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WELCOME TO ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI
Early Settlers.
The First Church
The first
Catholic settlers in the territory of the present
St. Francis Congregation of Aviston were emigrants
from Northern Germany, Hanover, Westphalia, and
Oldenburg. Among them were Bernard Huelsmann (1839),
Diederich Overbeck (1841), Herman Henry Markus,
Gerhard Feldmann (1848), Bernard Wempe, Henry Stroot,
Henry Merscher, Herman Robbe, Carle Stuever (1849).
They engaged in farming and by hard and persevering
labor and by the practice of rigid economy converted
the wild and weedy prairies of the region into rich
and fertile farms. Their parish church was at
Hanover (now Germantown); their Post Office was
Aviston, located on the old State Route about one
mile North of the present village of Aviston.
When
the Ohio and Mississippi (now B. & O.) Railroad was
built through this territory in 1854, a station was
located here through the influence and efforts of
Mr. Samuel Hull, and called Hull Station. Some time
later, because the mail was now transported by rail,
the Post Office was moved to Hull Station, and the
small hamlet became known as Aviston, after the name
of the Post Office, and was later incorporated as
“The Village of Aviston.”
In
the early 60’s the number of Catholic families had
increased to such an extent that a movement for the
erection of a church and the organization of a new
parish was general. At a meeting of the Catholics
held in the depot building in the Spring of 1864 it
was decided to seek the sanction of the Bishop for
the formation of the new parish. A heated discussion
of the question whether to build the church on the
north or sough side of the tracks was finally
settled by the generous offer of Samuel Hull, not a
Catholic himself, to donate blocks 20, 21, and 28 on
the south side, together with a cash contribution of
one hundred dollars, provided the church would be
built on one of those blocks. On an appointed day,
Bishop Henry Damian Juncker, of Alton, came to
Aviston accompanied by Father A. Reinecke, of
Breese, and celebrated the first Holy Mass on
Aviston Territory in a private residence. The house,
which has since been replaced by a new building, was
the first house north of the tracks on the west side
of the west crossing. After the services the Bishop
inspected the property of the proposed congregation,
and decided that the church should be built on block
28.
Encouraged by their Bishop, the doughty pioneers,
without the assistance of a priest, began to build
their church in the Spring of 1864. A brick
structure 80 by 50 feet was erected by Gerhard Rolfmeyer and Henry Dillmann, local contractors at a
cost of $11,741.25. Owing to many difficulties
caused by outside interference, lack of pastoral
leadership, and shortage of labor, due to the war,
the building was not completed until September,
1865. Mr. Rolfmeyer, one of the contractors, while
engaged at work in the construction of the church,
slipped and fell from a height of fifty feet, and
died a few hours later. When the church was
completed, Bishop Juncker appointed the Rev. Henry
Boecker as Pastor of Aviston and Trenton. He arrived
at Aviston, October 2, 1865, blessed the church, and
celebrated the first High Mass on October 4, 1865,
the first patron feast of the new parish. The
records of the church date from that time.\
Rev. Henry Boecker, First Pastor 1865-1875
Rev. Henry Boecker was born at Wessum, Westphalia (Germany),
July 12, 1827. After his ordination in Cincinnati,
Ohio, April 17, 1858, he labored in the missions of
Mercer County, Ohio, for seven years. Following the
invitation of Bishop H. D. Juncker, D.D. he came to
Alton, October 1, 1865, and took charge of Aviston
the following day, where he labor zealously and
successfully until his death January 18, 1875. When Father
Boecker came to Aviston, he found a newly-built
church, but there were no vestments, altar linens,
sacred vessels or other things required for Divine
Services. On the occasion of the first Mass in the
church he appealed for donations, and the sum of
$678.00 was realized with which to purchase the
necessary equipment. Other generous gifts followed
soon after, so that in a year’s time the church was
completely furbished; even a pipe organ was
installed at a cost of $1,600.00. When Father
Boecker took charge of Aviston, the parish had an
indebtedness of $7,000.00 and a membership of 70
families.
The Rectory
During the
first six months of his pastorate, Father Boecker
resided at Trenton, but as soon as work on the
rectory at Aviston began in May, 1866, he
transferred his residence there, and thereafter said
Mass at Trenton every other Sunday, until Trenton
received a resident Pastor in 1868.
The
rectory, a two-story brick building with four rooms
on each floor, was built by Henry Dillmann in 1866
at a cost of $2,571.00. This same building served as
a rectory until the new one was built in 1949.
The First School
The first
school of St. Francis parish was a small frame
building, the property of the Public School
District. When the parish was organized, the
territory of the congregation contained two Public
School Districts known as District No. 1 and
District No. 2, Sugar Creek Township. Since the
families living in District No. 2 (South of Aviston)
were almost exclusively Catholic, in order to
facilitate the religious instruction of the
children, the school house of that District was
moved to the village of Aviston in 1866 and placed
on the church grounds. Two years later this building
was replaced by a two-room brick structure erected
by the parish for the sum of $1,395.00. Father Boecker then urged the families living in District
No. 1 (north of Aviston) to send their children also
to the school of District No. 2 standing on church
property, so that they might be able to attend
religious instruction, which they did.
In
consequence only a few non-catholic children
remained to attend the school of District No. 1, and
as these all lived in the Eastern part of the
District close to the Lake Branch School in Breese
Township, the directors decided not to hire a
teacher, and to let those children attend either the
Lake School or the school in Aviston. For several
years the school of District No. 1 stood vacant,
until in 1878 the two Districts were consolidated.
In this manner the system of tax-supported schools,
which exists in Aviston to this time, originated. In
1870 the parish built a four-room residence for the
teacher and organist for $1,331.00 and two years
later another room was added to the school.
Father Boecker’s
Last Days and Death. Rev. L. Quitter, Administrator
The labors,
cares and sacrifices of the pioneer years at
Aviston, aggravated by the small-pox and cholera
epidemics of 1872 and 1873, and taxed the health and
strength of Father Boecker to the utmost. Bishop P.J.
Baltes, D.D., successor to Bishop Juncker since the
latter’s death, October 2, 1868, sent him an
Assistant in the person of Rev. Longinus Quitter,
November 23, 1874. However, his condition continued
to grow worse through complications and he died
January 18, 1875, and was buried in St. Francis
Cemetery. In his last will, Father Boecker
bequeathed to St. Francis Congregation his entire
estate, which, however, amounted to less than
$300.00.
Father
Quitter, the Assistant, was appointed Administrator
of the parish after the death of Father Boecker,
but, through misunderstandings and disagreements
with certain members of the parish, he became
involved in unpleasant difficulties and he resigned
September 27, 1875. For six months thereafter the
parish was left without a Pastor. Holy Mass was
celebrated only on Sundays by Father Still,
Assistant to Father Bartels of Germantown. For
sick-calls, Baptisms and other pastoral functions
during the week the neighboring priests at Breese
and Trenton were called in. Dissatisfied and
discouraged, the parish broke up into factions, one
blaming the other for existing conditions. Church
support fell off, so that the parish not only
defaulted on interest payments, but could not even
pay current expenses, such as the weekly services of
the assistant from Germantown. Under these
conditions the appointment of the Rev. Frederick
Lohmann as the second Pastor of Aviston in the
Spring of 1876 was most fortunate, for he possessed
the characteristics of firmness, of personal piety
and zeal tempered with patience and prudence, which
enabled him to reconcile the discordant elements and
to cause the parish to flourish, both spiritually
and materially.
Rev. Fred Lohmann, Pastor 1876-1917
Rev. Fred Lohmann was born at Drensteinfurt, Westphalia, April
24, 1842. He was ordained for the Diocese of Alton
at the American College in Rome, May 8, 1869. After
serving a y ear as Assistant at the Cathedral in
Alton he was appointed Pastor at Hillsboro, October
8, 1870, where he remained until he came to Aviston,
March 23, 1876. At that time the parish numbered 140
families, there were 120 children in school, and the
indebtedness of the congregation amounted to
$3,700.00. Within three years the debt was paid, and
a chime of four bells (B flat) was purchased for
$2,639.00, and solemnly consecrated by Bishop
Baltes, September 23, 1879.
In
1880, the old school was taken down and a new
two-story brick building was constructed by Henry Stoff at a cost of $3,500.00. The following year a
large cross of Navoo stone for $225.00 was erected
on a high mound in the center of St. Francis
Cemetery.
The New Church
The
greatest undertaking of Father Lohmann at Aviston
was the erection of the new church. As early as
1883, plans and specifications had been drawn by
Henry Melcher, architect, of St. Louis, with the
approval of the Bishop. According to these plans
part of the old church was left standing and
remodeled for the sanctuary and sacristies of the
new church. To this was added to the west a
transept 78 ft. wide, the nave, and a tower 185 ft.
high, making the total length of the church 142 ft.
Ground was broken on the site of the new church
September 19, 1885, and the excavation of the
basement, as well as the laying of the foundation,
was completed before the end of the year. May 12,
1886, the general contract for the construction work
was awarded to Henry Stoff and August Klutho, of
Aviston, for their bid of $17,450.00. The total cost
for all material, labor, and supervision of the new
church amounted to about $42,000.00. The
corner-stone laying, September 21, 1886, as well as
the dedication of the church, July 6, 1887, were
performed by the Very Rev. John Janssen,
Administrator of the Alton Diocese after the death
of Bishop Baltes, February 15, 1886. Father Janssen
was consecrated as the first Bishop of the newly
organized Diocese of Belleville, April 25, 1888.
At
the close of the year 1887, in which the church was
completed, the parish had a debt of $19,000.00. In
less than ten years Father Lohmann was able by
special collections and with the aid of generous
donations and legacies to wipe out the entire debt
and expend about $7,000.00 for furnishings, viz.
high altar $800.00, side altars $1,284.00, stations
of the cross $255.00, pulpit $475.00, statues
$600.00, tower clock $725.00, and heating plant
$1,800.00.
St.
Francis Church was solemnly consecrated by Bishop
Janssen October 26, 1892.
Father Lohmann’s 41 years as Pastor at Aviston are a
record of continued progress. The buildings and
improvements that arose under his management were
wisely planned and promptly paid. He had no patience
with debts. His last financial report of the parish
at the end of the year 1916 showed that the
congregation owned over $35,000.00 in bonds and
other securities. His zeal in ministering to the
spiritual welfare of his flock is reflected to this
day in the deep faith and piety of his
parishioners. He loved his people, and these in turn
were devoted to him to the last, even when the
infirmities of old age had weakened his strength and
slowed his movements. No doubt one of the happiest
events of the evening of his life was the
Consecration of the Most Reverend Henry Althoff,
D.D. a native son of his parish, as the second
Bishop of the Diocese on February 24, 1914. After a
short illness, Father Lohmann died, February 10,
1917, and was laid to rest in St. Francis Cemetery
at the foot of the massive cross, which had been
erected under his direction.
Rev. Albin Breinlinger, Pastor 1917-1926
After the death
of Father Fred Lohmann, the parish was in charge of
the Rev. J.J. Kuhls, as administrator, until the
appointment of the Rev. Albin Breinlinger as Pastor.
Father Breinlinger was born at Liptingen, Germany,
February 29, 1852, and ordained July 25, 1875, at
Brixen, Tyrol (Austria). Before coming to Aviston,
Father Breinlinger had been Pastor at Millstadt for
many years. He arrived at Aviston, April 26, 1917,
and was solemnly installed by the Very Rev. John
Keim, Dean. At that time the parish buildings, which
ad then been standing for thirty and more years,
were found to be in need of extensive repairs. In
1917 a new slate roof was placed on the church at a
cost of $1,582.00. In 1919 art glass windows were
installed by the Emil Frie Studios for $4,900. The
same year $4,400.00 was expended for repairing the
plastering of the walls and ceiling of the church,
wiring the building for electric light, and
frescoing the entire interior of the church.
The New School.
School Sisters of Notre Dame.
The school
had again outgrown its quarters, so in 1921 Father Breinlinger began the construction of the present
modern school building, a brick structure with six
classrooms on the first floor, a spacious auditorium
on the second floor, and a basement under the entire
building. In the basement, which serves as a dining
room, separate apartments are partitioned off for a
boiler room and a kitchen.
The total
cost of the school was $54,480.00. The old school
building was remodeled as a residence for the school
Sisters, because it was at this time that the
school, which had until then been taught by lay
teachers, was placed in charge of the School Sisters
of Notre Dame. The Sisters arrived in Aviston,
September 7, 1922, three days after the dedication
of the new school.
Henry Gramann,
Teacher and Organist
Outstanding
among all the lay teachers who taught in St. Francis
School during a period of over fifty years is Mr.
Henry Gramann. Henry Gramann was born near
Germantown, Illinois, March 15, 1857. After
finishing his elementary and secondary education he
attend the Catholic Normal School at St. Francis,
Wisconsin, and graduated there in 1875. For seven
years he taught school at Highland, Illinois, and in
1882 he came to Aviston as organist and principal of
the school, which positions he held for almost forty
years. A man of staunch faith and unfeigned piety,
he was always loyal to his Church and devoted to his
caling as a Catholic teacher and organist. He
organized a men’s choir. Mr. Gramann also took an
active interest in Catholic Society circles in
Clinton County, and for several years he was
Secretary of the Illinois Staatsverband, a
federation of German Catholic Societies.
While
stationed at Highland, he married Miss Theresa Schepperle, which union was blessed with thirteen
children. He died at Aviston, February 2, 1930, and
was buried in St. Francis Cemetery after a
Pontifical High Mass celebrated by his former pupil,
the Most Reverend Henry Althoff, D.D., Bishop of
Belleville.
The High School
In 1923,
the Aviston Community High School District was
organized by a vote of the people residing within
the district. Two additional classrooms were
arranged on the second floor of the school building
for the use of the High School. For twelve years the
High School was taught by a male teacher as
principal, assisted by one, and later by two Notre
Dame Sisters. From 1934 until the opening of Mater
Dei High School in Breese, the school was staffed by
the School Sisters of Notre Dame and lay teachers.
Father Breinlinger celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of
his ordination August 19, 1925, and eight months
later he resigned and retired to his private home in
Red Bud, Illinois, where he died February 17, 1928.
He was buried in the Catholic Cemetery at Red Bud,
Illinois.
Rev. James Gillen, Pastor 1926-1932
Reverend James
Gillen, the fourth Pastor of St. Francis Church, was
born at Heisterberg, Germany, February 23, 1861. He
came to this country in 1875, and after completing
his studies at St. Francis, Wisconsin, was ordained
May 9, 1886. Previous to his appointment as Pastor
at Aviston he had been stationed at St. Joseph’s,
Cairo, for 22 years. During his pastorate a new
$4,000.00 Wicks Pipe Organ was installed in the
church and dedicated October 3, 1928. In 1930 a new
two-story brick addition to Sacred Heart Hospital
was erected.
The Sacred Heart
Hospital and Home for the Aged
The history
of Sacred Heart Hospital and Home for the Aged dates
back to the year 1881, when Henry Merscher
advertised his property on Lots 6, 7, and 8 in block
22 for sale. To gain control of the property, on
which a saloon was being operated, Father Fred
Lohmann purchased it for the sum of $1,830. A year
later, in 1882, the building was remodeled for a
small hospital, and on the feast of the Sacred Heart
of that year the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis
from Springfield, Illinois, assumed charge and
remained for seven years, until June 20, 1889. On
February20, 1891, the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ
were engaged to take charge, and they conducted a
hospital and home for the aged until 1962, at which
time it was closed.
Father
Gillen, finding the duties of his office too
burdensome for his age, resigned June 13, 1932, but
before his resignation could become effective, he
took seriously ill Sunday night, June 19, and passed
away early the following morning. After a Pontifical Requiem in St. Francis Chruch, June 23,
his remains were taken to Carghar, Ohio, for
interment.
Rt. Rev. Msgr. George Lohman, Pastor 1932-1958
Rt. Rev. Msgr. George Lohman
was born at St. Libory, Illinois, July 25, 1887, and
ordained at the Pontificial College Josephinum,
Columbus, Ohio, June 17, 1913. For seven years he
held positions as Assistant at Sacred Heart, East
St. Louis, and at the Cathedral, Belleville. While
at Belleville he was also secretary to the Most
Reverend Bishop. After a short stay for two years
as Pastor at Flora he returned to Belleville as
secretary to the Bishop and chaplain at St.
Elizabeth’s Hospital.
On August 4, 1924, he was
appointed pastor of St. Mary’s, Centralia, where he
remained until he came to Aviston June 23, 1932.
During his tenure as pastor
of the Aviston parish, his abilities and talents
were not confined to the parish alone. In October,
1933, he became a member of the Board of Examiners
of the Diocese, and in 1939, Diocesan Consultor and
Judge of the Matrimonial Tribunal. He retained these
positions until failing health forced his
resignation in 1956. In 1940 he was appointed Dean
of the Aviston Deanery. He remains in that position
even until now. On June 5, 1949, his excellent work
in the parish, deanery and diocese was recognized by
Pope Pius XII when he was given the rack of
Apostolic Prelate with the title of Right Reverend
Monsignor.
Monsignor George Lohman was
responsible for many material improvements in the
Aviston parish during his stay for twenty-six years.
One of his first concerns was that of the Sacred
Heart Home for the Aged. A new heating system was
put in and the entire kitchen department was
remodeled with new equipment being installed.
Sterilizing equipment and necessary surgical
instruments were added. These improvements were made
during the years of 1932-36.
In June of 1936 the
following church improvements were made: the
communion rail was lowered; a hardwood floor was
laid in the area occupied by the pews; the rest of
the church-floor was covered with Flexo-tile. During
1937 the auditorium on the second floor of the
school building was remodeled into quarters for the
high school and plans were made for erecting a
combination auditorium-gymnasium. The completion of
the building was accomplished in March, 1938, at a
cost of approximately $15,000.00.
During World War II, all
building came to a halt, but a post-war improvement
program began during this time. This program
included the building of a new rectory which was
accomplished in 1949 at a cost of $36,421.82. Other
improvements completed during this time included the
remodeling of the church sacristies and the tuck
pointing and waterproofing of the church. The
school was also repaired during this period.
In 1951 the entire church
was redecorated at a cost of $10,500.00. In
addition, the church was rewired and new lighting
fixtures installed. A sound system was added, the
kneelers were recushioned and new vestment cases
were erected.
In 1952 the tower clock was
renovated and modernized. The following year, 1953,
a sanitary sewage system was installed.
In February of 1956 a
tornado damaged the tower of the church. The top
level of brick work had to be dismantled and
replaced with new masonry walls. The old spire was
replaced with a new steel copper-covered spire and
cross about thirty feet in height. The tower clock
was also renovated with new Perma-glass clock dials
and with aluminum hands. The cost of this work was
approximately $30,000.00. In conjunction with this
work, in 1957, the bell-system was electrified for
automatic ringing of the bells.
Monsignor Lohmann was also interested in civic
improvements. In 1935, after the depression had
caused widespread unemployment, it was evident that
Aviston needed an industry to provide jobs for the
local people. A group of local businessmen, together
with Msgr. Lohman, persuaded John Huber of St.
Louis, to open a shoe factory in Aviston in 1936.
Other civic projects that received his whole-hearted
support were: the installation of the municipal
water supply, forming of the Chamber of Commerce,
organization of the Boy Scouts, the laying of the
large water main to reduce insurance rates, the
widening of the Aviston-Albers road, and the
installation of curbing along the church property.
Many vocations blossomed during the pastorate of
Msgr. Lohman. During this time the following young
men were ordained to the Priesthood: Rev. Paul
Holthaus, Rev. Edmund Schumacher, Very Rev. Msgr.
Gregory Holtgrave, Rev. Urban Kuhl, Rev. Fred
Renschen, and Rev. Harry Schumacher.
The following are the vocations to the Religious
life: Sister Mary Paulita, formerly Jane Dall;
Sister Marie Paul, formerly Eulalia Holthaus; Sister
Mary Karen Rose, formerly Monica Huelsmann; Sister
Mary Louis, formerly Mary Markus; Sister Mary
Hermaine, formerly Helen Ottensmeier; Sister Mary
Margaret, formerly Margie Ottensmeier; Sister Mary
Theresta, formerly Marie Peek; Sister Mary Doris,
formerly Eugenia Poettker; Sister Mary Clement,
formerly Martha Strieker; Sister Mary Leon, formerly
Marie Strieker; Sister Mary Theodoretta, formerly
Marcella Strubhart; Sister Virginia Marie, formerly
Margaret Strubhart; Postulants Carol Markus, Joan
Markus; Aspirant Jeanne Goestenkors.
Monsignor Lohman
retired from active service in July of 1958.
Rev. Cletus J. Cunningham, Pastor 1958 to the
Present
Father Cunningham
was born in East St. Louis, July 29, 1918. He
attended Central Catholic High School, East St.
Louis, St. Henry’s Seminary, Belleville, and St.
Mary of the Lake, Mundelein, Illinois. Ordained by
Bishop Althoff on February 24, 1946, he returned to
St. Mary of the Lake to obtain the Licentiate of
Sacred Theology. He served as assistant at St.
Andrews, Murphysboro, Blessed Sacrament, Belleville,
and St. Joseph’s, East St. Louis. In August of 1952
he was transferred as chaplain of St. Elizabeth’s
Hospital, Belleville. During that time he was
Diocesan Moderator of the Diocesan Council of
Catholic Men and was appointed Defender of the Bond
of the Matrimonial Court. Father Cunningham was
appointed administrator of St. Teresa Parish,
Marydale, in August of 1957, and named
superintendent of Mater Dei High School. After the
retirement of Monsignor Lohman, as pastor of Aviston
in July of 1958, he was made administrator of the
parish until July, 1962, when he was appointed
pastor.
During the administration and pastorate of Father
Cunningham, not many material improvements were
made. The parish plant was in good condition under
the able administration of Monsignor Lohman.
Repainting of the interior of the school was
undertaken in the summer of 1961 with volunteer
labor. The entire church was waterproofed and
tuck pointed in 1962. Two old buildings were torn
down during his administration. The old rectory
which had served as classrooms for the Aviston High
School was demolished in 1959. In 1962 the Sacred
Heart Home for the Aged was closed and the old frame
structure was torn down. The new addition was
remodeled and used as a convent for the grade school
sisters. The old convent has been used as temporary
quarters for the Don Bosco Latin School for the last
three years. This school served as the specialized
school for Latin for the first year seminarian
students of the diocese until discontinued in June,
1965.
The
two room pre-fabricated annex formerly used as
classrooms for the Aviston High School has been used
by the St. Jude Special School for Exceptional
Children since 1963. The school was maintained by
the North Central Deanery Council for Handicapped
Children under the moderatorship of Rev. Julius
Schoen and at present is being taught by Sister Mary
Chaminade SSND.
At
the present time there are 257 families and 1,078
souls in the parish. In 1964 there were 42 baptisms,
7 marriages, 19 deaths. The grade school numbers 282
pupils.
Consecration of
the Church – October 26, 1892
One
of the outstanding events in the history of St.
Francis Church was its consecration on October 26,
1892. The diary of Rev. Fred Lohman, pastor at this
time, gives a very vivid description of this event.
“October 26 had been designated as the day for the
consecration. I myself wished to serve as the Master
of Ceremonies, and had personally cared for and
concerned myself about all the preparations for the
celebration. For the custody of the sacred relics an
altar had been prepared in the hospital chapel. The
evening before, Tuesday the 25th of
October, the Right Reverend Bishop and fifteen
priests took up their abode with me. As darkness
fell, a huge torchlight parade went into formation
on the school grounds, and led by a music band
marched over Clinton Avenue and Third Street until
it reached the rectory. During the procession,
fireworks were burned off in various places in the
town. In front of the rectory, Mr. Henry Gramann,
the teacher, in the presence of the Right Reverend
Bishop and all the priests, gave an address in which
he expressed a thought he had kept in mind to the
present day, a thought blessed their new church. He
had told them to stick together, and earnestly
admonished them to get their debts paid, at which
time, he would be glad to come back to consecrate
their church with joy. He went on stating that their
Reverend Pastor had told them after the last
collection he had taken up that they would need no
more of them to pay their church debt. At that time
everyone in the parish was filled with gladness, but
now that the bishop had graced them with is presence
to consecrate the church, to lay the crown, so to
say, on the achievement, the entire congregation was
filled with jubilation. The congregation thanks the
Right Reverend Bishop for his kindness and good will
toward the parish, and in order to give expression
to their reverence and appreciation, he called on
all the people for a three-fold acclamation for His
Excellency.“
The
Right Reverend Bishop graciously thanked them for
their attitude and for the honor they had given him,
and he was happy, he said that the people had heeded
his earlier admonition so well, and for that reason
the church in Aviston was the very first one he had
consecrated as bishop.
“I
had a very brief address then on the Papacy and the
power and dignity of the Catholic Church, which I
brought to a close by calling for a toast on Pope
Leo XIII.
“The
Very Reverend Vicar General, William Cluse, then
held a longer discourse in which he talked about the
Right Reverend Bishop and about the parish, ending
with an acclamation for the congregation. After
this, the crowd began to break up, when suddenly
they were stopped by a cry from someone in the group
who shouted, ‘hold on!! We have to give one more
cheer for our good pastor! With this cheer the
ceremony came to an end.
“On
the next day, Wednesday, October 26, the priests
began saying their Holy Masses at 4:45. We had set
up six altars, and so by 6:15 all sixteen Reverend
Fathers had finished their Mass. The Right Reverend
Bishop then went to the church personally to examine
whether everything was in correct order there. After
this, he went over to the hospital chapel to begin
the preparatory orations before the relic altar.
During this time many strange priests arrived. This
was at 7:15. After the orations were completed, all
the priests in procession with singing accompanied
the bishop to the church to consecrate it and the
high altar. The entire procedure went over smoothly
without a break very quickly. Into the high altar
were placed the relics of the holy martyrs Severus, Justinus, and Concordia. Mr. Diedrich Lampe, who had
carried the holy water container for the blessing of
the first church and for the remodeled one,
permitted no one else to do this for the
consecration of the church. Near eleven o’clock,
preparations began for the celebration of the
Pontifical High Mass. For this, the Reverend Francis
Joseph Lohmann from Damiansville and the Reverend
Joseph Meckel from Highland assisted as deacons of
honor; Reverend Anton Brefeld from St. Libory as
archdeacon; Reverend Otto Meier and Nicholas
Dietrick as deacon and subdeacon, respectively; I,
myself, served as Master of Ceremonies. The Reverend
Frank Bonsel from Trenton had the festive sermon. He
explained the difference between the blessing the
consecration of a church, and then of the special
value to the congregation in having a consecrated
church.
“In
addition to the above named priests, also these of
the Reverend Clergy were present: Reverend Fathers
William Klevinghaus from SS Peter and Paul Church in
St. Louis, Missouri; William Merscher and Henry
Eggenstein from the Diocese of Alton; from the
Diocese of Belleville, William Cluse, Vicar General,
A. Demming, Bernard Claus, Thomas Day, Frank Marks,
Theodore Kamann, Felix Ferbers, James Gerard
Toennies, Francis Bergmann, and J.N. Enzleberger.
The names of other priests I have forgotten.
“Since the Right Reverend Bishop stood the strain of
the ceremonies very well, and the weather was ideal,
there reigned among the clergy a very genial spirit
and so with joking and story-telling the afternoon
wore away very quickly, until His Excellency and
many other priests took their leave at 4:15, midst
the ringing of the church bells and the cheering of
the people of Aviston to speed them on their way
home.
“The
St. Francis Church in Aviston is the first church
consecrated by the Right Reverend Bishop J. Janssen,
and the third church to be consecrated in the
Diocese of Belleville. In Germantown, the Right
Reverend Bishop H.D. Juncker had consecrated the
church in 1868, and the Right Reverend Bishop P.J.
Baltes had consecrated the church in St. Libory in
1883.
“The
Aviston parish has until now received the following
appointments for the church from kind benefactors
who gave generously: The high altar and the pulpit
chiefly from the Widow Angela Stroot; the Pieta and
its altar from Herman Henry Markus and his children,
Frank, Henry, John, and Anna; the Agony in the
Garden of Olives and its altar, from the children of
the family of Henry Nettemeier, Joseph, Henry, and
Bernard Nettemeier; the Blessed Virgin Altar from
the Widows Maria Albers and Elizabeth Heimann; the
St. Joseph Altar from Mesrs. Theodore Peek and Henry
Groene. Here we may add the statues for the high
altar, St. Frederick was given by Father Frederic
Lohmann, the statue of St. Elizabeth by Widow
Elizabeth Lemming, the Sacred Heart of Jesus and
Mary by Mr. Gerard Hermes, and Mr. Frank Sudholt. |
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