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

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DIAMOND JUBILEE Q856 THE RT. REV. EDWARD KOZLOWSKI, D. D. eAuxiliary CBixhop of Wilwaukee 1914-1915 THE RT. REV. JOSEPH M. KOUDELKA, D. D. cAuxiliary CBishop of Cleveland 1908-1911 Ofluxiliary CBishop 0f Wilwaukee 1911-1913 CBiybop of Superior 1913-1921 1521

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Qie On the eve of the Christmas vacation a very enjoyable concert and Operetta were given under the auspices of the Seminary Orchestra directed by Mr. James Czachorski. The Christmas vacation lasted from December 22 to January 6. 1912-1913 The Seminary was deeply grieved at the loss of one of its professors who answered the call of death on Jan. 14, 1912. Father Wm. Metzdorf died very suddenly. Monsignor Rainer offered the Requiem Funeral Mass and Bishop Koudelka gave the ab- solution. Father Metzdorf was laid to rest amid the surroundings which he loved and adorned near the iiChapel-in-the-Woods . Archbishop Messmer oHiciated at the usual cele- bration of the patron feast of the Seminary on Jan. 29, 1912. Mr. M. E. Morrissy at Pio Nono College con- ducted the classes of the lately deceased Seminary professor, the Rev. Wm. Metzdorf. On February 7, the Very Rev. Francis C. Kelly, President of the Catholic Church Extension Society, addressed the students. On the eve of St. Joseph,s Day, the patron feast of the Right Rev. Rector, a program and reception was held in his honor. On April 15, the Rev. Gehl addressed the students on his work at the Deaf Mute Institute. The St. Thomas Literary and Debating Society directed by the Rev. D. J. OiHearn D. C. 1..., gave a play on April 18. The tragedy 9King Saulii, by the Right Rev. Monsignor John H. Oechtering, Fort Wayne, Ind., an alumnus of the Seminary was enacted. ' The Rev. Germaine Allard, of the Paris Seminary of Foreign Missions, who had lately returned from Burma, lectured to the students. On May 16, 1912, the Feast of the Ascension, the St. Philip Neri Mis- sionary Society was formally organized at the Semi- nary. The Rev. James F. Ryan was the Spiritual Director of the society and Francis Haas was the first president. The purposes of the society are to stimulate interest in the work of home and foreign missions, to foster an active missionary spirit in the students of the Seminary, and to give financial aid to missionary projects in special need of help. The St. James Literary and Debating Society presented JiThe Chancellor, Sir Thomas More? an historic drama by the Rev. J. E. Copus, S. J. Arch- bishop Messmer and Bishop Koudelka attended. The play was directed by the Rev. James F. Ryan. On the Feast of Corpus Christi, Archbishop Messmer celebrated the community Mass at the Semi- nary, distributed Communion and conferred deacon- ship on the Rev. Albert Grace. The Archbishop carried the Sacred Host in the procession through the grounds. SAINT FRANCIS SBMINARY The Right Rev. Rector this year completed twenty- five years as Rector of the Seminary. The esteem and love which all gave him was a true indication of his kindness and his intellectual and spiritual qualities. His life is a rebuke to selehness and inconstancy. During this last semester Holy Orders were con- ferred on the several classes of theology at Passion- tide and in June. The Class of 1902 had a reunion at the Seminary on August 6, in memory of the tenth anniversary of its ordination. On Sept. 12, 1912, the Seminary began another scholastic year with 260 students. The Rev. Bernard v Salbreiter, former pastor at Sheboygan Falls, .Wis., and an alumnus of the Seminary succeeded the late Father Metzdorf as professor of natural sciences and curator of the museum. The Rev. John J. Pierron, who resigned as professor and master of discipline took up his duties as pastor at Waterford. At the be- inning of this year a faculty conference was held which Archbishop Messmer attended. He appointed the Rev. Frederick Schulze as vice-rector and the Rev. James M. Korczyk as spiritual director. The faculty appointed the Rev. Wm. Nellen as master of disci- pline for the theologians and philosophers and the Rev. Joseph Lederer for the collegiate department. The Right Rev. Msgr. Rainer, Prot. Ap., V. G., spent most of the summer vacation at his old home, Tyrol, Austria. He resigned as Rector before his de- parture for Europe but this remained ineEective and when he returned much improved in health he again took up his duties as Rector. The vice-president and the executive committee of the Alumni decided if possible to present Mon- signor Rainer with a burse for indigent students to commemorate his Silver Jubilee as Rector. Monsignor Rainer had expressed his disapproval of any personal gift. A stage committee was formed at the Seminary consisting of three members from each of the three societies in the theological department in order to maintain and increase stage property. John Haeusler was president and manager. The St. Philip Neri Mission Society had a membership of 150 at this time. On December 16, the Rev. Joseph Kaesters, S. T. D., of the Society of the Divine Word, a missionary of South Santung, China, visited the Seminary. The feast of St. Francis, Jan. 29, 1913, was cele- brated with great solemnity and enthusiasm. A burse of $5000.00 called the iiMonsignor Rainer BurseJJ was presented to the Rector Jubiliarian by the Alumni. The Alumni were so generous in contributing to the burse in his honor that there was almost a large enough surplus to establish another burse. This burse I511

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493 for poor students was a source of great joy to the beloved prelate for he was always anxious and ready to help students in need of funds. Archbishop Messmet, Bishop Rhode, Bishop Schwebach and many visiting Monsignori and priests were present. The program in the auditorium, the congratulations, the eulogies, and the presentation of the burse bearing his name were a source of great astonishment and amaze- ment to the beloved Monsignor who was taken some- what by surprise. Monsignor Rainer in his humility said he did not recognize himself in the eulogies of the successive speakers. Monsignor Gerend, who had worked so nobly as treasurer in collecting the funds for the burse, presented it to Monsignor Rainer, who in turn was visibly affected and too overcome by emotions to express himself at length; but in a few heartfelt words he thanked all concerned in the occasion for their kind feelings toward him and their generous provisions in behalf of needy students, so dear to his heart. 1913 Tonsure, Minor Orders, and Subdeaconship were conferred by Archbishop Messmet on March 8. On the following day the subdeacons received deaconship. The St. Boniface Society directed by the Rev. William Nellen gave its biennial entertainment on April 10. iiCrowns and Palmsi a drama by Dr. Anton de Waal, was enacted. The St. Thomas So- ciety entertained an enthusiastic audience under the direction of Rev. D. J. OiHearn, D. C. L., by pre- senting iilulius Caesar,,. The resignation of the Right Rev. A. F. Schinner, D. D., from the See of Superior was a surprise and regret to many. The Alumni were so generous in contributing to the burse in honor of Monsignor Rainer that two burses were formed. The second burse was named the iiSt. Josephis Bursei, in honor of the patron saint of the Rector. The total amount collected was $10,061.03, to which Monsignor Rainer himself contributed $300. The Feast of Corpps Christi was celebrated with great solemnity by all the institutions of St. Francis. The feast of St. Philip Neri was duly celebrated by the Mission Society. The Douglas Elocution Con- test was held on May 29. On June 1, the students gave a reception to Mon- signor Rainer in honor of his Silver Jubilee as Rector. The celebration was a complete surprise to him. The Rev. Aloysius Muench, prefect, presented the gifts, a library table and a beautiful lamp, to Monsignor Rainer. Short speeches were given in English, Ger- man, and Polish, to which Monsignor Rainer re- sponded successively in the languages in which he had been addressed. SAINT FRANCIS SBMINARY Archbishop Messmer conferred Holy Orders on four deacons. The Rev. Thomas Schmitz and the Rev. Aloysius Muench ordained at this time, later became professors at the Seminary. Three students of the Seminary were ordained in Racine by Bishop Koudelka at St. Joseph,s Church. The final meeting of the St. James Literary and Debating Society consisted in farewell exercises to fifth class, the graduating class of the collegiate de- partment. Father George A. Durnin, professor of the Semi- nary and editor of the Salesianum, died on June 26. His serious illness was not publicly known as he shrank from publicity in sickness as in health and all respected his feelings. By Father Durnirfs death the Church lost a worthy priest; the Seminary, an efH- cient professor; his family, an affectionate son and brother; and his friends, a friend indeed. Funeral services were held Monday, June 30, at St. Roseis Church of which the Very Rev. P. H. Durnin was pastor. Rev. P. H. Durnin, brother of the deceased, offered the Funeral Mass and Bishop Koudelka gave the absolution. Father George Durnin was born in Milwaukee in 1869. He studied theology at St. Fran- cis and was ordained in 1895. From the time of his appointment as professor of the Seminary in 1906, he worked zealously and effectively as professor of En lish and homiietics, as editor of the Salesianum, an secretary of the St. Francis Alumni Association. The Rev. Barnabas Dieringer, professor at the Seminary, celebrated his sacerclotal silver jubilee on June 24. On July 1, the Class of 93 met at the Seminary to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of its ordi- nation. The large number present and the jovial spirit that prevailed made the occasion a very happy one. A reunion of the class of 1903 took place on July 22 and July 23 at the Seminary. Two hundred and sixty-four students entered St. Francis Seminary, September, 1913. The Rev. Eugene J. McCarthy had resigned as professor of philosophy and was succeeded by Rev. Matthew F. McEvoy, Ph. D. The Rev. George C. Eilers, M. A., took up his new duties at the beginning of this year as professor of English and other collegiate branches. On September 14, Vincent Ries, a student eighteen years of age and a member of third class, drowned in Lake Michigan while bathing. This caused a great deal of grief to the students and the Seminary. The Rev. Frederick Pommer, a former professor at the Seminary, died on Oct. 2, at St. Louis, Mo. Bishop Koudelka, Auxiliary Bishop of Milwaukee, was ap- pointed to the See of Superior. The Rev. Edward Kozlowski was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Milwau- i531