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(1837 A.D.)
As regards the mission of St. Joseph, Westphalia, in Gasconade County,
established 105 miles from Saint Louis and as regards the mission of the Society of
Jesus of Missouri and of the central United States, I have likewise presented
myself as a living witness this year, 1837. This mission has been placed under a
resident of St. Charles out of concern for the welfare of our fellow man from
whom once or twice a year it got spiritual aid that must not be underestimated.
Finally, because of the increased number of friends and settlers here and there and
because of the troublesomeness of horse travel through rocky hills, seething
streams, off-the-beaten paths, and uninhabitable forests, the mission could only
allot minimal time for the individual stops within his district. Due to his exhaustive
schedule, the fruitful enlistments, growing every year, were relegated to those of
lesser rank; thus, it seemed to the high governor of the Missouri Jesuit Mission,
Rev. Father Peter Joseph Verhaegen, whom God the Omnipotent Teacher should
protect, that the Westphalia mission should be separated from those other Jesuit
fathers already sufficiently and busily engaged and be fully honored with its own
named resident.
Further, it is not only composed of the harvest of the Westphalian settlers and the
abundant community of Jefferson City but also of other fertile fields ready for
cultivating, about which I will speak elsewhere one-by-one so that together
through diligence their workers might prove themselves a distinguished harvest
already well-known at this harvest time. Our Jesuit settlement of the working
people of Westphalia, most populous at this time, had long ago envisioned the
opportunity there for a missionary for our Society, for which reason it spilled over
into subsequent settlements suitably established on both banks of the Missouri,
Osage, and Maries Rivers. For, since that interspatial distance is nearly equal, all
these settlements can thus be more easily fostered and reviewed as well as those
aids necessary for the maintenance of housekeeping and holy affairs; thereafter, for
example, in consideration of the surrounding area, a post office was located in the
town now commonly referred to as Lyletown. And in our small village itself to be
sure a certain man, Dr. Bernard Bruns, a learned M.D., was by order of the United
States government transferred for use as Postmaster for the public use of those
convening there either by river or by highway. Thus, our overseers’ letters and
those of our Jesuit Superior Order and of our benefactors and friends officially
committed to writing and under seal of protection are all thus easily transferred not
only from the nearby untouched and long-standing regions but especially from the
city of Saint Louis.
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Furthermore, it is proper that our rural estate itself be united to the city, like a
daughter to her mother, toward the practice of mutual fame. Indeed, by that very
aid of messengers and by communication of officials, the disjointed members are
joined to the Jesuit Society. Then, stated for the record, therefore if you will, the
wholesomeness and the charm of this place are on par with the heavens due to its
vast, inherent gain. Because of said benefits, the souls of both the laborers and
inevitably those growing weak should be restored and lifted to an astonishing limit
above the burden of so many massive tasks, worries, skirmishes, and every kind of
poverty.
Thus, after the new year of 1838, with the onset of May following especially
extensive signs from on high, Father Ferdinand Maria Helias (then a professor in
Saint Louis University of canon law and moral theology and sometimes of the
German and Italian languages), the first laborer who would be of this type of
resident, set sail from the port of Saint Louis and is driven onward, transported
here by steamboat. But, lo, the ship was immediately incapacitated six times, an
unheardof delay in sailing; yet, on the eleventh of that very same month, he
finished the journey, although not without burdens and, having left his baggage on
the way, he arrived at his designated place by horse.
He found the settlers split in disagreement, mainly because of the naivete
associated with another less-Godly priest who had settled here from Europe for
less than a year with some families. He established himself here both as priest of
the area and as the mission’s mediator to these ignorant combatants. That earlier
priest, strengthened with neither a letter from his non-Jesuit overseers enabling him
to serve nor with a letter of approval from our superintendent, was not even
performing any of the church’s duties. But, he had at least taken to himself the
task of educating at home some of the little children in Christian doctrine and later
in the vernacular tongue. Meanwhile, at the beginning of December without a
doubt, though the plan of our Missouri mission was failing, this man (one who had
by chance offended the good children of God in whom there was no evil intent due
to this outpost’s lack of direction) obtained from our Most Reverend Joseph Rosati,
Archbishop of Saint Louis, legal jurisdiction in order that he may seek letters of
transfer from his own superior and that he meanwhile might administer the
spiritual guardianship of the Westphalians.
But, meanwhile that good man (Helias) was in fact spiritually aiding his fellow
immigrants who had shared this vast migration following the construction, on the
near side of the Maries River, of St. John the Baptist chapel, which in any case had
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earlier been transformed for unholy purposes while the lack of approval of this
area’s novice priest was being disregarded. Therefore, he (the unholy priest) ran
afoul of the ill-will of the Westphalians, nay, rather by his latest single irritation
and by his speaking and proceding with absolute lack of foresight. The settlers’
deep wounds of discord became raw again just as it had been in the past. At this
time our common working priest, Father Helias, otherwise a simple and prudent
man as new resident of our mission but nevertheless now exceedingly angry, was
not even capable of calming the minds of the settlers by any of his efforts as
before. So, that other priest with the approval of the local bishop was sent away by
the highest director of our mission to the nearby as yet unfinished city of
Washington, Missouri. And this man is indeed now more in the likeness of a
resident priest and although he resides about 60 miles from our fellow priests,
nevertheless, he is easily able, if he so desires, to get their wholesome advice and
warnings as well as spiritual help thanks to the convenience of the public byway.
(1838 A.D.) Meanwhile this now primary resident of St. Joseph mission, Father
Helias, while the hymns of the nearby sanctuary were being readied, remained in a
neighbor’s home and chose to hastily prepare this and all those nearby neighbors’
souls entrusted to his care for the anticipated springtime Easter season prearranged
by religious custom.
For, when that time for initial greetings had already expired, for many weeks,
continually hastening about anywhere, he celebrated daily mass wherever, held
publicly even in rooms of the chapels, ordinary in their lack, for German, French,
or English crowds filled with idioms in those languages, and he celebrated these
sacred rites with a more recurring ceremony. He was received by all everywhere
with an unbelievable exhibition of a rejoicing spirit; but his arrival brought
salvation’s joy to no one more than to the people of Jefferson City. This capital of
our state and the city of the Supreme Court and of the representatives then
contained an almost innumerable amount of foreigners from Germany, Ireland, and
Scotland employed in the huge construction of the new capitol.
Since from that time forth he was purifying totally this flourishing community with
one change or another and since the settlers were continuing to approach the holy
altar and to partake at the heavenly banquet table, thus, in a few days our
missionary, through confession, purged even those new converts inflamed by the
Catholic faith, and so he strengthened the divine worship of the mass to such a
degree that he himself was bringing back the many expected fruits of his own
effort the very least of which were barely objectionable.
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For under the name and aid of our holy Jesuit Father Ignatius already 1,600
defenders of this type of religious direction were gathered into the fold and put into
such a readiness for their own sanctuary and school that even this year they might
be more easily initiated and so brought to perfection –God willing- because we had
indeed bought an excellent architect who was most devoted to the Jesuits and its
members. Then, too, these workers, mentioned above as already building the
capitol there, would soon put their efforts together even at a much-reduced wage
toward the purpose of dedicating their arts and skills to God’s house. Nay, even
before winter the foundations of the venerable chambers had been laid and the
walls now were rising up, built of solid rock lest this site be undeserving of the
celebrated , great effort of those performing construction. In fact, a certain man,
Dnus C. Dwyer, venerable among a select few and notable by virtue of his zeal,
had even offered his services to our missionary as the obvious one to be selected
from the 12 precincts of our citizenry without regard to payment. Still, because of
the distance from the center of the city’s location, nothing yet seemed proper as to
construction of these foundations for the people. Immediately city government, in
a manner proposed and resolved promptly according to customs much older than
ours, had entered into a plan, confirmed by all inhabitants’ signatures of petitioning
the chief officers of the convened legislature, which there had so convened as was
the custom of the time for the purpose of filling their own deliberative body and
passing laws, lest they refuse to relinquish their old seats of elections now made
useless by the construction of the new, magnificent capitol in favor of this new
goal revered and useful for the citizens.
Indeed all the senators at least very courteously favored this laudable request down
to the very last man, but the legislators of the other chamber did not favor the
agreement with the city so unanimously. For, this solicitation of the citizens was
rejected by 4 more than a majority of the representatives, all done not without illwill from their familiar town since the assembly now appeared to be in error to
those crying out. For which reason, to this end the above-praised citizens, once
they established a register among themselves, took charge of buying up another
area because it was even more healthful and commendable.
Meanwhile, our priest alone, since those prisoners of this state, condemned like
just any criminals to the slave-galley ships, were held in the custody of the public
prisons here, was received most kindly by the governor at the capitol and won his
enthusiastic approval to look after the prisoners, to champion them in their
overseers’ chains, and to render them whatever aid possible so that those poor
people might at least also possess that freedom with which Christ has already set
us free.
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This for the most part was accomplished by our people of Jefferson City this year,
but the diligence of those same workers expanded far beyond the rural area of
Westphalia and the City of Jefferson. In fact this diligence extended towards 3
villages of French each and every month and within the year to outposts of
Catholics along the banks of both the Osage and Missouri Rivers which up to now
were somewhat too distant. For example, there are a couple of such outposts
where those working carefully create feats that primarily must be described as
noble, even for this mountainous district, intertwined with the thickest of forests
except where the accessibility has been achieved with numerous efforts yet hinders
those moving forth to visit our settlers spread out in the remotest areas, and it
exceedingly wears down these travelers. However, the fruits of their efforts at
least soothe this genuine toil if they in fact don’t remove it altogether. Then there
is the other matter of the obstacles of the rivers and streams (and sometimes of
wandering roads) which often swell to such a degree due to the rains, becoming
indeed more dangerous on horse, that they seem least capable of being crossed on
horseback; and those things sometime lead travelers around into the trap of night
(which has happened to our missionary) with the result that after supper they are
forced to sleep in the cold outdoors even in winter with a perceptible loss of their
health.
And concerning each and every one of those outposts, indeed much had to be
mentioned in addition to the account read by those who were satisfied enough to
say that none of our holy ministers’ or of our inhabitants’ matter of religious duty
was ever omitted. Although in 2 older French colonies this year the harvest of
souls was collected through a sacred promise of the harvesters, nevertheless it was
not so small but that they once again flocked into their ecclesiastical storehouses
like long ago, -these workers who were once alienated because of the absence of
divine law and their own innate negligence and fickleness, now, as much as they
can publicly profess according to their age, are undertaking even more than those
little ones so dear to the faith inherited from their ancestors which they first
received in baptism. Among these there was a most fortunate baby for whom
God’s blessing seemed to be the preservation of this enlightenment until the time
he beheld this light in his own faith. For scarcely reborn in baptism by our priest,
he departed this life into a better and happier life.
This same day, when our same priest was driven back by an adverse wind from
the nearby shore of the Missouri River, he stopped to ponder how he could
continue his journey again while the disastrous wind was blowing. Then he heard
from a bystander that a decrepit old woman 7 miles from that place was failing in
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her final struggle with death. To that place he hurried and found her praiseworthy
in her piety and in the purity of matters of faith, milling small amounts of
unleavened bread for mass. However, ever since she had journeyed forth to this
new land from Europe, she had never ridded herself of her chronic sins through
confession in the presence of a priest. Furthermore, there was so much of her
rejoicing upon our missionary’s unexpected arrival that he seemed scarcely able to
contain her. She, gushing with tears, completed this her last confession of sins. In
turn, nothing strengthened this woman in this life more than her desire to be made
strong for her journey to eternity by the church’s other sacraments. Because the
situation was such, with an unbelievable joy she breathed out her soul to her
Creator in highest peace.
On both sides of the Missouri River in small villages certain ones even from our
first arrival, although reborn in the church, were behaving nevertheless as though
they were infidels out living in the woods who, disregarding the warnings of
others, easily broke the sanctity of the feast days with their servile work. Yes,
indeed not any better did they keep the other teachings entrusted to them from God
or the church. Others, to whom this matter was offensive, were setting right the
violators who were themselves admonished even less by our priest up until the
time when our pastor’s warnings soon had shed light on the subsequent evil deeds
of some of them as an object of scorn to be condemned by God’s angry hand with
severe punishments. Then the rest, deterred by their catastrophe, made use of the
defeat of these poor souls toward their own improvement. Subsequently, whenever
one of those who persisted was out cutting trees on the very feast days of
Christmas, all of his limbs were shattered by a very tall oak, and so in this tragic
scene, while his mother and wife watched, he gradually died in horrible pain.
Moreover, on the following Sunday when it was winter’s coldest, a couple of the
other infidels, drinking together at a tavern into the uncivilized part of the night,
lost their way on their return because they were drunk and after crawling on all
fours through the fields and gardens, they thusly were freezing; one of which froze
solid. Meanwhile, they were forced to amputate the appendages of the other one
due to gangrene of his
feet and hands.
About that same time a certain woman, in a like manner as far as her negligence in
the teachings of the church and its religious body was concerned, thus suddenly
died following the departure of our missionary to another area. The unexpected
death of this woman greatly moved the souls of the townspeople, because of which
the priest at a town meeting in the following public speech used that death as an
argument recommending confession for sins: said he…
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“Therefore just as God our Creator, to whom our many citizens have owed much,
entered your country region, offering Himself to all as a remission of all debts for
those who would only have to approach Him seeing forgiveness as long as He
waited, then also no one was so unconcerned at this advantage that he soon raced
to freely obtain confession, especially when they knew the time of their death to be
uncertain, and he who was hardest pressed with more serious debt to God raced
even faster. So, seek the Lord while He can be found; call upon Him while He is
near.”
There was a wretched woman who was indeed present then but she had so
hardened her heart against God that with respect to her self-reformation she
seemed capable of great arousal neither by God’s boundless rewards of sympathy
unto those who are repentant nor even by the strict punishments of God the
Avenger. There was another woman much more so an adherent to the teachings of
God and the church. Since her wedding day was present and in view of the
absence of our priest, even though she had already arrived within her fiance’s
parish, she put an end to it contrary to public expectation.
Now, even though the priest was summoned repeatedly by her fiancé, she was still
incapable of being persuaded that she should continue on with a civil ceremony
before she had dealt with her own conscience according to religious custom in the
church. Enduring this tough time for most of a week, she put off the wedding, and
for the others there present her wholesome example served as a reminder that the
teachings of God and His church must not be lightly neglected. Moreso the
punishments that all this brought to mind produced even more than has been
recalled here with the result that the rest of those who had long ago grown
spiritually weak in the absence of their priest allied their strength and souls and at
various times with a greater effort let flow orations renewed by our faith. Those
newcomers, recently driven here from Canada and France, especially stood out in
this respect. Although they are almost a mile from the church, where their holy
duty is usually performed, still, whenever the church bells ring, they assemble
there with the greatest eagerness, both summer and winter, where they are excited
to a holiness that rivals that of this town’s citizens with its fresh zeal for reverence.
But those new settlers on their own behalf had already laid the foundations of their
town, which they called New Besancon. There they planned to raise out of their
own funds a temple in honor of the Virgin Immaculate conceived under the
invocation of God, our Supreme Teacher. This temple will in fact soon rise up by
the effort and generosity of these settlers. This is due to the fact that no one wants
to be excluded because of their lack of religious necessities. No, in fact he should
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engage even the smallest details as though nothing else mattered and try to engage
these tasks and trials even more diligently so as to join God’s community of
worshippers.
So, only a while back certain settlers, emigrants from Germany on the west bank of
the Osage River, fostered a similar plan especially pleasing to God. This
settlement of German Catholics, by far much more populated than the French
settlement, when it was impossible to attend the eucharistic banquet en masse with
all their fellow Westphalians whenever the church bells rang (recall the French
settlers) because of the obstacle of the river, would then nevertheless attend to the
building of their own property using their own meager funds in the name of and
under the protection of St. Francis Xavier even though for all concerned the
already-established church of St. Joseph was more their own at that time.
No matter how often our priest busily engaged the sacred rites there in the simple
little chapel, so did every adult make use of both confession and the holy mass
with incredible eagerness and reverent feeling. A certain woman of this settlement
had presented her only little boy to our priest in view of this child’s long-standing
wasting away due to illness and our priest soon thereafter restored his strongest
health far beyond her expectations. Wherefore, our Holy Mother, following God’s
example, never ceased to show her gratitude to that priest for his great blessings.
Hereafter our priest’s effort and results and appearance were the same in the
remaining, more distant outposts except where he was not frequently able to travel
completely because of the distance to an area. Here we deliberately make no
mention of other separate events since due to their similar theme they are contained
in the same details recounted above.
Finally in truth let us at last return from such great and numerous meanderings to
the main outpost of St. Joseph. There someone offered to buy almost 27 acres of
land, long previously untended, for our Jesuit missionary (in truth 14 of these acres
he reserved for himself), whereby that year, with that benefactor’s consent and,
certainly allowable under the terms of agreement, this acreage was portioned out in
equal sections by our head missionary resident to certain workmen so that
whatever family built themselves permanent homes along public roads might
legally own them after nine years, -homes which initially were free of rent for the
first 2 years along with small plots of land and thereafter under church supervision
the worker paid rent every 2-4 years according to the title.
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This year those men together with our own workers built the first foundations
beyond the initial ones built, as we have recounted above. Thus also were built
simultaneously parish buildings, among them both a sanctuary for use by our
people and 2 new buildings. Even with these settlers’ scarcity these 2 new
buildings were erected for our peoples’ use with a struggling generosity, buildings
of which one in particular far stood out over all the others… This new sanctuary
was also especially striking with respect to the nature of its furnishings, thanks to
the effort of this benefactor and a few others. There truly at the high altar was the
image of our church’s most glorious patron, St. Joseph, between the encompassing
arms of Jesus and Mary, while the heavenly angelic host above issued forth their
approval, all depicted in tapestry by a master’s hand, and also there were 6 even
taller columns splendidly sculpted in the likeness of candlesticks, and there was
equal ornamentation handworked from highly polished, gleaming crystal and
decorated with other saints. There was built on the left side of the chapel
beginning at the confessional an elevated seating area for the choral members
which honeycombed as was the custom of the time. In this area under a picture
recalling the scene of Calvary there comes into view the secure receptacle of Holy
Oils. On the opposite side of the altar under a painting of the Annunciation to the
Virgin arise the life-giving baptismal fonts handworked with ornamentation.
The individual walls of the temple on this side and that are completely covered
with a variety of paintings of those mourning the suffering Jesus being tortured at
the Stations of the Cross and of tapestries of the patrons of our Jesuit order, some
outlined with most unique materials. Moreover, a linen canopy hangs high above
the altar, (though an unnoticing, average lay member still is unmoved by it), down
the front of which is a very large Immaculate Heart of the Virgin surrounded with a
thicket of roses and lilies. Underneath in clouds is seen the Most Holy Name,
MARIA, out of which is sent blazing branches of light, like tree limbs, which even
illuminate in the varying degrees of their hue both the foreground and even the rear
areas of the entire sanctuary as well as all these other divine tapestries with their
unique ornamentation and majesty.
A bell, made with 96 pounds of bronze, hangs in the tower and at set times
convenes the townsfolk at their sacred times and puts them in a mind to greet their
companions with voices as holy as God’s own angels 3 times a day because of its
pleasing and happy sound.
Around the church run solid wood trellises, elegant in their craftsmanship, which
might prove to be both a strong enclosure for the cemetery and an excellent added
decoration for our buildings. A very tall crucifix containing Jesus Our Restorer,
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situated around 7 rows into the middle of that cemetery, can be seen for and wide
by travelers. Out behind the cemetery fence, filling the fountains with the coldest,
clearest spring water was a 14-foot deep cistern, whose overflow, even in the
greatest drought of summer, was for sale.
Immediately after the 27th of July, arrived Father Jacob Gummarus Busschots,
another worker from Saint Louis, who then might teach boys and also youths of
more advanced age in the school to read and write according to American usage
and later might assist his associate however he was able. This man greatly
encouraged the spirit of his supervising associate, who was already failing in health
due to his inordinately burdensome trips. Especially encouraging were his
closeness at hand and his large supply of household goods which a supervisor of
this type did not always have. To be sure, here is a matter that must absolutely be
attributed to our only God’s Providence: since that supervisor was up until now
failing in his severe illness just prior to his associate’s departure on a trip, as
always then it became necessary that to fulfill God’s destiny here, the novice at
least should be in the best of health. And so, with minimal fanfare from his
disciples and with consistent usefulness, he calmly set about not only teaching the
English language in the school but also spoke to these Americans from the podium.
But, even though everyday there are some who withdraw far from this German
settlement, on the other hand, streaming here by the score from all over Germany,
Catholics of greater numbers are constantly being added to the flock with great
hope to replace these.
During the initial years, after accumulating such large expenses first for their long
immigration and then later for their farms and livestock, there was barely any
profit to speak of save their own efforts and their in-born frugality. Furthermore,
there still was something lacking for these settlers themselves in their personal way
of life including even their attire at worship. Still further, equipment had to be
bought immediately for tilling the soil. However, our workers must have been
uplifted by the laws of God and his Catholic Church and were able to gain even
more comfort from the fact that their money was also growing.
Therefore, Westphalia, where the Jesuit Society had taken up residence, our first
outpost of our central Missouri mission and fitting home of our people, had by this
time 3 wooden buildings from trees made smooth on all 4 sides alternately placed
on one another and joined with small wooden spikes and mortar: there was the
Sanctuary, to be sure, which was even then not spacious enough or capable of
holding the massive crowd that flocked there; there was the school for boys as well
as a livery stable; and also one other site divided into 2 chambers. So, the priests
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from the Jesuits found themselves predominant in the 2 buildings. The first priest
of which immediately concentrating on the chapel of the Sacred Mysteries, the
other one, even more intent as far as the boys’ school went, was equally
hardworking and industrious and even moreso were the fruits of his higher effort.
Moreover, through their hard work these priests hoped this outpost proved equal to
all the others and in fact it did have one singular advantage since this one priest
resided there continuously and since his holy and subsequent domestic duties were
all both intertwined. His zeal and good works there inspired him to expand the
more obvious opportunities to celebrate with pomp the feast days of our more
glorious religion and to fan the flames daily of the attending faithful’s passion for
the many sacred functions. The newly-arrived to this settlement as well as the
long-time neighbor not yet in the fold were both easily accustomed to be excited
by this religious magnificence and by our people as well, based on each one’s own
inclination.
Usually in these extreme western regions there are frequently enough tasks in
tending the sacred evangelical duties for both our workers according to their view
of the law. Hence, whereas one of them seems a diamond in the rough based on
orthodoxical teaching, the other one, wrongly distracted by another standard,
seems just rough. However, the fervor of those following closely the letter of the
law is always safely kindled and in fact grows with the fire of the former’s
exhortations. Furthermore, everyday the assemblage of those dutifully receiving
the sacraments becomes larger. Truly by the extraordinary effort of our laborers in
the rite of confession their uncommon, rich results are believed to have been a
response to our compassionate God’s mercy. And also certain previously-prepared
numbers of those here had already made themselves known as standards when it
came to the usual listing of religious participants, -numbers that included those
who had either cleansed their souls all their lives with full penance or restored
themselves at the holy banquet table or purified themselves at the healthful
baptismal fonts or were joined by the unbreakable bonds of the marriage sacrament
or finally, broken by a fatal disease, were visited by our workers and were
strengthened by the last rites of the church. Immediately from the beginning there
was a special established custom of keeping in the public chapel the Most Holy
Sacrament, which is even now exposed skillfully in a noted tabernacle and is
displayed on a truly elegant throne of flowers completely surrounded by lighted
candles. Here the faithful have a religious incentive in their veneration that comes
from the presence of their Creator.
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Now, beyond this mention of passing over the following topics, I will say nothing
else about the vernacular German and English languages on feast days or at the
governing meetings, about the morning and evening services chanted in a pious
manner, about the catechetical training of the children those days, about the 40-day
Lenten fasting, or about the glorious repository of Christ, foreseen by prophets,
which was skillfully erected after almost a week in order to preserve the Eucharist
under the species of both the Body and Blood of our Savior.
There are, however, 2 matters in which twice that year the piety of the faithful was
most conspicuous. One occasion was when the Most Illustrious and Reverend
Bishop of Saint Louis decided that our outposts deserved to be visited for our
service rendered and that on October 12th he would administer the sacrament of
confirmation to certain youths and adults from Jefferson City and would receive us
with his most pleasing encouragements for a period of 3 days. Already on October
11th, just at the first shadows of dusk, many from all over the area hastened to their
church, initially disjointed by vast distances of mileage but now unified by their
pastor, and there offered to pour out the joy of their exulting souls with the hymn
“Te Deum Laudamus,” as well as other spiritual songs. The next day at a high
mass in the morning this High Priest, though far less familiar than the other priests
assisting, (i.e. the Missouri mission director, his traveling companion, and our own
resident priests), just a little out in front of the church school, blessed our
sanctuary in the solemn Roman rite of priests. Immediately thereafter one of the
priests sitting near the chair of the High Priest said mass. As soon as was possible
after the completion of the high mass ritual, the Reverend Bishop of Saint Louis
first called an assembly and then administered the sacrament of confirmation to 34
people properly arranged beforehand. Then the Reverend of the Jesuit Society
addressed these Americans with a speech well-suited for Missouri and the
Louisiana Purchase, since it especially and frequently throughout reminded us in
these regions what then was still possible as long as he would keep our familiar
resident in his position in central Missouri. We were soon led to believe that that
which we had heard in the Gospel had indeed been fulfilled: “There are other
sheep that belong to Me that are not in this flock. I must bring them, too; they will
hear My voice, and they will become one flock with one Shepherd,” (John 10:16).
Later on there was another occasion likewise consumed with this exceptional
religious zeal. It was on March 9th, 1838, when a devotional was first attended by
our apostles of the Indians at St. Francis Xavier near Westphalia. That particular
Sunday the obvious benefits of this particular devotional kindled everyone’s piety
which seemed to reach out to all and then to proceed all over the mission through
the sacred functions of its priests. Their holy chapel was decorated as much as
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possible in splendor. Near the altar the image of their saint was stationed together
with his relics, illuminated by candles and floral wreaths. In every way and
everyday the pleasing blend of musicians filled the entire chapel with their
harmony of sacred music in praise of their Saint. And, thus, it was of such a nature
that there no one considered themselves situated in the agrarian New World but in
a flourishing European city. At the foot of that holy altar prayers were recited in
the vernacular in praise and honor of that glorious apostle of the Indians together
with the commemoration of our Lord’s passion and of the Immaculate Conception
and of the Guardian Angels. Because of said prayers to the Saint following his
death, he restored vision to a blind man and brought Father Marcellus Mastrilli
from a deadly disease back to perfect health (so it says in his canonization’s Papal
bull) and he made a commitment to his people, promising in the future that
whenever men sought health for their souls through his aid, they would surely find
it.
Now the holy life of one particular old man deeply stirred all the souls of our
countrymen. He had spent 3 years in seemingly useless existence, far removed
from every human custom, convinced that human society composed of his own
ideals was better. And so he lived alone. Before our arrival not one house
constructed of rock was seen near his place. He supported himself with his own
labor, whereby he then might not even have to seek aid from any outsiders. But he
spent his nights first by chanting sacred hymns from memory as though they were
brand new to him and then sought refuge under the protection of God’s Virgin with
his soft, deep voice.
Even with his peculiarities he remains nothing less than a comfort to our efforts.
For even outside of the sacred masses that are customarily held inside the
sanctuary for divine purpose, our missals are also distributed to those in the
vicinity. And just so thereafter it was revealed for all to see that this man had been
transformed by these books in his faith and in the tradition of our religious rites.
In the same way nothing so stirs public opinion in this area as does our reverence
and the passion of these same Catholics, as well as their struggle to maintain the
church’s precepts. For people do indeed judge sanctity by one’s observance of
precepts, by the ornamentation of the sanctuary, by the assemblage at the
sanctuary, by the pomp involved with divine functions, especially by the piety of
our altar boys, by silence in the sanctuary, by the humility that goes beyond the
pomp, and by the suitable logic of our religion, whose purity is even more evident
when compared with the gloomy abodes of the Methodists, Anabaptists, and other
sects in this area. Therefore, it is no wonder, when these preachers of false
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doctrine make up whatever they can, that they at the same time keep their own
people away from the holy chapels of the Catholics.
When our people first got to this area small-time charlatans were running
everywhere buying up small bits of worn-out bronze from which they might forge
a bell. They tried to trip up our workers by in true fact imitating them in collecting
pledged donations for the construction of theoretical sanctuaries. Scarcely had our
people sought advice in this matter from respected citizens of Jefferson City who
would advise them about their sanctuary site and construction, when, from the
various sects of heresy (by which they spread a most offensive blindness over the
entire state), there were 2 of the more famous congregations, the Methodists and
the Anabaptists, which constructed ample enough chapels with their own funds.
But, the experience of the succeeding years will definitely show even better that
the great effort of those people was in vain. For those speaking of the Catholic
sects so hostilely were already showing a preference both for our own workers
over the charlatans and for our varied congregations over their own little bands.
But nothing quite induced a multitude of converts to our church as much as the
conspicuous abuse inflicted upon one particular sect by their governing hierarchy.
It is worthy of mention in the annals since this lessens the power of their heresy
and thereafter the truth increases. Among the almost innumerable sects which
greatly split Protestantism everyday there is one very famous sect here in particular
which its advocates call Mormonism and which is also striving with great effort to
gain for themselves a religious following from the entire divine multitude here (at
the same time as those poor fools are modeling themselves after their prophet).
For a long time these fanatics caused such trouble and danger for both their own
kind and also for the residents of the neighboring flocks that ultimately this year
they had to be expelled and driven from the area altogether by our state’s militia
initially using fire and later on using weapons. Immediately afterwards a certain
Methodist sect follower visited our people along with his wife and children, one of
whom was ill. One of our people, as molded as he could be when it came to the
true faith of God’s divine teachings, lent this man our books so that he might better
instruct his family at home. This was an especially great comfort to our people
who believe that for some this open-door policy has to divert them from their
errors.
In truth from the very beginning our people never ceased their effort to impair the
constancy of the evil one, the enemy of all Godly people. Moreover, as evidence
of his presence, a foreboding air of discord among the various families of our
people kept arising over and over, intentionally eating away our foundations
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through the rumblings of spiteful people. Certain thoughtless Catholics under peer
pressure tried to defile the graves of those deceased whom they considered
impious. And, thus, this was both the public and domestic situation of those
residing in this central location, while fishing the Missouri, Osage, and Maries
Rivers remained an uppermost concern for the average citizen.
Now, since we have written this especially for our people to read, it was only fair
during this first year to report the status of our fellow residents’ situation in this
remote outpost a little more accurately.
(1839 A.D.) Such a new-founded, fragile transplanting not fully-established for
long in such a meager and harsh newly-tilled acreage had not yet taken root in
order to be able to increase in depth. Hence, I will, as scribes are want to do in the
annals, describe just a few relevant details. Both of us priests stayed here the better
part of the year. For the most part the entire community sacrificed so eagerly and
warmly on behalf of our small measure that it was possible that they might even
produce more distinguished things not because they were settlers but because they
were part of His harvest. For almost daily the tasks of that community’s ministry
grow and each day thereafter grow again, just as do the numbers of our workers.
For, since this centrally-located mission stretches far and wide, it far surpasses
most other outposts rich in people and, thus, as matters stand now among the
Jesuits, there isn’t any task so large or difficult that our people can’t overcome it.
The habitual number of those who cleansed the blemish from their conscience
through the sacrament of confession and who partook of the Mystery of the Body
and Blood of our Lord was even more on the rise. Among and along with as many
men as possible also the women got rid of their entire life’s burdens once the
memory of these sins was unfolded, -very serious sins that they had concealed now
for many years.
But I will pass over that so that I might restrict myself to this great transplanting’s
points of interest that are both special to some of the residents as well as common
to anyone in these outposts, to whom I at least owe this very great favor now that
the final bit of poison and spitefulness as well as the piercing brambles of the
hatefulness have been rooted out. For this year a dispute, which has been hanging
on for 3 or 4 years among the principle inhabitants of this area was indeed finally
settled by our workers’ efforts as well as the Creator, Prince of Peace, God. The
result of this stubbornness was that they considered themselves unworthy of
mutual consolation and countenance. In addition they repeatedly said they would
rather immediately starve themselves to death than be helped by their fellow
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colonists. But now just recently our missionary had tried everything there so that
those poor people might return into a state of pure peace and grace once their very
heavy and long-standing hatred had been put aside.
However, one day in particular there in St. John’s chapel while our priest was
performing the holy rite, pleading for God’s help in this matter, those men present,
who were otherwise honorable but still feuding among themselves with
irreconcilable spirits, bound themselves together after each one had sought God’s
pardon for their sin and returned to their former state of grace with the greatest
possible joy and thanksgiving. For so the foundations for some of the hatreds
between this locality’s 2 factions which were exorcized repeatedly before but still
soon sprouted again through the murmurings of some malcontents and which grew
almost imperceptibly either out in the open or secretly in the case of some now
finally and more assuredly had been completely exorcized from deep within.
In this particular, meager sanctuary are held the divine functions by whose narrow
limitations many are excluded. Hopefully a much greater number of them would
here, where opportunity has been expanded, join in the mass, to which an
unlimited amount of time and effort should be devoted, and also may a greater
number of Catholics as well as dissidents from among the varied sects of the
different false doctrines and ministries, especially since this is an era more prone to
such conversion, proceed here every year from Europe as well as the more
established states of North America.
The masses for these most eager people were held on the Lord’s feast days
together with the narration of Christian doctrine throughout the course of the
church year according to precedent in both English and German certainly not
without rewards. Also this year in the resident sanctuary an afternoon service was
introduced in addition to the morning ceremony with great benefit for those
participating. Then from these and similar daily acts of piety an army of the
faithful was created such that not only were the souls of the faithful made even
stronger, burning with a greater passion, but also, even though their enthusiasm
had earlier been extinguished, there was the addition to the Catholic Church of
some of those certain heretics who were greatly aroused among us and amid our
religion with a more favorable passion. Many of the souls of the more obstinate
ones were rendered and shaken to the core more by us than our adversaries. This
obstinacy had been up until now overlooked because of their ignorance rather than
their shamefulness or fear. In fact certain ones of the area’s heterodoxical leaders
took administrative action to insure that their own children were being brought
back into the Christian fold following their cleansing at the sacred font under our
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supervision. The majesty and the elegance of our sacred rites bestow such power
and religious authority on even the poorest of the poor to thoroughly stir their souls
that at the very least one can conclude that the great multitude of those who have
converted to the practice of our religion has done so due to these rites.
For whenever these converts right alongside the oldtimers, having entered the holy
chapels where all mankind is cleansed, get a glimpse of the elegant altar fully
supplied with all its finery, they are especially filled with awe for the solemn pomp
of the ceremony and the pleasing blend of the music. On the contrary in their own,
former little congregations everything seemed covered with dust,unpolished, crude,
in unsightly position, and filthy in a state of roughness. So, they begin to doubt the
dogma which they have swallowed whole from the falsely-evangelical preachers
and to ultimately be exceedingly excited. And so indeed they are thus incapable of
truly believing, even though they had formerly been convinced, that God’s true,
pure Word and real sacraments are actually kept in a place so neglected and dirty
and that His people could be attended to there.
Moreover, how much Catholics, comfortable in our faith, have gained from the
masses and catechetical institutions held in our sanctuary is obvious, because they
are a single-minded and simple people, especially so equipped to contend with the
heretics that they should never hesitate to compete with anyone face-to-face, and
they surely don’t have any reason to feel so constrained that they feel unworthy of
opening their mouths and answering.
But, as we, God’s church, have busied ourselves with increasing the number of
Catholics, so our Most Benign God has willed that our sanctuary’s furnishings also
be increased and embellished with an excellent generosity or at least the liberal
piety of certain benefactors. In the near future, thanks to the devoted labor and
pious effort of those benefactors, we have cause to hope that our sanctuary, which
up until now is withstanding the torrential forces with broken roof tiles, might
cease to act like a basin when the rain and snow rush in. We are as well hopeful
that the ruined rectory’s cracked walls and leaking roof, whose surface is already
multi-covered, might also be rendered more sound and solid, thereby enabling us
to support another missionary who then may devote his effort to the health of souls
since there would be more time for his studies within the rectory as well as
outdoors.
In fact, since the settlers of this area were anointed this very year with a scarcity of
produce of every kind due no less to an early spring flood of rains than to a
growing drought for most of the summer, they were barely able to support even
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one missionary thusly so that, -if it could be said anywhere, it could be said here-,
this extraordinary cause of their poverty did in fact present itself to these very
people as a holy opportunity to be exploited.
There are other things they carried on with great Christian effort, namely the
custom of visiting neighboring outposts monthly and later the visitation of other
outposts several times annually on even longer trips for the sake of observation.
Now I will pursue these things briefly. Everyday it was customary to say mass at
least twice in different places, to deliver the homily in French, German, and
English, to hear very troublesome confessions followed by their sharing of the
Most Sacred Eucharist, to carry out the sacraments of baptism and marriage, to
offer the dying the final sacramental banquet together with Extreme Unction, and
to carry out almost all the appropriate duties of the parish as well. Sometimes the
masses were held by our missionary with great benefits indeed not only indoors
under roof but also under a marvelous open sky in harmony with the preachers of
various sects which flocked here.
Now there occurred just such an event in Portland, a town not unknown to fame,
near the north bank of the Missouri River. There was such a large turnout for mass
that it had to be moved from the sanctuary outdoors and an elevated platform had
to be built right then in a field. While the dense crowd was leaving the building,
the sun was shining with such intensity (it was in August) that everyone feared for
their own safety. But, lo, while the Gospel was being read and explained
according to Sunday custom, a sudden, lone cloud, having blotted out the sun,
shaded the entire congregation. At the end of mass this cloud broke up and
vanished. This particular mass so united the souls of the townsfolk that one of the
elders brought about for the Missouri mission’s director an offering of 1000
guardians for the next 2 years as well as 5 acres toward the establishment of a
school. And thus came about the education of Christian doctrine for not only the
boys who were annually accustomed to serve at mass with their usual solemnity
but also for those who served without distinction as well as the other young men
and even the girls.
Likewise holy sermons were directed at those who were imprisoned because of
which came the realization that many in fact reformed and that even 2 of them who
had kept their crimes quiet for many years did receive the Most Holy Eucharist
with the greatest feeling of devotion after they freed their souls from spiritual
bondage. A certain one of these criminals was prepared to bear his own execution
patiently. He was totally and reasonably convinced that he should bear this death
commensurate with his crimes without a Christian’s heart and that he need not
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confess his sins. While our missionary kept pursuing other seemingly logical
motives in which he might have an interest, the man kept rejecting this with a
resolute mind. But, when our missionary realized that he was getting nowhere
with these words of admonition, he then sought help in prayer, profitably turning
this matter over to God. Once this was accomplished, he returned to the
condemned man, unbelievable as it may sound, and found him so changed that,
following the expiation of his sins through confession and the reception of the
Holy Eucharist with his now healthy soul, he dressed in the scapular of the Most
Blessed Virgin of Mt. Carmel and sleeplessly surrendered the rest of the entire
night to prayer with the condemned continuously right up to the hanging the
following day.
Public opinion concerning the spectacle of this man’s death stirred a huge
multitude of people never before witnessed in the memory of Jefferson City’s
citizenry. To such a degree did this report run the gamut both near and far that the
entire region seemed torn asunder everywhere. For according to the constant
gossip of people, it had become well known that this resolute man himself was able
to be taken to the gallows guarded without any strict watchmen. In the same way
at the pre-arranged hour he brought himself unfettered to his death as submissive
as could be in atonement for his crimes. He sat alone with his confessor and
claimed an indulgence while a crowd encompassed him on all sides. When this
calm man along with our missionary mounted the scaffold for the punishment that
had befallen him, thereafter he made a speech to the surrounding crowd about the
avoidance of drunkenness and again asked the priest to absolve him from his
criminality. Then he pleaded for mercy from God, from the Saints, and from those
in his presence by placing himself in their care with his speech. Afterwards, he
himself prayed with our missionary and finally carrying a crucifix in his hand,
bared his neck while the executioner approached. But, here’s a miracle for
you…when the torturer twisted the rope around the gallows post that was fastened
down to the ground, the rope broke into many pieces. One might relate this
incident to prove that this condemned man’s firmness of character and his faith
were truly established. This criminal, even though he had gradually started to sink
into the midst of this anguish in between life and death, still alive, he kept
repeating several times over the name of Jesus and Mary.
This event had such an effect that those watching scarcely held their tears surely
expecting nothing of the kind from such a man. No matter how severe or what his
offense in life was, there was still in his death a lesson so beneficial to all, i.e. that
his confession brought him such extreme relief as well as equal hope for his own
eternal welfare.
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And our work was also conducted on behalf of the sick in the same manner in
winter as well as summer, sometimes with a journey’s great danger and multifaceted difficulty. On one certain day when our missionary was going to call on
the home of a Catholic, he found 7 people ill. While he was here serving the
welfare of their bodies, he also acted as a solace for the welfare of their souls.
Since in the midst of such great severity of their diseases the parents couldn’t even
comfort their children and vice versa, our missionary, bringing obvious strength in
person to their souls and bodies, tended to their diseases both night and day.
There were many annoyances of travel, rain, wind, storms, snow, and hail that
truly had to be borne by our workers. But in truth, God’s Providence amid these
dangers and tasks was never lacking, always embracing His people with comfort
and growing with His sweet blessings and ever watching over them just as the eyes
envelop the pupils. As proof are His works that follow…One particular day when
our missionary was out riding to be with someone on their deathbed during an icy
downpour, his horse unexpectedly slipped onto a small stream (where the ice was
weak) but escaped with yet an understandable panic. Both he and his horse were
so drenched and cold in such iciness that you might fully expect his hands and
fingers to be frozen. The Lord not only moderated this pain by removing it
altogether but also by comforting him in the process. For he enjoyed the unheardof
and unexpected kindness from a certain pitiably old woman in a nearby house.
There he dried himself out by her blazing fire. Then there’s that incident also
worthy of being remembered…When a certain 90-year old man of simplicity and
candor couldn’t any longer reach his usual mass in our outpost, he summoned our
missionary, who immediately hurried to get there. Because the way was off the
beaten path, he was still not there at late evening, having been drenched by an allday rain. Finally seeing a light on a very high and inaccessible cliff, he began to
yell at the top of his voice. Not being a native at that point, you might say that he
was traversing a strange land by then and that he had to go even a considerable
distance more therein. Therefore, again he got lost and, finding no trace of his
way, after tying his horse to a tree and dragging himself on his hands and knees, he
found the old man, a provident sign from God. The old man could barely describe
how joyously he found satisfaction from the unexpected arrival of the priest. Then
with a most sincere confession he made himself ready to again receive the
sacraments, thus, allowing him to fulfill his wish and, although he was then failing
in strength and heavy with age, he fell to his knees and spent a whole hour in
prayer. It was, thus, for this that he had summoned our priest in his dying. Even
as the padre caught sight of the cane by which this man’s body had been supported
all these years, so now it became obvious that he now, bedridden, had no other
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option other than death and that therefore the priest should prepare this soul so that
it might fly swiftly up to its heavenly home, if it were God’s will.
The priest, while entertaining the man with a soothing voice, noticed something
more than the usual rural nature in this old man and began to enquire deeply about
his virtues and piety. Furthermore, he truly found that one matter had so deeply
occupied this old man’s mind that his own death had barely affected him. This
good man not only at night but even during the daytime had reflected on this small
image which he said he carried around close to him wherever he went and because
of which it likewise inspired him to praise God at the memory of Our Lord’s death.
In a like manner, while God Almighty continually wills it, He manifests himself
and orders the fruit trees in the countryside woods to come to life and then to be
preserved.
(1840A.D.) Granting that this year was an exceptional one for misfortune even
with the settlement united, it was obviously exhausted of every kind of success and
fruitful produce because of its own needs. Still the settlement was traversed as
actively as it ever was in most recent years by our missionary. Furthermore, its
church had grown accustomed to these calamities as well as other burdens imposed
on our resident in central Missouri.
Now I will select some of the fruits of these labors and duties at different times
from which those of value can be gleaned from the others. For instance, those
works vigorously and piously conducted for the sick and the dying (who this year
had greater-than-usual occasions for encountering illness). No matter how long the
journey took, all of these in prison, in the woods, in their homes, and in the villages
were visited sometimes even all night. But no matter when he was needed, he was
always ready to offer his service to them all as doctor, as family member, and as
priest.
Moreover, they especially found in his holy ministries healthful remedies for
unhealthy souls. One certain man was severely tormented in his right arm with
pain, which our priest expelled with an application of Holy Water and a blessing in
honor of St. Ignatius. This same pain later invaded this man’s right foot but was
driven out in the same way accompanied by an amount of joy on the part of the
patient on the same level as the amazement of those present.
Even those who were laboring in childbirth and exerting themselves to such a
degree that they were on the verge of death were all aided by this same water. On
feast days and Sundays throughout the course of the year and especially the entire
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Lenten season leading up to Easter, the young were dutifully trained from the
beginning in the faith, all of whom were brought together as one to confession and
those more advanced ones were admitted for the first time to the holy mass with
great eagerness during the customary entrance procession.
Also out of respect for our priest there was still no restraint keeping our
adolescents of greater age from struggling to make public those religious matters
which were compelling to them and to which some attention should be paid. Still,
other infants scarcely out of their cribs were rightly practicing and reciting
correctly the following speech on how it is proper to know Christ the man, all to
the bewilderment of their parents:
“That, as prophesied of old, the Lord’s glorious tabernacle has been raised in our
midst through greater reverence and veneration, that the performances of these
acts have indeed been carried out throughout the week (not just on Sunday), and
that it has been made use of more than in former years.”
Often during Lenten masses there was mention made of drunkenness, to which
many were linked as sinners. Our priest gently made this fact public using an
uncharacteristically serious speaking manner for an audience seemingly spellbound
and previously sinless. From then on very little excess was noticed in the taverns
and bars, a fact which was attributed to those pleas. Moreover, one certain day
during this Lenten season as the opportunity presented itself, when our priest had
spoken even more forcibly from the pulpit against this foul sin and had threatened
divine punishment for those who had fallen back into it, deliverance from this
alcoholism resulted from such a threat about sundown of that very day. Because
they then understood that those warned by our preacher had in fact been guided by
God Himself, the rest of the faithful as a result therefore spread the news that the
Lenten fast, a necessity for Catholics, should be exercised even more piously.
Care had even been taken that certain dissidents should enter into a friendly state
of agreement. However, one particularly prominent brother had nevertheless
parted from his brother as well as from their family, whereby they both were
claiming to have been seriously wronged and angered. During some particular
feast days there happened to be a truly large gathering for confession on the
occasion of a devotional novena carried out for the most part in March in honor of
the Apostle of the Indians and the Japanese, a man who alive brought many back to
the need for confessions especially because of their failed undertakings.
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And although a certain, rich woman, already given up for dead by her doctor once
his medical opinion had been sought, had up till now neglected confession for as
long as possible, yet she was now receiving the last rites of her mother church.
Just after the completion of said ritual she began to get better and through the
anticipation of everyone she did indeed convalesce even more quickly.
Certain others wished to bind themselves through the bond of marriage but still
couldn’t be led into that sacrament without penance. Thus, after having truly
demonstrated with unmistaken signs in confession at the urging of our priest that
they themselves were truly contrite, they then undertook completely and piously
the sacraments of marriage and mass. Pairs of masses were customarily held on
the morning of feast days and Sundays, -one in German, the other in English, since
previously indeed daily-if-not-frequent masses for the parishioners were kept to a
minimum by heretical lesser ministers. To be truthful the parishioners were at
times forced to listen to scoffings directed at our true Catholic priests.
At these daily masses, which our priest said in the sanctuary of St. Joseph parish,
many converged since previously these masses were considered to be so
infrequent. Many people both here and in other outposts, about which we will
speak later, returned to both sacraments of penance and the Eucharist which had
been discontinued for some time. Many luke-warm Catholics were recalled to
their former passion and many unsure in their faith were made strong. It was a
consolation this year more than ever that Catholics, driven out of Germany,
increased the number of our settlers. We hope for many years that many more will
be added to our settlers, because of which, if nothing evil happens, the advance of
time will miraculously benefit our Catholic situation here.
Now I come to the apostolic sojourns, when it was customary to travel to the
nearby areas every month and then to the outer areas 2 or 3 times in the course of a
year. By that way they still as in past years have maintained a continuity and a
fruitful produce everywhere. But it was still such a sorrowful time due to the
former lack and even starvation of past piety that this indeed turned out to be a
period that near and far around the outposts was especially rich for our sojourning
missionary with substantial sacred fasting, hard work, and charity. Furthermore, it
offered him an opportunity to truly serve well both at home and away. On all these
personal excursions it was customary for our worker that the disputes that had
cropped up variously among the settlers be extinguished.
It seems almost inconceivable that, nevertheless, these settlers, streaming to the
United States from every part of Germany, are so inclined towards the propagation
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of every kind of brawling and impulsive nature and, thus, also towards the most
trivial suspicions of imagined injuries. The initial small sparks of discord so often
digressed into flames that it seemed that they could only be restrained save our
gentlest God had decreed to this our worker a remarkable aptness of doing good.
And so with God leading, it came to pass that frequently after their discords were
laid aside, many of them did embrace peace and sincere friendship.
At Jefferson City, which is the capital of the entire state of Missouri and the seat
of the governor, there continually flourished and grew everyday piety among
Catholics as beautifully as possible. The passion and good name of our Catholics
near and far eventually raised a topic which chief citizens of this community had
discussed previously and very ambitiously concerning the establishment of a parish
for us there. However, since they were in no way capable of procuring this from
our directors, every one of the Catholic and even the non-Catholic citizens, even
though their false-prophet ministers issued threats and raged from their pulpits,
collected a huge sum of money so that they might erect a temple to God Almighty
reserved for Catholics under the patronage of St. Ignatius. But in addition, even
the site for this had to be purchased with a substantial amount which our
missionary hoped to rightly get with his pleas to friends situated far off since they
thought well of him and might contribute some portion of this aid for a temple that
was on even terms with their own sanctuary of St. Ignatius.
Between this city and our central Missouri residency was yet another outpost
which continually had increased its population due to the effort of our missionary
and the passion of its settlers. There the parish was already large and this year
alone a larger number of bodies has been added. Finally in this outpost, since here
the church was already large, out of necessity as well as desire, our priest under the
patronage of St. Francis Xavier began to construct of his own accord the holy
buildings. But there is no place completely and perfectly safe from evil. Behold,
dissensions arose among the leaders of the settlement because of which they all
seemed to now split into party factions, each one wishing to build its own church.
At this point to be sure, our priest did take possession of 10 acres of property near
a public road situated in the middle of the outpost. There were many things that
attracted our priest to this spot…the closeness of Jefferson City and Westphalia,
the convenience of the roadway, the rural way of life situated among the charming
hills, and the cold-water springs. Besides, the church here alone was so much
superior to any other place that they could here establish a cemetery and then a
rectory as well. In the vicinity of that place many other households could be seen,
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some inhabitants of which wished to contribute payment for an acre of ground to
be used for the common good of the church.
However, certain men objected to this generosity since they wanted to buy a 40acre plot as well as this parcel which the United States Treasury was want to sell.
But our priest stood up to these men and now, since this particular parcel did not
have fresh-water springs, the church had to be built still in a state of need.
Furthermore, since they were by no means able to pay the price for this spot, the
funds of the congregation had to be borrowed. Borrowed money as well as a bad
buy are always unpleasing, but especially there on that site because it seemed to
raise the charge of stupidity on the part of the purchasers. Furthermore, when our
priest once encouraged everyone to give in the interest of peace and unity, they all
seemed to want to condemn his authority and to call him “The Prodigal,” a
practice they carried on even later in their letters. Our priest, nevertheless, himself
alone endured this dissension for the good of the people up to the time our
provincial director was to reply with an announcement of changes in these
administrative matters.
Still not content with the Catholic practices of the nearby outposts as far as their
constancy of faith went, he expanded his efforts even farther. One particular one
of his trips was his initial venture to some outposts located on both sides of the
Missouri River. This customarily took him about 6 weeks due to the fact that the
faithful, previously scattered, had to be assembled for confirmation and, as was the
case, there was usually some of the harvest that had either fallen away or was
about to, requiring him to shore it up and strengthen it on a daily basis. Even
certain unbelievers were added to the roll. There seemed no end in sight since
there was always hope that the children and adults would be cleansed, the penitents
would be freed from their crimes, the people would be restored through the Holy
Bread, the dissidents would be reconciled, and a number of countless others.
This year was exceptional because the Holy Spirit got the various settlers ready
through everyone’s great efforts to attain a special plenary indulgence on the 300 th
anniversary of our founder’s great preparations for our Society. In addition, many
Catholics everywhere, who were especially insistent, received –profitably I might
add- a rosary, a blessed coin, and holy pictures as well as pamphlets and tracts
which taught them they would be saved before they died.
There continued other even longer journeys equally for the welfare of many to the
outer districts in the areas up and down both sides of the Osage and Gasconade
Rivers which were already well-populated. There our missionary was extremely
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useful in adding new outposts almost daily to our already-established ones.
Although these poor little flocks were without a pastor for most of the year, they
were still better off than those savage wolves who had tried to disrupt the flock at
Xavier. Among others of his many obstacles whereby Satan brings about his
ministers’ works, first and by far the foremost one to follow is this…he stands in
the way of those poor little ones whom he has already separated and scattered in
order to put out their flame of religious passion. Whenever there are false teachers,
meeting in their own little droves where at any time they crowd in with great
fanfare either into private homes or into any open field, they are always eager with
amazingly great effort to entice Catholics by rebuking them on many facets of the
Word of God and the Holy Spirit and on the corruption of the Roman church and
on the distorted customs of its priests.
But, just as in these dangers and in others the obstacles seemed insurmountable for
our missionary, i.e. through downpours, through rivers, through difficult and truly
inhospitable roads, so, too, the sweet and the eternally strong Providence of God
was never lacking. Now in conclusion I will add a few more famous facts as
examples of this situation.
Once amid the darkest shadows of night our priest along with his horse fell straight
into a very deep trench, although neither one was either exhausted or badly bruised
by this. Also on this night his journey was interrupted again a third time as he
swam to dry land escaping a raging stream that was up to his elbows.
Nevertheless, he escaped these crises safe and unharmed that day, because of
which he later freely acknowledged why. While greatly praising God on another
occasion though equally near death while riding amid various holes in a frozen
river, he was miraculously carried to safety as though God were at his right hand
guiding him.
So, too, on another day, while crossing over the channel of the very wide Missouri
River, there was a storm coming up and his little boat was already taking on water
from all sides. With his own hands he continually helped the captain bail lest the
little boat be surely swallowed by the excessively rising waves. And again he once
more escaped with his horse (an event his naval friend attributed to an obvious
miracle), whose extraction from said danger was fraught with great effort since he
had already leaped into the waves.
(1841A.D.) Finally this year on the first of June the adjoining Catholics who
inhabit this mission’s outpost near the western edge of the Missouri River, through
their petitions and sparing no expense, brought it to pass through continual prayers
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that they themselves be given their very own priest who would settle among them.
Due to the new outpost of this priest we have justifiable hope that the religious
passion of the faithful might eagerly grow.
This year in particular much has to be said concerning this central mission of
Catholics and the neighboring outposts and the long apostolic journeys of our
priest. Furthermore, when this is read by those who can remember from past years,
they will find that nothing has been omitted from their exercise of religion and
piety, especially from their own lifetimes. Therefore, now when we frequently
remember especially those things recalled by any means, if they are indeed listed
here in this place, over and over, then surely these items, destined to continue over
time, certainly seem to me as familiar now as they did then. In truth, concerning
those who dissented for whatever reason, I must make mention of the fickleness
and total instability of the souls of these citizens who furthermore went beyond the
limit of greed for especially fleeting things, a condition that surely can’t be said of
this harvester’s life. And yet, I also must mention the harvest reaped this year as I
have done for past years. It certainly was not an unproductive year. Don’t get me
wrong. Rather, in the holy mother church’s storehouse souls were gathered to
some degree with excellent hope.
But among these woodland sins it was indeed difficult to summarize these few
examples out of such a large, polluted mess of sins. They were destined towards
conflict due to their animosity and since there was such massive divergence of
opinions among themselves concerning God and His revealed religion, it came
about that so many homes were just about on the verge of heresies. Even among
the orthodox here there always existed some schism. For the unsettled kind dearly
wants to form factions and is inclined toward disagreements even beyond what
they stand to gain for the moment. It was for just such a reason many people first
bothered to abandon everything to come to this one particular country and to this
religion too in so far as they might be able to gain something of worth.
Even still, with the number of neighbors increasing everyday, the passion of the
“good” Catholics as well as the labor of our missionary there grew, surpassing all
the hardships encountered but still less than the overall size of the harvest. Once
during the span of a continual 4-month deadly disease as he went around working
in this parish alone, he even added to this exhaustive schedule. This was a time
especially when homes of the faithful would logically seem short on spiritual and
human help for the time being. Our missionary had to hurry as far as 120 miles as
a hunter of souls on rough and rocky roads, among jagged rocks and cliffs, through
sun-scorched fields and inhospitable woods so that he might beseech every divine
help for those abandoned, whom this adversity of the area had brutalized
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amazingly since they had neglected their religion out of ignorance. Because of the
excessive meteorological drought and this temporary plague, he worked
throughout this year and beyond though at a great loss causing his deprivation.
Due to this fact it turned out that our missionary here, bedecked in his plain
patchwork and immersed in hunger and lack of use, in this chilling reception and
anxiety, was still so consoled by God and not by man that he seemed like an exile
making his way through a vast unlivable desert hoping to find his established,
eternally happy homeland. “I have coveted no one’s gold or clothing, -rather, give
me your souls, take all else for yourselves,” (Acts: 20/Genesis 14:23).
(1842 A.D.) This year due to the region’s extreme poverty and the subsequent lack
for an especially greedy people and due to this continually extreme plague for
which he suffered, it again turned out that our missionary was by no means capable
of residing here very long. Furthermore, certain, richer “wolves,” greedy for
plunder and using very unfair slanders, most absurd disputes, wranglings and every
kind of nonsense, attempted in whatever way to make the life of this pastor more
painful than death, -even though he had been courteous to all and overly kind- so
that they might more easily be able to lead the flock away from their shepherd who
had lost faith and then to slay the flock as well as devour it whole. For which
reason these very false teachers were incapable of justice and the love of reason.
But even still, those best Catholics were indeed standing up in defense of this
missionary’s virtues, and later, may I say, they, uncorrupted by intimidation or by
their wealth, in turn refused to go along with the influence of those wolves.
Meanwhile all hope of preserving the faith amid those disputes as well as even
more recent ones was invested in the church of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and
Mary established with the aid and finances of our pastor near the Gasconade River
as well as the church of St. Francis Xavier near the Osage River.
With his mission yet fruitful due to his great effort and having incurred the usual
expenses on his completed visitation to all his flock, our pastor nevertheless
returned to Saint Louis after affixing these small lines to his door:
“And they will persecute you, handing you over to governors for My name sake.
However, when this happens to you, it is time for witnessing” (Luke 21: 12-13).
“In your patience you will gain your souls” (Luke 21:13). “This is the triumph
your faith wins by which the world is conquered” (the Biblical source in unclear in
the manuscript…5:4). “Since you have come, remember the words I have spoken
to you” (John 15:19).
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Meanwhile, the closed St. Joseph church in defiance of those wolves stood
deserted as a monument for those types who brought pressure on the rank and file
of the flock founded on the simplicity of its pastor’s words to scatter and to
demand much more beyond this or to just leave if only for short periods of time no
matter how unwilling the flock was. But, hence, Westphalia ceased to be the
missionary residence thereafter and forever. Let this history depict Westphalia,
founded by me, as a harsh outpost. May 11, 1842 A.D.
More frequently did he then return from Saint Louis and was consoled by the
faithful parishioners. In the waning days of September, 1842, he returned here
forever. By 1843, some of our people had settled near St. Francis Xavier, while
others settled near Sacred Hearts, Rich Fountain.
Besides the churches of St. Joseph at Westphalia, and St. Francis Xavier at Taos, 3
others had been established –Sacred Hearts near the Gasconade River, St. Ignatius
Loyola of Jefferson City, and The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin at Moniteau.
Furthermore, we added another location at Loose Creek where there was already
an enclosed cemetery, and soon we shall build God’s church in honor of the
Immaculate Conception. Likewise, we have seen to the construction of the church
of St. Thomas along with a cemetery near the Osage River at a place now called
Indian Bottom. And while God has given us still another location called Pilot
Grove, it will in turn be established with another title of honor and under the
services of its patron SS. Salvatoris D.N.I.C. Of the Cross . These were the
foundations of new parishes. Those in attendence frequented these places and even
overflowed, planting the seeds. O, would that as many as possible of these might
become God’s priests, fishers of men, shining with the rays of charity just as
beacons for souls, and may they in turn recover their own flocks. Our church, now
built up this year, was every month made ever purer. Likewise every Sunday the
congregational members so manifested themselves in the same, pure degree as they
purposely visited at the beginning of the month a site in Cole County and again
around the end of that month visited a site in Osage County toward the
strengthening of their virtues.
Generally the very great and constant effort by our priest in this central Missouri
mission was henceforth justly made known especially in conjunction with the
greater Catholic faith therein as well as the increased public estimation of his holy
ministry. At one time or another he habitually wandered, hastening over the nearby
surrounding towns –Boonville, Columbia, Vibernium, and Cote Sans Desseinpassing through far-ranging stations on the way, as is the way of an apostle, for the
benefit of souls.
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Everywhere he, alone up till now, so performed the functions of the parishes oneby-one with such eagerness and diligence that perhaps by the unanimous voice of
the saints he might be able to serve as an example for the more important pastors
of souls back in Europe who are assigned to only a single location. For he devoted
himself totally and with great patience not only to consoling his Catholics and
certainly no less to instructing ignorant boys but also to recovering the unbelieving
heretics. It was no wonder if he was usually and always in constant motion both in
cold and hot weather (and this was a very cold winter).
He was accustomed to hold morning masses not only on Sundays and feast days
but often on feral days in French, German, and English and to have catechetical
instructions after lunch. He persisted in always revealing his sacred duty for such a
long time and at least twice a mass so that he might administer the divine word to
each nationality, the result being that he was sometimes scarcely able to complete
the sacrifice of our Lord’s bodily food before the second mass was supposed to
begin in the afternoon.
Up to the very end of this year no labor was spared and he toiled with every
possible refinement, pleasantry, and resource so that he might be allowed to
enlighten the blind minds of the St. Joseph congregation (about which I have
written previously) or at least to shed some rays of truth’s light. He still held out
strong hope based on his reliance in our compassionate God, even though there
were still a few right up to this day who seemed to turn a deaf ear to his efforts,
patience, and richness in our Lord. Even now a lot of people, only just previously
thought to be scarce, assemble at daily mass which our priest says whenever it is
scheduled. His divine functions are made use of on holy days both with the
greatest frequency and with greater piety in each and every one of the parishes.
He even accumulated 50 miles in this worst winter to accompany to the gallows
some poor soul who then was strengthened ahead of time by holy confession.
Even then a circle of intimate friends attended both these 2 souls with solemn
weeping as this man’s burial matters were already being readied. Meanwhile it
truly happened by divine will that our priest upon entering that area most
deservedly received a message. Our priest without delay instantly as if in a race
sought the dormitory of those on death row and there offered those who had not
confessed a chance to make use now of this suitable remedy. Hence, these men
truly by this so great and welcome benefit, having confessed their sins according to
custom and by the oil of extreme unction, had their journey made strong by our
Lord’s body and most peacefully took their final rest in our Lord.
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Therefore, in our varied, incomplete parishes the sanctity and kindness of our
patron St. Ignatius rightfully and gradually revealed those who were favorable to
him. Once the story of miracles was heard, varied sick people, to whom God the
Great and Almighty had revealed daily everywhere the wonderful holiness of
Ignatius Loyola, strenuously sought from our priest the water blessed in his honor,
water which they had great need of at some time or another and by which they felt
at any rate that the power of death was reduced, and, having received said water
from our missionary, they gathered for an act of thanksgiving. Things were never
made totally clear to them with respect to this water, but at any rate, however they
could, they never ceased thanking our most holy benefactor for whatever benefits
they had received, because of which they attributed solely and openly their restored
health to him. Once, when our missionary was present, a certain man suffered on
his right side an extreme pain which that priest drove out, applying the purifying
water of our holy patron, St. Ignatius. But suddenly that same pain invaded the
man’s left side and yet was driven out in the same way accompanied by the
greatest wonder of our priest and everyone present there as well as an increase of
piety.
More than a few books and poems by the heretics have delved into these matters.
Whenever the occasion presented itself, our priest always denounced these
unorthodoxicals, because of whom there were arguments between us and them.
Still, this matter was balanced with moderation and prudence so that even with
their false faith that they followed, they never gave up on his instructions or
personal chats. The conditions of these matters were in fact habitually and
continually being resolved because of which almost all the outposts which
comprised this central residency then produced this calm which was even more
wonderful this year, 1843, so that it then might seem that this “circular” instability,
begotten out of a false image of license and from the huge influx of inhabitants of
every kind, had indeed changed entirely into a “squared off” stability, thanks to our
sensitive God. Everywhere and in the end all these disputes proved to be mainly
nonsense and were abolished with the highest conduct of peace and harmony of the
various factions and with the shoring up of these dissidents.
Moreover, those spiteful and irrepressible ones, even if they did not moderate
themselves totally, nevertheless, did not dare to rail at this good arrangement
which was begun at the grass roots nor to make a public disturbance lest they be
deservedly blamed by everyone. The architects of these evils quarrels did not offer
any of their evidence at all, having maintained just a few years before that this
pastor should have been expelled from his flock. Now when they realized that they
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would now find such great strength in this man otherwise just simple and
unaffected, then these totally irresolute ones began to stop what they were doing.
For from this point onward all of our good people were wearing them down by
forcing them to incur an inestimable amount of expenses. Then at that point all of
those same good people really put pressure on those greediest of Satan’s
accomplices knowing full well that if those people continued with their tricks and
wranglings all over the area, they would bring a spiritual death to the Body of
Christ.
And it was certain that there would be some who in the final analysis when the
chips were down might stand up to these wolves no matter how powerful they
seemed by keeping an eye on them. These were not only people with savoir faire
but also just common members of the hoi polloi. Therefore, whether they wanted
to or not, these wolves gradually gave up hope that they could drive this shepherd
from his flock. So, they once again began to entice and appease him most
courteously with their kindness. Receiving them all with the highest courtesy
according to his own politeness, he thus repeated the example of the Master, who,
having left his flock’s other 99 sheep, goes toward that one when it has wandered
off until He again finds it, and then, rejoicing, He carries it back to the flock over
His shoulders. For He does not come seeking the just but the sinners.
Influenced by this same motive, for most of the year he took upon himself the
improvement of the lot of those poor souls who because of their crimes were
condemned to public works jobs on Jefferson City’s work barges. As often as he
visited them, he ministered to them with his kind words as well as other remedies
for their welfare. He also furnished them with countless prayer pamphlets and
other little deeds, especially dear to those people, which brought great benefit and
consolation to them as well as edification to their custodians.
At this point it pleased a few people to recount a little more earnestly the origin
and stimulus of these new churches. Long ago this had been the ardent desire of
this first parochial missionary as well as of the honorable director of the diocese
and of the province’s Jesuits whom God the Almighty Teacher should preserve for
a long time in His church and in the saving of souls in order that soon and
forevermore thereafter the most revered mysteries of our religion might be made
more widely known not only in the cottages of private individuals but also in the
chapels dedicated to our God. This fact seems obviously proper due to the present,
greater decency, benefit, and obligingness of our new congregation.
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That wish had just recently been the focus of our prayers that indeed these new
settlers would never establish themselves one after the other far from the sanctuary
but still at least that they would live together in villages and communities so that
their youth could more easily and frequently be collected with less effort and thus
trained in the rudiments of our holy faith. Therefore, our priest, having invoked
the enlightenment of God’s will and having consulted his superiors dutifully, upon
returning more wisely with a settled soul straight back to these hilly and wooded
outposts, took it upon himself to remain for the well-being of the care of the souls
of these people reaching out like little children in spite of the fact that these last
few years there especially seemed to offer more hills to climb, more rivers to ford
in times of danger, and more souls of the faithful to improve. Since indeed the
families inhabited cottages scattered throughout the hills and valleys far from each
other and rather far from our initial sanctuary of St. Joseph, built 6 or more years
ago, then their homes were thus separated by as much as 3 or 4 hours.
Still the grown, aged people, who any other way seemed hardened, were easily
influenced toward piety, grasping of things eternal, both loving and resolute. If so
great indeed was their eagerness forever in their ancestral faith, then also as great
was their hunger to hear Catholicism intact that they never allowed anything to
hinder them, -not distance of frequent travel, nor peril because of raging rivers, nor
rainy weather, nor the severity of winter- whenever they streamed together eagerly
from everywhere on feast days and Sundays (which especially seemed pleasing to
them) out of the hills like hundreds of little creeks to their prophesied sanctuary of
St. Joseph. These hungry people also attended holy mass (which happened twice
on those days) with modesty, peace, attention, and piety. Nay, rather, no one
returned home until they had all received the final blessing via the Holy Eucharist
at the last mass.
Moreover, in those rustic farmers there was a burning desire in their divine
eagerness to be close to God, who, wishing this year to inspire even more those
people assembling however they could and from equal distances from scattered
locations, then provided for other sanctuaries that had to be erected.
Nevertheless, hereafter the ancient enemy of these holy people was scared by their
great industry and envious of the gain of their future souls, and so consequently he
left no stone unturned in order that God’s seed once planted might not bear fruit in
all the different churches and new parishes. The chief laity as well as the common
ones of St. Joseph’s parish opposed this divine situation as best they could with
hundreds of trifles and unjust wranglings just as we have listed here before at
different points. Furthermore, in individual parishes (which had been seduced by
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the lies and promises of these renegade leaders, as we can prove this with countless
facts and witnesses) certain ones of these henchmen slowed down in other ways
the healthy and so holy great efforts which in the meantime had produced acts
pleasing to our priest who was already prepared to sacrifice for their souls. They
kept on even longer advising him to resolve this matter and to consult the
parishioners about the state of the congregation. They even advised those in
charge (contrary to the canons of the Baltimore Provincial Council and the will of
the Pope) to select arbitrators as well as to restrain themselves while putting off
any judgment until the number of new inhabitants had increased at which time they
themselves would then devote their hands to the immediate task.
But, our unalterable Father, since he didn’t immediately perceive the methodical
efforts of the Holy Spirit, reflected for a long time after consulting God and his
supervisors, and knew then that this had to be resolved first so that all of these
people by no means had to surrender nor abandon their courage. So, on the
contrary did he more and more begin to inspire everyone, to push them onward, to
build a defense and a case rightly or wrongly suggested by those liars themselves,
to refute some of the troubles they had caused, to silence them, and as well to
explain the advantage and even the necessity of following his ways more easily
toward the desired goal.
Wherefore, during special days set aside by the individual congregations after
these objections were raised and the barriers were all brought together for
consideration, this man who did not know how to be at leisure completely
conquered his interrogators with God’s approval (I don’t know if I should say it
was his boldness or his love). Thus, he so took by storm these most inflexible
people as well as their souls that with bewilderment and an appearance of
solidarity they immediately, hurrying out into the individual areas, with authority
determined by their superiors (which is, as is so often the case, the impetus for
action in this diocese) constructed one-by-one the sanctuaries to the unparalleled
glory of our Omnipotent God and to the profit of their own souls.
Besides the great effort here, there were still other places where the hint of Satan
caused the same turmoil. Still, all this from the fruits that followed greatly pleased
the Almighty and He continually and overtly blessed the inhabitants with
prosperity and peace.
While the number of priests increased right from the beginning, so too did the list
of the appearance of these new parishes, as follows…
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During one Sunday of this month one was endowed in the church of St. Francis
Xavier in Harrville . One Sunday of this month another one was made officially
the church of St. Ignatius Loyola at Jefferson City, the capital of the entire state.
On a Sunday of this month one was made official in the church of the Immaculate
Conception at Loose Creek, where a cemetery was already in existence; this church
had to be built soon and until then, it was held in the public school. On a Sunday
this month this happened too in Sacred Hearts Church near the Gasconade River
[Rich Fountain], where there already was both a rectory and a cemetery. And even
with a Sunday lacking in the feast month, still this occurred on a day within the
month in St. Joseph’s, Westphalia.
Indeed there were other sanctuaries already built or in the process, namely the
church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, Mary near the Moniteau River;
the church of St. Thomas the Apostle located in a place now called Indian Bottom,
Cole County, Missouri; and the church of the Holy Cross in a place called Pilot
Grove in Cooper County where gatherings have been held 3 or 4 times in the
course of a year. Moreover, there were other outposts in Boonville, Columbia,
Hibernia, and Cote Sans Dessein so lacking and distant that they only had an
opportunity for a priest twice a year.
That new arrangement and conciliation of this priest was preserved and we all
hoped that it would be well into the future. For indeed, there is nothing that
hinders spiritual progress of parishioners more than disorder or the inversion of
order. In fact, they twice had real cause for complaint on this, the occasion being a
gathering of the flock while their pastor was gone on Sundays predetermined by
them. Due to the fact that the shepherd was transporting himself to a place
elsewhere on these rare Sundays, a larger than usual number of his sheep was
absent, thanks to their ensuing ignorance. Even still, religious instruction had been
handed down in all those different locations and so the young, especially a greater
progression of boys, were well disposed towards the very Holy Communion.
I make mention that there were services of his holy ministry other than those we’ve
already listed above in this compilation lest we later feel compelled to mention
them in reference to individual congregations with useless and laborious repetition.
This year and in those immediately following, if God was lacking in assistance,
then it seemed all the more pleasing and advantageous that we had to resolve to
make use of our own virtues and time as much as possible. If He with great beauty
and wisdom did indeed favor one particular spot over another, then there still was
obvious need for Him in the residence of this central Missouri mission. However,
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to be sure, on the first of October, Reverend Peter Joseph Verhaegen, deemed the
most beloved of the province, via a letter throughout these regions of the Society of
Jesus, announced that he had been discharged from service by our Very Reverend
Father General Johann Roothaan and that the Reverend Jacob VandeVelde had
been appointed as successor, an especially deserving man as far as our religion and
society were concerned, so that by this same authority he might serve the province.
May God the Almighty Teacher preserve for a long time this man to the greater
glory of His Name and to the goodness of souls.
(1844 A.D.) As our French-German mission entered the new year right in the
center of the state, in as much as it was situated in the central Missouri republic, it
contained more than 18 villages here gathered close to both the Missouri and
Osage Rivers, encompassing an area of about 600 square miles. For the most part
these Catholics scattered here and there were by their religious zeal and piety
capable of being held up as an example to others and were worthy of imitation.
In truth only the poorest of these areas were incapable of bearing the necessary
burden to build churches and residences for the priests in a steady manner. Nay,
rather, they couldn’t even provide the necessary headgear or vestments for their
missionary who moreover, since he was always in motion on horseback among the
forests and vineyards, really needed a lot more workers unconcerned with only
their own locality. However, directors from these societies –The Association of
Lyons, the Leopold Society of Vienna, and the Society For the Propagation of the
Faith- then arrive and bestow and directly spend huge amounts of money necessary
for the good of the poor of our mission.
But when those people were then enrolled, openly and continually still wandering
among those out-of-the-way places, and not much thereafter still receiving solace
and aid, they were the same ones who beat down our pastor with the most unfair
words. Furthermore, it would soon be necessary for our Most Reverend Father
General to be specifically reconfirmed with regards to effecting his appointment,
enabling him to speak about it publicly as a man who once worthily described
himself in print, saying, “We can always be trusted,” after sending out 935
defenders of the faith as of September 9, 1841. Under the freedom issued forth
from such a good and great adjutant as he, we had freely been able to announce the
Good News and take and give freely. But certainly inasmuch as some are not
unaccustomed to wealth, this is not the man who reaches for a non-profitable
ministry. Certainly nothing is more harmful to the progress of souls and, thus,
slows it down, than the Judas greed!!! [The exclamation marks are Father Helias’]
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Then having food…isn’t anything else unnecessary?…Xavier himself ordered us
to eat only what is served to us.
We can’t give up God’s work because of this, can we? Surely there are many
ungrateful people. But we should remember that Germany was the number one
concern of Ignatius! Germany employs 5/9ths of our chief Society members. He
founded his college in a city for German graduates. From far away India Francis
Xavier was ready to be recalled to bring help to the north. But rather than our
Society members wandering in the interest of these northern regions every month,
he publicly announced that he alone would make that area holy so that we would
not therefore fall from the lofty ponderings of our great founder!
When most of this year had passed, on September 25th our chief director, the Most
Distinguished and Reverend Joseph Rosati, of the Congregation of the Mission,
Rome, -where he had carried on his apostleship admirably and most usefully
announcing the Good News- died most piously in Our Lord, entering into his
eternal rest. Since he had been plucked from among us, something has been added
to the praise of this holy prelate, for he died doing good since God was with him,
and all of us are better since he himself has done this, producing all these
congregations of the faith in Christ Jesus and personally founding on firm footing
these most religious institutions.
Even though there were from this point 330 missions, still this one in particular did
not receive all that it wanted from the province. On top of that, the ship by which
the Reverend Father VandeVelde was bringing countless decorations for the
sanctuaries as well as different vestments burned in port. This delayed for me a
vital aid and interrupted much of our optimism.
Still filled with faith and hope, let us await that great last day in our Lord on which
whatever things are now hidden will appear out in the open, when all our works
will be considered and judged in the light and all the virtues of the just in heaven
and on earth will be displayed in full view. In the meantime, as a token of our
grateful soul and commissioned by my effort in the individual parishes, we have
offered sacrifice for the great bishop most recently deceased, especially as symbol
of our grief.
The Leopold Society for the Propagation of the Faith, Vienna, instituted under his
Reverend’s assistance for the good of the German missions which especially now
rightly depend on said Society, by 1875 will have distributed many of our faith’s
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defenders out of which the central Missouri missions will receive 375, along with
help from our St. Charles mission.
This matter, already in our prayers for a long time, was fulfilled on April 7 of this
year, 1844, for all members of St. Francis Xavier congregation with extraordinary
license. That Easter holyday was a most welcome one when they laid the
cornerstone, set in place and blessed by their first pastor at 2 p.m. First from the
old chapel 2 acolytes proceeded with the crucifix. There followed 2 other acolytes
with a vase of holy water and memorabilia to be collected under the cornerstone
which read: “When Gregory 16th was Pope, John Tyler was President of the
United States of North America, Peter RichardKenrick was bishop of Saint Louis,
Marmaduke was governor of Missouri, and Jacob VandeVelde was presiding over
these regions of the state for the Society of Jesus, Ferdinand Maria Helias, Holy
Pastor of this church, blessed and put in place this cornerstone of this church to
the greater glory of the All-Powerful God and under the auspice of St. Francis
Xavier as an everlasting monument for our patrons of Austria and Ghent this 7 th
day of April, 1844 A.D. in this free and independent land of America with the
architect and builders present and an immense encompassing ring of people
looking on.” After this came the priest, who would perform this holy ceremony as
proscribed in the Roman ritual, accompanied by 2 cantors. The huge number of
people that scurried along after them in this beautiful procession numbered
anywhere from 7 to 8 thousand.
Ritual prescribed that everything ought to be performed by the priest according to
religious usage allowing a certain amount of normal freedom of choice and with
certain solemn music and with great devotion of Christ’s faithful present. The
familiar Latin liturgy was interpreted and explained in both English and German.
Thus the mass was said in each language, based on the text of St. Paul, 1
Corinthians 3: “…like the wise architect who has laid his foundation which is in
fact Christ Jesus” and also from Ephesians 2:20, all on the grounds therein in front
of a huge crucifix on that very spot where later on there would be erected an even
larger altar. The divine hymn by which we praise God was sung most sweetly and
then, accompanied by the choir, they all went forth to the old chapel where,
following vespers chanted ever so piously, the blessing of the holy sacraments was
given to the huge crowd.
Among those dense woods and for the most part inhospitable hills, where only 20
years ago the pagan cry of the uneducated Indians was heard and where also the
bloody tomahawk slew its uncautious and unsuspecting victims, now everywhere
sanctuaries rise up from these rocks in honor of and for the worship of Almighty
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God and where too is heard His praise sung by these populated colonies of
Catholics who were first drawn here by these very holy sanctuaries. Already this
year the number of new sanctuaries is equal to all those in existence 11 years ago
at this part of the west where the state of Missouri was established.
This year the magnificent sanctuary of Francis Xavier, our apostle of the
congregation of the Indians, arose from squared rock placed on its foundation and
blessed by this solemn procession, as I have just recalled above, in honor of God
Almighty under the glorious invocation of His patron saint. It was the same
anniversary day when Our Living Savior returned from the dead, appearing to His
disciples on the way to Emmaus and as well the birthday of St. Francis Xavier.
Indeed by Divine Providence it turned out that on January 1st of this year, when our
missionary was deliberating with the chief men of St. Francis Xavier parish about
the expansion of the narrow, old chapel, he received a much-longed-for message
from a public notary, -a huge sum of money from the Viennese and Belgian
benefactors via the mission of Saint Louis in order that he might be able to pay for
the construction of such a project. Furthermore, initially 350 workers of this entire
central Missouri parish pledged themselves through an enrollment to labor toward
this goal. Most of those patriarchs, due to the magnitude of their family and thus
the scarcity of almost everything, even with their constant effort barely made
enough headway to maintain their own home. But still, as they were uniquely
dedicated to an even greater piety, they longed to build a sanctuary to increase their
divine worship and even more powerfully the propagation of the holy Catholic
faith among their offspring and others in the area.
They were especially burdened this year since the poor and those working long
hours in the fields and the sick couldn’t contribute much money or time to this
project. (But see how ingeniously gifted was their piety). Some of the workers of
that place promised rural resources in order that they might too perform their jobs
on their land, wherefore that holiest building might rise faster. And so, those very
people when the work was in progress frequently brought rocks, timbers, and
mortar as best they could, and they prepared other things which proved useful to
the workers. They also attempted with the effort of their shear numbers to aid the
workers however they could. These benefactors brought help to these people from
any source whatsoever in a worthy procession, devoting themselves so
energetically, generously, and piously however possible. And so, now stands there
the most beautiful sanctuary of all of central Missouri, one for all those who can
now gaze upon it with admiration. Indeed what an everlasting monument of the
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generosity of such poor patron settlers! Still, most of the whole interior needed to
be constructed.
But human affairs being deficient as they sometimes are, we were already besieged
by adverse gossip. Yet, through the fullest Providence of our caring God, at least
we shortly hope that that sanctuary might soon be totally freed from the stranger’s
gossip and that it might be decorated with the numerous necessary ornaments for
increasing God’s worship and that the old chapel might be able to be adapted into
the living quarters of the missionary which up until now has been wholly lacking.
Now this farmland has surely been blessed. Where there were once no more than 3
Catholics living, now it is truly filled with an almost daily procession of so many
immigrants that neither the rocky hills nor the barren hollows vanquish those who
arrive everyday into this area of our sanctuary. The sometimes exhausted and even
broken spirit of our missionary is gladdened and renewed by the early and
widespread fruits of his labors. For these settlers not only exhibit ears tractable to
the teachings of this missionary but also they try to follow his words and are eager
to supply what is needed and desirable even as far more opulent religious
communities had shied away from doing so.
Truly this year has been almost continually harsh on these missions because of the
unusual diseases that have arisen never before heard of in human memory and also
because of the terribly long summer. No household was without sickness and in
many of them truly everyone who lived therein was bedridden. Therefore the sick
and dying who had been the subjects and consequent results of his charity were
visited nightly by our missionary on longer and longer journeys. One day,
summoned to a certain home, he found 20 of the diseased in their final struggle.
This disease proved for many to be an opportunity and the beginning of hope. A
certain woman of savage character who had long ago done away with her own
baby, convinced this crime would bring disgrace, had decided to totally hide this
act and its accompanying impiety. Now during this plague she was fearful of
death’s imminent danger. Having tossed about violently for many days, neither
sleeping nor finding any reason for calm, she found our missionary at this house
where she hid. He called her forth, whereupon she at her own free will emptied
herself of the force of this crime so long hidden.
Another woman of resolute spirit had been accustomed to mock the sacraments,
since she was not ritually joined to her mate. But in this same year with an
amazingly deep sense of the holy state that sanctioned marriage truly is and amid
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those summoned to her in this illness, she died piously in the Lord Our God as she
had hoped.
And so in all places in this very vast central mission this disease revealed the sins
of many which their good health for so long had wrongly concealed. Another
particular woman, having invoked our holy patron Ignatius, entreated our
missionary and thus gained his actual appearance and purifying waters amid this
firmly-established peril. She was thus set free from this danger which had most
seriously been inflicted upon her. For having fallen from her horse several days
before, her fetus, though lively but yet still excessively inactive, issued forth from
her womb in a breech fashion with the greatest difficulty. Once it was baptized,
she died peacefully.
And so there our missionary himself fell due to exhaustion as well as his deadly
habit of keeping watch and listening to the dead and dying. He was so spent that
he appeared dreadful, merely skin and bones. But finally, by our merciful God’s
kindness in a few days the disease slackened. After assuming some degree of
greater strength, he began to have better nourishment and got clearly stronger.
And so, in the opinion of the doctor (who had just recently given up all hope
concerning the health of this man who had to bear so many great labors), he was
now judged to be perpetually indestructible. Hence, he continued to traverse
completely not only his previously customary routes but also ones to the everfarther stations of this parish, fulfilling his goal after the brief span of this disease
lessened his profit of souls, which is in fact the only reward for a true priest.
This first, sole missionary of this central mission daily for almost 7 years showed
up anywhere in this land most vast that stretches far and wide, especially for the
younger people as well as the more established. Wherever he went, he spread the
evangelistic, fertile seeds of our Lord Jesus Christ, as God favored him, so that
perhaps to these and other remote regions, which he and all the settlers had hopes
for, young people might go as missionaries arriving there accompanied by the
highest passion and exaltation so that they might accelerate the acquisition of these
vast expanses for God.
Meanwhile he hurriedly proceeded with everything as best he could so as to allow
more time for these matters more easily and pleasingly. Not only did he personally
apply himself to all these undertakings for which he was able to amass much
human aid either through his written solicitations or by begging from village to
village, but also he felt no shame in the least in asking for help from non-Catholics
outside the area. In fact he so strongly incited those unchurched in just about
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everything that they then immediately rendered their empty and despised lives
useful again. They were unable to contain their amazement that this Catholic
priest hurried into these roughest of hills and unpopulated woods so that
everywhere he might prove his usefulness for someone else’s benefit rather than
his own. This matter seems even more worthy of praise and delight because they
had seen it first hand and publicly boasted that nothing like this had ever been done
by their own miserly ministers who were driven not by Christ’s Blood toward the
redemption of souls but by their religious craving for gold and their greed for profit
wherever they went.
(1845 A.D.) Now it is has been 7 years since our missionary formed and led the
young church here at this almost isolated western area and since God bestowed
success upon it (even though He didn’t have to). Ever since arriving here he has
always patiently and passionately taken upon himself the task of conversion not
only of the Germans, French, and Irish who came streaming into this new land
everyday but also as well the conversion of the local natives of this huge region.
Satan had foreseen this and left no stone unturned so that he might slow down the
course of the Holy Spirit that would bear much fruit, if not totally, at least for the
most part. This humble priest was sowing these seeds as a lonely servant of the
Society’s missions not only for the greater glory of God but as well for the cause of
his Society’s benefit. And so it was for thus that he had been sent out to these
harsh places and those who easily heard him, even though they had never heard of
the Jesuits before, did not fail him. Rather, he continually won the case brought by
Satan either through his patience or prudence. And so he saved those violently
excited by evil demons. Never did he economize on his persistent effort nor did he
anywhere cease his usual, pleasant ministries which he felt duty-bound to perform
in spite of the prejudices, injuries, or the lies of his adversaries.
At any rate, either because of its lasting success or perhaps due to human
observation or more correctly due to the religious profit there, nevertheless, it was
Westphalia, where he had begun, thanks to the personal funds and sacrifices of its
citizens, to which he now returned with the consent of his superiors. There he
received whatever was necessary for his use and sustenance so that he might
construct new churches. Then too it must be added that the residents offered our
missionary and his position itself barely anything approaching luxury or style, nor
did he even lament with them for even his own rightful stole. Since otherwise his
generous heart, while carrying out every task gratis, had in return received only
graciousness, he thus customarily like the Apostles preferred to endure poverty
rather than provide anyone the chance to impugn him falsely over the appearance
of greed lest he be weakened due to the immediate loss of the gains he had made
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for the heavenly kingdom and lest he actually end up persecuting Christ the Lord
in his own evangelical ministry.
But in the past, when the copiousness of mass and all these laborious hardships
were too much for some missionaries, nevertheless nowadays though this problem
is nothing unforeseen, still we are attracting very few missionaries at this point.
Alas! It never fails that in these settlements now fully populated there are many
inhabitants, but, yes, there should be at least some one person living there
according to God’s plan. Nevertheless among these woods and hills the far-flung
church in its expansiveness renews itself through the cradles of the young
throughout every generation no matter where on earth. Let us ponder how at this
time these matters apply to the functions of our institution and its sacred ministry
and even moreso how they have been described in years past.
The neighboring French and Germans again and again demonstrated themselves as
profit for his labor and were very important to our missionary. Since their vast
numbers in these regions were so great, they had to be divided into 7 parishes of
our church whose input had to be sought from the very beginning whenever
convenient just because of their size and character within this central residency
mission of our Society. At the beginning of each year an apostolic excursion was
usually made to distant people without a church. In fact this journey was
undertaken customarily by our priest more than once a year as he vigorously and
usefully labored on behalf of religious instruction of boys and girls.
When the church of St. Ignatius, Jefferson City, was heretofore closed by its order
and governor until the parish members obeyed their directives, the schedule of our
priest’s appearance was such: (1) He visited the Lord’s congregation at St. Francis
Xavier; (2) St. Joseph, Westphalia; (3) Sacred Hearts in New Bavaria near the
Gasconade River [Rich Fountain]; (4) Immaculate Conception at Loose Creek; (5)
after Easter, Assumption of Our Lady, Queen of the Saints; (6) the church of the
Assumption of the Virgin at Moniteau Creek [Boonville]; (7) and the church of St.
Thomas the Apostle, as well as other stations while he had the opportunity. At the
beginning of the year Father Maria Helias and the parishioners again received from
the mother diocese at Ghent 225 ? for the upkeep expenses of St. Francis Xavier,
for which excellent kindness we decided in this parish to recite a litany of praise
just before the Lord’s service and to make a yearly sacrifice of thanksgiving.
Every single Sunday we ended the service, whether morning or afternoon, with a
sacred benediction exhibiting an uncontrolled piety for our saints, a passion that
carried on through most of the week. We had to skillfully build an encasement for
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the Body of Christ as prophesied in order to preserve this most revered of the
sacraments. In fact, we closed our celebration of Corpus Christi with a large
procession and well-ordered prayers. Thus, the souls of the residents of this St.
Francis Xavier church were so aroused and moved by their own religious
momentum gained from these ministries that others here regularly were also
aroused by this great outward display of pomp.
But the decorations, sacred extras, and usual furnishings for a sanctuary were now
as in the past still woefully lacking for these newly-built chapels as well as for
those soon to be built. On the other hand, a ship, though not big, nevertheless
bearing a supply of books very recently printed by the Michelin French and also of
ornamentations of every type and of ecclesiastical as well as everyday vestments
for these very missions, sadly wrecked as it neared the port of Saint Louis. So, our
optimism along with these accompanying items were all consumed in flames and
sank with the waves. Because Satan customarily defends himself by divisiveness,
pitting one against the other, he therefore conspired to cause everyone much
sorrow with the destruction of this ship. This very sad event thus sank not only
this poor little ship but also the hope of many missions as well as that of the poor
missionaries. The resident missionary of this central mission was so uniquely
shaken that I can’t bring myself to discuss it most uncharacteristically. Once this
first longed-for subsidy was totally lost, he, too, lost the hope of all those of this
mission that their church would be decorated and maintained. Therefore, some
things that had already been started had to be postponed, although those matters
that seemed most suited for the true faith were carried onward.
But the Reverend P.N. John Roothaan transformed this poverty and the hardships
of the 375 afflicted outposts which we’ve mentioned previously by supporting
them with imperial alms. This most generous and refined diocese of Ghent,
Belgium, once again, like we have mentioned previously at the beginning of the
year just past, brought us strength through wealth far out of the ordinary.
Many of the residents now especially brought rock to build the sanctuary and they
devoted their efforts and industry free of charge for other holy tasks. There was
such an excess that we contracted at least in part to build the foundation of the
church of St. Thomas Apostle over there since this was especially desired through
the prayers of the faithful. We had arranged for this about December of this past
year. This new church, because it was already the victim of internal hatreds, had a
tough time fostering peace, until of course the ways of all involved changed. And
so, once again there the piety and kindness of St. Ignatius, our patron, shone forth
fruitfully.
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One girl, who seemed possessed by Satan, ultimately took her refuge in the
purifying water blessed in honor of God and His saint, who are the fiercest of the
devil’s enemies. Even though she previously had not taken advantage of any of the
particular holy days, now on some of those holy days it seemed that she was on the
verge of finding peace. Then through heaven’s aid she almost overnight found rest
and soon she recovered completely.
Now here as in other parishes a remarkable cross was erected, large and beautiful
in the center of the cemetery. There the bodies of Catholics were buried according
to church ritual and custom.
At this point, an ambassador of the Belgian kingdom, a fellow-citizen, the unbiased
Baron Gabriel Auguste van der Straten-Ponthoz, visited me as well as all my
outposts. Indeed he wished to visit these many parishes door-to-door, to foster
God’s directives, to inquire about the public state of the poor and the sick in hopes
of improving them, and to help in finding ways and means for new settlers to come
here. To make a long story short, this by far most ardent of evangelicals for many
days even in this time of winter rode out to all these places bringing about much
religious benefit. And so, due to his building up of the faithful, he ended up
spending some time with us so that he could then edit his descriptions of these
journeys for the benefit of those far-off Belgians who were emigrating.
On Sunday, May 11th, on the feast day of St. Francis of Girolamo and on the
anniversary of my initial arrival to this central mission, while we were this year
commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other recent
events of published church law, I took possession of the new sanctuary of St.
Francis Xavier with as large a mass as possible. I gave my sermon in 3 different
languages for the throng of people. Just 10 days prior, on May 1st on the feast of
the Lord’s Ascension, I had assumed control of the new Immaculate Conception
church.
But on June 14th, 1845, around sundown, a horrible storm, a mixture of wind, hail,
and thunder, totally devastated those really luxurious places and also exceedingly
damaged the churches of St. Francis Xavier and St. Joseph. It seemed that this day
turned out to be most unusual, for the storm had indeed pulled trees out by their
roots, cut down foliage and fruit all over the land due to the flying glass from
broken windows, and had scattered everything throughout all areas. Some homes
were found amid waves of hail. Moreover, the hail that remained everywhere you
looked appeared like eggs and was of such vast amount that it looked like
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mountains of ice around us. Thus, this day brought huge damage to our poor
Catholics.
Many of the inhabitants throughout the course of this year, confused for so long
when it comes to their faith, -an infamous affliction of just about everyone
sometimes,- yet still they clung to heresy. But now they converted to the Roman
Catholic faith of their ancestors especially due to the difficulties suffered because
of these horrible setbacks, and they engaged in the rigorous instruction of our faith,
and hurried to a confession of their sins. They publicly renounced their sin and
were finally renewed in the holy mass.
But this, our first missionary fell ill due both to his excessive loss of strength as
well as to a serious disease caught from the sick. Even the most skillful doctor
alive forsook all hope in his case as he writhed in pain for some days. A cold
sweat ran down his brow. He had long ago lost his mental capacity as well as his
ability to see and talk. His limbs were extremely cold and without much pulse. He
had lost all color. He lay there skin and bones unmoving. Everything was being
readied for his burial. Already, with a unique foresight that only God gives to His
followers, there were some who had to be dispatched to convene those
representatives from all the parishes who would carry his funeral bier. Meanwhile,
however, because of a very strong reed tube that was inserted into his stomach
through his clenched teeth by the kindest widow Gertrude Evens who otherwise
must rightfully be called his “other mother,” and because of the ensuing medicine
which he received, his strength returned along with the faculties of his mind a little
later. And so, he recovered.
The remaining events of this year are common to any other year and to review all
traces of them here would be tedious. So we have left to God all those other things
that will have to be recounted in some longer narration.
(1846 A.D.) At the beginning of this year through frozen rivers, snow, and cold he
traversed 180 miles surveying every parish of this huge central mission along with
the more distant enclaves of Catholics lacking their own sanctuaries, a fact that
forced us to celebrate mass in private cottages. Everywhere there was great joy
and a pride in the public tranquility due to the fact that regional differences and
opinions, -which formerly had caused much damage to these assemblies with their
commensurate shameful and hateful wranglings between Catholics and hereticshad finally been forgotten. Then too everywhere there was great and frequent
benefit and comfort for the sick and dying as well as a general encouraging and
instructing of these heretics in our midst. Also, everyday throughout the course of
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these apostolic maneuvers, mass was held 2 or 3 times as well as C.C.D. in which
boys and young men were ritually prepared for confession, the Eucharist, and the
sacrament of anointing, hereby in only a short time some of whom were ready to
be of service to our bishop.
During the festal days of our Lord’s birth, adults and the aged worn out with time,
and, yes, the sick as well from miles away, all streamed in to our missionary to
such a degree that it already looked like Easter was upon us. Many babies were
reborn at the holy font. And due to the great distance from church and their
physical impairment such as pregnancy limiting travel, many more were awaiting
that sacrament. As well, many were also bound in the holy sacrament of
matrimony.
Everyone lauded and approved of our missionary’s efforts here except for a few
certain adherents of Methodism, all of whom employed their assistance, interests,
and motives toward the infernal goal of subverting Christ’s young church all over
the area. Of course our missionary was compelled to oppose the efforts of those
people.
If it wasn’t one, it was another of these deceitful little preachers living in these
regions who fought against the Roman Catholic faith openly with their songs and
pamphlets. Meanwhile together in their midst in the center of this mission of
course was a huge number of Catholics whom these people found no matter where
they went. Thus, they found little opportunity for success in any of our outposts
which our missionary visited, even though he offered sustenance therein less than
he should because of the need for him elsewhere and because of the fact that he
was incapable of accomplishing everything he wanted. Little wonder then that,
therefore, whenever our missionary visited any one particular outpost, those false
prophets would assemble a small following by prowling through homes and
villages, and then slander most foully the betrothed young church of Christ.
From all over the United States, diaries and tracts of this same sect came
attempting to spread their principles among our Catholics and to instill their
prejudices in the minds of the gullible with a passion that was second only to the
expense involved. And so, we followed the most excellent example and judgment
of St. Augustine which no one who knows him can deny were of pure truth and
foresight. It was so surely evident then that whenever heresies flourish, every
effort must be used by anyone who had been empowered to express himself in the
literature to do so and, thus, demonstrate his opposition to these enemies. They
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must also congregate within their own Catholic defenses in order to boldly stand
against them face-to-face, fighting to the end with a fearless heart.
Those who can’t write have at least the tongue at their disposal or other transient
means through which Catholic tracts and letters are given and made public so that
they too might smite the enemy with our faith and prove themselves infatigable
soldiers. In this way we shall prepare many disciples of Christ as an everlastingly
radiant crown of eternal renown and virtue for our mother, the Roman Catholic
church!
In this one central Missouri mission, the home of our missionary, the residency of
this entire mission, was once in the city of Westphalia which he himself founded.
It was the largest colony of Germans by far. Then the chief residency of our
vineyard workers was transferred across the Osage River to a point not far from the
Moreau River [Taos], as I have said before. There the priest at his own expense
erected magnificent structures out of logs. As soon as the other outposts were set
up by him, within a few months he had grown accustomed to making the circuit
back and forth alone under great fatigue and at great expense.
Of these outposts 4 out on the fringe of the province were withdrawn from the
roster by the 40th province chief, the Most Distinguished Reverend Bishop of Saint
Louis. So there was a conclave among the Jesuits where it was agreed that after
Easter our bishop would send a priest from among them to care for the
congregation of St. Ignatius Loyola along with the Assumption of Our Lord parish,
a church also founded by me, which the Provincial Moderator Bishop had
relinquished. This priest also ought to form and build up congregations in the
cities of Boonville and Columbia where, because of the constraints of time and my
tasks, I had not yet started churches.
This arrangement of our directors, which in fact pleased me especially,
nevertheless offered an opportunity to various evildoers who now felt compelled
to stir up new troubles. Now, at the behest of some in Jefferson City, a 40-acre
farm was purchased by the St. Francis Xavier congregation from which I set aside
about 20 acres for the cemetery of this parish knowing that the rest would probably
be used at the direction of the bishop for church use. But those alien men that I
spoke of just above began to lay claim in court to 17.5 acres of that land and to
demand great sums of money for it. The result was that the new sanctuary was
absolutely useless even in this peaceful time. The damage to our unity had already
been done because of rumors flying everywhere that the bishop soon would
approve their claim. But this proved not to be the case as their entire claim seemed
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to be rejected by both the church and by the state. They had already given up their
claim to the part of the farm on which the cemetery was situated without any
contestation, especially since our priest had founded that site next to St. Francis
Xavier church, a site which the bishop in fact consecrated on October 1 st right next
to the church with the assistance of the parish, a site as well rightfully and
conveniently dedicated to these inhabitants much more than to other outsiders.
Finally they turned their attention toward erecting a new building in which to pass
on Christian doctrine. For this was the way of the ancient Shepherd to richly feed
His flock so as to never allow foreigners to poison his sheep. In the end these
wolves were held in contempt by just about everyone. Even though groundless in
the law, they persisted over and over in bringing written suits to court to intimidate
our directors. Ultimately, however, those same people, when they moved to
Westphalia, were themselves intimidated by the same attitude and spirit which I
had instilled there and, thus, they eventually recovered their senses.
On October 11th the Most Illustrious and Most Reverend Teacher, Dr. Barron,
patron from Saint Louis, visited the parish of St. Ignatius in Jefferson City, and
anointed 35 with the Holy Chrism who were dutifully prepared previously through
confession and instruction by the pastor at the St. Francis Xavier residence. On the
next day, October 12th, he set out on his visitation as bishop, according to custom
and correctness, within the St. Francis Xavier parish, where all the parishioners in
a religious procession –even the boys, girls, and women- received this highlypraised patron on horseback. On the 13th of October the parishioners of St. Joseph,
Westphalia, went to meet him in the same way –on horseback- and along with our
missionary received him with the same religious custom as mentioned above when
he distributed the Holy Chrism as well as consecrating a new cemetery. On the
15th of the month in this same manner he was received in Sacred Hearts parish near
the Gasconade River at Rich Fountain where this highly-praised bishop distributed
Holy Chrism. On the 16th of October he visited Immaculate Conception parish
where he also administered the holy sacrament of confirmation. In a 2-day period
of time here and at Westphalia he also administered the rite of confirmation to
countless adults recently converted to the holy Roman Catholic faith. On the 18th
he most solemnly blessed the church of St. Francis Xavier and confirmed a vast
number of people. On the next day he consecrated a cemetery there with solemn
ritual. He also rejected the statements of the schismatics in the name and through
the authority of our order by publicly and openly pronouncing these words in
German as well as in English:
“Notice…I am sorry to perceive that in this congregation there are some very few
people trying to renew an attempt at schism which has already been condemned by
the bishop of this diocese as well as his predecessor, the late Right Reverend Dr.
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Rosati. I exhort you, all faithful Catholics, not to allow yourselves to be deceived
by these troublesome men and in all things to submit to your lawful pastors. By
obeying them, you obey Jesus Christ, as Christ expressly declares.”
On this day following this homily the Most Reverend then continued his journey.
Gracing them with his prayers on the 20th of October –to be sure- he distributed
rosaries and prayer cards.
On December 27th, the final Sunday of December, from the residency of St.
Charles, another one of these missionaries, robust in strength, aflame in passion,
and bound to me, the missionary Reverend Father Jacob Cotting arrived who might
aid me as an ally faithfully allied to the ways of our Society and to me in these
scattered ministries.
The arrival of this most truly esteemed son of our Society of the Crucified Jesus
uplifted and restored in body and mind those of us especially failing in strength
because of his most pleasing speech, therapeutic healing, and his outstanding
stamina so much so that wherever he went he commanded praise and admiration,
which can be obviously noted by my descriptive phrases. Indeed I must add that at
the arrival of that missionary the tertiary fever, under which I had suffered ever
since June, left me forever then and there. I grew strong to such a degree that I
subsequently in fact enjoyed the best of health.
Meanwhile with my blessing that excellent and truly most deserving man from the
Saint Louis diocese right from the very beginning of his new appointment utilized
the pulpit for the greater mass of people as well as very frequent private
conversations to bring the Word of Lord God to the people as well as other matters
associated with our institution with the result being that our mission church
employed his ministries to the fullest.
But still, if he as a new pastor failed totally to move the faithful to a sense of trust
and high esteem, nevertheless, his exertion and persistence were enough that the
men, filled with his same zeal, were soon themselves filled with a passion to
construct a new sanctuary of St. Joseph out of rock and to finish this sanctuary for
the community which would be so pleasing to God and necessary for the everyday
use of the people. The old one was neither proper nor big enough to handle the
huge congregation attending everyday.
That priest himself had moved here almost as if he were destitute, since the
moderator at St. Charles had lost all his luggage, books, and other possessions
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while he was in transit here from Saint Louis University where he had been
provided with everything according to the material custom of our Society.
He had made connections out to these extreme western environs through public
transportation which of course assumed no responsibility for his possessions.
Anyone who makes such a trip ought to take care of all his things himself and to
plan ahead. Sometimes right in the middle of this trip they return the coach to
Saint Louis and hire another one to Jefferson City, at which point the riders
themselves ought to transfer their own belongings and resume their trip on the new
coach. Since the couriers are changed more often this way, some things are stolen
by them and the passengers can’t recover even small items nor are they able to take
the postmaster to court for damages. In fact several times in November the public
coach was robbed, as described in the public newspapers.
He himself had come here on horseback and his things had to have been sent not
via the irresponsible coachline but by the far more cost-effective steam ship, whose
captains are always very responsible and safe, with no wrecks on steep roads. And
so, let God’s will be done that truly that Xavierian, although he arrived with only 1
set of clothes and just a brief of all his papers, nevertheless, due to his greater faith
that he brought with him as the evidence indicates, would be far more successful
against difficulties –with our patron St. Ignatius as my witness- than his meager
and sometimes fickle beginning would lead you to believe. Amen.
(1847 A.D.) At the beginning of 1847, this central mission of the state of Missouri
had 2 priests who were allied in diligent effort to accomplish their task of spiritual
rewards for the greater glory of God and His people through their own priestly
guardianship which had been entrusted to them. And as well, they did not neglect
their own growth in the spirit either. For, though not the custom of their peers, this
spiritual growth was greatly enhanced every 8 days when they revived their
spiritual passion as they took a vacation from their holy duties which they had
carried out right from the first day they got here. Then through the grace of our
Almighty and Compassionate God they were thus refilled anew with His spirit so
that these missionaries of the flock, with all their holy ministries associated with
our church performed as their rewards and equally in severe debt due to their
poverty, might meet their Maker one day without any hidden human defect. Their
labors, through which these priests continually added to the faithful of Christ,
certainly did not lack a very fruitful harvest, for the zeal of our 2 workers, which
they received from our Lord God, was far more lofty than any steep mountain of
anxiety in their path.
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If one were to think about it carefully, he would have to readily admit that there
were innumerable people helped by these 2 associates either by their proclamation
of the Divine Word or by their dispensing of the sacraments continually all over
the area.
Finally one day, the long-awaited parcels of Father Jacob Cotting arrived as
shipped at Jefferson City a month after he arrived or 33 days after they were
shipped to be exact, much to the anxiety of these missions. Out of necessity he had
been forced to prepare new clothing in these bare regions due to the severity of the
wintry season.
Now ever since 1816 the eastern affairs of the central mission have preoccupied
and predominated. Let us concentrate at the beginning of this year on our situation
here, leaving out all the usual items throughout the year.
First, there was this case where Catholics and non-Catholics alike were influenced
and later tempted to sin during the funeral of a certain schismatic man whose burial
took place with Catholic rites in the cemetery. Recognizing the temptation this
man was subject to, the parish missionary at Sunday mass felt compelled to
strongly put an end to this kind of vengeance under the sign of the holy solemnity
so that he might bring about a cure, lest this happen again. And later again from
the pulpit at the time of the visitation of our most distinguished and most Reverend
Bishop, he made public this admonition. There he dispelled the example set by
those who held that the sanctuary and Roman Catholic cemetery were the property
of the Jesuits and he did so indisputedly with 3 questions: (1) For whom did we
build our sanctuary and holy cemetery and to whom should be dedicate them? (2)
The property of those people is all due to whom? (3) Who serves those people and
how should they be served? The answers to these questions was the subject of the
mass: (1) Like Solomon we have built this house for God and therefore this church
should be dedicated to God alone; (2) Each one’s property is owed to God alone;
(3) So in this same way the church ought to serve forever as a protection for that
which is dedicated and consecrated to God against every profane influence and
worldly temptation. During the course of that mass he of his own volition made
his determination clear that those schismatics who were made resolute by the
schism of that man would be excluded from holy communion unless they were
converted at least upon that man’s death. Our mother church does deal with those
who are excommunicated. Her decisions, made known to all, are not made in
favor of the repose of those people. Because of this, she also has grown strong by
just the mention of her name in and amongst the nearby colleagues of those people.
The result is such that these excommunicants would not be able to find a priest in
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or out of the parish who could pray for them or plead their case, since in the future
that priest would be justifiably and deservedly considered beyond canon law.
Twice we sent to Jefferson City for the renowned luggage of our Father Jacob
Cotting –all in vain- for at last after some time the fathers at the resident house in
St. Charles informed us that they had kept that luggage with them since the public
coach as predicted refused to take it with them due to the sorry state of the public
highway system. Ultimately after this inordinate delay Father himself had this
infamous luggage transported along with certain other remaining items from Saint
Louis by boat which carried him here as well much to his dismay!
The favorable presence of our holy founder St. Ignatius touched this central
mission. Although an expert doctor was sure of the impending death of one of our
inhabitants, this woman was restored to health and life and had a successful dual
birth baptized in the purifying water blessed in honor of St. Ignatius and his
venerated image. This Ignatian water was used for this as well as other matters
according to the plan of our priests, -for those seeking peace and as well, it won
over others, by its power in these holy matters, to a worship that could be found in
no other place.
Also in just a short while the custom of deliverance was introduced in these
regions. As a result, a woman who was with child so that she might give birth
successfully took great care to celebrate the sacred mysteries of penance and the
Eucharist in honor of St. Ignatius. Then, too, the proclamation by Pope Pius IX of
a holy year gave even more stimulus to these passionate people. Right up to the
end of Lent the piety of our faithful had to grow as did their performances of other
activities common to holy years, as did their exhortations for the Way of the Cross,
as well as prayers from our Society which aided the improvement of almost every
parishioner. When it comes to these spiritual exercises, their arrangement, and
their benefit, since they were now habitual and total as far as our people were
concerned, it is far better just to guess at their value rather than try to explain it all.
Although there was a Christian inclination there given over to love and charity,
still there were a few to whom there was always the inclination to follow the
whims of the many and the hatreds embedded after many years. And as well there
were those who even more ardently sought vengeance from their enemy, those
whose souls more openly sought fulfillment of their basest desires, and those who
gave up all their possessions for all of the lowest passions. Yet, among themselves
they did not forbid the use of the sacraments, perhaps hoping that sometime in the
future this pain in their souls would grow dull and that their conscience would
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smooth out these thorns in the time and years to come. In truth during this time of
that mission when these people heard our people, they were no longer able to bear
their pain in secret. And so, when they had run straight to the church at night and
threw themselves at the knees of the priest, they revealed their secret villainy and
so they calmed their panic and their minds with the most inexpensive but sincere
antidote of total confession. And as is usually the case, their catechetical
instructions produced great benefit, too. These people ceased being the object of
youthful admiration, and, thus, in the hope of setting a good example for the most
part, they were instructed as the burning zealots they became.
There are other things and experiences that we remember in the holy ministries, if
we were more often forced to, but lest we become tedious, we aren’t repeating
them here.
On the feast of the holy apostle St. Peter, a custom involving 3 days was made
known to all and, thus, initiated by our holy Father Pope Pius IX, along with a gain
of indulgences to help avert starvation and to seek God’s blessing with respect to
Ireland and other areas. Due to the aid received, the effects of this holy year
renewed everyone. On the vigil of St. Ignatius’ feast a band of some professors
and alumni from Saint Louis University visited these missions for hunting and
recreation. In the future it would be better for our missionaries that these people be
forewarned about such a visit and that they arrive here by steamship rather than on
horseback. The least of the matter were the expenses involved! Still, it would be
also better for them to stay in some reputable inn at a prearranged price lest they
disturb our missionaries and lest they burden them with expenses and aggravations
that are extraordinary to say the least. Still, both students and professors impressed
everyone more with their politeness and manner of living.
Now a certain woman and girl donated crosses of gold with very expensive
trappings and also a mantle so beautiful of the Virgin Mother of God. They
sincerely offered these gifts in honor of the Immaculate Virgin as they confessed to
our missionary all of their sins up until now. Another girl, possessionless, entered
the Order of Charity of St. Vincent founded by Paul. This young girl, because of
her character and natural superiority, had been keenly sought after in marriage by a
large number of far richer men.
Around the end of the year a new settlement arrived here from Belgium and
increased the number of Catholics. Among other usual happenings, this jubilee
year was an opportunity for the mass to prove even more fruitful than usual, as I
have said previously, a fact which was widely known in these parts. Thus, the
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souls were made ready for this with every possible fondness, thanks to the effort of
our 2 missionaries, but especially thanks to the exercising of the holy mysteries at
this mission which were carried on with much benefit everywhere. For the sake of
brevity I hereby leave out some other items.
(1848 A.D.) Let me now briefly recall these fruits of the harvest which our
bounteous God has given to the efforts of our 2 priests here. For here is where a
missionary builds up his harvest, -out of the sacred masses, from catechism
instructions, from homilies on holidays and Sundays, from the devotions of the
saints, from novenas, from the recurrence of the sacraments, and from other duties
and functions of our institute and the parish mission. Basically all of our
communal property had increased at least by now three-fold, but it was still
lovingly and passionately maintained as in the old days in order that this harvest
could go ahead from these settlers to accomplish even more distinguished and
excellent things not just to gratify the settlers but to promote the mass.
This year, just as in the case of the one just past, was an excellent one as far as the
health and just proportion of the economy went toward meeting the needs of God
and men. In fact, the fever and other diseases throughout the course of these 2
years left these central missions almost untouched, even though for many years,
especially in autumn, they had inflicted great pain on them constantly.
It was a great consolation that in these last 2 years the very large congregation of
St. Joseph’s Westphalians was restored to its former passion where up until
recently it had cooled off considerably. Ever since mass had been held in their fartoo-small church by our missionaries, a lot of people had to be excluded due to the
close confines. Now there was finally hope that there would be mass for a far
greater number once this area had been expanded. So, this year they laid the
foundations of the building which would become their new sanctuary when
completed out of rock.
But once again God’s enemy, knowing well the nature of mankind, left no stone
unturned so that he might at least slow down for the most part the successful
progress of our faith, if not totally, then at least somewhere in this parish. There
through the effort of certain evildoers the most absurd tricksters continually were
very biasedly intent on disputes with our missionary. Those libertine evildoers, in
fact greedy wolves, both with their words and letters tried everywhere to ruin our
shepherd’s faith and his association with his little flock so that then, once he was
lost, they might more easily be able to seduce, smite, and then destroy the flock
itself. They had filled the entire area with their barking and yelling. Because they
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were themselves heterodoxical, they despised and segregated themselves from
those who loved justice and reason. Therefore, those partisans of Satan were
censured by everyone as interrupters of the good of our order and of the public
good. And so it seemed that there would be an endless list –I shouldn’t name them
all- of people who came from every corner of the area taking the side of our pastor
against these most offensive wolves by defending him and keeping their eyes on
them. Some of these notables were from the chief elders of the area and also from
the many other ranks of the average non-aligned citizens. Only if everyone has
learned thoroughly from this type of past experience would they now be able to
recognize if some huckster and his wranglings are once again stirring them up and
stalking their shepherd as well as the inhabitants of this entire area now, plotting
their death in the future as well.
Meanwhile everything must be done with the greatest caution and foresight in this
village of Westphalia. Our people should diligently keep their eyes open,
especially those who perform the duty of holy ministries or the publication thereof
lest ever an inconsiderate haste or an indiscriminate passion in their souls or their
zeal separate them from the glory of God’s will. They should also not
intemperately just grab that which sound prudence has not yet provided or that
which is expedient from whatever seems handy. Rather they should get rid of
those things that could satisfy most of us too easily and sensually because they are
just temporary and the easier way.
Where another stumbles, he who is wise must avoid all of this. “Take the flock as
an example, -those sheep know to avoid whatever they know as harmful; they do
not repeat those paths where they fall into the snare. The captured bird shuns the
grasping traps; the bird does not fall into the mistrusted net.” [The source of this
quote is unknown] So I think it good that we examine in toto these causes that
must be shied from for the benefit of those advancing in their everyday trials.
This uproar does indeed have teachable value for those who follow like sheep. For
he who is found negligent following the example of these ancestors is exceedingly
ignorant. This action we took was still ongoing, which the aliens were now
convinced of as much as this maxim: “Happy is he whom alien dangers make
provident.” However, what happens to the inexperienced man is a matter of more
serious danger. It is far better to take precautions than to suffer palpitations and it
is more useful to turn red (with shame) than to suffer dread (in dismay).
Furthermore, with Cicero as my witness, “The sting that comes from a
premeditated evil is a gentle one,” since its arrows which are foreseen smite us less
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and we, thus, endure these evils of the evildoers and hedonists more tolerably if we
are readied while there is still time to oppose this with our providence. For even
the envisioned arrow is also more easily avoided. So the prudent man is called
“prudent” as he foresees those unsure things that can happen having already seen
those things that have already come to pass. Therefore, whatever the prudent man
foresees diligently, since he’ll have to do something about this when it arrives, will
more easily and pleasantly be discerned and conquered when it does arrive. It is
better to race ahead of time than to seek a remedy after the wound is received, for
we must guard against the bad periods right in the midst of the evildoers.
Wherefore, over and over and again and again I want to remind my fellow
missionaries that they should apply themselves diligently to everything with –
beyond all else- prudence, which, as Cicero testifies, is in fact true knowledge of
those things which have to be done (Chapter 1, from Cicero’s De Officiis). For, as
Marcus Tullius Cicero himself rightly affirms in chapter 5, Tusculanes
Disputationes, “There can be no pleasant life from which prudence is absent.”
Great things are carried out with planning, authority, and judgment, not with
flowery speech, great cunning, or chutzpah. Furthermore, in caring for souls,
planning is foremost, then comes actions, and finally the outcomes are seen.
Anyone of us can see that food is aptly salted, but if it is totally lacking salt, it is
worthless. And, if indeed too much salt is added to the food, it also grows bitter.
In the words of God’s prophets, “They were called the salt of the earth, since
through them all of the human race was born.” So it is necessary that our workers
season the minds of the worldly with our own teachings and customs. Therefore,
since our workers should be in charge of everything and should set standards based
on what prudence requires, then they themselves ought to most diligently pay close
attention that their sermons are seasoned so as to do the same to the hearts of their
listeners and to produce prudence for our Lord God, while maintaining these
standards in due proportion to this vital prudence. For we have read in God’s
Word [Leviticus 2:13] that salt was placed on every sacrifice and that this was
undoubtedly done in proportion to the necessary amount of prudence.
The human heart is said to be the sacrificial calf or other animal that must be
offered up in sacrifice to our Lord God. The priest, as the caretaker of souls, offers
sacrifice as a prophet of God’s Word or as minister of the sacrament of penance.
Thus, he slays the heart of the sinful as well as the virtuous. In doing so, he
revives that harvest that it might rise up and flourish in life everlasting so that he
might repay God Almighty with a harvest well-seasoned by the words of holy
scripture as though he were seasoning something with salt. But repeating once
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more, he ought to preserve that harvest with a prudence rightfully seasoned
proportionately. For, as far as salt is concerned, more or less is applied according
to the quantity of the meat sacrificed. So depending on related matters or
circumstances of time or place, a sermon of forewarning ought to be given both of
length as well as of substance lest its length seem inconsiderate or its harshness
seem too strong, thus, either ruining the taste or causing disgust or bitterness.
If indeed salt is a healthful seasoning for all foods and if there is too much
burdensome forewarning and if in general there is no limit to it, then the food or
harvest dies because it was “salted” to death! Excess is bitter because it continues
to season even the dessert, which in us is pure pleasure. If only the priest might
maintain a degree of proportion, then does he give us flavor and increase our
intellect and creativity, generating prudence, and opening hearts and lines of
necessary communication, and composing things we are compelled to hear. Then
he seems sweet to us, ever so sweet to our tastes, and our sense of taste will
improve due to his lack of giving us anything bitter from his own mouth.
We have noted this here especially so that among the senses of every one of our
holy evangelists the sense of measured balance must permanently be sealed in as
much as each of these now should take care that God’s life-giving food, the
heavenly food, must not taste too sweet or too bitter and that it be the holiest
possible for us and yet sensible.
This year the roof of the new brick sanctuary of St. Joseph, Westphalia, was put in
place, the crown of which was finished most ceremoniously on March 19 th, the
feast day of our most glorious patron, with a blessing by us and a large throng of
people. The sky was very placid and all of the nearby parishioners as well as many
non-Catholics journeyed here from all over. For most of the morning far and wide
battle cannons sounded their joy and enriched our celebration . These armaments
had been brought back as trophies from the enemy during the many campaigns of
the Battle of Sacramento, Mexico. Around lunchtime services were celebrated, as
best they could, with religious pomp in the old local church. After lunch the
procession went forth from that spot to the place annexed for the new building.
There again a speech was given on 2 Chronicles 7:18 during which a fully
abundant collection was taken up. Then the homily lesson that was to be
encapsulated within the cornerstone was given in 4 different languages. Here is
that document:
“Our Lord Almighty has gently guided all peoples of the earth with His evenhanded rule and through His most pleasant Prudence, Justice, and Strength He
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has instructed our Holy Father Pius IX. Meanwhile, James K. Polk is the
President of these northern United States of America, following the subjugation of
Mexico. The Most Reverend Peter Richard is the Archbishop of the Saint Louis
Province and John C. Edwards now successfully governs the republic of Missouri
based on the most valid source of constitutional law, and Jacob VandeVelde of the
same Society of Jesus now directs these far western areas of the province. Father
Ferdinand Maria Helias and Jacob Cotting, S.J. are the priests administering this
central Missouri mission. This cornerstone of the temple is dedicated to the
greater glory of the Almighty God under the patronage of St. Joseph, the tutor of
our Lord Jesus Christ and of the Mother of God, his most chaste spouse who was
immaculately conceived. It has been built with the most generous faith of the
Westphalians as well as of others and it has been blessed and completed in honor
of its patrons as a monument for preserving the entire flock on this 19 th day of
March, 1848, situated here in free North America, as 72 dignitaries look on,
including the most learned Dr. Bernard Bruns who gave the address and the
Honorable Francis Geisberg, comptroller, and Henry Harr and Ferdinand Rheplo
as well as other contractors and some of the entire congregation, standing on the
perimeter as an encirclement.”
Then the chief cornerstone was put in place and blessed by Father Helias, just as he
did the remaining stones of the foundation. And, as was customary, he blessed the
spot where the sacrificial altar would be erected with purifying waters and
religious ritual. Upon returning to the old sanctuary, we praised God there with a
hymn and he then closed the solemn occasion.
On the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin he dedicated to our Lord God a new
sanctuary of St. Thomas the Apostle and he sanctified the cemetery of that place
likewise solemnly.
And on the feast of the children’s crusade to locate the true cross, after mass he
also blessed the cemetery of Sacred Hearts parish with great rejoicing from the
souls of the parish and with true testimony to their piety.
The rest of the events held this year were not out of the ordinary, except for the
holiest service held in the chief residence amidst a throng at St. Francis Xavier
with great joy and piety, where every possible religious display was used. For this
procession the entire route around the sanctuary was packed with trees and wreaths
intermixed with inscriptions. A very beautiful altar was erected in front of the
missionary’s home as a blessing. This prayer service attracted several hundred
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non-residents from as far away as 14 miles who with their modesty longed to shore
up and gladden the hearts of all their neighbors present there that day.
Around the end of this year Father Andreas Ehrensberger, a Bavarian from the
state of Switzerland, arrived to help us. By his presence and by stimulating souls
with his soothing fervor, he cheered Christ’s faithful. Through his own effort and
his personal hand at painting, he accomplished much toward embellishing the
sanctuary of Sacred Hearts. Even more than that, he really did embellish Christ’s
revived sanctuary through the aid of and his devotion to a renewed use of the
rosary which he brought about during Advent. Furthermore, he reconciled a
hundred people to God through the sacrament of penance amid this tiny
congregation. Out of this group many more began to live afresh thanks to their
confession of sin. Therefore, for all the countless gifts given to us this year, after
we sang from the Ambrosian Hymn in the sanctuary, we thanked God solemnly
from the depth of our soul.
(1849 A.D.) Around the end of this past year the good and most loving Father
Jacob VandeVelde, prefect of our province, was discharged and then elected by the
Right Most Holy Father Pope Pius IX to take the vacated chair of bishop in
Chicago, Illinois, as its Most Holy Father. The Reverend Father John Antonio
Elet, himself a Belgian, being most deserving of this with regards to our religion,
was assigned as his successor whom Almighty God should preserve for a long time
for the good of our Society in Missouri. Indeed on the 18th day of January Father
Jacob Cotting bid us and our mission farewell, following the teachings of Xavier:
“When they have persecuted you in one state, flee into another.”
Around the end of 1848, evidently on December 1st, piously in our Lord’s grace,
there perished the matron from Ghent Maria Carolina Gislena Heliasand
Huddenghem, born and baptized peacefully in the sanctuary of St. Francis Xavier,
Cole County, Missouri, who was thought of to be a founder and an integral part of
the congregation’s annual feast of our holy patron whose funerary anniversary
must be proclaimed every year in this parish and must be celebrated out of a sense
of justice and for whom various items must be forever bought by his heirs in order
to decorate this temple, because it was his last wish, as long as it was approved by
the governors.
On the 7th of March there arrived at Jefferson City the Most Reverend Joseph
Meissel of Switzerland to care for this congregation of St. Ignatius Loyola. John
Baptist Goldlin arrived here on the 21st of August and then the very next day said
his first mass at St. Francis Xavier. Our Most Reverend Jesuit Father Elet visited
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us along with Father DeSmedt on the 6th of October. Joseph Prasnegg Styrna of
the diocese of Seckau in Steiermark, Austria, born October 22, 1821, entered our
Society on February 9, 1846. He once was a groundskeeper for the elite, but
nevertheless arrived here on the 26th of November as a cook for the lowly. Along
with Father Andreas Ehrensberger and Jesuit Father Goldlin they turned their
attention to Westphalia and devoted themselves to serving this residence as well as
Sacred Hearts and St. Thomas Apostle.
(1850 A.D.) Meanwhile at St. Francis Xavier and Immaculate Conception he
aided in the spiritual guardianship of these places where I had prepared 30 boys for
first communion via their instructions and where I had taken pains to construct at
St. Francis Xavier a new bell tower and a 2-story home our of rock and brick.
Inspired by the ceremony of Mary’s month, the townsfolk –with little
encouragement- as a pious community ever mindful of their pastor, kept on
favoring their shepherd with kindness so that each and every one of them desired
to continue showering these new building projects with their wealth. One pious
woman also embellished the statue of the Virgin with golden chains and crosses.
And already since the year just past, the church and priesthood have been provided
with a gift of $200 from the sale of an area farm by Henry Harr in the name of
Saint Louis University. And so we close out this year. But even now the evil
enemy of goodness does not sleep nor does he cease hindering our goodness with
his old-fashioned cunning. Still we are filled with God and a desire to complete
those buildings next year since He is our leader.
The bell tower was delayed due to the lack of manpower and the pilfering of the
marble quarry stones from the church. This would have to be briefly put on hold
because of this constant, daily inadequacy. Meanwhile, through the constant effort
of our entire congregation, 82 people were united to our mission and were trained
in the sanctuary of St. Joseph, Westphalia, through the care of the Reverend Father
Francis Xavier Weniger from the first Sunday of Advent to Epiphany. A cross was
fixed in place at the church of the Sacred Hearts while all were present at that
mission along with their priests. We took pains to show our deserved gratitude to
God the Almighty Lord for all those countless kindnesses we had received this
year by singing a solemn hymn through which we blessed our God and his saints.
(1851 A.D.) Right up to Holy Week we all devoted ourselves to the mission
through enduring at the very least even the smallest details that were required of us
everyday for 2 weeks in a row. During the course of this year Jacob Gaumarus
Budschots, S.J. arrived as missionary who assumed administration of Immaculate
Conception mission on August 15th along with Father Schultz who would take the
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place of Father John Baptist Goeldlin for the little congregations of Sacred Hearts
and St. Thomas Apostle.
Between the feasts of Pentecost and the Assumption, the floor at the church of St.
Francis Xavier, decayed due to rottenness, caved in with a great crash, and a solid
new floor was rebuilt by the unanimous effort of the souls of the parish and by the
meager financial support of the missionaries who this year had absolutely been
bereft having given their aid to the community.
As can be expected throughout the course of seasons within our church, Father
Chalcher would take the place of the Reverend Father Andreas Ehrensberger at St.
Joseph who very much wanted to leave here. So, on September 17 th, 1851, he
departed for Cincinnati’s College of St. Francis Xavier as a professor of
philosophy. In truth that staunch follower of our saint did this so that subsequently
no one could slander him with lies.
I’m sure he had some worry as did the church back home that he had at the very
least neglected a vacation that is customary for our missionaries who have not yet
taken advantage of it for the good of their soul whenever they are oppressed by
their work or sickness. All of us have at some time or another chosen to do this as
a small means of achieving health and solace from the usual storms, and we have
found for ourselves some, small out-of-the-way place far from the noise in which
we have hidden ourselves, as it were, in port from the vast storm of worries, and
therefore, we have refreshed ourselves with secret tranquility, we, who used to be
bothered by the flow of thought associated with the outside world.
So great was our eagerness for reading God’s Holy Word, so often were we
required to freshen up our homilies, so unbroken and constant was our pondering
about the future, that all of us easily equated this one holy retreat time with all of
our jobs for the rest of the passing year. Nevertheless, by doing this, we have not
abandoned our people. On the contrary, we have done this to learn, to recollect
there, and to determine how to offer ourselves for them. And so we ended this year
with a new spirit and a fresh passion as our gifts from God our Almighty Father, to
whom there should forever be glory and honor.
(1852 A.D.) Now my head has turned gray, my knees are weak, my teeth fail me,
my skin is furrowed with wrinkles because of my private, aged worries everyday.
Approaching pale death is on my doorstep. I can envision my funeral procession.
We want this, yet, as we grow aged, we hesitate. The long road home now looms
in front of me. Eternity is inevitable.
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At the end of 1851, Reverend Father John Antonio Elet, worn down in his strength,
who had already been our most loving director of the Society in these regions, was
now relieved, as of June 24th of this year, of his duty as Reverend William Murphy
vigorously undertook the role of protector and director of the mission. Here are the
kind words about him from our provincial governor: “I can only hope that after
these many years Father John Anthony Elet might recover his health, though this is
not for sure, and since the good Father has now finished the customary 3 years
here, as is usual, I have decided to appoint a successor to him. We have seen fit to
name a new protector. Moreover, we have chosen for this important service a
priest who knows the Americas and who is also known to this Society and who we
in administration know is a man of strength and prudence, namely, the Reverend
Father William Murphy whom you know as well. Would that through God’s
affirmation of goodness and yours, which we hope for, and through a spirit of
religious cooperation which is in the best interest of the province, we have thus
laid the groundwork for the birth of a successful result.”
(1853 A.D.) On February 23rd our Very Reverend Father General, unable to attend
to business due to ill health, agreeably appointed, according to our constitution, the
Very Reverend Father Pierling, assistant for the German missions, to be his Vicar
General with full power to act in his name for the governing of the whole Society.
As well, he made the following recognitions in the order of their arrival to these
missions: Father Ferdinand Maria Helias, First Founder; Father Jacob Gummarus
Busschots, the Pius; Father Jacob Cotting, always and eternally on horseback;
Father Joseph VanNiedercorn; Father Andreas Ehrensberger, chief addressor of the
people; Father John Baptist Goldlin; Father John Schultz, soon to depart; Father
Francis Xavier Kalchert, excellent missionary; Father Joseph Weber, chief
addressor of the people; Father Joseph Brunner, most excellent schoolmaster;
Father Anthony Eyssogels, doctor, who died at Westphalia on July 8th, 1845, at
12:45 a.m., at the age of 46 years, 6 months, and 8 days, who was a missionary to
the Indians at both Washington and Westphalia; Father Henry VanMeerlosa,
vicar; civilians of Jefferson City, Jacob Murphy, J.Blarer, and William Walsh,
builder of the new sanctuary there, along with his associate from Germany Jacob
Meller; Father William Niederkorn, a man who deserves to be named here as well
for his gift of gold as well as his equal passion and excellent desire; Father
Sebastian Schlienger, ditch digger; Father Caspar Wohleb, gardener; Father
Joseph Prassneg, cultivator of speech; Father Wenceslaus Kossnar, cultivator of
speech; and Father Daniel Kochendoefer, defender.
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Before my arrival and before the foundation of the mission, it should be mentioned
that the Reverend Doctor De Lacroix, Priest of Christ, Fathers Hoecken and
William Witthaus, and some lay people, including Henry Meinkenan, visited some
of these regions which were barely inhabited then.
Flanders has given birth to us, France has taught us, so too have Rome, Germany,
and Switzerland. We have traversed all their shores. After various casualties,
many trials of land and sea, we have put down roots and established a firm
foundation, -the city of Westphalia- eternal and sacred site of God’s will.
AN ELEGY
Flanders, Flower of Flowers, shall flourish, o felicitous Flanders! The City of
Worms will flourish, too. O happy Belgian countryside! O region of the Allovines,
ancient highland, Switzerland. The poetry of Bavaria, sacred shrines of my
infancy! When will the ancient wanderer plead your case at the altar? I shall be
condemned, then rightfully, too, by my own desires. He who seeks the stars of
heaven -why does he seek out the red man?- arriving at Westphalia, he will find all
the stars he needs. As long as there is still time to suffer harsh labors. Night
comes unforeseen, but there will be no more time for you. Already the sky grows
dark with a covering of black sorrow. And once your cold limbs grow weak, what
can they feel? Time has everything in its possession. The heart isn’t strong
enough to finish. O, heart that flees, so limited! O heart happy for only this year!
While we climb to God’s stars all above, still here our heart stays ablaze with love.
But, we are redeemed by Thou our Guide and lifted through all the stars. These
bonds fall loose, our hearts shine with light. O infernal world, our hearts triumph
over the flesh. They taste their rewards, sweet as they are. And O, sweet,
merciful, most holy Virgin Mother! Thou art my immaculate aid in death! My
mind rejoices in heaven, my heart rests now in this world. God will reunite them
both in His eternal heaven. As soon as they both lie still as dust in the small urn,
then they shall live, once raised by the angelic trumpet. When my expansive mind
or soul gazes upon the imprisoning corpse, then will it join itself to God forever,
forever satisfied. Three or four times as happy will I be, since my Savior will have
united me with those above and will give me pleasing rewards prepared for the
time of my death. Now my strength and bodily stamina grow increasingly weak.
The swift adventures of my youth, pleasing though they were, are no help to me
now. How quickly this comes, poor me! I am scattered by dogs. They shake the
loosened skin from my exhumed body. My teeth are released. My eyes are
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covered with darkness. I am an orphan on a journey of darkness holding out a
stick in front of me.
Unceasingly I search for the vault of safe heaven where the day is without clouds,
where the sun always shines. Life flees and dense clouds oppress my eyes. Now
the dark day arrives. The way to death is open.
The neck ceases its bending. Motion does not return to the arms. Nothing alive
appears in my sight. Sound does not rest in my mouth. I die and my veins cease
their ability to move. Now my body struggles, my wandering spirit roams. As
sure as I am telling this, in my struggle my spirit is thrown out. Mother Earth
should take my ashes.
Perhaps he who speaks this written poem will be quieted…
Christ, bring swift help to the pious dead. Life, sweet life, should befall the dead
from the time of their funeral! Soothing rest should relieve them of their harsh
labor! Especially, O Holy God, may the dead find rest in Your peace and may my
small little voice soften the horrible funeral pyre!
If, however, on that day the hour is come at the trumpet’s sound, or, if it is brought
to me during the night vigil with words instead, O, well indeed! So much for the
cities that we remember here when death comes.
My soul sees the land of Belgium! Can we say whether memory has turned those
places around? No matter, for those places I will be grateful from my heart. They
are right before my little eyes, -Ghent and fair Flanders! And you can see my
history there with loving eyes. I reserve part of my praise for that section you call
Brussels.
Your piety in me has not been defeated by this sleep. Bring to God only humble
prayers for me, and by this petition may the pious dead receive peaceful stars
where they might find loving peace! If only that little sound would ring the air
carrying whatever it takes from this faint mouth to gain for me that prayed-for rest.
These are sweet sounds that I speak, although there is nothing profound in this
heart.
Still I make this promise…that as long as I have voice, I will remain grateful.
Allow me both rest and Your Will on the night that is to follow, for without them,
God forbid, how could I bear so many evils to follow.
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That Eucharist, recurring every month, once it is given and received, rightfully
brings the sacred solace of home. He who is remembered in this food lifts us up to
the heavens. He unites us and fills us with joy by calling us by name. That
guiding hand which will have led me to heaven’s kingdom will always be
celebrated by his mindful flock.
Admit this to His sweet patronage with your poor little tongue in prayer. Make up
for my misfortune with a strong voice. When you speak, whenever your buildings
are filled with sound, make sure you sound off in roaring voices in our sanctuaries.
When you climb into God’s pulpit, make sure I go with you passionately. The
mass itself will race through you and through me. Excite with prepared prayers.
Press on with sermons that same cause you move forward with prayer. You will
be God’s patron on earth!
It was right for me, when it was suitable, to reach out further, longing now to hear
my Captain’s voice resound in my ears. His voice drives my heart. His hammer
strikes my heart and He looks just as I said I always wanted Him to, with every
word I ever spoke.
This spirit, as I am now, is a feeling devoid of life here on earth and is one you
should put on and is one of enthusiasm. I live with the body, devoid of flesh and
clothing. But still the fire consumes that fleshy part of me. I am scorched and am
driven into nothing but cinders. I am ablaze with love for those still alive. I am
made a mosaic, an image of the burning bush. How this bush bristles with needles!
How many thousands of times have the spears of flame stuck me! Is there no end
to these flames? No one of power approaches me. No one of eloquence or music
comes near me who am so far from You. How evil, how painful is the punishment
You will for me. All those predestined for hell are herded together. By
comparison, the future punishment for sinners is light. I am prevented from God’s
embrace which I’ve sought with a thousand prayers. This is the reason for a
thousand-fold amount of my sadness. O, me! How pained am I and tired of these
violent fires. There is only one reason for this hell…It is God’s remedy! I have
gotten what I deserved!
I am bound by my German blood. Love should bind me to You, Holiness, like it is
in the scriptures. We are all of one mind, and so this generation will not lack Your
quenching water if they don’t forget my example of these words inspired by
Charon in hell. [End of poem]
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Urge them on with this way of thinking. And give good, moderate speeches using
them as an example. Refer to them in your arguments, since the poet in me has
written this. And remember, in the final analysis what their importance is.
O, Lord, our Almighty Master,…Here lies the vigilant caretaker of the poor flock,
who said he would feed them in Christ’s difficult footsteps, whose name was
Helias, whom Ghent the proud has given. He has earned eternal rest. And if Death
takes me earlier, the Death I never shy from, then indeed it finds me on the path of
the vow to which I’m true.
O, pilgrim, keep standing, or surely you’ll sink, falling under the burden. O, then,
you poor man, lost from the path, then you’ll never, never rest!
All glory and honor be to Almighty God and the Immaculate Virgin.
This 30th day of May, feast day of St. Ferdinand III, 1857, 27 years since arriving
in America, in September.
To our Very Great, Best Lord
Here, where on this cold hill of death many hopes were carried off, stand, wanderer
on this hill, and cry, sadly touched. Oh, on the most beautiful path of life the
solemn hereafter called Him away. The open grave did not take the fruits of His
efforts down. Indeed as in holy outpourings the godly Shepherd often spoke, so
also He called to His flock from the grave’s darkness: “All of you whom I here
tended, be true to the Lord, struggle, endure, suffer, so that on that day you may be
united here with Me.”
May He Rest In Peace
Do you know the place where every lament is silenced? Where the weeping
willow bows mutely to the earth, where cross on cross and stone on stone is silent?
A monument to him who is buried here? You know it well. There, there will you
also be drawn one day, O, earthly pilgrim.
Do you know the place destined for all of us one day, when life’s spark no longer
glimmers, when the decaying body will be lowered into the grave, until the Lord
calls it to the resurrection? You know it well. There, there, let us one day go to
Your peace, Lord!
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AMGD
Ad maiorem gloriam Dei
(To the greater glory of God)
Before the cross’ holy image the mind bows humbly. As a witness of redemption
it represents to us the highest, and He has raised His cross heavenward to the
clouds so that all might see, so that they, believing, might worship.
Turning the gaze to the right, the neighboring westland is seen, where the sacred
German sought refuge. Once Ferdinand Helias traversed there, he, God’s
messenger who preached the Word of the Lord to the people near and far with the
glowing fire of faith.
See the temple of victory there which his hand built. The love of freedom brings
the mortal remains of many here, since they want to slumber peacefully toward the
west over the sea. Nearby the temple’s noble halls rest still the tombstones and in
long, long rows are buried deep the skeletons. Ferdinandus, however, sets a cross
aloft for everyone who chooses the quiet western land for a resting place. And the
many beautiful crosses planted in the great field are a sacred altar for the godly
pilgrim crowd. Built for eternity, they look toward the sea as the head of the
pilgrim bends devoutly.
I know that my Redeemer lives. When one day I am, like Him buried, so there will
come a day when I will be called to that beautiful life. O Jesus, whatever I have
and am I give to You for Your service. I want to praise You with body and soul
without ceasing.
O good friend, Death, you bring everything out of the dark. And as we end the
weary pace of life at the grave, then indeed at the grave we also raise up hope.
In the following year other buildings were built at unusual expense and effort,
especially that of the Immaculate Virgin, under Her name and patronage, requiring
great effort in this area due to the great heat waves from down south. During this
time the Most Distinguished Reverend Archbishop visited all of my old sites,
founded by me, as well as the congregations collected by me, even while I was
sick, afflicted with shingles or something else called that, an inflammation that
spread from the middle of my chest to my midback. In mid-August, 1860, on
Sunday night, I felt these severe pains which lasted 2 weeks and which gradually
grew, until they became intolerable.
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If I am also advanced in years, yet I am always mindful to remain a true shepherd
in my ministries. I still watch out and care for the sick and seldom grant myself
rest. I want to lead them at once from the earth to heaven.
Wanderer on the ball of earth, look at my grave now. I also decided on your
course once. Don’t cry. The duties which bound me while I was still alive were
difficult. Now You can raise me up, since You overcame death for me. Don’t cry
at God’s throne. A True Shepherd entreats for you. Adorn the heavenly crown.
Increase your joy. Don’t cry. All is forgiven. Do not envy your shepherd’s rest
now. Once, after the storms of life are over, the earth covers us all. AMGD.
Father Ferdinand Maria Helias
INDEX
Anabaptists…15
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin…31,38,47
Assumption of Our Lady, Queen of the Saints…47
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Assumption of Our Lord…52
Barron, Rev.Dr…53
Blarer, J….69
Boonville…32,38,47,52
Brunner, Father Joseph…69
Bruns, Dr. Bernard…1,64
Budschots, Rev. Jacob…67
Busschots, Father Jacob…11,68
capitol…4
C.C.D….50
Charon…72
Chicago…65
Cincinnati…67
Columbia…32,38,52
Cote Sans Dessein…32,38
Cotting, Rev.Jacob…54,57,64,65,68
death penalty…20
DeLacroix, Rev….69
DeSmedt, Father…66
Dwyer, Dnus…4
Edwards, John…64
Ehrensberger, Rev.Andreas…65-68
Elet, Rev.John Antonio…65-66,68
Emmaus…42
Evens, Gertrude…50
Eyssogels, Father Anthony…69
Flanders…69,71
Geisberg, Francis…64
Ghent…47,48,65,71
Goeldlin, Rev.John Baptist (also spelled Goldlin)…66-68
Gregory XVI, Pope…41
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Harr, Henry…64,66
Harrville…37
Hibernia…38
Hoecken, Father…69
Huddenghen, Maria…65
Indian Bottom…31,38
Ireland…4,58
Jefferson City…1,3,4,15,20,26,35,37,47,52,53,55,57,69
Jesuits…11,12,16,27,35,39,40,45-47,52,54,56,58,65,68
Kalcher, Father Francis Xavier(also spelled Chalcher)67-68
Kochendoefer, Father Daniel…69
Kossnar, Father Wenceslaus…69
Latin…41
Leopold Society for the Propagation of the Faith…41
Loose Creek…31,38,47
Louisiana Purchase…13
Lyletown…1
Marmaduke, Governor…41
Mastrilli, Father Marcellus…14
Meinkenan, Henry…69
Meissel, Rev. Joseph…66
Meller, Jacob…69
Mesiter, Joseph…69
Methodists…15,51
Mexico…64
Moniteau…31
Moreau River…52
Mormons…15
Murphy, Jacob…69
Murphy, Rev. William…68
New Besancon…8
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Niederkorn, Father William…69
Pierling, Father…68
Pilot Grove…31,38
Pius IX, Pope…58, 64-65
Polk, James K…64
Ponthoz, Baron Gabriel Auguste van der Straten…48
Portland…19
Prassneg, Father Joseph…69
Rheplo, Ferdinand…64
Rich Fountain…31,38,47
Richard, Rev.Peter…41,64
Roothaan, Father Johann…39,48
Rosati, Rev.Joseph…3,40,54
Sacramento, Battle of…63
Sacred Hearts…30-31,47,66
Schlienger, Father Sebastian…69
Schultz, Father John…67-68
Scotland…4
Seekau…66
St. Augustine…51
St. Charles…1,41,54,57
Steiermark…66
St. Ferdinand III…73
St. Francis Xavier…8,14,26,28,31,40-42,47,49,52-53,64-67,72
St. Ignatius Loyola…4,23-24,26,31,33,40,44,48,52-53,57-58,66
St. Joseph…9-10,25,31,33,36,38,47,49,53-54,58,60,63-64,66-67
St. Louis…2-3,11,31,52,57
St. Louis University…2,55,66
St. Thomas…31,38,47-48,64,66
St. Vincent…59
Styrna, Rev. Joseph…66
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Tyler, John…41
VandeVelde, Rev. Jacob…39-41,64-65
VanNiedercorn, Father Joseph…68
Verhaegen, Father Peter…1,13,39
Vibernium…32
Walsh, William…69
Washington…3
Weber, Father Joseph…68
Weniger, Rev. Francis…66
Witthaus, Father William…69
Wohleb, Father Caspar…69
Worms…69
Xavier College…67
ENDNOTES
References are to page numbers.
1-“Gasconade County”: Gasconade County at the time was
much larger than at present. It was formed on January 1, 1821.
On January 29, 1841, Osage County was formed from a section
of Gasconade County. Today Westphalia is in Osage County.
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1-“Rev.Father Peter Joseph Verhaegen”: “Peter J. Verhaegen,
S.J., like Father Helias, was a native of Belgium. He had come
to St. Louis in May, 1823, as a novice and was ordained by
Bishop Rosati in 1826. Verhaegen became president of St.
Louis College in 1832 and obtained a university charter from
Governor Daniel Dunklin on 28 December, 1832. In March,
1836, he became superior of the Missouri mission and head of
the board of trustees of Saint Louis University.”
Source: p.98, footnote 39. Hold Dear As Always: Jette, A
German Immigrant, translated by Adolph E. Schroeder; edited
by Schroeder and Carla Schulz Geisberg; ISBN 978-0-82620658-9; University of Missouri Press. Future references to this
source will be listed under Schroeder.
1-“Lyletown”: Schroeder, p. 69, footnote 5. “Lisletown, a small
settlement at the confluence of the Maries and the Osage, where
today U.S. 50 crosses the Osage River, was named after
Benjamin Lysle, who acquired the land in 1834.” This area is
now known as Mari-Osa Delta.
1-“Dr. Bernard Bruns”: “Dr. Bernard Bruns, eminent pioneer
physician and citizen, was born in Hanover, December 24, 1801.
He graduated at the University of Bonn, after which he studied
medicine at Berlin, graduating in medicine in 1829. At Berlin
he was in contact with the intellectual leaders of Germany,
among them being Alexander Von Humboldt, famous traveler
and scientist. On graduating he settled in Westphalia for the
practice of medicine. In 1832 he came to St. Louis where he
met Nicholas Hesse, adventurer and writer, and came with him
to Osage County where he bought government land and
contracted for the erection of a house, then returned to Germany.
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In 1835 he came with a small colony and founded the town of
Westphalia, entertaining many famous visitors in the home he
built there. He continued the practice of medicine until 1856
when he moved to Jefferson City where he remained until he
died of illness, April 1, 1864. Dr. Bruns was mayor of Jefferson
City at the time of his death. For some time he conducted a
mercantile business here. On May 4, 1832, before coming to
America, Dr. Bruns married Henrietta Geisberg who was born at
Stromberg, Westphalia, October 28, 1813, and who died in
Jefferson City November 7, 1899. She was the daughter of
Maximilian Geisberg, chief of forestry and chase for the
province of Westphalia, whose paternal ancestry is traced to
Johan Georg Geisberg, 1601-1651. The children of Doctor and
Mrs. Bruns included Herman and Henry Bruns, Mrs. Effie
Decker and Mrs. Ottilie Hess, Louis and William. Captain
Henry Bruns was the first Jefferson Citian killed in the Civil
War. Herman Bruns born in Germany, educated in Westphalia
and Jefferson City, was associated with his father in the
mercantile business. He was a leader in political activities of the
city and county.” Source: Biographies of Cole County Persons,
Cole County Historical Society; www.colecohistsoc.org.
Henriette Geisberg Bruns is the subject of Adolph Schroeder’s
translation of her letters, Hold Dear As Always.
2-“set sail from the port of Saint Louis”: Schroeder, p.72, end
of footnote 15: “Sutter left St. Charles and was reported to have
traveled up the Missouri on the boat that brought Father Helias
to mid-Missouri on 11 May 1838.”
“Father Helias was accompanied on his journey up the Missouri
River by Fathers DeSmet, Eysvogels and Verhaegen, and the lay
brother Wm.Claessens. DeSmet was on his way to Council
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Bluffs, Eysvogels and Claessens were to work among the
Kickapoo Mission. Among the fellow-passengers of the Jesuits
was Captain Sutter, noted Santa Fe trader and future discoverer
of the California gold fields.” Father Gilbert J. Garraghan, S.J.,
The Jesuits of the Middle United States, vol.1, 1938, Loyola
University Press,
p. 450. Future references to this source will be listed as
Garraghan.
2-“another less-Godly priest”: Schroeder, p.71, footnote 12.
“Father Johann H. Meinkmann is credited with establishing a
log church and holding school for the children of the settlers.
Because Meinkmann had failed to obtain the necessary release
from his former parish in Germany, Bishop Joseph Rosati was
reluctant to recognize his ministry, but he was eventually
installed as pastor of Westphalia on 24 November 1837. In
April 1839 Bishop Rosati transferred him to the newly
established parish of St. Francis Borgia in Washington,
Missouri. He later became pastor at Ferdinand, Indiana, where
he served until his death on 25 August 1847.”
3-“Most Reverend Joseph Rosati”: “The first bishop of the
Diocese of St. Louis was Bishop Joseph Rosati. He was the first
administrator of both the St. Louis and New Orleans dioceses in
1826, and then the following year became the first bishop of the
Diocese of St. Louis.” Source: Archdiocese of Saint
Louis/archives and history;
www.archstl.org/archives.
3-“Westphalians”: “To secure a missionary center for the
fathers from which they could conveniently attend the various
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Catholic stations of central Missouri, Father Verhaegen, with the
consent of Bishop Rosati, decided to open a residence on the
Maries. At a meeting of the superior with his official advisors,
April 23, 1838, it was determined that Father Helias and Brother
Morris be sent to the station generally known as Westphalia
settlement near Jefferson City.” –Garraghan, p. 449.
4-“new capitol”: Missouri’s first statehouse, which was
completed in 1826, had been destroyed by fire on November 15,
1837.
4-“Dwyer”: Charles Dwyer of St. Louis
5-“another area”: “This first Catholic church in Jefferson City
was named in honor of St. Ignatius Loyola, dedicated on Easter,
1843, where Father Helias served until July, 1846, upon the
arrival of Father James Murphy, the first resident priest of
Jefferson City.” –Garraghan, p. 458.
5-“governor”: Lilburn Williams Boggs (December 14, 1796March 14, 1860) was governor of Missouri from 1836-1840.
5-“3 villages of French”: probably Cote sans Dessein, French
Village, and New Besancon.
8-“foundations of their town”: “The recently arrived FrenchCanadians of whom Helias makes mention…proposed to start a
settlement of their own to be known as New Besancon. There is
no record of such intention having been carried out.” –
Garraghan, p.460.
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9-“27 acres of land”: “This benefactor is listed as Francis
Geisberg” [brother of Henriette Geisberg Bruns], -Garraghan, p.
452.
9-“over all the others”: At this point part of the original
manuscript is missing.
9-“the effort of this benefactor”: His name was contained in the
missing portion of the manuscript.
10-“around the church run”: Here follows an unintelligible
word in the manuscript.
10-“Busschots”: “Father Busschots arrived on the scene July
27, 1838. He remained in New Westphalia until September 23
of the following year when he was transferred to the new Jesuit
residence of St. Francis Borgia in Washington, MO. Father
Helias was then left without an assistant priest until the arrival in
1846 of Father James Cotting.” –Garraghan, p. 453.
13-“visited”: See Garraghan, pp.453-455 for Bishop Rosati’s
own recollection of this event.
15-“weapons”: Governor Lilburn Boggs had issued an
executive order known as the Extermination Order on October
27, 1838, which was meant to expel Mormons from Missouri.
On October 30 of that year some of the state militia, probably
not even aware of the order, killed 17 Latter Day Saints men and
boys during the Haun’s Mill Massacre. As a result of the
Mormon War, thousands of the Latter Day Saints members left
for Illinois.
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19-“1000 guardians”: -Garraghan, p. 460; this amount is
estimated at ca. $2000.
20-“certain one of these criminals”: -Garraghan, p. 459, “A
young Englishman, Henry Lane by name, of aristocratic
connections and a one-time college student.”
26-“10 acres of property”: -Garraghan, pp.461-462; “As the
ground on which the church stood had been acquired by him
[Helias] from Henry Harr…the village went for a while by the
name of Haarville. Later, it took the name of the post office of
the district, Taos…”
27-“our Society”: Source-The homepage of the Jesuits
(www.jesuit.org) “In 1540 St. Ignatius Loyola founded the
Society of Jesus as a religious order of the Roman Catholic
Church. Its members would come to be known as Jesuits.”
29-“those who dissented”: -Schroeder, p. 109, from a letter
dated May 7, 1841. “Things are not going well with our pastor
anymore. It is sad. One can never go to church without finding
some objection to his sermons. He exaggerates horribly and
turns everybody against him…If only we had a good German
minister who would be concerned with the well-being of the
community!”
30-“Jesus and Mary”: This church is now known as Sacred
Heart Church in Richfountain.
31-“(John 15:19)”: -Garraghan indicates that the note was in
Latin and read “Why should the man who covets hardships hie
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[hasten] to the dusky Indies? Let him come to Westphalia and
he will find hardships aplenty.”
-p.465, footnote 39.
31-“Pilot Grove”: -Garraghan, p. 467: “…services were held
three or four times a year at Holy Cross in Pilot Grove, Cooper
County.”
31-“SS. Salvatoris D.N.I.C. Of the Cross”: In the manuscript
this is a reference to the Latin “Sanctissimi Crucis Salvatoris
Domini Nostri Iesus Christi,” i.e. The Most Holy Cross of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, a church now referred to as Holy
Cross on Father Helias’ map (see Garraghan, p. 478). This
church was not an established foundational parish at first. It
became so in 1893: “Under the open sky or in the homes of the
Catholic farmers the first masses were celebrated…Then in
1893, St. Joseph Catholic Church was organized by Father John
Conrad…In the same year Samuel Roe gave an acre of land for
a church.” –from the combined historical accounts of Levina
Reuter, Lillian Twenter, and Mrs. Fred Schuster, p. 19, Catholic
Missourian files, Diocese of Jefferson City.
32-“Cote Sans Dessein”: French for “Hill Without Design,” this
is the “site of an ancient French village. This place has its name
from an isolate hill that is standing, as if by accident, on the
riverbank…The commissioners to locate a permanent seat of
justice for Missouri at one time looked favorably upon Cote
Sans Dessein as a site for the capital, but owing to doubt as to
the title of the place abandoned it in favor of Jefferson City.” –
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p.2, Tebbetts Page, Kingdom of Callaway Historical Society
(www.kchsoc.org/tebbetts.html)
37-“Harrville”: see endnote 26.
38-“Roothaan”: 21st General of the Society of Jesus
39-“poor of our mission”: At this point in the manuscript the
top half of the page is totally illegible. As translator I surmise
that this drastic change in Father Helias’ lucid style may be due
in part to anxiety brought about by the proposed changes within
the province.
39-“in a city”: In Rome the Collegium Germanicum was
founded in 1552.
40-“burned in port”: -Garraghan, p.469: “But the steamer
bearing the precious cargo, when almost in sight of St. Louis,
caught fire and sank, a complete wreck.”
40-“out in the open”: A reference to Mark 4:22: “For nothing is
hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but
that it would come to light.” (New American Standard Bible)
41-Gregory XVI…born September 18, 1765, died June 1, 1846;
Pope from 1831 to 1846; last man chosen as pope even though
not already a bishop. John Tyler, Jr….born March 29, 1790,
died January 18, 1862; 10th President of the United States from
1841 to 1845; he began as Vice President on March 4, 1841,
assuming the presidency on April 4, 1841, upon the death of
William Henry Harrison; he annexed Texas in 1845. Peter
Richard Kenrick…born in Dublin, Ireland, August 17, 1806,
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died in St. Louis on March 4, 1896; ordained March 6, 1832;
appointed coadjutor to Bishop Rosati of St. Louis November 30,
1841; appointed Bishop of St. Louis September 27, 1843.
Meredith Miles Marmaduke…born August, 1791, died March
26, 1864; Missouri’s 8th governor, assuming office February 9,
1844, when then Governor Thomas Reynolds committed
suicide. Bishop James Oliver Van de Velde…born near
Termonde, Belgium, April 3, 1795, died November 13, 1855;
president of Saint Louis University; vice-provincial of the
Jesuits and later bishop of Chicago and then Natchez, MS.
41-“by which we praise God”: The hymn is Te Deum
Laudamus (We praise You God).
42-“birthday of St. Francis Xavier”: In 1844, Easter was
celebrated on Sunday, April 7. St. Francis Xavier was born on
April 7, 1506, in Navarre, Spain.
47-“225 ?”: The Latin word in the manuscript here is SCUTA.
It translates as “payment in lieu of other service” or “shields” or
“protectors.” It must be assumed it is a Belgian form of
currency.
47-“Corpus Christi”: Thursday, May 22
47-“port of Saint Louis”: see first endnote for page 40.
47-“uniquely shaken”: At this point Father Helias lapses into
the first person, undoubtedly demonstrating great personal
sadness.
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47-“decorated and maintained”: -Garraghan, p. 469, footnote
51: “…from 1839 he received almost annually generous
donations from his family in Belgium.” Owing to this
munificence St. Francis Xavier Church in Taos is now home to
some rare 17th Century Italian Renaissance art.
“The oil paintings which are housed in the three altars are the
work of the Italian Renaissance artist, Guido Reni (1575-1642).
These three paintings (dated 1601) are believed to be some of
only a few remaining originals. The Smithsonian and the
Vatican each have a work by Reni. These paintings were a gift
from Father Helias’ mother, the Countess of Lens, and they were
brought to this country from Europe in 1846. The center altar is
adorned with a piece entitled The Flagellation. On the left side
altar is a painting of St. Francis Xavier, our parish patron. The
right side altar houses the painting of St. Francis of Assisi, one
of the most beloved saints.” –from the St. Francis Xavier Church
Welcome Brochure, Taos.
49-“St. Francis of Girolamo”: born 1641 at Grottaglie, Italy,
died May 11, 1716, Naples; canonized May 26, 1839, by Pope
Gregory XVI; organized laymen into a group called Oratio della
Missione to help Jesuit missionaries.
Source: www.saints.sqpn.com
50-“Gertrude Evens”: for Garraghan’s account of this illness,
see p. 470.
50-“C.C.D.”: The common interpretation of this abbreviation is
Catholic Christian Doctrine, in which basic church teaching is
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learned by Catholic boys and (now) girls. The de facto
abbreviation stands for Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.
51-“St. Augustine”: “For this reason, the man who lives by
God’s standards and not by man’s, must be a lover of the good,
and it follows that he must hate what is evil. Further, since no
one is evil by nature, but anyone who is evil is evil because of a
perversion of nature, the man who lives by God’s standards has
a duty of ‘perfect hatred’ (Psalm 139:22) towards those who are
evil; that is to say, he should not hate the person because of the
fault, nor should he love the fault because of the person. He
should hate the fault, but love the man. And when the fault has
been cured there will remain only what he ought to love, nothing
that he should hate.” –St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430), City
of God, 14.6.
52-“40th”: In the manuscript this number is unclear.
53-“Dr. Barron”: -Garraghan, p.263, footnote 69: “Bishop
Edward Barron, Vicar-Apostolic of the two Guianas, was
making a confirmation tour through Missouri under commission
of Bishop Kenrick of Saint Louis.”
54-“Jacob Cotting”: -Garraghan, p. 471: “Father James
Cotting, a Swiss,…was a man of robust health, with energy and
zeal to match, and in Helias’ words, ‘An exceedingly zealous
and active young missionary.’”
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57-“holy year”: Pope Pius IX (Giovanni Maria Mastai-ferretti),
1792-1878, was pope from 1846 to 1878. The dogma of the
Immaculate Conception and the veneration of the Sacred Heart
of Jesus were instituted by him. Traditionally Holy Years arrive
every 25 years. Pius IX did not declare 1850 or 1875 Holy
Years due to political unrest in Rome. There is some support for
Jubilees celebrated in odd-numbered years. “Jubilee was
accordingly proclaimed by Pope Martin V in 1423, but Nicolas
V in 1450 reverted to the quinquagesimal period, while Paul V
decreed that the Jubilee should be celebrated every 25 years and
this has been the normal rule ever since,” (www.newadvent.org;
see Holy Year of Jubilee). “The Sixth Provincial Council of
Baltimore made the Immaculate Conception the patronal feast of
the United States in 1846. Pope Pius IX almost immediately
after his election that year undertook a series of acts in favor of
the belief…” Ineffabilis Deus, Acta Pii IX 1.1: 616. This series
of acts may have included a year of Jubilee but no record of
such exists. Thus, there is no record of 1847 being declared a
Holy Year.
58-“St. Peter”: June 29
58-“starvation”: 1847 was the summation of the Irish potato
famine.
58-“St.Ignatius’ feast”: July 31
59-“Paul”: The International Order of the Daughters of Charity
was founded in 1633 by St. Vincent de Paul in Paris. St.
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Elizabeth Seton opened their first American institution in Texas
in 1809.
60-“in the future as well”: Here, inspired by the literary
tradition of his Classical mentor Marcus Tullius Cicero, Father
Helias exhorts himself and his reader to employ prudence and
foresight concerning impending strife.
63-“Battle of Sacramento”: “At the battle of Sacramento, near
Chihuahua, Mexico, February 28, 1847, one of the actions
incident to Col. Alexander W. Doniphan’s conquest of northern
Mexico, ten pieces of artillery were captured by the American
troops. Subsequently Col. Doniphan joined the army under
General Wood, who presented him with the guns captured at
Sacramento. After the war the guns were taken to Missouri via
the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and
presented to the state,” Kansas: A Cyclopedia of State History
(1912), vol. II, p. 617.
63-“2 Chronicles 7:18”: “Then I will establish your royal
throne, as I made covenant with your father David saying, ‘You
shall never lack a successor to rule over Israel.’”
63-James K. Polk was the 11th President of the United States
from 1845 to 1849. John Cummins Edwards was Governor of
Missouri from 1844 to 1848.
64-“Nativity of the Virgin”: September 8
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64-“feast of the children’s crusade”: No feast day on the
calendar could be found for this. It could be a locallyrecognized event, perhaps in October.
64-“help us”: Father Ehrensberger established Westphalia as a
secondary residence in central Missouri. He arrived on
November 17, 1848, and departed on September 17, 1851. His
focus was on Sacred Hearts at Richfountain, home to fellow
Bavarians.
65-“Ambrosian Hymn”: St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan from
374-397 and Doctor of the Church, is credited with having
composed the first version of the Te Deum Laudamus (see
endnote 41). St. Ambrose is also the author of the quote “When
in Rome, do as the Romans do,” as he was trying to explain
local church customs to the visiting St. Augustine.
65-“flee into another”: Father Cotting had incurred the
animosity of the “Latin farmers” of Westphalia, as had Father
Helias, to the point of having to defend himself in a law suit
which he lost, the reparations of which were mitigated by the
intervention of Helias. Upon threat of a second suit, Cotting
was reassigned (see Garraghan, p.472, for his account of this
reassignment).
66-“Mary’s month”: May
69-“barely inhabited then”: Here begins Father Helias’
contemplation of his own death.
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72-“Charon in hell”: Charon in Classical mythology is the
boatman on the subterranean rivers who delivers souls to the
afterlife. This blend of pagan and Christian belief is not
uncommon. Charon appears at the bottom of Michelangelo’s
Last Judgment fresco on the front wall of the Sistine Chapel in
the Vatican.
72-“O Lord”: Here Father Helias composes his own funerary
memorial.
72-“earned eternal rest”: These words about his burial are
written in the margin of the manuscript. He is in fact buried
inside the church, not in the cemetery.
72-St. Ferdinand III: King of Leon and Castile; born in 1198,
died May 30, 1252. He liberated Spain from Saracen rule and is
buried in the cathedral at Seville. He was canonized by Pope
Clement X in 1671.
72-“earthly pilgrim”: Evidence of Helias’ Classical education,
this is a direct reference to the ancient Roman funerary epigram
“Hodie mihi, cras tibi” (Today this grave is for me, tomorrow it
will be for you).
74-“covers us all”: Father Helias died on August 11, 1874, at
Taos. Written on his tomb inside St. Francis Xavier Church
there are these words: “Flanders was my cradle; France
instructed me; Italy, Germany and Switzerland sheltered me.
After many ventures and labors on land and sea, God settled me
in Missouri. The foundations of Westphalia were laid by me
and seven churches were founded by me to the greater glory of
God.”
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