The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-05-11
CHURCH Of ST. MATTHEW
SILVER JUBILEE OF ITS FOUNDA-
TIoN CELEBRATED ON MAY 5.
PonitficaI Mass by Bishop Lawler-
Entertainment by School Children
REQUIEM Mass for Deceased Mem
bers-History of the Parish.

Requiem Mass for Deceased MEM
bers-History of the Parish.
The twenty-fifth anniversary OF the
establishment of the German parish
of st. Matthew, St. Paul, of which the
Rev. P. M. Jung is pastor, was sol
emnly observed on Sunday, May B,
and the two following days. The cele-
bration began with Solemn Pontifical
Mass at which the Right Reverend
Bishop Lawler officiated, with the
Rev. T. J. Gibbons of st. Luke's
Church as Arch-priest, Rev. A. Ogulln
of st, Bernard's Church as deacon,
and Rev. J. Gruden of st. Paul Semi
nary as subdeacon. The Rev. A. no
touc of st. Leo and Rev. ]. A. Bergler
of Oakdale, former assistants at the
Church of ST. Matthew, were deacons
of honor. The Rev. John Seliskar OF
St. Paul Seminary was Master OF Cere-
monies. The sermon was preached
bv the Rev. Valerius Nelles, o. F. NJ,
pastor of the Church of the Sacred
Heart. A large number of clergymen
were present, among them the Right
Reverend Mgr. Plut of Shakopee, first
pastor of the parish of st. Matthew
In the afternoon Solemn Vespers
were chanted, the Rev. P. M. Jung,
pastor of the church, officiating. In
the evening the children of the paro-
chial school gave an entertainment
which was very successful and pleased
an audience which packed the school
hall. The Most Reverend Archbishop
spoke words of congratulation and
announcement to those who had
Iabored so successfully to bring the
parish of st. Matthew to it's present
prosperous condition.
On Monday there was Solemn High
Mass at nine o'clock at which the
Rev. P. Schirmers of Cologne preached
the sermon. After Mass the children
of the parish were entertained and
in the evening there was a home
coming and social affair for the people
in the parish hall. The celebration
was brought to close on Tuesday
morning with Solemn Requiem Mass
for the deceased members of the
parish.
History of the Parish.
At the beginning of the year 1886
the number of German Catholics in
West St. Paul had grown to such pro-
portions as to warrant the establish
ment of a new parish exclusively for
their benefit. Accordingly Bishop Ire
land called a meeting of several of the
prominent members of the projected
parish and it was organized under the
corporate name of "The Church of
st. Matthew of st. Paul, Minn.' The
Rev. Alois Plut, now pastor of St.
Marks Church, Shakopee, was ap-
pointed pastor. A site for the church
was secured at the corner of Hall
Avenue and Robie Street at cost
of three thousand dollars. Architect
Albert Zschocke prepared plans for
the new edifice and priests house. In
September, 1886, building operations
were commenced and on the Sunday
after Easter the first Mass was cele-
brated in the basement of the church.
On the 9th of the following October,
the church was dedicated by the
Right Reverend Bishop Ireland, who,
in the afternoon, administered the
Sacrament of Confirmation to a class
of fifteen persons.
At the end of three years Father
Plut resigned the pastorate owing to
failing health and was succeeded by
the Rev. J. M. So1nce who was trans
ferred from the parish of Owatonna
on October Is, 1889. Father So1nce
remained in charge of the parish for
eight years during which he paid off
a large part of the debt, completed
the furnishing and equipment of the
church, and made many necessary
improvements in the property. When
he was transferred to the pastorate
of the Church of st. Agnes in success
sion to the Right Reverend James
Trobec, d. D., who was consecrated
Bishop of ST. Cloud on September 21,
1897, the Rev. P. M. Jung, at that
time pastor of the Church of St. Anne,
LIE Sueur, Mimi, was appointed his
successor in the parish of ST. Matthew.
During the first year Father Jung
succeeded in reducing the debt on the
church to two thousand nine hundred
and forty dollars. In the following
year DIR. Hurd's residence was bought
and moved to it's present location at
507 Hall Avenue, where it serves as
the pastoral residence. In 1901 site
was procured for a new school tc
serve the needs of the children of the
parish whose numbers had outgrowr
the accommodations furnished by the
basement school. The new building
one OF the finest and best in the
Diocese of st. Paul, was ready fos
occupancy on September Is, 1902. II
cost twenty-seven thousand dollars