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

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DIAMOND clerical friends, and most probably an object lesson in diligence for the students. The building was a mecca for smokers in the collegiate days of Msgr. Gerend, who says that in the evening the boys stole their smokes back of the 11bar- racks? The Monsignor often tells the story of the burning of the barracks,1 one evening after supper. Every student, he tells us, betrayed great anxiety during the fire. The morning revealed every door knob in the building covered with honey. Smokers professed not to know what had set the place on fire, but some smokers like something sweet after a smoke and honey is not liable to 11spontaneous com- bustion . The Blessed Virgin Sodality was established about 1864 by the Rev. Kilian Flasch. The first mem- bers were only twenty-hve in number. Today every student of the Seminary is a member. The present Moderator is the Rector, the Very Reverend Aloy- sius J. Muench. This closes the first decade of the history of the Seminary which needless to say was :1 difficult one. In 1865, an epoch with brighter views and higher prospects was presented. One of the many happy memories was the addition to the Seminary faculty of Rev. Frederic Katzer who later became Bishop of La Crosse and then Archbishop of Milwaukee. He was one of the Seminary,s very own. At this time Dr. Joseph Salzmann thought it proper to make a trip to his home beyond the sea. It was undertaken not so much for the sake of pleasure as to secure financial aid and candidates for the missions in the United States. While in Europe, he visited Ludwig I of Bavaria from whom he received three thousand Horins for the Normal School which Dr. Joseph Salzmann already had in mind. Even the Emperor Franz Joseph received him in audience and presented him with a large donation; so also did the Duke of Modenna; while Emperor Ferdinand the Good of Prague gave him the largest sum t600 guldenl for his Salesianum. From the abbeys of Austria he received many duplicate copies of books for the Seminary library. After a thirteen months, leave, he returned to his beloved home in the United States. The description of his return is recorded by one of the group, the late Msgr. Joseph Rainer. He calls it the 11March of the Books . Dr. Salzmann returned from the begging tour in Europe with many books and fourteen candi- dates for his Seminary. On the journey from New York, a trunk Filled with large folio editions was acci- ientally broken. Salzmann, therefore, asked each one of the students to carry a volume. When they arrived in Chicago, they were to go to Rev. F. Kalvelage, pastor JUBILEE 6E5? of St. Francis Church, which was some distance from the depot. With Dr. Salzmann at their head, the fourteen students marched in single hle through the streets of Chicago, and as the leader now and then had to inquire the way, the whole procession was fre- quently at a standstill. Each student carried a large steamer rug on his back, held in one hand the tin cup and plate used on the voyage, and lugged under the other arm a mighty tome that recalled the early days of the art of printing. TTProbably with the in- tention of affording an amused public ample op- portunity of reviewing this remarkable parade, we had to retrace our course several times and thus pass through the same street a second time. The year 1867 records the Silver Jubilee celebra- tion of Dr. Joseph Salzmann as priest, the ordination of Rev. Joseph Rainer, and the founding of the St. Francis Post Office after a petition had been signed by the students. The post ofhce was in the building occupied by our present night watchman, Mr. Palma. After its career as post office, this building served as a shoe shop, where shoes were made and repaired for the seminarians. Later this quaint old structure became for a time the dwelling of the engineer, Mr. Mahoney. At his departure it was used by the students for a brief time as a candy and fruit store. After this it stood empty until about twelve years ago, when Mr. Palma moved into it. The first post- master was Mr. John Gartner, later Father Gartner. He was succeeded by Mr. August Zeininger. The Chapel-in-the-Woods built in 1866 and blessed in 1867 soon became a place of pilgrimage. It was erected through the efforts of the Rev. Mathias Gem- bauer, a professor of the Seminary. This chapel was for years merely the size of the sanctuary of the present edihce. The Stations of the Cross were erected three years later by the same Father Gernbauer. They were solemnly blessed by the Vicar-General of the diocese, Very Rev. Martin Kundig. 1 864- 1 868 The year 1868 also brought to the students and professors the bitter-sweet news that their beloved Rector, Rev. Michael Heiss had been appointed Bishop of La Crosse. The Bishop-elect was conse- crated by Bishop Henni in St. Johrfs Cathedral, Milwaukee. All the students were permitted to at- tend. With the departure of Rev. Michael Heiss, the Seminary lost a scholarly leader. Although his many tasks were arduous and varied, he still found time to write. His works include the 8Commentary on the Four Gospelsli and his extensive treatise 8De Matrimonidl, which earned for him and his insti- tution additional fame. His work was recognized by the Council of Baltimore in the year 1866 and also by Pope Pius IX at the convocation of the Vatican Council. With his departure, the duty of Rector fell i261

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1861-1862 SAINT FRANCIS SEMINARY The Civil War Period HE BEGINNING of the Civil War in 1861 caused many hardships to the Seminary, but it accommo- dated itself to them as best it could. At first sight the reactions of the Seminary to the War might be called those of a slacker, but on peering deeper into the question and noting the general , situation in the country, its views ;: and actions appear quite in har- mony with the quite general spirit ' of the time. The War exerting its inHuences on all walks of life, had a singular effect on the students of St. Francis. Their antag- onism at the time can be seen at least in an imperfect manner from various incidents. Our first impressions are received from the Junior English Literary Society, St. Josephis Lyceum, wherein was delivered a paper 1The Horrors of the Civil War , and another en- titled, ilOur Civil War,,, in which the many evils and calamities that had befallen out once happy and prosperous country were clearly depicted; and then from the Senior English Literary Society, St. Michaelis Lyceum, in whose minutes we read that a debate uIs Slavery Justiiiable? was held. The decision on the debate was in the affirmative. Our views are further substantiated when we con- sider how many of the students fearing to be taken from the Seminary, paid heavy sums of money to be exempt from military services. Even one of the professors, Dr. Joseph Salzmann, paid $300 to have himself exempted. Later a law was passed which de- creed that all men from 25 to 45 years of age were subject to be drafted. A large number of the seminar- ists, about a dozen in one night, escaped into Canada for fear of being called to war. The dread was so great that when the students heard the word 1ioflicets they would shudder and at times even hide in the cellars or under the beds. On one occasion it hap- pened that Father Gernbauer and two of the older students, Andrew Seubert and H. Reinhard, dis- guised themselves as recruiting ofiicers, and appeared on the walk leading to the main entrance at a time when the students were gathered there. The warning was passed to the assembled students: iiThe officers are coming, and all who were American and old enough, disappeared in a grand stampede for the safety of cellars and under beds. These incidents justly warrant the conclusion that during these years not much progress was made in studies at the Seminary. On June 30, 1861, the Seminary Chapel was com- pleted and dedicated. The ceremony was very im- pressive. The most outstanding feature was the solemn procession from the Convent to the Semi- nary with the relics which were carried on a beautiful litter by four priests. The litter was pre- pared for the occasion by the Sisters of Notre Dame. After the proper ceremonies, the relics were placed into the altar stone. During the procession music was supplied by the students fittingly clad in their distinctive cassocks and surplices. Preceding the dedication rites the Rev. F. X. Weninger, S. 1., preached a most appropriate sermon on iiThe Glories of the Holy Crossii, and an eleven foot gilded iron cross was raised and placed on the dome of the Seminary building. After these pte- liminaries, a Pontifical High Mass was celebrated by Bishop J. M. Henni, who also preached on the occasion. After this, dinner was served for the clergy in the Seminary and for the people in the woods, where benches and tables had been prepared. Most of the laity, however, returned to their homes without dinner. The following year the Seminary suffered a serious loss when Mr. Bernard Durward, a professor, tired of city life sought the open fields. He moved with his family to the llThe Glenh in Caledonia, Columbia County, Wisconsin. In the early days of the Seminary the duty of teaching all the classics fell frequently upon the two professors, Mr. Durward and Rev. Michael Heiss, while the third professor, Rev. Joseph Salzmann, was out begging for his large family which he as Procurator had to feed and house. Further, additional credit is due Mr. Bernard Dur- ward since he was a convert to the Faith. His attitude toward the War was none too favor- able. He clearly expressed his views by saying that he sympathized with the South and held that the United States should have purchased the slaves in- stead of freeing them by force. These feelings prompted him to write a very bitter poem against Lincoln; but his spirit of antagonism later gave way to one of christian love. He died in 1902 at the advanced age of 85 years. We may characterize the life of this man by saying that he was always studiously active and ever a delightful companion. About this time it seems that a building, called the barrackf, was erected on the site of the present high school gymnasium, and was successively used as a dormitory, play-hall and bee-house. The latter formed a diversion for some of the professors and i251

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sis upon the able Dr. Joseph Salzmann who acted in this position until his death in 1874. During his first year of Rectorship, it was realized that the Semi- nary building was becoming too small to accomodate the many aspirants to the priesthood. An addition was built. This addition is what we now know as the north tClassicsj wing. It was completed toward the end of December in 1868. Today the wing still contains the two study halls and the two large dormitories. From the following description of the study halls, we note that they were anything but comfortable. 71 can vividiy recall? says Msgr. Gerend, 8the old study hall with its primitive outfit, consisting of a number of home made desks, an-old wood-burning stove, and a dozen or more kerosene lamps, with an occasional picture on the wall showing scenes in China, Japan, or other missionary countries . 1870-1874 Among the many problems that demanded the Churchis attention in 1870, was the famous Roman Question, the settlement of which was finally brought about in 1929. At the very outset the students showed their sentiments by sending an energetic protest to Rome against the unjust occupation of the Papal States by the Piedmontese Government. Four years later there occurred one of the sad- dest events in the life of the Seminary. On January 14, 1874, Dr. Joseph Salzmann breathed forth his spirit to God. In that group of men that stood about the cradle of the Seminary and reared it into vigorous manhood, Dr. Salzmann was foremostealways its true father and defender. He was the first to die when the work was accomplished. His remains lie in SAINT FRANCIS SBMINARY a vault facing those of Archbishop Heiss, on the left of the Seminary Chapel. Though not an author, he was a profound theo- logian and historian, and a far-famed pulpit orator; though not of noble birth, he, nevertheless, posses- sed a charm of manner and a buoyancy of spirit that made him attractive and winning in society. That he was a capable business man may be seen from the Seminary accounts. At times the boys relied pretty much on the Procurator for everything, and he does not seem less great because he bought and sold such articles as neckties, towels, shirts, shoes, stockings, slippers, and coats. Nearly every student purchased a cincture and surplice from him and many a cassock, an item that then cost only $6.00. Besides his duties at the Seminary, he maintained a special interest in the general welfare of the Catholics cause in Mil- waukee. He helped to establish the iiSee-Boteii in 1852 to counteract the anti-Cathoiic press of the time, whose unchristian spirit was brought to the fore through the publication known as the iil'llugblaetterfi. Dr. Joseph Salzmann, frequently the special object of their attacks, won vindication by his dignified yet aggressive defense. He was the champion of Catho- licity in this area and has made an undying name for himself as defender of the Church. With this ends the Civil War period. Truly, a period filled with many hardships; but hardships that were to turn into blessings, blessings the more ap preciated because they bore the consciousness of many struggles and worries, for it is human nature to prize and value such blessings more than those gained with ease and comfort. LEONARD T. BUSCH, B. A. 1271