The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-10-27
FATHER WENINGER'S GOLDEN JUBILEE


bis Golden Jubilee on Saturday, October
Gsh. The Catholic Telegraph says:
The celebration Of the tistIeth anniversary
nf tina ordination Of Father Weninger, the
widely kn"wO Jrs nit M issionary, WAS in ait
things worthy of the occasion. Morning
a1d evening the large AID beautiful church
OF St N tvler was packed by thousands who
came on that day to ctr-r their gratitude to
God, who had made her Weninger an
instrument of 30 much to their spuls aud to
give by their presence sign of the deep
veneration in which ail Catholics of this
conntry hold this devoted missionary.
The grand High Mass WAS sung by Father
Weninger. The Jubilee sermon preached
by Father Higgins, s. j., was ad dmirable in
thought and language. IN the evening
Father Weninger addressed the cnngrega
ton in eloquent words which this great
| epoch in bis priestly life suggested, an
| nuuncing at the close that he would open
mission at st. Xavier's church next Sun.
day morning at High Mass. The choir of
St. Xavier's did Juslice to the glad festival
by the music that 1t rendered T&e Mass
WAS an excellent composition Of the organ
ist Professor Gerod. The choir was as
| sisted by au orchestra of tfty pieces. In
the evening Father Weninger's beautiful,
expressive, Ie Ceunl was sung. We shall
give our readers brief sketch of this mis-.
sIonary whose fame reaches far beyond
our wide natural boundaries.
Rev. +. y. WeDiuger Was born in 1905
on the eve of the Feast of All IIollows, at
Wildhaus, his fathers castle, near the city
| of Marburg, Austria. While he was &C
quiring gymuastic training at l. L,ibach,
during the time of the Imperial Congress,
he was observed by the Empress Maria
| Augusta, who took INN with her to Vienna
aud placed him n q special school with the
| stndents Of philosophy nndsr the tntorage
of the eminent Frederick B.ror. Here he
developed n decided love for theological
etutliee, and having graduated from that
department of the University of Vienna, he
| became priest, and IN 1873, the feast Of
the Rosary, said his first Mass at the Church
of Our Lady, one of tue oldest churches in
| Vienna.
Father Wenic ger then left Vienna and
going to Gra'z. was employed in the Sem.
lnary, and atterward as a teacher in the U nj
versity. Tue opening of Novitiste by
some Jesnits at Gratz, excited bis interest,
| aud was finally the means of leading him
to seek admittance into the order. Soon
after the establishment of the Jesuits at
Gratz he entered the Novitiate, taught
time preached for several churches, and
during the vacations gave missions at
| different place..
Iu lS4S, time when many of the Jeeuits
| were prosecuted and driven from their
homee, Father Weninger came to America
with the intention of devotinR his life to
missionary work in t5e New World. He
landed at New York on July 25, and going
to Williamsburg, N. Y, Ofiiciated for the
FIRST time at IL relgioue service in this
country, at Trinity Church. in that place.
He then proceeded to St. Louis, and from
there came to Cincinnati. The first year
after his arrival here was employed in
teaching theology, and writing a number
of small books and tracts on missions. He
then began active missionary work, which
! bas been continued almost without inter
ruption to the present hour. During this
time be has travelled over the entire length
and breadth Of the land, from Florida to
Canada, and from New York to San Fran
| ciaco, and Oregon and VancouveI's Island.
His missions have heeH given in German,
| French and English, aud reports OF his
work have been published regularly in
Munich, Innsbruck and Vienna, az we'll as
in this country.
| In the meantime Father Weninger has
| been busy with his pen. He is the author
man aud English, among them series of
controversial workR, which have run
through several editions. Of the most re-
cent productions of this sort was his fa-
nous reply to ex Secretary of the Navy,
ThOmps n.
He has a!so composed a considerable
amount of church mQsic-a TIE Deum,
PAstorale, Regina CGI, Tantum Ergo, and
other POI tions of the sacred service, and q
| large number of songs and lighter pieces
Of c. urch music.
Father Weninger, DOW almost eeventy-
three years of age, is still hale and strong,
and to all appearances still has seVerai
years Of active service before him. His
life las been not only a long, but very
busy one, remarkable both for the amount
and the exhausting character of the work
accom- pished.
Early the other morning two New Haven
Conn policemen discovered q suspicious
looking person passing by the college
builGings, and. taking him for a thief. at