St Francis Minor Seminary - Via Yearbook (Milwaukee, WI)

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Q? mann wrote in a letter that benefactors were remem- bered in a Holy Mass every Thursday since the Patron Feast, January 29, 1854. Even after the open- ing of the Seminary Dr. Salzmann was often obliged to go out collecting aims, mleaving with tears, he returned with joy bringing with him new courage and supplies for the near future? Many of the students were unable to pay the meager tuition fee of ninety dollars per year; some were admitted at as low a price as twenty-five dollars, and others were admitted gratis. These pioneer students were actuated by the same spirit of sacrifice which was heroically exemplified in their superiors, and, hence, they will- ingly submitted to all the inconveniences which they were called upon to undergo. 1857-1859 In the course of the first scholastic year Rev. George Rehrl and Rev. Mathias Gernbauer were added to the faculty. The former, who had come from Austria, died after four short years of service. The latter had come to America as a theological student in the company of Dr. Salzmann, and, as has been mentioned, had been a student in his little Seminary at Germantown. After his ordination in 1849 Father Gembauer labored in the missions of the Milwaukee diocese and in 1856 Dr. Salzmann engaged him as a professor for the classical courses, a position which he held with some interruption until his death in 1876. This zealous priest assisted Dr. Salzmann in collecting aims, and in 1866 he built the Chapel-in-the-Woods and later the stations en- circling it. SAINT FRANCIS SBMINARY 9' On the first anniversary of the dedication, that is January 29, 1857, the first ordinations were held in the Seminary chapel. Bishop Henni conferred tonsure on thirteen candidates, one of whom was Kilian Flasch, who later became Rector of the Seminary and Bishop of La Crosse diocese. December 16, 1859, was an outstanding day in the annals of St. Francis Seminary, and it is a day to which Dr. Salzmann referred in his letters with pride and enthusiasm. On that day fourteen levites-the first fruits of the Sales- ianumewere raised to the sacerdotal dignity in St. Johnis Cathedral. After the ordination services the newly ordained priests returned to the Seminary in a body via the lake road where they were met on the bridge by the students who awaited them with cross and banner. They all entered the chapel, and there the newly ordained priests imparted their first blessing. This class was the largest group which up to that time had been ordained together in the United States. q I r g5 $3 Among the pioneer professors the name of Rev. Leonard Batz stands out as the first priest in the United States who was elevated to the dignity of a domestic prelate to His Holiness. The number of faculty members increased and in 1859 the students numbered sixtymine, but soon the political crisis of the United States came which created a new epoch in the history of St. Francis Seminary. Although that epoch is fascinating to us, it was tragic to those who were then associated with the Salesianum. BENJAMIN BLIED, B. A. i231

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DIIANIOND 7.; 'X t 03 a . m $$- was cleared; under Dr. Paulhuberis supervision a brickyard was prepared near the Convent, and the work of building was placed under the supervision of Mr. Victor Schulte, the architect who had drawn the plans for St. Johnis Cathedral. In September 1854 ground was broken for what is now the central building, and July 15th, 1855, was the day set for the laying of the cornerstone. A platform and an altar were erected and the ceremony was scheduled to begin at eleven olclock. Although the day was hot, and the morning skies were overhung, nevertheless, five thousand people streamed to the celebration, and, fortunately, by noon the skies were clear. The cere- mony started with a procession in which a mixed choir of about sixty voices took part. After the sing- ing of a song of welcome and oil the liVeni Sancte Spiritus , the principal address was given by Father Heiss. After the address Bishop Henni, assisted by fifteen priests, laid the simple cornerstone in which were placed some coins, newspapers, a medal, etc. After the cornerstone had been laid, Rev. George Rior- dan addressed the audience in English, after which a High Mass was sung by the Bishop, who also ad- dressed the audience, and enthusiastically said, iVVhat I have accomplished in my diocese, I owe to God and my German priests. Now that I have seen this day, I can die in peace, and this chapel shall be the place where my mortal remains shall one day rest? The reasons why Bishop Henni was buried in the Cathedral, and not in the Seminary chapel are un- known. It has been suggested, however, that the members of the Cathedral parish, who loved him to an extraordinarily great degree, insisted on keeping his mortal remains in St. Johnls Cathedral. The cornerstone was appropriately laid in the wall of what is now the chapel, but owing to an addition, it is no longer visible on the outside of the building. Means to defray the expense incurred in the con- struction of what was then regarded as a pretentious edifice were scant, and therefore its progress was slow. The visualization of the building activity is interesting. The Brothers house, a small orphanage recently completed and a modest convent form the background of the scene. With typically monastic zeal the Brothers made the bricks and hauled the hrewoocl to bake them from the vicinity of Cudahy. They hauled the lumber which had come by boat from Sheboygan and Manitowoc from the lake, they did carpenter work, and they contributed in count- less other ways toward the great undertaking. The Sisters cooked for the workingmen who were housed on the grounds, and they also permitted them the use of their chapel for religious services. Dr. Salzmann insisted on continuing the work of building during the cold season so as to be able to NH JUBILEE aE5E open the Seminary on its Patronal Feast Day. His wish was realized, and on January 29, 1856, the building was blessed, and also the temporary chapel which was located where the Classics parlor, labo- ratory and book store are at present. Now that the building was blessed, the Seminary was ready to commence its great work. After the ceremony the Bishop oHicially appointed his secretary, Rev. Michael Heiss, the first Rector and Rev. Joseph Salzmann Procurator of the institution. Besides these two priests one more professor had been engaged, namely, Mr. Bernard Durward, a Scotch convert, who is known for his paintings and poetry. Several collections of his poems have been published, and among his paint- ings are found the picture of St. Francis in the Theo- logians, refectory and the monochrome Crucihxion which was made for the chapel but now adorns the Theology Lecture Hall. In the scarcity of English- speaking men of education, Mr. Durward was wel- comed as a professor of Belles-Lettres. With Father Heiss in the habit of saying liEnglish is no languageh and as only Latin and Theology were considered important, Mr. Durward was hard pressed to gain encouraging recognition of the English language. The domestic duties of the Seminary were ably per- formed by the generous Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi from the day on which St. Francis Seminary was opened, and, as has been remarked, even before it was completed they had given their services to the workingmen. In the first scholastic year the Semi- nary numbered thirty-two students, one of whom died during the course of the year and another of whom entered the Society of Jesus. Among the names of this first group is found that of J. A. Birkhaeuser who later became a professor at the Seminary and the compiler of the familiar 5History of the Church . It seems that during the first decade the entire student body wore cassocks with cinctures, the color of the latter designating the studenfs rank; red indi- cated a student of the classics, blue a philosopher, and black a theologian. 1855-1856 The financial embarrassments which frequently imperiled the early existence of St. Francis Seminary are not going to be discussed at length. To secure funds to start, Dr. Salzmannealways enthusiasm personified-set out on a collecting tour which em- braced not only Wisconsin, but also all the neigh- boring states. He went even as far as New Orleans, Boston and New York, enduring rebuffs and hard- ships known only to the pioneer missionary. The average contribution which he received was one dollar, the highest was twenty dollars, and the lowest was fifteen cents. The present custom of celebrating a Holy Mass for benefactors every Thursday is as old as the institution itself. As early as 1855 Dr. Salz-

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DIAMOND JUBILEE !856 MR. AND MRS. ANTON PALMA Golden Wedding, May 26, 1929 HWU. Palma i: the sister of Msgr. Raimv PRESENT HOME OF THE NIGHT WATCHMAN, MR. PALMA first T05! OIj'ice, St. ffrancix, 1867 I241