 signed as assistant to the Cathedral 
 of Alton, where he worked with great 
 zeal. There he died on July 11, 1891. 
 His remains were forwarded to Litch- 
 field, where they were interred in the 
 parish cemetery on July 15. 
 
 May the soul of dear Father Welsh 
 rest in God's holy peace. 
 
 REV. RICHARD WELSH. 
 
 A native of Ireland, he was or- 
 dained t All Hallows on June 24, 
 1864. In 1870 he became the pastor of 
 St. Patrick's Decatur, where he per- 
 
 formed good services during the four 
 years of incumbency. He died there 
 in 1874. R. I. P. 
 
 REV. BLASIUS WINTERHALTER. 
 
 ' 'It is easy to die 
 When one's work is done 
 To pass from the earth 
 Like a harvest day's sun, 
 After opening the flowers and ripening the 
 
 grain, 
 
 Round the homes and the scenes where our 
 Friends remain". 
 
 Calhoun County, yea the "Kingdom 
 of Calhoun," as the long, narrow fer- 
 tile strip of land is sometimes called, 
 which lies between the waters of two 
 of America's foremost rivers, viz: 
 the imperial and majestic Mississippi, 
 and beautiful Illinois, extends from 
 Pike county north down to the con- 
 
 fluence of these rivers at Grafton 
 above Alton south. 
 
 Here then in Calhoun county two 
 venerable, apostolic men have de- 
 ployed their physical and spiritual 
 energies for the benefit of their fellow- 
 men; they have left a lasting impress 
 not only upon their own parishes of 
 Brussels and Meppen, nay all Cal- 
 houn county felt the beneficial influ- 
 ences which emenated from the un- 
 selfish lives of these worthy disciples 
 of Christ, I refer to the Revs. Blasius 
 
 Page One Hundred and Forty-Seven
 
 Winterhalter and Francis E. Without, 
 both of whom departed this life in 
 close succession a few years ago. Such 
 staunch, rugged and loyal men as 
 these, following quietly and cheerfully 
 in the footprints of their divine Lord 
 
 and Master, were building better than 
 they knew. And if ever a marble shaft 
 were to be erected as a monument 
 and token to the heroic deeds of any 
 of our Diocesan pioneer priests, I 
 would know of none worthier or more 
 deserving of such honor than these 
 two rugged men of Calhoun county, 
 Revs. Winterhalter and Without, the 
 former remaining 36 years uninter- 
 rupted at his post of duty and the 
 latter 38 years. 
 
 May these two grand old men who 
 forever will be looked up to as bright 
 and shining models of priestly sacri- 
 fices and self denials by their surviv- 
 ing confreres rest in God's holy peace. 
 
 Rev. Blasius Winterhalter, a native 
 of Baden, was born at St. Peter in 
 the Archdiocese of Freiburg on the 
 
 29th day of January, 1833. Having 
 made a splendid course of classical 
 studies in his native land, he emigra- 
 ted at the age of 20 years to America, 
 landing on our shores June 15th, 
 1853. Eleven years later, April 17th, 
 1864, he was elevated to the priest- 
 hood in the Cathedral church of Cin- 
 cinnati, Ohio, and was assigned at 
 once as assistant priest to SS. Peter 
 and Paul's church of Springfield. One 
 year our decedent stayed there. His 
 fidelity and prompt response to duty 
 together with an earnest effort to 
 comply with the manifold demands of 
 his sacred calling, soon gained him 
 the affection and unqualified confi- 
 dence of the people, and well was 
 (heir confidence placed, not only here, 
 but likewise in the other charges over 
 which he presided. 
 
 His was an adamantine character, 
 firm and deeply rooted in all his ac- 
 tions by power of conviction. He 
 was of that rugged honesty which 
 never fails to convince. It is but 
 natural then that he soon forged 
 ahead, became popular and beloved, 
 and soon attracted the attention of the 
 Ordinary upon his fruitful labors with 
 the results that Father Winterhalter 
 was transferred to Piopolis, "Belle 
 Prairie" as it was called in those days 
 and thence to Columbia. In these 
 two places he stayed about six years 
 after which he was appointed to St. 
 Mary's parish of Brussels, Calhoun 
 county. 
 
 In the latter part of the sixties. 
 Father Winterhalter made a trip to 
 the old country. Whilst there he was 
 successful in inducing a number of 
 Sisters of the Precious Blood to ac- 
 company him to his American home 
 in Belle Prairie in the Alton diocese 
 and be active as teachers in our paro- 
 chial schools. Of those who accom- 
 panied him across the sea were the 
 Sisters Albertine, (Superioress), Phil- 
 ippine, Benedicta, Mechtildis and Clo- 
 tilde, some of whom are still living 
 in retirement at the Mother House of 
 O'Fallon, Mo., and Ruma, 111. The 
 Sisterhood soon grew and expanded 
 as all Sisterhoods do. Piopolis soon 
 
 Page One Hundred and Forly-Eighl
 
 had become too small and insignifi- 
 cant, hence a change of location was 
 desired and looked for. Ruma, with 
 its former Diocesan College, was the 
 place. Whilst some of the members 
 of this community settled down at 
 Ruma, others had crossed the river 
 into Missouri where they located at 
 O'Fallon, some 40 miles west of St. 
 Lotus. Both branches of this same 
 congregation seem to flourish. They 
 are doing well in Quincy at St. Mary's, 
 the only place they retain in the Dio- 
 cese. (These above mentioned Sis- 
 ters must not be confounded with 
 others of the same name who in more 
 recent years settled at Alton, 111., 
 coming thither from Eastern Europe.) 
 
 Father Winterhalter's appointment 
 as pastor of St. Mary's of Brussels in 
 Calhoun county took place January 19, 
 1871. Here he rounded out a most ac- 
 tive life of rarest mold. He proved 
 himself a peerless man, leading others 
 with foresight and wisdom, with in- 
 vincible force of will power and the 
 
 strength of robust virtues. He and 
 his aged confrere, Without, may be 
 said ot have been two sturdy oaks, 
 planted and deeply rooted in Cal- 
 houn's fertile soil. 
 
 When he felt his strength waning 
 and infirmities increasing, he peti- 
 tioned the Bishop for permission to 
 resign and retire from active service. 
 His petition was granted ancr gootl 
 Father Winterhalter bid farewell to 
 his parishioners on February 18, 1907. 
 The whole parish was in mourning 
 and many a tear was shed over the 
 good pastor's leave taking. He re- 
 tired to St. Louis where on December 
 21, 1907 he died a peaceful death, 
 caused by his chronic malady, bron- 
 chitis. Solemn obsequies were held in 
 the Church of St. Mary of Perpetual 
 Help. Right Rev. Bishop Ryan pre- 
 siding over them. 
 
 Father Winterhalter attained the 
 biblical age. His remains were de- 
 posited in Calvary cemetery. 
 
 REV. FRANZ WITHOUT. 
 
 "Serve bone et fldelis, 
 Intra in gaudium Domini tui". 
 
 Rev. John Francis Eberhard With- 
 out, who at the time of Tils ueath was 
 the Nestor of the Diocesan clergy 
 (1864-1910), passed away at St. Mary's 
 hospital, Quincy, 111., on August 6, 
 1910, being then in his eightieth year 
 of life. He had lived with the good 
 Sisters in quiet, peaceful retirement 
 for upwards of eight years, relin- 
 quishing parochial work only when 
 necessitated by physical infirmities 
 superinduced by old age. Months prior 
 to his death he signally failed .from 
 day to day, his condition became such 
 that no hope for ultimate recovery 
 was any longer entertained. A para- 
 lytic stroke hastened the end. 
 
 For almost half a century Father 
 Without served his Master and the 
 Church, and thirty-eight years of 
 blessed ministrations were spent by 
 him as spiritual guide of St. Joseph's 
 congregation of Meppen, in Calhoun 
 county. Through all these years he 
 
 proved himself faithful and zealous in 
 the discharge of the duties of his 
 sacred calling. His long and useful 
 life was a beautiful exemplification of 
 priestly virtues, of holy zest and zeal 
 for God and the souls of men. Every 
 one liked him, by his humble, unob- 
 trusive manner he gained the esteem 
 and respect of all who came in con- 
 tact with him. Father Without was 
 a man of uncompromising principle; 
 he forgave all wrongs but demanded 
 and insisted on his rights from priest 
 or layman. Through his unrelaxed 
 efforts, aided by many personal sacri- 
 fices, the members of St. Joseph's 
 pride themselves of having one of the 
 best appointed country parishes of the 
 diocese, a substantial rock church 
 (1854) commodious rectory (1866) 
 and a flourishing parochial school 
 (1874), which was taught in former 
 years, 1865-74 by himself, then by lay 
 teachers, but more recently is in 
 charge of the Sisters of the Precious 
 Blood. Having been for so many 
 
 Page One Hundred and Forty-Nine
 
 years practically isolated in peninsu- 
 lar Calhoun, and rarely come in 
 closer contact with the outer world 
 and its pulsating energies, good Father 
 Without looked upon modern insti- 
 
 Brussels, as deacon, and Rev. Joseph 
 Kopp, of Hardin, as sub-deacon, whilst 
 Rev. J. B. Wardein of Michaels who 
 later on succeeded J. B. Wand as pas- 
 tor of Meppen acted as master of 
 
 tutions, modern ideas and progress- 
 iveness rather askance and with sus- 
 picion, clinging to Msgr. Ollier's 
 maxim: "Nil innovetur nisi quod tra- 
 ditum," hence his whole line of 
 thought dwelt mainly upon his parish, 
 his dear Meppen. There he lies buried. 
 The solemn obsequies were had in his 
 beloved St. Joseph's church. Rev. J. 
 B. Wand, at that time pastor of the 
 parish, was celebrant of the Mass, as- 
 sisted by Rev. Dr. Hy. Becker of 
 ceremonies. TheG.erman sermon was 
 delivered by Rev. A. Zurbonsen, of 
 Quincy who had accompanied the 
 body and the English sermon by 
 Very Rev. Edw. Spalding of the Alton 
 Cathedral. Besides these there were in 
 attendance Revs. A. Schockaert, Graf- 
 
 ton; F. A. Marks, Jerseyville, and E. 
 D. Hickey, Kampsville. 
 
 Rev. Father Without was born at 
 Miste, a small town near raderborn 
 in Westphalia on July 24, 1831, and 
 was therefore aged 79 years, 6 months 
 and 12 days at the time of his death. 
 He was educated and prepared for 
 his holy calling in his native country, 
 landing here in October, 1863. Dur- 
 ing the following winter he completed 
 his studies and on April 17, 1864, was 
 ordained to the priesthood at St. 
 Mary's church, Springfield, III, by Rt. 
 Rev. H. D. Junker, D. D., first 
 Bishop of Alton. His first appoint- 
 ment was that of an assistant to Very 
 Rev. Herman Schaefermeyer, pastor 
 of St. Boniface church, Quincy, 111. 
 
 Page One Hundred and Fifty
 
 Within less than a year our subject 
 was assigned as pastor of the young, 
 newly-founded parish of Meppen in 
 Calhoun county, where he labored so 
 persistently and successfully until 
 
 bodily infirmities and old age com- 
 pelled him to seek the quiet and peace- 
 ful asylum of St. Mary's hospital of 
 Quincy, 111. 
 
 REV. JOSEPH F. ZOEGEL. 
 
 "Pains and pleasures try the pilgrim 
 On his long and weary way". 
 
 After the transfer of Rev. Joseph 
 Kuenster from Teutopolis to Quincy, 
 in 1850, Bishop Van de Velde, of 
 Chicago, sent Rev. Joseph Zoegel to 
 be his successor. This priest had 
 lately arrived in the diocese from 
 Strassburg, Elsace. His appointment 
 to that parish was by no means an 
 enviable one, as strife, opposition and 
 dissensions had been of frequent oc- 
 currence and often embittered the 
 lives of the various pastors. With the 
 advent of Father Zoegel, things 
 seemed to take a different turn. In 
 his dealings with obstreperous char- 
 acters he remained firm and assertive 
 and succeeded in bringing many 
 around to espouse his viewpoint of 
 affairs ecclesiastical. Strongly he ad- 
 vocated the building of a large new 
 church, to which the people consen- 
 ted. In the selection of the site, how- 
 ever, serious contentions arose which 
 finally were adjusted by Bishop Van 
 de Velde. The cornerstone to this 
 (the present) church, was placed July 
 18, 1851 by the Chicago Bishop. Of 
 this ceremony, the Bishop's diary 
 contains the following account. 
 
 "The sixth Sunday after Pentecost 
 was a happy day for the Catholics of 
 Teutopolis. Early in the morning the 
 people began to arrive from the coun- 
 try. Bishop said Mass at 7 o'clock 
 and the procession was formed about 
 9; it was headed by the children of 
 the parish, these were followed t>y the 
 
 members of St. Peter's Society wear- 
 ing their badges, and the latter by 
 nearly the whole congregation, the 
 men preceding and the women follow- 
 ing the Bishop and his attendants. 
 The procession moved amid the dis- 
 charges of musktry from the old 
 church. The Bishop walked under a 
 canopy, vested in alb and cope, with 
 mitre, and crozier and was attended 
 by the Rev. Mr. Fisher, pastor of St. 
 Marie, in cope, Rev. J. Zoegel in 
 chasuble, and Rev. Father Busschots 
 in stole and surplice. The ceremonies 
 of laying the cornerstone were per- 
 formed with the usual solemnities, 
 during which the Bishop addressed the 
 people in English, after which Rev. 
 B'usschots delivered an appropriate 
 discourse in German on the text: 
 "Thou Art Peter." High Mass was 
 sung by Rev. Father Zoegel, at which 
 the Bishop assisted, attended by the 
 other two clergymen. All was joy and 
 happiness. At night the good people 
 of Teutopolis got up a torchlight pro- 
 cession and came to the priest's resi- 
 dence to thank the Bishop and his 
 attendants. Thus terminated the joy- 
 ful day which will long be remem- 
 bered by the members of the congre- 
 gation of Tetitopolis." 
 
 From Teutopolis Father Joseph F 
 Zoegel returned to Chicago in 1854. 
 In later years he joined the diocese 
 of Buffalo and became stationed in 
 1860 as pastor of Langford, N. Y. 
 R. I. P. 
 
 Page One Hundred and Fifly-Ont
 
 REV. CHARLES T. ZUCKER. 
 
 On the 7th day of November, 1851, 
 Rev. Charles T. Zucker was ordained 
 to the priesthood by Bishop Oliver 
 Van de Velde, at St. Joseph's church, 
 Chicago. In 1857 he succeeded Rev. 
 Liermann as pastor of Teutopolis. 
 Conditions in that parish, however, 
 were not to his liking, wherefore, 
 after a few weeks stay he re-packed 
 his belongings and returned to Chi- 
 cago. On November 11, 1853 he was 
 
 appointed to SS. Peter and Paul's 
 congregation of Naperville. His stay 
 here was likewise of but short dura- 
 tion. Where and when Father Zucker 
 died, seems to be shrouded in mys- 
 tery, as years ago the late Father 
 Wenker, of 'Vaperviiie. about to com- 
 pile a history of the parish, made re- 
 peated futile attempts to learn par- 
 ticulars of his predecessor. R. 1. P 
 
 REV. CHALES ZWIESLER. 
 
 ''How many souls dwell lonely and apart 
 Hiding from all but One above 
 The fragrance of their heart". 
 
 It is with keen sense of grateful 
 duty that among the biographical 
 sketches of our deceased priests we. 
 are permitted to say a few words in 
 recognition of the character and 
 merits of good Father Zwiesler. He 
 was practically the first diocesan 
 priest whom the writer had the good 
 fortune and privilege to meet, for 
 after his ordination, he was sent to 
 him to be introduced into the mys- 
 teries of the Bishops' dreaded Blue 
 Book ere being assigned to parish 
 work. Those four weeks spent in 
 Father Zwiesler's company have re- 
 
 mained indelibly imprinted on our 
 mind. He was a noble, beautiful 
 character, open and frank, affable and 
 pleasant, indulgent and forebearing. 
 Whatever tended to advance the cause 
 of his Cathedral parish, material and 
 spiritual, that at all hazzards he 
 sought to obtain. His administration 
 at Alton proved therefore highly 
 successful. Bishop Baltes placed im- 
 plicit confidence in the prudence, 
 sagacity, discreation and managerial 
 abilities of his Cathedral pastor, and 
 as results showed that trust and con- 
 fidence was well placed. Father 
 Zwiesler came to the Cathedral as 
 assistant pastor thereof the following 
 year, September, 1877. With undimin- 
 ished enthusiasm he remained its 
 pastor till April 19, 1888, to assume a 
 similiar position with the newly con- 
 secrated Bishop of Belleville. There 
 in that infant diocese the experienced 
 Cathedral pastor labored till Oct. 1, 
 1893, when ill health forced his retire- 
 ment to the rural parish of Fayette- 
 ville, which position he held till death, 
 May 4, 1889. 
 
 Father Charles Zwiesler was a 
 native of Dayton, Ohio, born August 
 2, 1853. He studied Classics and 
 Philosophy at St. Francis, Wis., The- 
 ology at Montreal and was raised to 
 the priesthood by Bishop Baltes at 
 the Alton Cathedral, June 29, 1876. 
 "He wore the white flower ot a spot- 
 less life." R. I. P. 
 
 Page One Hundred and t'ifty-Tu-o
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 
 
 CLERICAL BEAD ROLL OF THE DIOCESE OF ALT