The Catholic bulletin., 1918-03-16

IL 1867 dlISF CnS COmpletl0n or the
| interior Rev. Father Wirth invited
the Jesuit Fathers to conduct mis-
sion in the parish. Rev. K Karl
| staetter, Rev. H. Kamp, and Rev. p.
Schnitzler opened the mission Septem-
| ber 22nd. The latter certainly did
not surmise that that in two years he
would return as pastor, and found
| new establishment for the Jesuit or
der in Mankato. The mission was
| well attended, and closed October End.
"A memorial day in the history of
| the parish is the day on which the
new church was dedicated=-Novem
| Der %, 1873. Rt Rev. Bishop Grace
performed the ceremony, and on the
| same day confirmed a class of %
boys and 81 girls. Father Wirth who
had devoted all his skill and energy
to the work which had been entrusted
to him was happy to see his labors
| crowned with success. SIS. Peter and
| PauPs Church will be lasting memo
rial to his untiring efforts and to the
pious zeal and generosity of the parish.
Father Wirth now believed to have
fulfilled his mission, and was deter
mined to resign his office as pastor,
the work, on account of the growth of
the parish, having become too heavy
for one priest. The parish was I'M
willing that their loved and esteemed
| pastor should leave them, but their
efforts to deter him were fruitless He
expressed his opinion that it were bet
| ter If religious priests would take
charge of the parish, and that they
might probably, succeed in getting
| Jesuit Father, some of whom they had
learned to know at their last mission.
This suggestion was satisfactory to
the people, and soon after the Rt. Rev.
Bishop induced Rev. Father Henry
| Behrens, S. j., Superior of the Ger
man Province of the Jesuit Fathers in
| the United States, to accept the par
| iSh as one of the missions of the
order. On the 9th of January, 1874,
the first Jesuit Fathers destined for
the new mission arrived in Mankato
| They were Rev. P. Schnitzler, supe-
rior and pastor of the parish. He en-
tered upon his Office Feb 8, 1874.
Since that time a great number of
Jesuit Fathers have been stationed in
Mankato for shorter or a longer
time. The following have officiated
as pastors: Rev. P. Schnitzler from
1874 to (1912) 1886; Rev. G.. Friederici
from 1886 to 1884, Rev. A. Suter from
1891 to 1902; Rev. J. Neustich from
1902 to 1904; Rev. T. Hegemann from
1904 to 1909; Rev. S. Huber from
1909 to 1911; Rev. A. Hartmann, the
present pastor since 1911. During
the first twenty-five or thirty years
the Jesuit Fathers also had the pas
toral care of a number of neighbor-
ing missions until the Bishop appoint
ed resident pastors for them This
accounts for the fact that their COM
munity at Mankato generally consist
ed of five or six members. Until 1884
the founding of st. Johns Irish
papish-sermons were preached in
German and in English at IS. Peter
and Pauls.
A Catholic Church is in truth a
House of God and Gate of Heaven" "
Who can estimate the numberless
graces and blessings for time and
eternity which the Lord bestowed
through sacramental presence, the
Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the sacra
ments, sermons and prayers in IS
Peter and Paul's Church? Regarding
the fulfillment of priestly functions al
the altar, on the pulpit, and in the
confessional, certainly nothing was
left undone to offer the members OF
the parish every possible advantage
for the welfare of their souls. Deserv
ing of mention is the beautiful man
ner in which the annually recurring
feasts of Christmas, Easter, Pente
cost, Corpus Christi, ETC., were ant
are still celebrated. Since the veal
! 1878 Forty Hours Devotion was helC
every year and Nov 7, 1879, the Firs
Friday Devotion. The following sodal
!, tiles and societies have been organ
lied since the founding Of the parish
Married Ladies' Sodality, 1871; Yount
! Mems Sodality, Catholic Order of For
esters, 1895: st. Elizabeth's Aid Soci
> ETY., 1893; st. CeciIia's Choral Society
1898; st. John Berchmans' Sanctuar.
Society, 1899; st. Stanislaus' (boys
Sodality, 1911: st. Agnes (girls) So
: dality, 1911; Holy Angels Sodality
" 1912.
6 Hardly had the new church beer
completed when it was found neces
o sary to build new school, larg,
). enough to accommodate the risin,
\ generation of large parish. On,
O of the first concerns of the Jesui
O Fathers was to make plans for thi
q important task. In September, 1874
O Carl Halfman, lay brother of tn
q Jesuit Order, an experienced contraC
v tor was sent to Mankato to draw VI
!. the plans for the new building and t.
v superintend the work. April 27 1875
v the excavations were begun, and tn
Il laying of the foundation progresse,
x so rapidly that the cornerstone coul
! be laid July 18th. On this occasion
" Rev. John Ireland, at that time SEE
!. retary to Rt. Rev. Bishop Grace, CAV
q an English, and Rev. Father Schnitz
d ! Ter, the pastor, German address
" Sept. 4, 1875, the new schoolwas oper
k ed and the old stone building hence
a forward served as a dwelling for tn