The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-05-27
|NvEsTITURE OF MGR. WURsT
Bishop Heffron of Winona, Confers On
The Pastor Of st. Felix Church,
Wabasha, the Insignia OF
Domestic PreIate.

Domestic PreIate.
The Church of St. Felix, Wabasha
was the mecca of large concourse of
the friends-lay and clerical. Catholic
and non-Catholic-of it's pastor, Right
Reverend Mgr Wurst, drawn thither
to participate in the ceremony of his
investiture with the purple robes of
prelate of the Papal household. The
ceremony took place on May II. At
ten o'clock the members of the diff
ferent societies belonging to the par
ish marched from the school audi
torium and formed double line along
the route followed by the priests and
prelates as they marched in procession
from the parochial house to the
church. Half an hour later the cere-
mony in the church began with the
reading of the official Papal letter, in
Latin and English, by Rev. William
Griffin of Ellsworth, and in German
by Rev. F. H Smalian of St. Peter.
The Right Reverend James Trobec,
D. D., Bishop of st. Cloud, predecessor
Wabasha, celebrated Pontifical Mass
assisted by Rev. P. J. Gallagher of
Winona as assistant; Rev. Otto Zach
mann of St. James as deacon, Rev.
Casper Koegel of Minnieska as sub
deacon Rev. J. H. Peschges of
Easton was master of ceremonies.
The sermon was preached by Bishop
Heffron who dwelt on the Mission of
the Catholic Priesthood and made a
f1attering reference to the zeal and
devotion of him in whose honor they
had assembled. At the conclusion of
the Mass he invested Mgr Wurst with
the purple robes of his Office. The
ceremony was witnessed by the Right
Reverend Monsignors E. H. Devlin of
Austin; P. M. Abbelen of Milwaukee;
J. Coyne of Laneboro; William Rior-
dan of Rochester; and large number
of priests many of whom came from
neighboring Dioceses.
Following the banquet, which was
served in the Auditorium, number
of addresses were delivered in which
complimentary references we're made
to the good work accomplished by
Mgr. Wurst during the cwenty-four
years in which he has administered
the spiritual and temporal affairs of
the Church of st. Felix.
Rev. Maximilian Wurst was born at
Wilf1ingen, Wurtemberg, Germany, on
October IL, 1855. His classical studies
were made at Riedlingen Gymnasium.
At the end of his classical course, in
1871, he came to Minnesota and en-
tered St. Johns College, Collegeville,
where he made his philosophical stu
dies. He spent one year as student
of theology at St. Francis Seminary,
Milwaukee, Wis, whence he proceeded
to the Grand Seminary, Montreal, for
the remaining three years of his theo-
logical course. On April 20, 1878, he
was ordained priest at the Cathe-
dral of St. Paul, by Bishop Grace. His
first appointment was to st. Johns
parish, Rochester, where he remained
as assistant pastor until 1880, when
he was given charge of the parishes
of LIE Sueur and Henderson. In 1887
he succeeded the present Bishop of
st. Cloud in the pastorate of the
parish of st. Felix, Wabasha, and
became affiliated to the new Diocese
of Winona when it was placed in
charge of the late Bishop Cotter.
During the twenty-four years of his
pastorate the parish of ST. Felix has
developed into model parish. When
the church was destroyed by fire in
1898 he rebuilt it, and added a splen-
did parochial school, and convent for
the Sisters of Notre Dame, who are
in charge of the school, Under his
direction, also, ST. Joseph's Orphanage,
and ST. Elizabeth's Hospital were
erected in Wabasha
/ Mgr. Wurst has won the respect
and esteem of all people irrespective
of class or creed, and has devoted
himself to the welfare of his flock
and the advancement of religion with
out hope of earthly reward save that
which comes from the consciousness
of being good and faithful servant
of the Lord. His friends rejoice that
his labors in the cause of religion
have been thus fittingly recognized by
the Holy Father