Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 6.djvu/551

 GERMANS

483

GERMANS

Mother-house at O'Fallon, Missouri. About 1000 sisters belong to this congregation. (15) Sisters of Divine Providence. Mother-house at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and Brightside, Holyoke, Massachu- setts. The Pittsburg mother-house was established in 1876, by sisters from Mainz, Germany. There are now about 400 sisters in all.

Besides all these, there are several smaller German religious congregations in the United States. In other congregations also, not of German foundation, there are now many German sisters. There must be, therefore, upwards of twelve thousand sisters of Ger- man origin in this country.

Parocliial Schools. — From the very beginning, of their settling in this country the German Catholics had at heart the estabUshing of parochial schools. Inter- esting details are given concerning the schools at Goshenhoppen and Conewago. The school at Gos- henhoppen was begun by Father Schneider, S.J. (who had previously served as Rector Magnificus, or elec- tive head, of Heidelberg ITniversity), soon after his arrival, in 1741. It was under his charge for twenty years, and under Father Ritter's during the twenty- three succeeding years. It was attended by the chil- dren of the whole neighbourhood, Protestant as well as Catholic, it being the only one in the place. About the time of the close of the French and Indian War, the school, for the first time, engaged the services of a lay teacher. Contrary to the custom which prevailed in'the Colonies generally, the schoobnaster was looked upon as a person of distinction in the little world of Goshenhoppen. Three schoolmasters are mentioned in the parish registers between 1763 and 1796: Henry Fredder, Breitenbach, and John Lawrence Guberna- tor. The last-named was no doubt the most distin- guished of the three. Born at Oppenheim, Ciermany, in 1735, he served as an officer in the army of the Al- lies in the Seven Years' War, and came to .\merica during the Revolutionary War. Highly educated, and a devoted teacher, he rendered eminent services to the cause of Catholic edvication in Pennsylvania, during a period of twenty-five j'ears. When, about 1787, the school near Conewago was so far developed as to be able to support a lay teacher, the services of this famous schoolmaster were obtained.

These schools, along with the other schools estab- lished and conducted by the Jesuits, have greatly influenced the development of the Catholic parochial school system in the United States. This early zeal for founding parochial schools is typical of the activity of the Ciermans during all svicceeding periods. Where- ever they settled in sufficient numbers the schoolhouse soon rose by the side of the parish church, and until the present day they have never ceased to be staunch and unflinching advocates of the parochial school system.

Societies. — The natural inclination and aptitude of the Germans for organizations issued in the formation of numerous social and reUgious associations. Be- sides parochial and local societies there is one organi- zation which exerted a far-reaching influence, namely, the Central- Verein. The wonderful organization of the Centre Party in the Fatherland and the admirable unity shown by the German Catholics during the Kiilturkampf, naturally stimulated the German Catho- lics in the United States to unite their eft'orts in \-ast organizations. "Germany is the land of fearless Catholicity, where Catholics have made themselves respected There is a \-igor in German Catho- licity, both political and doctrinal, that should excite our admiration, and be for us a splendid example for imitation. Who can reflect upon the work of the Centre Party, from Mallinckrodt and Windthorst to the late lamented Lieber, without a feeling of pride and satisfaction?" (Father John Conway, S..J.). — There is no doubt that the Central- Verein would never Ijave become what it now is without the noble

example of Catholic Germany. Founded in 1855, the Central- Verein had for its object, above all, the mate- rial aid of its members. But gradually, it broadened its programme, and it became one of the objects of the organization "to stand for CathoUc interests in the spirit of the CathoHc Church". It has been said, and justly, that perhaps no other CathoUc organization in the United States can point to a greater number of positive results, tending to promote the welfare of our fellow-men, than the Central- Verein. It has been a firm support of our youthful and flourishing Church, and has nobly contributed towards its gratifying development. For decades it has unflinchingly la- boured in the interest of the parochial school and for the preservation of the German language. Chiefly under its influence were founded the Teachers' Semi- nary, at St. Francis, and the Leo House, an institution in New York City for Catholic immigrants by which thousands have been rescued from bodily and splritr- ual perdition. The German American KatholikeiUage likewise owed their origin to the activity of the men of the Central- Verein, after the model of the famous an- nual assemblies of the Cierman Catholics, in the Fatherland. The influence of this splendid organiza- tion on the formation of the Federation of Catholic Societies cannot be overrated, — "The young organiza- tion breathes the spirit which animated the Central- Verein during the past fifty years ; the programme of the Federation, in its essential parts, is identical with that of the Central- Verein, so that the former helps to further and complete what the vigorous and valiant Ciermans began." — Together with Bishop McFaul of Trenton, the"German Archbishop Messmer, of Milwavi- kee, Wisconsin, is the prime mover and leading spirit of tlie Federation.

The Press. — More than twenty-five weekly papers are published in the United States for the benefit of German Catholics, besides a goodly number of monthly periodicals. The first German Catholic paper, "Der Wahrheitsfreund", was established in 1837, by the Rev. John M. Henni. After an existence of almost seventy years it ceased to appear in 1907. Another weekly which no longer exists, but which for many years rendered essential service to reUgion, was the " Katholische Kirchenzeitung ". Maximilian Oer- tel, the founder of this weekly, w'as born at Ansbach, Bavaria, in ISll, and arrived in this countrv in the beginning of the year 1839, highly commended by the heads of his denomination, to attend Lutheran immi- grants in the United States, On 15 March of the fol- lowing year he was received into the Catholic Church, to which he remained true and faithful throughout the rest of his life, doing excellent ser\-ice to the Catholic cause as one of the most brilliant editors the Gerrnans ever produced in this country. The "Ohio Waisen- freund", founded in 1873, and edited by the indefati- gable Rev. Jos. Jessing, later Monsignore, has a larger circulation than any other Catholic weekly in the countrs'. It has been doing a great amount of good these thirty-five years, the finest monument of its missionary "spirit being the " Josephinum ", a seminary for the education of candidates for the priesthood. Whereas an Enghsh CathoUc daily for many years has been a desideratum not yet realized, the German CathoUcs have two daily papers: ".\merika" (St. Louis), from 1878-1902 under the editorship of the famous Dr. Edward Preuss, and the "Buffalo Volks- freund " (Buffalo, New York). In connexion with these periodical publications, may be mentioned the "Pas- toral-Blatt", for a number of years edited by the Rev. W. Farber, of St. Louis, which existed long before the able EngUsh "Ecclesiastical Review" was founded and edited by Dr. Herman J. Heuser.

It is surely deserving of notice that among Catholic publishers in this coimtry the German names of Ben- ziger. Herder, and Pustet stand in the front rank. Nor should it be overlooked, that the translations of