The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-05

p. m, supper for members Of the congre-
tIor. eersed under the auspices OF the
Young Ladies sodalities Of the parish.
81. Mary's parish dates back to 1885.
when the Rev. John stephen R~aTeiner. or
his assistant, The Rev. Father NicoIaus
Balleis, o. s. B., came to Newark twice
e month mt and. with permission Of the
of the diocese. held services for German
Catholics In old st. Johns Church on
Mulberry street
having been born there In 1885. He was
ordained In 1875, had charge of st. NichO-
las Church on Second street, New York,
for many years, and died In 1861 as vicar
general of the Brooklyn diocese. Father
Balleis. was born in Salzburg in 1905.
There he became q Benedictine, and was
IN charge of ST. Francis Church, on Put
nam avenue. Brooklyn, where he died De-
ceinber 10, 1881, after having celebrated the
sixtleth anniversary of his ordination.
When about sixty families Of German
Catholics had been gathered Father Bal
lens decided 10 stay in Newark. Having
bought a plot of ground on Grand street
lnow Howard, corner of Court street, he
b gan to erect a frame church, 50x30 feet,
with a school and rectory In the base
ment.
The first service IN this building vas
was not dedicated until late in the fall
of that year by Bishop Hughes, of New
York. The paroenial school in the base
SUI aBOul lOEtI pQDics 1t
was one of the first Catholic schools In
the State.
As the congregation grew the Howard
street property became too small, and
Father Balleis bought the site of the pres
ent church at High street and William
street. in ls4e. Steps were taken to move
location, but the contractor broke his
bargain, and left the little church in the
middle of the street. Father Balleis got
another man. and though his church was
over three VVanRC ~ lie .fOttrnoxr kh1 . A -
gelus' bell was OILED three times a day
md mass was celebrated on Sundays.
Shortly after Father Balleis obtained
from ST. Vincent,s Abbey, Pa, ar assist
ant IN Father Charles Geyerstanger, g.
>. b, Who was born in Salzburg In 1920,
ordained March Is, 1S47, and died at St.
The year 1854, when knownothingism
stirred UP the weak minded against Cath
olcs. vas on IF great trial for the
church which on September of that year
a parade. Some miscreant fired a pistol
shot as the signal for the premeditated
attack. It was said, but the 0rangemen
maintained that somebody fired the shot
upon the procession from a window In the
church. This was disproved by a judicial
investigation.
Father Geyerstanger, the assistant,
forced his way fearlessly through the
furious mob to the altar and succeeded
In saving the Blessed Sacrament from pro-
fanation.
The lives of the W priests were threat
ened, out they csc. ped and hid until dam
ger was over. The mob broke the head
and arms off a statue of the Blessed
Virgin ann carried them away. This
mutilated statue is still preserved in the
church under a glass us a mute witness
Il The troublesome times.
Father Balleis at nee began to repair
the damage. Having finished in 1861 he
resigned the parish into the hands OF the
Right Rev. Bishop James Roosevelt Bay
lev and went to his old home. In the
meantime. for a short while, services were
by a German secular priest, the
Rev. Father Hasslinger.
In 1856 Bishop Bayley gave the parish
into the charge of the Bonedictine Fathers
in the person Of the superior, the Rev.
Father Boniface WINNER, afterwards
archabbot of st. Yincent's, Pa. The Rev.