St. Paul daily globe., 1895-06-02
cial matters of the parish on a firm

- - I-sCS puU children ATTENDED
tie Assumption parochial school.
The constantly increasing number of
children rendered it necessary to en-
large the school buildings, and as
consequence the congregation decided
! to erect a new school. On Sept. %,
! 1888, the magnificent brick building on
| Exchange street, erected at a cost
| of about $4,000, for the education of
boys, was solemnly dedicated by Most
Rev. John Ireland, d. D. In the base
ment thereof the various benevolent
] and church societies hold their regu-
| lar meetings. The second and third
) floors are used for school rooms, and
in the third story is a spacious hall
! for entertainments, concerts, etc. The
! school was built by Rev. Edward Gin
] ther, o. S. B., who succeeded. Father
Valentine in thespastorate in May, 1887.
| In the course of time the Assumption
| parish became so large and widespread
| that the spiritual wants of the faithful
| could no longer be satisfactorily at
! tended to by the e-priests of st. Bene-
| diets priory, and hence the pressing
! need of forming new congregations for.
| the better accommodation of the faith
! full became more and more apparent.
| The following parishes were therefore
| organized as necessity demanded the
! establishment of new congrega tionS:
The Sacred Heart parish on Dayton's
! bluff, Dec. A. 1881; ST Francis de Sales
| parish on West Seventh street in 1891;
| st. Matthews parish on the West side
| in February, 1856; st. Agnes parish in
| 1888, and st. Rernard's on Rice street in
March, 1890. All these parishes are
spiritual daughters of a vigorous moth
err the Assumption parish.
Rev. Father Ginther governed the
Assumption parish until the fall of
1888, when Rev. Bernard Loeniker o.
S. B., was appointed his successor. He
remained at the helm only about two
years, when Divine Providence called
him to higher honors. In the fall Of
1890 he was elected abbot of St. john;
abbey in Stearns county. He was sue
ceeded as pastor of the Assumption by
Rev. Alfred Mayer, o. S. B., who still
continues in that position, with Rev.
Simplicius WINNER, o. S. b., and Rev.
Maurus Ferdinand, o. s. B., as his as
sistant priests.
It being the ambition of the congre-
cation to enhance the beauty and So
lemnity of divine services, and support
ed by the generosity of some of it's
Weather members, large and splen-
did organ was purchased from the firm
of Odenbrett & Adler, of Milwaukee,
Wis, in 1883, at cost of about $1,000.
1t contains 1853 pipes, and was pur-
chased by the voluntary contributions
of twenty-five members Of the congre-
cation.
The Faculties engaged in teaching the
ASSUMPTION schools have been as fol-
lows: The Sisters of st. Joseph's first
took charge of the school in 1857, when
the school was established. In Sep
tember, 1857 they were succeeded by
the Sisters of Notere Dame, of MllWau-
kee, who continue to teach, six in num-
Der, to this day. In the fall of 1873 the
Christian Brothers took charge of the
boys school, which they retained until
the fall of 1882. The highest boys
room was then placed in charge, OF
lay teacher, who was at the same time
organist and choir director III the
church, and the lower hoys' rooms
were again entrusted to tie sisters.
The present lay teacher and organist
is John Rentz.
This sketch of Assumption parish
would not be complete were not men
ton made Of the various mutual ald
the parish. st. Peters Aid society
was organized in 1865, st. Clements
Aid society in 1873. The Catholic Or
der of Foresters, st. Peters Court NO.
101. in 1888 The constitutions OF st.
Peters Aid society and of the so.
ciety of the Widows and Orphans
Fund were accepted in 1867: In 1879
a rule was adopted by which every
member of St Peters Aid society is
obliged to become member OF the !;
Widows and Orphans Fund, for the
support and assistance OF the WldoWs
and orphans. In 1876 a German 81, 81,
olic life insurance association, Whlcn !
comprised all the German Catholic ald
societies in Minnesota, was organized, |
the headquarters of which are, by |
virtue of the articles of the assocla- |
ton, located at the Assumption Church'
of ST. Paul. !
The st. Joseph's German Catholic i
Orphan society, whose object is the |
support of the helpless orphan chill |
dren of German nationality. was es-
tablished in 1869. The project was a |
noble one, and merited the success i
with which it has been crowned. On
March 19, 1877, a temporary orphan asy- |
lum was opened, with five orphans, on |
Ninth and Robert streets, and placed |
in charge of the Sisters OF St Ben |
efict The apartments soon oecom-
ing too small, a larger and more COM
modious asylum was erected on Ninth
street. near Exchange street, where |
today the orphan children of German, !
Bohemian and Polish nationalities find |
a mothers care and training. There |
are about seventy children in the asy- |
lum at the present time.
In the year 1889 the st. vincent de
Paul society was established in AS
sumption parish for tta relief of the |
poor. 1t holds meetings each Sunday /
before high mass i'll the hall Of the So
cieties, and does an incalculable
amount of good among the poor and al
f1icted.
The life of a congregation is the
religious societies. They are the mort
convincing proof that the congregation
is animated by living faith.
The following religious societies are |
connected with the Assumption
ton: ST .Aloysius' Young Mems So
dality was organized Aug. 6, 1856. st.
Rosa's Young Ladies' Sodality organ
tied in 1857 Holy Rosary society in
1855 Society of the Childhood of Jesus,
for boys, in 1859. Society of the Child
Altar Boys Societies for Mass Services
in 1876. The Society of Perpetual
Adora ton in 1889.
Much has been done within the last |
few years to embellish the interior of
the church. Where formerly could be
numerous and magnificent oil paint
ingE and artistic fresco drawings |
meet the eye of the visitor to the
church. Above the high altar in the
sanctuary is great painting of the
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, a work of great excellence and
high merit. above the entrances to |
the two sacristies are representations
of st. Benedict, one as teacher of |
nations and the other as passing from |
this earthly life to his eternal reward
The sanctuary was frescoed in 1887,
and cost over $1,000, this amount hav-
ing been donated for that purpose by
a generous lady of the congregation,
Mrs. Mary Schroeder The paintings
were executed by John Schmitt. of i
Covington, Ky, and the decora ticGis
by Messrs. Liebig & Loeff1er, of Mil |
waukee. Wis.
In 1891 the work of frescoing the
main portion of the church was unGer-
taken. A series of paintings near the
roof of the main aisle illustrates diff
ferent mysteries and events in the life
of the Blessed Virgin. viz, her i'm
maculate conception, her nativity, the
presentation. her espousal to st. Jo-
seph, the annunciation and the vista
ton. In the circular spaces above the
columns are DaintinGS of soma of tho