USA > Indiana > History of the Catholic church in Indiana, Volume I > Part 33
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MADISON, JEFFERSON COUNTY.
St. Mary's (German Catholic) Church, at Madison, was founded about 1850, and for its history the publishers of this work are indebted for the following information, up to 1881, to a volume published by the Rev. H. Alerding, in 1883.
Although the German element of the Catholic population of Madison and vicinity was considerable from the beginning, yet it was not deemed opportune to have a separate church until 1850. In the early times Rev. Joseph Ferneding, Rev. Charles Opper- mann, Rev. Alphonse Munschina, and others, visited Madison from time to time to administer the sacraments to those German Cath- olics who were unable to speak the English language. On August 2, 1848, Rev. Father Joseph Fischer was sent to administer to the German portion of St. Michael's congregation, and in January, 1850, the Rev. Anthony Carius came to Madison and immediately made preparations for the building of a church for the Germans. In the same year the lot was bought, and the foundation and cor- ner-stone laid. In 1851 the walls were built and the church put under roof. St. Mary's congregation is much indebted to the Rev. (364)
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Joseph Kundeck, who was temporarily located in Madison. By his prudence and energy, he assisted materially in organizing the · congregation, creating peace and harmony among the discontented and soliciting subscriptions for the new church.
To form a new congregation and build a church is always an arduous undertaking, but here it seemed to be particularly so. It was a continuous struggle for six years. The following priests had charge of St. Mary's congregation during this period: Rev. Anthony Carius from January, 1850, to March, 1852; Rev. Joseph Kundeck, in 1850; Rev. Charles Schafroth, from April, 1852, to April, 1853; Rev. Bede O'Connor, O. S. B., from May to July, 1853; Rev. Edward Martinovic, from July, 1853, to May, 1855; Rev. Anthony Carius again from May, 1855, to February, 1856.
The Rev. Leonard Brandt took charge of St. Mary's church on the 6th of February, 1856. At his arrival the outlook afforded little encouragement. The church was incumbered with a debt of $6,000. The income was so trifling that not even the meager salaries of the pastor and the teacher could be collected. Every- thing in and about the church was in a forlorn condition. By the energy of Father Brandt, however, things soon assumed a different aspect. Aided by the more generous portion of the congregation, he was soon enabled to replace the rickety wooden steps in front of the church with substantial stone steps. A new altar and statues were also procured. Vestments, chalises, and other church utensils were purchased and donated by the various societies. December 1, 1858, the house west of the church was bought for a parsonage. In 1860 the steeple was built, and a beautiful chime of bells placed in it. In 1864 a large organ was bought. March 6, 1865, a dwelling, situated immediately east of the church, and better suited for a pastoral residence, was secured for $3,000. The school-house, in the rear of the church, becoming too small for the number of children in attendance, a large three-story brick building near the church was purchased on September 13, 1865, for the sum of $6,000 and fitted up for a school-house. November 20, 1867, fourteen acres of land, about one mile north of the church, were bought for $2,000 for cemetery purposes. The church, becoming too small, fifty feet were added to its length in
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1869, and the interior of the church frescoed. In 1876 the con- gregation deemed a better and more convenient school-house a necessity. Preparations for it were made April 8, 1876, by the purchase of a house and lot immediately west of the first pastoral residence, for the sum of $2,500. This purchase furnished the Sisters, who taught the girls of the congregation, a suitable dwell- ing, and also sufficient additional ground for the school. The old pastoral residence was removed, and an imposing edifice, contain- ing four large school-rooms and a large, well ventilated hall, was completed in 1877, at a cost of $7,000. This school-house is an ornament to the city, and the crowning act of Father Brandt's great work at Madison. Father Brandt's labors were not wholly confined to Madison. He had several missions to attend; one of them was Indianapolis, which he attended on the third Sunday of the month, and where he commenced the building of the present St. Mary's church. We can barely realize all the hard work done by the indefatigable Father Brandt; however, it is all recorded in the Book of Life. After a lingering, painful illness, Father Brandt departed this life on April 13, 1881, in the fifty-eighth year of his age. He had the following priests for assistants: Rev. G. H. Ostlangenberg, from May to November, 1861; Rev. Theodore Antoni, from May to December, 1866; Rev. Francis Torbeck, from February, 1878, to May, 1881. The latter had charge of the congregation until Father Brandt's successor was appointed. Father Brandt was ordained by Bishop de St. Palais, at Vincennes, as follows: Tonsure and minor orders, December 13; subdeacon, December 26; deacon, December 27, 1852; priest, January I, 1853. His first mission was St. John Baptist's German congrega- tion at Vincennes. From there he came to Madison.
Very Rev. J. B. H. Seepe is the present efficient pastor of St. Mary's, and his personal sketch will be found in Vol. II.
St. Michael's Church, at Madison, was founded in 1837, the first resident priest being the Rev. Michael Edgar Shawe, who came to assume his pastoral duties March 12. His first baptismal record was July 30, and from November, 1837, to June, 1838, he was assisted by Rev. J. F. Plunkett, but it was not until Decem- (366)
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ber 22, 1839, that the first St. Michael's church was dedicated to the service of God, and to Father Shawe is due the credit of hav- ing raised the funds to defray the cost of the erection of the build- ing. Rev. Etienne Chartier succeeded Father Shawe in Novem- ber, 1840, and remained until September, 1841, and after him came Rev. Vincent Bacquelin, who resided in Madison from Jan- uary to April, 1842, and, following him, Rev. F. Miller remained from May to 'November, 1842.
The Rev. Julian Delaune took charge of St. Michael's church on the 10th of August, 1843, and resided at Madison until June, 1846. To this zealous priest the Catholics of Madison owe a debt of gratitude for his untiring endeavors to establish Catholic schools. He opened his school September 26, 1843, at first, for want of better accommodations, in the church, and afterward in the base- ment of the church, which had been fitted up for that purpose. The school was in charge of the Brothers of St. Joseph. In the following year Father Delaune engaged the Sisters of Providence to take charge of his school. They came to Madison on the 27th day of August, 1844, and opened their school on Broadway and Third streets, where they remained until 1868. In that year they purchased their property on Second and Mulberry streets (the Academy of the Holy Angels), afterward sold and is now the Madi- son Hotel, the Sisters returning to Broadway and Third streets. Before his advent in Madison Father Delaune had charge of St. Patrick's, St. Peter's and St. Mary's, in Daviess county. In June, 1846, leaving Madison, he became president of St. Mary's college, in Louisville, and conducted it with ability and success for two years. Encouraged by propositions that were made him he went to Rochester, in the diocese of Buffalo, to assume the direction of a new college in that city. But sickness soon compelled him to suspend his functions. He was a native of France, and returning, died in Paris, France, on May 4, 1849, aged about thirty-seven years. He was a pious, active, zealous, devoted and charitable priest, and a man of much energy of character and earnestness of purpose.
After the short pastorate of Rev. Daniel Maloney, from July to September, 1846, the Rev. Maurice de St. Palais was appointed
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pastor of St. Michael's church in October, 1846. He was recalled by his Bishop in December, 1847, to fill the important office of vicar-general and superior of the ecclesiastical seminary at Vin- cennes. During his short stay this self-sacrificing priest did much to promote the temporal and spiritual welfare of the congregation.
The Rev. Hippolyte Dupontavice was Father de St. Palais' immediate successor. Under his long and auspicious administra- tion of nearly twenty-seven years St. Michael's church visibly flourished and spread. At North Madison, a suburb of Madison, he built St. Patrick's church about 1854. The Catholics having no cemetery of their own he purchased several acres of land near North Madison and built on it a mortuary chapel. He was the soul of every enterprise that tended to benefit religion; and being of a noble and generous disposition he became endeared to the hearts of all that came in contact with him. He was a native of France and came to this country in 1839, being the first priest ordained by Bishop de la Hailandiere on November 30 of the same year. He labored in Illinois until it became separated from the diocese of Vincennes, when he was sent to Washington, Daviess county. He was called to his eternal reward on May 27, 1874, aged sixty-four years.
The Rev. Joseph Petit succeeded Father Dupontavice. He followed closely in the footsteps of his revered predecessor. By his efforts the debts of St. Michael's church were considerably reduced. To the great sorrow of his congregation, Father Petit, in the prime of life, died on September 10, 1881. He was born at Forbache, Loraine, March 19, 1834, and was educated at the house of his uncle, a priest, entering the seminary at the age of nineteen. At twenty-two he joined the Dominicans, and was with Lacordaire, but after some time left on account of ill health and spent a while at All Hallows, Dublin, after which he joined Bishop Yunker, of Alton, Ill., and was ordained by him. His first mission was at St. Marie, a French village in Illinois. In 1864 he was received into the diocese of Vincennes and became assistant at St. John's church, Indianapolis, and later was pastor of St. Patrick's church. Returning from a visit to France in 1869, he was again at St. John's, and in 1873 built St. Joseph's church. He was (368)
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removed from St. Joseph's at his own option to St. Michael's, Madison. The Rev. John Mougin was pastor of St. Michael's church for ten months. Rev. Edward M. Faller took charge of St. Michael's church on October 12, 1882, and of this reverend gentleman a biographical sketch will be found on another page. From July, 1885, Rev. Louis Gueguen held the pastorate of St. Michael's until November, 1890, when he was transferred to the cathedral at Vincennes.
The present pastor of St. Michael's is the Rev. M. L. Guth- neck, of whose worthy labors here record is also made in another part of these volumes.
MARIAH HILL, SPENCER COUNTY.
Help of Christians Church .- The first mass was said in this parish in 1857 in a frame church, on a day within the octave of the festival of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by Rev. Father Ulrich Christen, O. S. B., from Ferdinand, and on May 24, 1858, the first patron feast was celebrated ; Fathers Ulrich Christen, O. S. B. and Isidor IIobi, O. S. B., were present. In 1860, April 24, the town was laid out under the direc- tion of Rev. Father Isidor Hobi, O. S. B., and in 1865, May 24, the corner-stone of the present church was laid, by Father Isidor Hobi , O. S. B. ; Rev. Fintan Mundwiler, O. S. B., preached the ser- mon, and Rev. Fidelis Maute, O. S. B., from St. Meinrad, was pres- ent as the attendant priest.
Father Ulrich Christen, O. S. B., was the attendant priest from 1857 to September, 1858, from Ferdinand, then Father Isidor Hobi, O. S. B., from October, 1858, to October, 1860. In 1859 the site for the cemetery was selected.
The parish was in charge of Rev. Finten Mundwiler, O. S. B., from 1860 to 1862, and there were about forty families in the congregation. The next priest was Father Martin Marty, O. S. B., and he was succeeded by Father Wolfgang Schlumpf, O. S. B .; then came Father Fidelis Maute, O. S. B., who began the erection of the present stone church, mentioned already above.
After Father Fidelis' time the parish was attended by Bene- dictines from St. Meinrad until 1873, as follows: Revs. Henry
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Hug, Benno Gerber, Placidus Zarn and Isidor Hobi. The latter priest erected the priest's home in November, 1873.
Rev. Conrad Ackerman, O. S. B., was the first resident priest; he took charge of the parish in November, 1873; he was followed by Rev. Alphonse Leute, O. S. B., and he was succeeded by Revs. Wolfgang Schlumpf, Ildephonse Zarn, Silvan Buschor and Alexander Burkart, all Benedictines. The latter was succeeded by the present priest, Rev. Maurice Wagner, O. S. B., who came to the parish September 22, 1883, and is yet the efficient priest.
The parish is out of debt and in a flourishing state. The priests and nuns who came from Help of the Christian parish are as follows: Revs. Simon Barber, Bernard Heichelbach, and Vin- cent Wagner, all O. S. B .; Charles Wagner, Secular; Benno Schum, C. SS. R., and Marcus Meyer, O. S. B .; Sister Hilde- gard Schum, Anselma Bettag, Rosa Bettag, Bonifacia Jochim, Chunigund Jochim, Ignatia Wagner and Clara Wagner, all O. S. B .; also Sisters Martha Schwop (Urseline), Agnes Demuth, O. S. B., and Clementina Roos, O. S. B., the last three named being deceased.
MARTIN COUNTY.
St. Joseph's Parish, of Martin county, was formerly attached to St. Michael's under the guidance of Father Matthews, pastor of St. Michael's. Before the organization of St. Michael's it was attended by the pastors of St. Mary's. In 1848 it was known as Miles Settlement, and the following families attended: Miles, Carrico, Queen, Clements, Ash, Strange and Kidwell, who were all Kentuckians or Marylanders. In 1850 a station was estab- lished, near Salem, at Henry Green's. There were also stations established at Wade's, northwest of St. Mary's, and at Bloom- field and Scotland, in Greene county. The stations attached were also attended from St. Mary's, mass being said alter- nate Sundays at Mt. Pleasant and St. Mary's. The church now known as St. Joseph's was built about 1880. A pre- vious one, in what is known properly as the Miles Set- tlement, was about four miles northeast of the present building, and over this Father Murphy had the administration, as well as at
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St. Joseph's. One of the parishioners was Bazel Clements, a pio- neer settler, and in 1840 he gave a bond to Joseph Queen, for a deed to one acre of land "in the district of lands offered for sale at Vincennes, on condition that Joseph Queen would finish the then incomplete church." So it seems that a church was started there previous to 1840, but those that lived in that locality usually give 1854 as the date of building the first church, which they say was never finished, and 1880 as the date of the present church, which is about four miles southwest of the first. The bond above referred to, and still to be seen, was written and attested by William Sha- rum, a justice of the peace; Charles Jones witnessed the signature with merely his mark.
St. Martin's Church. - In November, 1883, St. Martin's received its first resident pastor, in the person of Rev. Charles Curran. He at once set to work with an earnestness and deter- mination that, in conjunction with the willing aid given by the people, he soon made the rather lonely and isolated church look far more inviting and attractive. Some of the trees and under- growth were cleared away, the church was roofed and furnished interiorly with pews, vestry, etc., and a new house was built for the pastor. This was all accomplished in the one year and ten months that Father Curran was here, and he left without leaving any debt behind, in September, 1885. He was succeeded by the Rev. W. H. Slaven, but recently ordained. This was the latter's first parish, and he fell in with the modern economy of keeping things in good repair and of gradually making improvements. He furnished the residence, which is a two-story frame of eight rooms, well arranged; built a sacristy to the church, added some improve- ments inside, purchased a fine bell, which was blessed by the Rev. J. W. Doyle, of Washington, and built an eighty-six-foot tower, in which the bell hangs. The church has also been ceiled and the ceiling nicely painted. In the words of Father Slaven, used at that time, "No one or few deserve particular praise. We all work together and credits are to be equally divided. Such are they happy circumstances under which so much has been accom- plished by this young congregation, as I may call it, though it is
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the successor of the very old parish at Mt. Pleasant. Nor is it in a material way alone that the parish is being built up. The right reverend bishop visited the parish this summer and twenty-five boys and thirty girls, all well prepared, were confirmed. As there is no regular parochial school in the parish, the amount of labor entailed is easily understood." Subsequently, the pastor provided a mis- sion for his people and it was productive of much good. The con- gregation is composed of the descendants of the early settlers, chiefly from Kentucky, and of those who worked on the old pike from New Albany westward, and half are Irish, or of Irish descent. In the four years that Father Slaven was in charge he had 113 infant baptisms and only seven funerals, two of the latter being those of Richard Arvin and a Mrs. Kelly, both aged persons. An annual festival or picnic is usually given by the congregation, which is always successful from both a financial and a social point of view. Father Slaven was succeeded by the Rev. James Strem- ler, D. D., the present pastor.
ST. MAURICE, DECATUR COUNTY.
St. Maurice village was laid out in 1858 and was named St. Maurice because of the protection of Bishop Maurice de St. Palias. The School Brothers started an educational institution, but after the death of Brother John Mary Weitman it was aban- doned. The Brothers had laid out the town on forty acres of ground, of which 9.35 acres belonged to St. Maurice's congrega- tion. What is now used as the larger school-room was originally built and used as the chapel. The parish of St. Maurice came under the care of Enochsburg parish and the church records begin in 1862.
The first church building, which was a frame, now used as a school-house, was erected in 1858 by Brother John Mary Weit- man, and here mass was first said by the Franciscan priest at Enochsburg. There were sixteen families in the parish at that time. The ten acres of ground and the school-building cost $2, 000. They raised $1,000 and borrowed the remainder. The first resi- dent priest was appointed in 1884, in the person of Rev. Ferdi- nand Hundt, who remained until 1886. He was succeeded by (372)
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Rev. Father Francis X. Seegmuller, who remained until January 28, 1891, and he was succeeded by the present efficient rector, Rev. John B. Unverzagt.
The present beautiful church was erected in 1881 and 1882 by Rev. Charles Schoeppner, and on September 24, 1882, was dedicated by Bishop Chatard. The total cost of the church-build- ing is placed at $10,000. The rectory was finished in 1885, at a cost of $2,200. The parish property is beautifully located, cleanly kept, and is valued at $20,000.
MILLERSBURG, ELKHART COUNTY.
St. Henry's Congregation, at Millersburg, was attended as a mission from Avilla, Noble county, from 1863, and mass said in various houses until it became a mission of Goshen, when Rev. H. A. Boeckelmann visited the parish and erected a church, although it was due to the efforts of Father Duehmig that the first subcrip- tions were taken up for this purpose. The church building, 30 x 46 feet, was finally completed by Father Boeckelman, and was dedicated during the pastorate of Rev. A. J. Kroeger. The con- gregation åt that time numbered about twenty families, but the number has since decreased, and they are mostly Germans. For a long time the congregation remained as a mission of Avilla and Goshen, but is now a mission attended to by the clergy of St. Patrick's, Ligonier.
MILLHOUSEN, DECATUR COUNTY.
The Immaculate Conception, at Millhousen, Ind., Rev. J. P. Gillig, pastor, was the first Catholic parish organized in the county of Decatur.
As early as 1840, Maximilian Schneider donated forty acres of land, June 20, in trust, to Right Rev. Celestine de la Hailandiere, bishop of Vincennes, for the benefit of the Catholics of Millhousen, and in the same year the congregation, consisting of thirteen fam- ilies, decided to erect a house of worship. This was a plain log building, 20 x 24 feet, with a rough exterior, chinked and daubed with mud, and was constructed under the auspices of Rev. Joseph Ferneding. The flock was comprised of Germans, and among the
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foremost of these in promoting the interests of the congregation as well as of the town, was Bernard Hardebeck. The first mission- ary priests following Father Ferneding were Revs. Conrad Schnie- derjans, M. O'Rourke and Ramon Weinzoepfel, who labored until 1843. From 1843 until 1854, Rev. Alphonse Munschina and Rev. Joseph Rudolf were the only two laborers in this field, and of these Father Rudolf, whose residence was at Oldenburg, performed pro- digious work, visiting Franklin, Dearborn, Ripley and Decatur counties.
The increase of Catholics at Millhousen was surprising, where- fore they determined to build, instead of the wooden church, a good-sized brick church, 38x60 feet. This was completed in 1850, and dedicated as St. Boniface's church. As the Rev. Al- phonse Munschina, who had charge of the church, resided at St. Ann's, Jennings county, it was deemed expedient by the people to have a priest residing in their midst; at their request, Rev. Peter Kreusch built, in 1856, the present parish house, which at the time was the finest in the diocese. In 1857 he erected a large school-house and now the congregation have two splendid brick school-buildings, and the schools are attended by 170 pupils. The schools are in charge of the Franciscan Sisters of Oldenburg, assisted by a lay teacher for boys. The erection of the church of the Immaculate Conception, 55 x 140 feet and 463 feet in height, was commenced under Rev. F. Hundt, the ceremonies of laying the corner-stone occurring May 24, 1867, and the building was completed under the pastorate of Rev. Dr. Hueser and dedicated August 4, 1869. No- vember 7, 1870, Rev. F. W. Pepersack took charge and was suc- ceeded in July, 1885, by Rev. Joseph Schuck, and he, in 1891, by the present pastor, Rev. John P. Gillig. In 1892-93 a spire was built, so that now the whole height is about 175 feet. The con- gregation consists of about 175 families.
MISHAWAKA, ST. JOSEPH COUNTY.
St. Joseph's Church at Mishawaka .- By reference to page 1 104, vol. II of this history, the reader will find, in the personal sketch of the Rev. A. B. Oechtering, that he was appointed pastor of St. Joseph's church at Mishawaka May 17, 1867. Prior to that (374)
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date the parish had been in a most flourishing condition, and Father Oechtering has continued to improve this happy state of affairs.
In 1886 the building was found to be entirely inadequate for the wants of the congregation, and a fund for the building of a new church was started by Father Oechtering, and in 1890 active preparations were begun for the erection of a new church, but it was defe:red on account of the pastor's poor health, and five months of that year were spent in traveling through Europe in search of health, and he was much benefited by the change.
Upon his return he began active work again, and in the beginning of 1891 the foundation was laid and the corner-stone placed in position by Rt. Rev. Joseph Rademacher, of Nashville, Tenn., the ceremony taking place August 30, 1891, before an audience of about 10,000 people. The total cost of the new church was nearly $50,000. It is 160 x 60 feet, its spire rising to the height of 180 feet, and it was first occupied for divine worship in October, 1893.
MONROEVILLE, ALLEN COUNTY.
St. Rose of Lima Church, at Monroeville, dates its history from about the year 1850, when the then Rev. J. Benoit first min- istered to the few Catholic families of the place, saying mass, alter- nately, at the homes of a Mr. Jeffrey and a Mr. Griffith. Later on, both Fathers Benoit and Madden made regular visits for a time and availed themselves of a room in the house of John Hayes, as a chapel, and following them, in 1868, Rev. E. P. Walters, from Fort Wayne, and after a few monthly visits, erected a frame church, 28 x 52 feet, which served its sacred purpose for nineteen years. The debt of $300 resting upon this structure was canceled by Rev. Walters' successor, Rev. J. H. Brammer, who was succeeded, in turn, by Revs. J. H. Graham, A. M. Meili, A. Heitman, T. Hib- belen, J. Grogan, H. T. Wilken and B. Hartman. The cemetery of the congregation was acquired during the pastorate of Father Wilken, and during that of Father Hartman a pastoral residence was erected in 1882. The first resident pastor was the Rev. J. Grogan, mentioned above, who was appointed in 1884, but was
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