USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of Catholicity in northern Ohio and in the diocese of Cleveland from 1749 to December 31, 1900, Volume II, pt2 > Part 27
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VIERE, Rev. Christian, was born at Osnabrueck, Germany, October 9, 1831; ordained March 14, 1856; came to America in 1865, was received into the diocese of Cleveland in 1866, and appointed pastor of Fort Jennings, remaining till September, 1867, when he was made pas- tor of St. Mary's, Toledo. In August, 1869, he was transferred to St. John's, Defiance, where he was stationed until his removal by Bishop Gilmour, October, 1878. He then left the ministry and lived in retire- ment at Fort Jennings, O. He died there, reconciled with the Church, January 21 ;. 1893.
VIGEAUT, Rev. Alfred, a . Canadian, was born May 10, 1844; ordained October 12, 18773 ; was in the diocese of Cleveland, as pastor of Toussaint, from June, 1881, to February, 1883. He then left the diocese.
VLCEK, Rev. Anthony, was born in Moravia, Austria, June 5, 1862; completed his studies for the priesthood at St. Mary's Seminary, Cleve- land ; was ordained at Wheeling. W. Va., for the diocese of Cleveland. August 7, 1885 ; stationed at St. Procop's church, Cleveland, as pastor, from August, 1885, to July, 1893, when he left the diocese and ministry.
VOISARD, Rev. Joseph A., a native of France, was born June 29. 1828; ordained September 18, 1858; was received into the diocese of Cleveland, September. 1865, and appointed temporary pastor of St. Ann's, Fremont. Left Fremont and the diocese in April, 1866.
VOLM, Rev. Frederick A., a native of Baden, was ordained at Cin- cinnati. December, 1860. He was in the diocese of Cleveland from
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July, 1866, to March, 1867, as pastor of Millersville. No other record of him.
VON BRAUN, Rev. Julian, born and ordained in Germany, was received into the diocese of Cleveland, September, 1851; had charge of St. Mary's congregation, Massillon, till 1852, meanwhile attending Navarre. He died, August 2, 1852, at Massillon, where his remains repose.
VON HAZA-RADLITZ, Rev. Anthony (Jesuit), a Prussian, was born October 25, 1841; ordained for the Jesuits, in England, September 20, 1874; in the diocese of Cleveland, as a missionary, from August, 1891, to August, 1895. Is now at the Jesuit College, in Prairie du Chien, Wis.
VON PACKISCH, Rev. William (Jesuit), was born in Prussia, April 14, 1849; was ordained in England for the Jesuits, August 28, 1878. Was stationed at St. Mary's, Cleveland, as assistant, from August, 1883, to June, 1885, and as professor at St. Ignatius' College, same city, from September, 1888, to August, 1893.
VUILLEMOT, Rev. F., a native of Lorraine, France, was born in 1834 ; ordained in 1859 ; came to the diocese of Cleveland, April, 1864; was assistant at Louisville, from May to July of same year; was then sent to St. Mary's Seminary, Cleveland, where he taught philosophy for a few months. Returned to France in 1865.
WAGNER, Rev. Nicholas M. (Jesuit), was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., May 30, 1873 ; was ordained in his native city, August 23, 1896; at the Jesuit Novitiate, Parma, from September to December, 1898. He then left the Jesuits ; is now a secular priest.
WALDRON, Rev. Anthony, was born in county Mayo, Ireland, September 3, 1864. After finishing his studies for the ministry at May- nooth, he was ordained September 3, 1888; was stationed at St. Malachy's church, Cleveland, as curate, from August, 1898, to October, 1900, when he left the diocese.
WALSH, Rev. Francis ( Basilian), a Canadian, was born in 1843; ordained at Louisville, O., for the Basilians, by Bishop Rappe, in December, 1867; was at Louisville College, as professor, about four years, 1867-71. Is now at St. Michael's College, Toronto, Canada.
WALSH, Rev. John, a native of Ireland, was born December 13, 1844; completed his ecclesiastical studies at Maynooth, and was there ordained, June 15, 1870. In June, 1888, he was received by Bishop Gilmour and sent sent to St. Columba's, Youngstown, as assistant, where he remained till his transfer to the Cathedral, as assistant. Sep- tember, 1888. In January, 1890, he was appointed pastor of St. Mary's Corners, Fulton county, where he remained two months. He then left the diocese and went to that of Duluth, Minn., where he now is.
WALSH, Rev. Thomas, was born in Ireland, about 1830. Bishop Rappe ordained him in January, 1851; until December, 1856, he was assistant at the Cathedral. whence he also attended Berea, Olmsted and Ravenna as missions. Went to the diocese of Alton, Ill., in January,
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1857. He was pastor of St. Joseph's church, Cairo, Ill., where he died, March 5, 1863. He was a fine preacher and of amiable disposition. Whilst at the Cathedral, in Cleveland, he was the confessor of the students at the seminary, by whom he was loved, and highly esteemed as a spiritual director.
WALSH, Rev. Thomas J., was born near Wexford, Ireland, in 1828; was educated for the ministry in Wexford College, and St. Mary's Seminary, Cleveland; ordained by Bishop Rappe, July -- , 1852, and appointed pastor of St. Ann's, Fremont, remaining till 1856, when he was sent to St. Vincent's, Akron. From Akron he attended Ravenna. In 1858 he was appointed pastor of Summitville, where he remained till 1859, when he left the diocese. He died as pastor of St. Patrick's, in the city of St. Joseph, Mo., November 27, 1881.
WARDY, Rev. Charles T., was born, educated and ordained in France. He came to the diocese of Cleveland in July, 1865, and until he left it in October, 1875, he had the following charges: Port Clinton, with charge of La Prairie and Toussaint as missions; St. Joseph's, Toledo; Kelley's Island, and New Bavaria. In October, 1875, he was received into the diocese of Fort Wayne, where he remained till 1879, when he joined the Benedictines. Died at Monte Casino Priory, near Covington, Ky., October 29, 1880. He was a zealous priest. Although he learned the English language late in life he had perfect command of it, speaking and writing it with greatest ease.
WEBER, Rev. Peter (Sanguinist), was born in Germany. D'ate and place of birth or ordination not recorded. Had pastoral charge of the following places in the diocese: Randolph, Harrisburg, Avon and French Creek. In 1854 he left the diocese and Sanguinists and was received into the diocese of Vincennes. No other record of him.
WEGRZYNOWSKI, Rev. Francis, a native of Poland, was born September 3, 1852 ; was ordained at Detroit, Mich., April 28, 1894. He was temporary pastor of Sacred Heart church, Cleveland, from July, 1899, to July, 1900, when he left the diocese and returned to Europe.
WEIKMANN, Rev. John Baptist, a native of Würtemberg, was born June 24, 1811 ; was ordained September 12, 1838 ; was received by Bishop Rappe in December, 1855, and appointed pastor of St. Peter's, Canton, in the following month. This position he held till February 26, 1856, when he was dismissed. Died as pastor of New Vienna, Iowa, October 11, 1870.
WEISS, Rev. Paulinus (Franciscan), born at Lindau, diocese of Augsburg, March 21, 1831; in the United States since 1862; ordained November 9, 1865; was in the Franciscan Monastery, Cleveland, from 1882 to July, 1885. Died at St. Peter's church, Chicago, Ill., February 18, 1894.
WESTERHOLT, Rev. Francis. (Sec biographical sketch, pages 440-441.)
WICKART, Rev. Lucien J., a native of France, was born December 9, 1831 : ordained at Detroit, Mich., October 18, 1857; in this diocese.
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from September, 1899, to May, 1900, with temporary charge of Annun- ciation parish, Cleveland, during the illness and absence of the pastor.
WILHELMI, Rev. Peter (Sanguinist), a native of Luxemberg, was born March 18, 1817 ; made his ecclesiastical studies at Thompson and New Riegel. He was ordained at Tiffin by Bishop Rappe, January 27, 1851. He was stationed in the diocese of Cleveland from 1853 to 1856; 1884 to 1886, 1887, 1888,-first at Thompson, then at Glandorf, and again at Thompson, in each of which places he was curate. Died at Maria Stein, Mercer county, O., March 28, 1893.
WILLI, Rev. Willibald (Sanguinist), was born in Ems, Switzer- land, in 1820. He came to America, August, 1850, and was ordained for the Sanguinists by Bishop Rappe, in January, 1851. - Owing to ill health, even at his ordination, he was never able to do much of pastoral work. He was stationed at Glandorf till October, 1853. He died at Maria Heim, Ind., December 15, 1854.
WIRTZ, Rev. Hermann ( Franciscan), was born at Cologne, Janu- ary 6, 1842 ; in the United States since April, 1861; ordained September 7, 1872. Was in the Cleveland Monastery, and professor in St. Joseph's College, December, 1878, to July, 1879. Is now on the mission in California.
WITTMER, Rev. John (Sanguinist), was born at Ober-Erlinsbach, Switzerland, November 4, 1818; ordained at Feldkirch, Austria, November 21, 1811; came to this country with the first. Sanguinist Fathers in December, 1843. He had the following pastoral charges in the diocese of Cleveland: Assistant at Peru, 1844-46; first resident pastor of Randolph, 1846; assistant at Thompson, and attended (1847-48) St. Joseph's, Tiffin; pastor of Thompson, 1849 to 1853. He was then for many years on the mission in the archdiocese of Cincinnati, especially in Mercer, Auglaize and Shelby counties. In 1885 he was sent by his superior to the diocese of Nashville, where he remained about seven years. He died at Maria Stein, Mercer county, O., June 20, 1893. He was one of the early missionaries of Northern Ohio, and by his zeal and earnestness did much for the spread of religion.
WOCHNER, Rev. Henry (Jesuit), was born, 1839, in Haslach, Würtemberg ; ordained September 8, 1868; in the United States since 1876; was assistant at St. Mary's, Cleveland, from 1881 to August, 1885. He is now stationed at Mankato, Minn.
WOZNY, Rev. Sigmund, an Austrian, was born August 16, 1861; educated at Louvain University, and was there ordained, June 25, 1885; was stationed at St. Casimir's church, Cleveland, from Septem- ber, 1894, to February, 1896. He then left the diocese of his own accord, and went to Natchez, Miss!
WUERZ, Rev. Matthias, was born, 1807, in Schoenbach, Province of Lorraine, France. Came to America in 1833 and made his theo- logical studies at Cincinnati, where he was ordained, June 13, 1835. In February, 1838, he was appointed first resident pastor of Louisville, Stark county, whence he also attended Randolph. Was pastor of St.
538
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BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES.
John's, Canton, from August, 1810, to September, 1814, and had charge of Massillon and Navarre as missions; also occasionally visited the missions of Peru and New Riegel. Returned to France in 18-45, where he died of apoplexy, April 2, 1858.
YoDYSZUS, Rev. Matthias V., D. D., a Lithuanian, was born July 26, 1855; was educated in Poland, where also he was ordained, July 18, 1880; was in this diocese as temporary curate at St. Anthony's church, Toledo, from September, 1899, to April, 1900, when he was dismissed.
YOUNG, Very Rev. Nicholas D. (Dominican), nephew of Bishop Fenwick, first Bishop of Cincinnati, was born in Maryland, in 1783; studied at St. Rose's, Ky., and Rome; was ordained by Bishop Flaget, December 10, 1817; came to Northern Ohio, from Kentucky, Novem- ber, 1818; attended Dungannon, from Somerset, Perry county, about 1820, and again between 1833 and 1835. In January, 1833, he was elected Provincial of the Dominicans in the United States. He was stationed for many years at Somerset, O., St. Rose's, Ky., and Wash- ington, D. C. Died at Giesboro, Md., October 28, 1878, aged 95. He was one of the pioneer priests of Northern Ohio, and a man full of apostolic zeal.
ZALEWSKI, Rev. Vincent, a native of Russian Poland, was born January 23, 1853; ordained in his native country December 20, 1881; was stationed as assistant at St. Anthony's, Toledo, from November, 1894, to January, 1896, when he was dismissed from the diocese. Had charge of a Schismatic Polish congregation at Philadelphia, where he died November 11, 1899.
ZANDERS, Rev. Raymundus (Franciscan), was born in Rhenish Prussia, August 8, 1846; ordained at Paderborn in 1873; came to the United States in 1884 ; July, 1885, he was sent to the Franciscan Monas- tery, Cleveland, remaining till February, 1886, when he was appointed chaplain of St. Francis Hospital, Jersey City, N. J. Returned to Ger- many, where he died.
ZARECZNY, Rev. Victor, born at Lemberg, Galicia, Austria, Decem- ber 3, 1841, was ordained in Galicia, July 21, 1868; received into the diocese of Cleveland, December, 1873, and appointed pastor of the Poles in Berea, where he organized St. Adalbert's congregation ; also attended Royalton, and the Poles in Cleveland. He left Berea, and the diocese, in February. 1884.
ZIEGLER, Rev. Odilo (Franciscan), a'native of Alsace, was born April 12, 1820; was ordained at Strasburg, Alsace, December 20, 1856. Was a secular priest in his native country and in the United States till January, 1886, when he entered the Franciscan Order. Was stationed at the Franciscan Monastery, Cleveland, as chaplain and confessor of various institutions, from August, 1896, till his death, August 26, 1897. He was a model religious and a most excellent priest.
ZISWYLER, Rev. Beatus (Sanguinist), was born in Switzerland, in 1844; was trained for the ministry, at Carthagena. O., where he was
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ordained for the Sanguinists January 17, 1873. Was pastor at Reed, Seneca county, from June to September, 1873. No other record of him.
ZUMBUEHL, Rev. Leonz, was born in Luzern, Switzerland, May 1, 1846 ; was ordained at Feldkirch, Austria, for the diocese of Cleveland, by Bishop Amberg, April 19, 1870. In September, 1870, he was ap- pointed pastor of Fort Jennings, where he remained till January. 1872, when he was given the professorship of philosophy in St. Mary's Semi- nary, Cleveland. This position he held till July of same year, when he was again given pastoral charge of Fort Jennings. In September, 1873, he was recalled to his former position at the seminary, remaining till July, 1812, when he left the diocese. From April, 1876, to July, 1877, he also had pastoral charge of Independence. Since August, 1877, he has been in the diocese of Peoria.
ZWACK, Rev. George M. (Jesuit), a Bavarian, was born April 1, 1861; was ordained in England, for the Jesuits, September 2, 1894; stationed at St. Mary's, Toledo, as assistant and chaplain, from Decem- ber, 1897, to August, 1898. He is now stationed at Georgetown University, as professor.
ZWINGE, Rev. Capistran (Franciscan), was born in Grosender, diocese of Paderborn, Prussia, March 30. 1823 : ordained September 4, 1849 ; came to the United States in September, 1858. He was first supe- rior of Franciscan Monastery, and pastor of St. Joseph's church, Cleve- land, from 1867 to 18:1. By his zeal and kindness he won the confidence and affection of all committed to his spiritual guidance. He was a model religious, and a successful pastor. Died at Chicago, Ill .. July 23, 1874.
MISCELLANEOUS SKETCHES.
THE INFIRM PRIESTS' FUND.
The undertaking to establish a Fund on which, under specific limitations, the disabled, seriously sick, or superannuated clergy of the Diocese of Cleveland may draw for creature-comforts, was success- fully begun as far back as 1865. It was a most timely, just, and very necessary movement.
For years previous-in fact from the beginning-it was apparent that the priest seized with infirmity, or overtaken by fast advancing decrepitude, was allowed to drift about in the cold world seemingly bereft of friends, and without a retreat in which to rest his weary and broken body. Not unfrequently, like his Divine Master, he had "not where to lay his head." While vigor remained, and he was equal to performing his labors, he was sure of obtaining a quantum of neces- sary food and raiment ; but once incapacitated by sickness, accident, or weight of years, he usually passed from view into the realm of oblivion, and was compelled to take home to him and live with the pains, deprivations, and utter neglect which were to be his sad lot often even unto the end.
If it be argued that the priest's salary of seven hundred dollars a year, -- which figure, today, is far in advance of what it was years ago,-together with what is known as "perquisites." mere bagatelles. ought to be enough to provide for the present and also leave a little margin looking to the future, it can be answered in reply that those thus viewing the case do not fully consider the cost of maintaining a house supplied even in the scantiest way. Evidently the multiplied demands made daily on the slender purse of the priest are not taken into consideration by those who argue along this niggardly line, and even the diocese itself does not appear to closely consider them in view of the small stipend allowed in the way of salary. If, according to St. Paul, "Those who minister at the altar should live by the altar," it is a layman's opinion that the word "live" should be broadly inter- preted, at least in our day, and that such provision should be made for the ministering priest as .to afford him not only a decent living. together with something to dispense in charity, but also enough from which to lay aside a little something against the day of sickness, pressing necessities, and painful isolation. If "the laborer is worthy of his hire," that hire should be large enough. not only for the day,
NOTE .-- Although this and the succeeding sketches belong more properly in the his- torical volume, the author of this one has written and given them a place here, as much because of pressure on the first, as with a view to equalize the size of both volumes.
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BOARD OF THE INFIRM PRIESTS' FUND.
THE RT. REV. MGR. T. P. THORPE
THE REV. WILLIAM MCMAHON
THE RT. REV. IGN. F. HORSTMANN, D. D., Bishop of Cleveland, Pres. THE REV. FRIDOLIN ANKLY, Ticas. THE REV. CASIMIR REICHLIN
THE REV. SERAPHIN BAUER, D. D., See'y. THE REV. THOMAS F. MAHAR, D. D.
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but also as against the sunset time of life --- the advancing night, "when no man can labor."
What the Rev. William Mahoney said in strong language in 1885, in his work entitled, "The Rights of the Clergy Vindicated, or a Plea for Canon Law in the United States," has been known to all observing priests and laymen in this country from the beginning. The portraiture he drew of the miserable condition of antiquated or broken priests ordained under the title of Mission was not a too highly colored or unfamiliar picture. What he then said was in the minds of all, both at the time and previously ; but the vigorous way in which he put the case called attention to the law of the Church by which clergymen in the higher orders, ordained under the name of Mission, and who retain such title, have a just claim to support and sustenance from the jurisdiction, whether Diocese, Vicariate, or Prefecture, to which they belong. This recognized title to a living they have, not as a charity, but as a right, and it is along these lines that the Infirm Priests' Fund of the Diocese of Cleveland was projected and estab- lished.
The original plan, and that which now obtains in the more perfect working out of the Fund, were predicated on simple justice only. The idea was not, and is not, to make the priest an object of charity, or to keep him out of the poorhouse while yet placing him in the attitude of a dependent, or a pauper. Not at all. The notion was held, and it has grown stronger with the years, that "the laborer is worthy of his hire," and that, having been a faithful husbandman in the Vineyard, he, with his fellow workers, is to receive "every man a penny" for his day's toil, and half of that daily wage when he. shall have become unequal to bearing "the burden of the day and the heats." How to provide that other daily half-penny was the difficult task proposed to themselves by the founders of the Infirmi Priests' Fund of the Diocese of Cleveland. But they discovered a way, and now for over thirty-five years the result of their work has been productive of great good.
In the Diocesan Synod, convened after the annual Retreat of 1865, a number of priests with the Rev. Seraphin Bauer, of Fremont, at their head, began the work of disseminating the good seed relative to the project in view. They were fully aware of the conditions which had prevailed in the infant missions of the whole country previous to that time, and they were likewise apprised of the complex situations in population, finances, customs, etc., which had prevented the purveying of provisions for an Infirm Priests' Fund in the various dioceses throughout the United States. Up to that time the Fund which they moved in establishing was the first in the country, and it has since been the pattern after which other dioceses have copied. The closer these dioceses kept to the rules and methods adopted in the Diocese of Cleveland the more they prospered in the upbuilding and management of their respective Funds.
The assembled priests having regarded the undertaking with favor, a resolution was presented and passed unanimously that a Fund for Infirm and Disabled Priests be established. Bishop Rappe.
...
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who presided at the Synod, heartily favored the undertaking. Accord- ingly a committee was appointed to formulate "The First Rules and Regulations." The priests comprising the committee were the follow- ing: The Revs. Seraphin Bauer, Eugene M. O'Callaghan, John Quinn, Robert A. Sidley, and Francis Westerholt.
They met at the residence of the Rev. R. A. Sidley, in Sandusky, September, 1865, and promptly proceeded, in frontiersmen's style, to blaze the way and march on. They had nothing to copy from, above, beneath or around, but they had the situation before them, and evidently the ability to mect it. The result of their labors was . a set of "Rules and Regulations" which, owing to the low ebb of canon law at the time, appeared to some a trifle glaring. They inserted a liberal clause in the "Rules" which was stricken out by the approving authority, but which is now generally accepted as good canon law. However, the work of the committee, with this one exception, was approved by Bishop Rappe, December 18, 1865.
Among the many other points covered by the instrument were : (1) that an infirm or disabled priest should receive for board and keep a pecuniary assistance at the rate of $400 fer anmimm, which in later years was increased to $500; and (2) that each congregation or mission should pay into the Fund's treasury the tenth part of the penny collection taken up at cach Mass on Sundays and Holydays, or an equivalent when other collections took the place of the penny collection. Subsequent revisions of the constitution and laws improved the government, management, and method of raising and dispensing the Fund, until now the organization can. be said to be, or after some minor changes proposed to be made in the laws are effected, will be in the most approved and perfect working order. Since the adoption of the Rules as revised by the Rev. Seraphin Bauer and others, in 1882, the Fund has been unusually prosperous. Instead of relying on the penny collection, an annual tax of twenty cents for each paying family reported in each congregation in the diocese was substituted. It then became the duty of the pastors in charge of congregations to send the amount due to the treasurer of the Fund. Later this tax was reduced to fifteen cents for each paying family.
The Management Board, like the Senate of the United States, is, in a sense. self-perpetuating. The officers are elected annually, and three new members of the Board are incoming each year to take the places of three retiring ones, who, under the rules, may be elected to succeed themselves. Of these the Board elects one, the Bishop appoints one, and the clergy at large elect one. In any case there is a quorum, with the Bishop as ex officio president, for the transaction of business. In case the Bishop is unable to attend he may be repre- sented by his Vicar-General.
The secretary is the really active officer of the institution. For nearly twenty-seven years the Rev. Dr. Seraphin Bauer, of Fremont, has held and faithfully discharged the duties of that important posi- tion. The office of treasurer, too, is very important. For a number of years past it has been acceptably filled by the Rev. Fridolin Ankly. of Wooster.
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MISCELLANEOUS SKETCHES.
What might be called the First Period of the Fund was the eleven years from 1865 to 1876. The members of the first Board of Managers were the Revs. Felix M. Boff, of Toledo, president ; Seraphin Bauer, of Fremont ; Eugene M. O'Callaghan, of Youngs- town; John Quinn, of Norwalk ; Robert A. Sidley, of Sandusky, treas- urer, and Francis Westerholt, of Cleveland. After the Retreat of 1868 the Rev. Charles Evrard was elected in place of the Rev. Seraphin Bauer, the Board remaining otherwise unchanged. In the Synod of 1872 the Rev. Nicholas Moes was elected in the place of the Rev. Eugene M. O'Callaghan, the Board remaining as before with this one exception. The following changes in the officers were also made : The Rev. Francis Westerholt was elected vice president; the Rev. Felix M. Boff, secretary ; and the Rev. Charles Evrard, treasurer. He remained treasurer until 1882. The other treasurers were the Rev. Robert A. Sidley, from 1865 to 1868; and the Rev. John Quinn, from 1868 to 1872.
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