The Diocese of Fort Wayne, 1857--September 22--1907, A Book of Historical Reference, 1669-1907.  By the Rt. Rev. H. J. Alerding.  Fort Wayne: The Archer Printing Co.  1907.

CHAPTER XV.    The Missions and Stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  402
                                                                                    [Pages 402-418 is on this web page 15]
                                                                                    [Pages 419-428 is on web page 15B]
 

    LEO.  Allen County.  St. Leo's Church.  [est. 1856] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  402-403
    LUCERNE.  Cass County.  St. Elizabeth's Church.  [est. 1858] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403-404
    SAN PIERRE.  La Porte County.  All Saints' Church.  [est. 1858] . . . . . . . . . . . . 404-405
    LIGONIER.  Noble County.  St. Patrick's Church.  [est. 1860] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405
    SCHIMMELS.  La Porte County.  St. Martin's Church.  [est. 1860] . . . . . . . . . . .405-406
    CICERO.  Hamilton County.  Sacred Heart Church.  [est. 1863] . . . . . . . . . . . . . 406-407
    MONTPELIER.  Blackford County.  St. John Evangelist's Church.  [est. 1864] . . .407-408
    PIERCETON.  Kosciusko County.  St. Francis' Church.  [est. 1864] . . . . . . . . . . 408-409
    CLARK'S HILL.  Tippecanoe County.  St. Rose of Lima's Church.  [est. 1867] . . .409
    COLFAX.  Clinton County.  St. George's Church.  [est. 1867] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409-410
    FRANCISVILLE.  Pulaski County.  St. Francis' Church.  [est. 1867] . . . . . . . . . 410-411
    ROANOKE.  Huntington County.  St. Joseph's Church.  [est. 1867] . . . . . . . . . . 411-412
    MEDARYVILLE.  Pulaski County.  St. Henry's Church.  [est. 1869] . . . . . . . . . .412
    ROCHESTER.  Fulton County.  St. Joseph's Church.  [est. 1869] . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
    LADOGA.  Montgomery County.  St. Patrick's Church.  [est. 1872] . . . . . . . . . . 413
    ALBION.  Noble County.  Sacred Heart Church.  [est. 1875] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .414
    BLUFFTON.  Wells County.  St. Joseph's Church.  [est. 1875] . . . . . . . . . . . . . .414
    BREMEN.  Marshall County.  St. Dominic's Church.  [est. 1875] . . . . . . . . . . . . .414-415
    WARSAW.  Kosciusko County.  Sacred Heart Church.  [est. 1876] . . . . . . . . . . 415-416
    MILLERSBURG.  Elkhart County.  St. Henry's Church.  [est. 1879] . . . . . . . . . . 416
    SUMMIT.  Dekalb County.  St. Michael's Church.  [est. 1880] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417
    ADAMS COUNTY.  Adams County.  St. Mary's of the Presentation Church.  [est. 1883]
                                                                                                        . . . . . . . . . . . . 417-418
    KOUTS.  Porter County.  St. Mary's Church.  [est. 1884] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .418

     The following is the long list of priests who have attended to the spiritual wants of Catholics at and near Leo:  1.  Rev. G. Miettinger, from January 26, 1862 till 1865.  2.  Rev. J. C. Carrier, C. S. C., from January 13, 1865 till June 21, 1866.  3.  Rev. Frederick Julian Holz, from June 1866 till July 25, 1868.  4.  Rev. Matthias Zumbuelte, from July 25, 1868 till August 1872.  5.  Rev. August Young, from August 22, 1872 till November 1874.  6.  Rev. Peter Franzen, from February 1875 till November 1876.  7.  Rev. C. Wardy, from April 1877 till May 1878.  8.  Rev. John J. Shea, C. S. C., Rev. B. Roche, C. S. C., from July 1878 till March 1879.  9.  Rev. James Gleeson, C. S. C., from March 1879 till July of the same year.  10.  Rev. Peter Fallize, C. S. C., from July 1879 till January 1880.  11.  Rev. W. Demers, C. S. C., from April till July 1880.  12.  Rev. Thomas Vagnier, C. S. C., from August 1880 till June 1888.  13.  Rev. P. J. Franciscus, C. S. C., from August 1888 till February 1889.  14.  Rev. John Lauth, C. S. C., from March 1889 till September 1890.  15.  Rev. M. J. Byrne, from February till July 1889.  16.  Rev. M. Robinson, C. S. C., from July 1889 till September 1892.  17.  Rev. L. J. Miller, C. S. C., from October 1892 till January 1893.  18.  Rev. J. M. Toohey, C. S. C., from May 1893 till August 1895.  19.  Rev. Jacob Lauth, C. S. C., from August 1895 till December of the same year.  20.  Rev. A. E. St. Amaud, C. S. C., from December 1895 till July 1898.  21.  Rev. A. E. Lafontaine, from July 1898 till August 1901.  22.  Rev. M. P. Louen, from August 1901 till January 1, 1907.  23.  Rev. Ambrose Dowd, C. PP. S., since January 1, 1907.
     St. Leo's Church was built in 1856, while the place was being attended by Revs. Julian Benoit and E. M. Faller.  Father Zumbuelte built the pastoral residence in 1870.  The cemetery grounds were donated by Peter Sullivan, in 1863.  The pastor of St. Vincent's has charge of the mission Leo.

     The building of the Monon railroad may be considered the beginning of San Pierre, when five Catholic families settled here.  One of the pioneer priests, who visited San Pierre, was Rev. John McMahon, the year 1856, when Mass was celebrated in the house of Michael Griffin.  But prior to Father McMahon's visit, Rev. Burns had been here.  A building, used as a barrel factory, was bought in 1858, for $50, and was made to answer the purposes of a church.  It stood where the present church stands.  From 1860 till 1879, Rev. Joseph Stephan made San Pierre his headquarters.  From the year 1880 until the fall of 1884 San Pierre was attended by the Franciscan Fathers, from Reynolds, Indiana.  The names of Fathers John, Athanasius and Ignatius are still current with the people.  Priests of the Most Precious Blood Community, from the fall of 1884 until July 1885, when Rev. Dominic Shunk, C. PP. S., began to reside at San Pierre, attended San Pierre.  The first church, already mentioned, was 18x12 feet, but in 1877 an addition of 10 feet was made; but, in 1885 Father Shunk planned a new church, which was built and ready for services in 1886.  The pastor, having completed the church, used the old church building for his residence, during a period of eight years.  In the fall of 1895 Wanatah became Father Shunk's place of residence.  From here he attended San Pierre, until the fall of 1895, after which date the Rev. John Kubacki, of North Judson, took charge.  After this time the pastors of North Judson have attended San Pierre, in the order named:  Rev. John Kubacki, Rev. Peter Kahellek, Rev. Joseph Bolka, Rev. Felix Seroczynski, and Rev. Charles F. Keyser.
     Mass is celebrated on alternate Sundays.  San Pierre has twenty-eight Catholic families, numbering 140 souls.  There is no debt on the church property.

     The Sacred Heart Parish (Most Precious Blood), in Wanatah, La Porte County, Indiana, is presently within the Diocese of Gary , which was established, in 1956, from the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, established, in 1857.  The priests from this Wanatah parish serve the Catholic congregation of St. Martin's at LaCrosse (Dewey Township), La Porte County, Indiana.
 

     In 1836, some German Catholic families located in Hamilton county, about three and a half miles northeast of Cicero, and it was called Buscher's settlement.  The Rev. Vincent Bacquelin residing at Shelbyville, was the first priest to visit here.  It is said of him that he met his death, by being thrown by his horse against a tree.  After him came priests from Indianapolis, such as Revs. Patrick McDermott, J. H. O'Bien, Daniel Maloney, Peter Leonard Brandt, Simon Siegrist, August Bessonies and John Gueguen.  When in 1857, the diocese of Fort Wayne was established the priests of Indianapolis ceased to visit here.

     The priests who attended Cicero, from 1857 until the present time, are the following:  Rev. Michael J. Clark, Anderson, 1857; Rev. B. Kroeger, Logansport, assistant at St. Vincent de Paul's, 1863; Rev. Lawrence Lamoor, Peru, assistant, 1865; Rev. B. T. Borg, 1868; Rev. F. Lordemann, Kokomo, 1873; Rev. F. G. Lentz, 1876; Rev. John Blum, 1892 till 1895; Franciscan Fathers, Lafayette, from 1896 till 1898; Rev. B. Biegel, Elwood, from March till September 10, 1898; Rev. P. J. O'Reilly from September10, 1898 till June 1899; Rev. F. J. Jansen, from June 24, 1899 till October 30, 1906; Rev. William B. Hordeman, since October 30, 1906.

     In 1863, a church was built in Buscher's Settlement and was dedicated by Bishop Luers, in 1864.  At the same time, a church was built in Mullen's Settlement, six miles northwest from Cicero.  The Washington Glass Company, coming to Cicero in 1894, brought with it a number of Catholic settlers, who were anxious to have church accomodations.  At their request, Bishop Rademacher instructed Father Biegel of Elwood to do for them what he could.  On March 31, 1898, Father Biegel celebrated Mass at Cicero, and through his efforts six lots were bought, in August of that year.  Father O'Reilly on leaving Frankfort had collected $600 for the new church.  The corner-stone for the new church was laid on September 30, 1900, by Rev. Charles B. Guendling, of Lafayette, and Rev. B. Biegel preached the sermon.  The church was dedicated by Bishop Alerding, on September 29, 1901, and a class of twenty-four was confirmed.  The church is 43x72 feet, with a nine-foot high basement and a brick veneered superstructure, with stained glass windows, three altars, fine pews and a baptistry.  It has projecting towers and a side sacristy; the style of architecture is a modified Gothic.  The cost of the building was $6,000, and on June 29, 1906, the last dollar due on it was paid.

     What has been said about Hartford City, with regard to visiting clergy in the pioneer days, might be rightfully repeated with regard to Montpelier.  The Catholics were few, and the small frame church, which was erected in 1864, was sufficient to accommodate them.  When Bishop Rademacher, in March 1894, sent Rev. Charles Dhe to Hartford City as its first resident pastor, the Bishop gave him charge also of Montpelieer, as a mission.  By this time, the discovery of natural gas and oil had developed Montpelier into a lively and prosperous town.  Father Dhe began at once to collect funds for a new church, and, on June 4, 1896, Bishop Rademacher dedicated it.  The church is a brick church after the Gothic style of architecture, and has two spires, one eighty and the other sixty feet high.  The seating capacity is 200, and its cost was $5,500.  About the year 1900, Father Dhe erected a commodious priest's house adjacent to the church.  When Father Dhe was transferred from Hartford City, the church property at Montpelier was indebted to the amount of $1,900.  Rev. John F. Noll succeeded Father Dhe on July 11, 1906, and has charge of St. John's Church at Montpelier, attending it from Hartford City.

     The number of families is forty-one, with a total of 179 souls.  St. John's has an Altar Society and a Young Ladies' Sodality.

     It was Rev. John Ryan who in its early days visited Pierceton, in Kosciusko county, from Lagro on horseback.  In the early sixties the Rev. Francis Lawler, resident at Laporte, looked after the spiritual welfare of the Catholics in and about Pierceton.  It was under him that the Church of St. Francis Xavier, a frame structure, was erected in 1864.  The resident priest at Columbia City, Rev. Henry Schaefer, next visited Pierceton.  Rev. George Steiner, Rev. Francis Siegelack and Rev. George Zurwellen, resident priests at Plymouth, came next in the order given.  After these Pierceton was visited by pastors of Columbia City, namely Rev. Joseph Rademacher, Rev. M. Zumbuelte, Rev. B. Theodore Borg and Rev. H. A. Hellhake.

     After this, Pierceton became a mission attended from Warsaw, where the Rev. F. C. Wiechmann was pastor, who attended the mission twice a month.  Until 1885, Rev. A. M. Ellering paid visits to Pierceton, when it was made a mission to be attended from Arcola.  Since that time the respective pastors of Arcola have successively attended Pierceton :  Revs. J. H. Werdein, W. J. Quinlan, W. Conrad Miller, Robert J. Pratt, S. M. Yenn, Peter Schmitt, Henry C. Kappel, and since June 8, 1907 the present pastor at Arcola, Rev. Edward J. Mungovan.

     At the present time the mission is attended on the second Sunday and Monday of each month.  Pierceton has thirteen Catholic families numbering fifty-eight souls.  There is no debt on the church property.

     Until the year 1867, Clark's Hill and vicinity was visited by priests from Lafayette.  The Catholics were few and were engaged, mostly, in the construction of railroads.  Rev. E. B. Kilroy was the first to make regular visits, and celebrate Mass in private houses.  Rev. John McMahon and Rev. Edward O'Flaherty, also paid visits here.  In 1867, Rev. Joseph A. Winter built the present church, on two lots donated him.  This church cost about $600, and has a seating capacity of sixty.  Father Winter had charge until 1870, and Rev. John R. Dinnen attended until 1874, since which time Clark's Hill has been a mission of Lebanon, and is attended once a month, on the third Sunday.  The number of souls at present is about forty-two, or ten families.  There is no debt on the church.

          In the early sixties, Colfax was visited from Lafayette by Rev. E. B. Kilroy, who celebrated Mass in private houses.  Rev. John McMahon also came here.  Rev. Joseph A. Winter erected the church in 1867.  Two lots were donated for the purpose, and the money to build the church was collected chiefly from railroad employees.  The church was a frame building, seating about sixty persons.  Father Winter continued to attend until Rev. George A. Hamilton and Rev. John R. Dinnen had charge till 1874, when it became a mission, attached to Lebanon, and since that time has been attended from there, on the third Sunday of every month.  The number of souls at the present time is twenty-seven, or seven families.  There is no debt on the church property.

     The town of Francisville exists since 1847, but it was not until 1860 that a Catholic priest, in the person of Rev. John McMahon, visited here and celebrated Mass, in private residences.  For seven years, until 1867, Rev. George Steiner, Rev. Julius Becks and Rev. Burns attended this place.  The congregation at this time numbered about twelve families, a mixture of Irish, American and German.

     The first and present church, built in 1867, is a frame structure and cost about $1,500.  The seating capacity is 200.  The church grounds consist of two lots, acquired in the same year the church was built.  The priests who attended Francisville while the church was building were, Rev. Burns and Rev. Anthony King.  The church property has no debt.  After the completion of the church, Rev. Joseph Stephan was the visiting pastor, for seven years.  After this time, Franciscan Fathers had charge of it during ten years:  Rev. Dominic Meier, O. F. M., Rev. Stephen Hoffman, O. F. M., Rev. Guido Stallo, O. F. M., Rev. Francis S. Schaefer, O. F. M., Rev. Peter A. Welling, O. F. M., Rev. Augustine Beyer, O. F. M.  After these we note the following:  Rev. John Berg, from June 1889 to June 8, 1893; Rev. Matthias Zumbuelte, from April 1888 to June 1889; Rev. George Schramm, from June 8, 1893; Rev. John Blum, from December 24, 1895 to November 1, 1896; Rev. John Kubacki, from November 1, 1896 to August 6, 1900; Rev. George Horstmann, from August 6, 1900 to July 4, 1905; Rev. Julius Seimetz, since July 4, 1905.

     The number of souls at present is about eighty-one.  Two girls of the parish have entered the religious state of life.

     Francisville is a mission attended from Reynolds, on the second Sunday of the month.

     A settlement, called the German Settlement, existed four to five miles north of Roanoke, in 1840.  Mass was offered in private houses, at that early date, by priests from Fort Wayne and Huntington, such as Revs. E. M. Faller, A. Schippert, Frederick Fuchs, Jacob Mayer, Henry V. Schaefer.  A little later a small frame church was built, where Mass was celebrated at irregular intervals, by Rev. Theodore Van der Poel, coming from Arcola.  It is a matter of record, that he celebrated midnight Mass of Christmas in Nix Settlement, the second Mass at 5 o'clock in Roanoke, and the third Mass at 10 o'clock at Arcola.  His mode of travel was on horseback.

     A church built by Protestants, 60x28 feet, on the most elevated spot of Roanoke, was for sale and the Catholics bought it, in 1867.  At that time the parish had from fifteen to twenty families.  Rev. William Woeste was the first resident pastor of Roanoke, with Nix Settlement as a mission, from 1870 to Novembr 19, 1880, he resided in a private house at Roanoke, and visited Nix Settlement twice a month.  During his time, in 1873, four acres of ground, one quarter of a mile north of Roanoke, were bought for cemetery purposes.  Rev. Cosmas Seeberger, C. PP. S., came next and remained for eight months.  His successor in October 1881, Rev. W. Conrad Miller, took up his residence in Roanoke, in the basement of the church for eight or nine months, but in 1882 took possession of the new priest's house in Nix Settlement; after which Roanoke became a mission of Nix Settlement, and remains such at the present time.  His successors, attending Roanoke from Nix Settlement, were:  Rev. F. J. Lambert, from 1883 till 1884; Rev. Philip Guethoff, from 1884 to 1889; Rev. Edward J. Boccard, from 1889 till 1895; Rev. Bruno Soengen, from December 1895 till June 23, 1905; Rev. John Biedermann, since June 30, 1905.

     In Father Miller's time the congregation had forty families, but decreased by 1905, to thirteen or fourteen, and at present has about twenty-six families, numbering 112 souls, some of whom live a distance of six or seven miles from the church. One Roanoke boy has entered the Congregation of the Most Precious Blood.  There is no debt on the church property.

     Medaryville was named after the owner, at the time, of nearly all the land in this neighborhood, and it owes its present habitable condition to persistent drainage.  The Catholic priests, who first visited this place were:  Rev. John McMahon, resided in Lafayette; Rev. Anthony King, resided in Winamac; Rev. Joseph Stephan, resided in San Pierre.

     In 1869, when the first church was built, Father Stephan had charge.  This church was a frame building, 24x43 feet, costing about $1,200.  The number of souls at this time was about 100.  The lot, on which the church stands, is located in the business portion of the town, and was donated by Mr. Ketchmark, a Catholic.  There is no debt on the church property.  The number of souls at the present time is about seventy-four.

     The priests who have served Medaryville after 1867, were Rev. George Steiner, Rev. Julius Becks and Rev. Burns.  After this, for ten years, the following Franciscan Fathers had charge:  Rev. Dominic Meier, O. F. M., Rev. Stephen Hoffmann, O. F. M., Rev. Guido Stallo, O. F. M., Rev. Francis S. Schaefer, O. F. M., Rev. Peter A. Welling, O. F. M., Rev. Augustine Beyer, O. F. M.  Then came secular priests, as follows:  Rev. Matthias Zumbuelte, from April 1888 to June 1889; Rev. John Berg, from June 1889 to June 8, 1893; Rev. George Schramm, from June 8, 1893; Rev. John Blum, from December 24, 1895 to November 1, 1896; Rev. John Kubacki, from November 1, 1896 to August 6, 1900; Rev. George Horstmann, from August 6, 1900 to July 4, 1905; Rev. Julius Seimetz, since July 4, 1905.

     Medaryville is a mission attended from Reynolds, on the fourth Sunday of the month.

     Rev. Charles Joseph Mougin is the first priest, known to have celebrated Mass in Rochester.  It was in the house of Louis Bogner the Holy Mysteries were celebrated.  Rev. Bernard Kroeger, residing at Peru, visited and celebrated Mass here, for several years.  In 1868 Father Kroeger, in the company of Bishop Luers, selected and bought the present church lots.  The deed is dated Octobr 19, 1868.  The present little church was erected in 1869.  After Father Kroeger, the following priests, in the order given, and residing in different places, attended St. Joseph's Church, at Rochester:  Rev. Frederick C. Wiechmann, Rev. George Zurwellen, Rev. Louis A. Moench, Rev. Timothy O'Sullivan, Rev. John Dempsey, Rev. John Kelly, Rev. Charles Thiele, Rev. Gregory A. Zern and, at present, Rev. F. Joseph Bilstein.  Monterey was the residence of the latter three.  Services are held here once a month, on a week day.  The congregation has six families, or twenty-five souls.  There is no debt on the church property.

     The Catholics of Ladoga, on December 12, 1872, purchased the Lutheran brick church of that place, and on May 4, 1873, it was dedicated as St. Patrick's Church, by Very Rev. P. Bede O'Connor, Vicar General of the diocese of Vincennes, assisted by Rev. E. P. Walters, pastor of Crawfordsville.  The price paid for the building was $600, and $400 more was expended to remodel it for divine worship.  At present the congregation numbers twelve families.  The pastors of Crawfordsville, beginning with Rev. Michael J. Clarke and continuing to the present pastor, Rev. W. J. Quinlan, have had charge of Ladoga.

     The Sacred Heart Church, at Albion, was built by Rev. Dominic Duehmig in 1875, and placed undert he special patronage of St. James, the Greater.  It was dedicated, the same year on the feast of St. James, by Bishop Dwenger.  At that time, the congregation consisted of twelve families.  Up to 1881, it was attended from Avilla and up to 1900, from Ege, and since July 13, 1900, the pastor of Auburn has had charge of it.  There are nine families left of the once flourishing congregation.  The place is visited, at stated intervals, on week days, to give the few remaining Catholics the opportunity of the sacraments.  The Rosary Society for married women has four members and the Sodality for single women has three.  There is no debt on the church property.

     The priests, who had charge at Bluffton, are the following:  Rev. H. Theodore Wilken, Arcola, 1872 to 1876; Rev. Ferdinand Koerdt, from August 1876 to May 1896, from Sheldon; Rev. Rudolph J. Denk, Sheldon, from May 1896 till April 1900; Rev. J. H. Bathe, Sheldon, from April 1900 till August 12, 1900; Rev. H. A. Hellhake, Sheldon, since August 12, 1900. 

     Father Wilken, visiting the station Bluffton up to 1873, celebrated Mass in the house of Timothy Enright.  The present St. Joseph's Church was built in 1875, at a cost of $1,300.