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St. Augustine Church Diamond Jubilee

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HISTORY OF SAINT AUGUSTINE'S PARISH

CHAPTER VII

Pastorates of 1903-1918

And in doing good, let us not fail.—Gal., VI, 9

     The erection of St. Augustine's Church in 1901 marked the climax in the material development of the parish. Equipped with a good church and rectory, school, convent and hall, there was no need for further building. Consequently, the history of the years that follow might well be the history of any well-organized parish whose pastors are intent on maintaining the high spiritual and material standing achieved by their zealous forbears. The following pages, then, will attempt but a brief survey of the later years, noting only the unusual things that transpired in each of the pastorates.

     When Father Charles retired from St. Augustine's, in August, 1903, Father Joseph Anthony Ziegelmayer, O.M.Cap., became pastor for the second time. The census which he took up in 1904 recorded approximately 1,000 families(1) with about 688 children attending school (2). Father Joseph took special interest in the catechetical instruction given in church on Sunday afternoons before the Vespers, and started the custom of giving a crucifix to the pupil who attended faithfully for three years after the reception of first Communion. The crucifix was blessed with the indulgence of the dying, and in conferring it, the pastor was wont to urge the recipient to treasure it throughout life, to clasp it in the hands at death, and to bear it along to the grave.

     No less interested was Father Joseph in urging the rosary devotion for the entire parish, and on Sunday, October 4, 1903, he started the rosary procession which has since become the annual practice. In fair weather the procession is outdoors.

     One June 26, 1904, the bells of St. Augustine's rang out a cheerful welcome to another priested son, Father Stephen Bienemann, O.M.Cap., who on that day celebrated his first solemn Mass. Father Joseph Anthony preached the sermon. In the same year on November 22, the stillness was broken by the mournful peal of the great St. George's bell tolling in measured strokes the death of Mrs. Mary Regina Frauenheim, the great benefactress of the church. Born at Osnabrueck, in the Province of Hanover, Germany, on September 28, 1832, she was one of eleven children of Joseph Henry and Anna Mary Meyer. At an early age she accompanied her parents to America and attended St. Philomena's School at Fourteenth Street. Later she pursued higher studies. In 1851, she married Edward Frauenheim while her sister entered the community of the Sisters of Notre Dame at Baltimore and became Mother Mary Evangelista, the Mother General of the community in the United States. In a brief life sketch of Mary Regina Frauenheim John W. Jordan says:

     Both she and her daughter Rose were deeply interested in the welfare of the Church and of various hospitals and in adding to the happiness and comfort of the poor and unfortunate in the community. She was also a generous donor to several charitable institutions in western Pennsylvania.(3)

     The funeral of Mrs. Frauenheim took place from St. Augustine's on November 25. Father Joseph Anthony celebrated the solemn Mass and a choir composed of Capuchin Fathers rendered the Gregorian chant. A large representation of clergy, both regular and diocesan, attended. Referring to her loss, Father Joseph said:

     Her great interest in St. Augustine's parish is generally known. Attachment to this parish was the reason why she continued to reside in the old family home; solicitude for the welfare of this parish prompted her in union with the other mem-

(1) St. Aug., Nov., 1904, p. 4.
(2) Ibid., Sept., 1903, p. 1.
(3) Op. cit., pp. 152, 153.

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Aloysius Frauenheim

Benefactor

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bers of her family to give the magnanimous gift without which this church could never have been built. And now that she is gone, the poor of this parish and the poor elsewhere will realize what she meant to them—she who was so tireless in doing good.(4)

     In 1905 and 1906 St. Augustine's was the scene of several noteworthy celebrations. On June 7, 1905, the Eucharistic League of Priests gathered there for its annual meeting. Father Hyacinth celebrated solemn Mass in the presence of the Bishop, the Most Reverend J. F. Regis Canevin, and carried the Blessed Sacrament in solemn procession. Father F. J. Eger of Newcastle(5) preached the sermon. On May 25, Father Patrick Leinsle, O.M.Cap., assistant in the parish for many years, celebrated his twenty-fifth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. Father Cassian Hartl, O.M.Cap., preached the sermon. In the afternoon the parish tendered greetings and gifts in the hall. To commemorate the beatification of Blessed Agathangelus and Blessed Cassian, martyrs of the Capuchin Order, a triduum was held from September 8-10. Father Bernard Nickel, O.M.Cap., preached the sermons. On January 21, 1906, the Most Rev. Regis Canevin, himself a fervent tertiary, presided and preached at a special Third Order Conference.

     On the material side Father Joseph renovated the old hall and started the Casino, a club for single and married men of the parish. The interior was altered so as to have a suitable place for bowling alleys, pool rooms, a library and assembly rooms. The expense was largely borne by the Casino organization itself. Thus passed the years of Father Joseph's second pastorate. When he stepped out of office to become Provincial he had reduced the parish debt by $24,704.28. In August, 1906, five years after the erection of the church, the debt stood at $37,453.25.

     Father Agatho Rolf, O.M.Cap., succeeded Father Joseph in August, 1906. He was born in Pittsburgh on February 18, 1869, entered the Capuchin Order in July, 1891, and was ordained priest on June 17, 1897. Father Agatho spent his early priestly years as assistant in Wheeling, then as superior and pastor in Charleston, W. Va.

     During the pastorate of Father Agatho occurred the death of Father Hyacinth, Founder of the Capuchin Province of Pennsylvania and first Capuchin pastor of St. Augustine's. Although attached to his beloved St. Augustine's, the cradle of the Province, Father Hyacinth had gone to Wheeling to consult a physician regarding his failing health. However, he had hardly arrived there when his ailment turned for the worse and on August 31, 1907, he passed to his reward.

     After the solemn obsequies in Wheeling the body was brought home to St. Augustine's where the seventy year old friar and priest had begun his historic work thirty-three years before. The writer distinctly remembers the sad home-coming of the saintly founder since he had the honor to be the cross-bearer in the procession of friars that met the body at the church's entrance on Monday afternoon, September 2, and to serve at the solemn Requiem on September 4. Father Joseph Anthony, Provincial, celebrated the solemn Mass and Fathers Benedict and Aloysius(6) assisted as deacon and subdeacon. Father Agatho was master of ceremonies. During the solemn A/lass at the high altar, Fathers Godhard, Mark, Raphael and Joseph Leonissa said low Masses at

(4) St. Aug., Dec., 1904, p. 3.
(5) Rev. Francis Joseph Eger was born on Aug. 4, 1863, at Carrolltown, Pa., and was ordained on July 8, 1886. Pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Newcastle, from 1888-1911, when he became pastor of St. Joseph's Church. Braddock, and held this office till his death on Nov. 9, 1936. Published: Golden Jubilee of St. Joseph's Church, Braddock, Pa., 1877-1927
(6) On Very Rev. Benedict Wich, O.M.Cap., see Chapter V. note 3.
Very Rev. Aloysius Kausler, O.M.Cap., was born at Clearfield, Pa., on Nov. 9, 1864. Joined the Capuchin Order at Herman, Pa., on Oct. 14, 1882. Ordained June 21, 1888. Pursued higher studies at Eichstaett, Bavaria, from 1889-1890, and at the University of Innsbruck from 1890-1891. Lector of dogmatic theology at SS. Peter and Paul's Monastery, Cumberland, Md., from 1891-1921. Superior of Capuchin College, Washington, D.C., from July, 1921-Feb., 1922. Pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Dover, O., from 1925-1931. Provincial Consultor for nineteen years. Wrote The History of St. Stephen's and St. Ann's Missions, Garrett Co., Md., 1820-1920. Died at Dover, O., on Dec. 6, 1931. "The Passing of Father Aloysius, O.M.Cap.," in St. Francis Home Journal, Jan., 1932, pp. 4, 5.
 

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the side altars. After the Mass Father Joseph preached the eulogy and Bishop Canevin pronounced the absolution. A choir of twenty Capuchins rendered the Gregorian Chant in the sanctuary.

     The large attendance of clergy and laity attested the esteem in which Father Hyacinth was held. Besides the Most Rev. Regis Canevin, Bishop of Pittsburgh, there were present: the Right Rev. Leander Schnerr, O.S.B., then Archabbot of St. Vincent's, Latrobe, Pa.; the Right Rev. F. L. Tobin; the Right Rev. M. Kittel, and fifty-four other priests including representatives of the various religious Orders. Many priests were prevented from attending owing to the annual clergy retreat.(7)

     In his sermon Father Joseph gave a graphic description of the life of Father Hyacinth, stressing especially his work as founder of the Province, his zeal as a religious priest working for the salvation of souls, his affability and kindness as a confrere. He said in part:

     But a few days ago the Capuchin Province of Pennsylvania commemorated the twenty-fifth anniversary of its independent existence, and today we stand sorrowing at the grave of its founder and father. With him we lay to rest the last of the three pioneers who came to this country thirty-four years ago and laid the foundation of the Pennsylvania Province. Today we are bereft of our strongest support, our wisest and most experienced counsellor. Our strongest pillar is broken. With Father Hyacinth's death the first volume of our history is closed.

     Referring to his work at St. Augustine's, he continued:

     For St. Augustine's his loss is especially keen and sad. Here was the cradle of our Province, for here Father Hyacinth began his blessed ministry in the new world, and here amidst many a trial he won the esteem and affection not only of the members of this parish but also of the German Catholics in general. Here, too, he spent most of his. years in the service of God, in the vineyard of the Lord. From the pulpit of the old church his unctuous words most frequently resounded, words that moved the sinner, consoled the sorrowing and encouraged the despairing. Many of my hearers will find it difficult to realize that this venerable priest will no more go daily to the altar to offer the sacrifice; that his convincing words will no more be heard from the pulpit, and that another will have his place in the confessional.

     The speaker concluded his discourse with an appeal for prayers and a touching apostrophe to the departed:

     Rest in peace, wise Teacher and Guide of my youth. Farewell, faithful Friend and Father.(8)

     Father Hyacinth was buried in St. Augustine's Cemetery in the plot reserved for the Capuchin friars. While the funeral procession passed the convent grounds of Mount Alvernia in Millvale, the motherhouse of the Franciscan Sisters whose spiritual adviser the departed had been, the little convent bell tolled a sad farewell. At the grave the Capuchin choir chanted the Benedictus while the casket was lowered into its last resting place beneath the great cross.

     In the pastorate of Father Agatho the Most Reverend Bishop Canevin came again for a Third Order meeting on September 17, 1908.(9) The occasion was the jubilee of the Holy Father, Pope Pius X. The Bishop assisted at Mass and addressed the fraternity. From January 26-29, 1908, Father Agatho also arranged for a retreat for the young men. Two of the evening sermons were preached by the late Right Reverend W. McMullen, Vicar General (died 1938), and one sermon by Father Cyril Meis, C.P., and one by Father Agatho.

When Father Agatho retired from office in August, 1909, he had reduced the debt by $13,458.15. There still remained a debt of $22,544.18.

     The successor of Father Agatho was Father Ignatius Weisbruch, O.M.Cap. Born in Peoria, Ill., on October 1, 1875, he entered the Capuchin Order in 1893 and was ordained priest on June 21, 1899. Previous to his appointment as pastor of St. Augustine's, he had been stationed twice at Pittsburgh, once as curate and then as lector of theology to the student priests. He had also spent some years at Herman, first as professor, then as guardian and pastor.

(7) Kinderfreund, IX, pp. 181-183, has a description of the solemn obsequies.
(8) "Trauerrede bei der Begraebniszfeier," by Very Rev. Joseph Anthony Ziegelmayer, O.M.Cap. Kinderfreund, IX, pp. 183-186.
(9) Rev. Cyprian Gehrling, O.M.Cap., Kurze Geschichte des . . . Dritt-Ordens-Zweiges, pp. 8, 9.

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     Father Ignatius introduced the twelve Sunday devotions in honor of the Immaculate Conception in 1909. The next year he inaugurated and directed the Holy Name Society in the parish at large and among the boys in each of the grades in school. The mission which he arranged from December 31, 1911-January 14, 1912, was preached by the Jesuit Fathers: Herman Joseph Elskamp, John Spirig and Henry Jordans. The mission was exceptionally well attended, especially by the men. The St. Augustinus gives an edifying picture of the missionaries addressing three assemblies at the same time—one in the hall where more than 450 unmarried men had assembled for the English sermon, another in the Casino hall where over 200 attended the German sermon, and a third in the church where a large crowd of married men had gathered.(10)

     Recognizing the necessity of uniting Catholics against the threatening dangers of socialism, the pastor introduced in 1911 a new society called the Volksverein. Founded in Germany in 1890 by the celebrated leader of the Catholic Center Party, Ludwig von Windthorst, its purpose was to promote social justice and to counteract the communistic activities. About this time the Volksverein had found its way into many German parishes of Pittsburgh and accomplished untold good by uniting the Catholics, both men and women, young and old, and keeping them informed regarding dangerous legislation, unworthy candidates for public office and in general promoting social justice and what we today call Catholic Action.(11)

     In the material order Father Ignatius installed steam-heating in the Casino, frescoed the convent chapel and built a substantial shelter house in the cemetery. Through the generosity of Branch 103 of the L.C.B.A., new desks were placed in the commercial class rooms. Over and above these improvements, Father Ignatius has the distinction of having wiped out the last vestige of debt on the church by paying within the three years of his pastorate $22,607.08. Announcing this welcome news in the St. Augustinus, the pastor remarked:

     "Let us on this occasion give thanks to God for his goodness and Providence in protecting us against misfortune and in preserving in the members of this parish the spirit of cheerful sacrifice."(12)

     Among the outstanding events of this pastorate we record the following: From July 10-12, 1910, the Seventeenth Annual Convention of the German Staatsverband assembled at St. Augustine's. Most Reverend J. M. Koudelka, Auxiliary Bishop of Cleveland, sang Pontifical Mass at ten o'clock and the Reverend John M. Seimetz of Catasauqua delivered the sermon. The Most Reverend Regis Canevin presided.(13)

     In this pastorate the following sons of the parish sang their first solemn Masses: Father Gregory Loebach, O.M.Cap., on June 26, 1910; Father Thomas, O.M.Cap., preached; Father Albert Bliss, O.M.Cap., on July 2, 1911; Father Agatho, O.M.Cap., preached; Father Albert Bliss, O.M.Cap., on June 23, 1912; Father Godhardt, O.M.Cap., preached; Father Martin Fuchs, O.M.Cap., on June 30, 1912; Father Cassian preached.

     On December 29, 1910, Father Lawrence Beck, O.M.Cap., celebrated the silver jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood. On the same occasion Sister Mary Agatha, Sister of the Reverend Jubilarian, commemorated the twenty-fifth anniversary of her entrance into the community of Divine Providence. At the solemn Mass Father Joseph Anthony Ziegelmayer, O.M.Cap., assisted the Reverend Jubilarian as archpriest; Father John B. Haeckler, pastor of St. Henry's Church, Pittsburgh, was deacon, and Father Aloysius Kausler, O.M.Cap., of Cumberland, Md., was subdeacon. Father Charles Steppling, pastor of St. Basil's Church, Carrick, and Father Cassian Hartl, O.M.Cap., were masters of ceremonies. Father Cassian also preached the sermon. Since Father Lawrence was the first Capuchin product of St. Fidelis Seminary, the alumni of this institution joined the Beck family in a grand reunion at

(10) Jan., 1912, p. 8.
(11) Der Volksverein, English and German Editions, Brooklyn, 1915.
(12) July 1912 p. 8.
(13) Report on this convention bears the title: Seventeenth Convention of the Staatsverband at St. Augustine's Hall Pittsburgh 1910.

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Edward Frauenheim, Sr.

Mrs. Regina Mary Frauenheim

Rose Frauenheim

Mrs. Clare Josephine Frauenheim O'Reilly

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both the Mass and at the banquet in St. Augustine's hall.(14)

     On February 5, 1911, the Most Reverend Regis Canevin came to St. Augustine's to conduct the canonical visitation. In the afternoon he inspected the church and sacristy whereupon he went to the rectory to view the books and sign them. In the evening the Holy Name Society escorted the Bishop to the church where he preached and gave benediction. The writer in the St. Augustinus remarks that this was the first time the parish ever had the canonical visitation.(15)

     Father Ignatius retired from the pastorate in July, 1912. Since then he has been active in parochial work in Wheeling, New Philadelphia, Ohio, and in several parishes in Kansas. From July, 1915-July, 1918, he held the office of Provincial and again in August, 1936, which office he holds at present.

     The next two pastors of St. Augustine's held the office but for a short time. Father Richard Dei, O.M.Cap., succeeded Father Ignatius, but ill health forced him to resign in October, three months after his appointment. His successor was Father Mark Haas, O.M.Cap., a son of the parish. In his brief pastorate of one month he introduced the Holy Hour of reparation on Thursday evenings. But he, too, was unwell and finding the burden too heavy resigned in November. The choice then fell on a former incumbent whose name was a household word among the people, Father Joseph Anthony Ziegelmayer, O.M.Cap.

     One of his first moves as pastor was to set up a pamphlet rack in the vestibule of the church in order to give the people ample opportunity to keep themselves informed on religious and social topics. In 1913, he made a parish visitation and collected $3,214.00 for defraying the expenses of renovating the church. The walls and ceiling were frescoed, the altars and statutes painted and the pews varnished for the sum of $5,800.00. The organ received a new bellows and an electric motor for $350.00. After the renovation of the church Father Joseph undertook the restoration of the school. For this purpose he started a collection which was to run over a period of several months. To the pastor's disappointment, the collection was not popular and netted only $174.50. This indifference of the people toward their school drew from Father Joseph the following bitter remarks:

     It is superfluous to make any remarks on the results of the school collection. Everyone can measure for himself the interest of the parish in the school even after the school fee and monthly collection have been abolished. It is difficult to write about this matter without becoming bitter. They on!y can appreciate the blessings of the parochial school who have never enjoyed them. Ingratitude is one of the worst vices, and they are guilty of it who themselves have been trained in the Catholic school, and allow their children to be trained therein but who make no sacrifice for it.(16)

     On another occasion the old pastor gave vent to his feelings as he contemplated the changes in the parish and in its spirit. He remarked:

     This month (November, 1913) it is forty years since the Capuchins came to Lawrenceville and to St. Augustine's. How many, or rather, how few can still remember Thirty-seventh Street as it was in those days! Will the changes of the next forty years be so marked? Hardly. The older a city, the slower the changes. Even St. Augustine's parish has seen its best days. It is going backward rather than forward. For several years the number of baptisms has decreased, the number of children is less, the spirit of sacrifice is notably declining, the good, old-fashioned members are dying out and the younger generation does not possess the same spirit of generosity for the church and the school. Don't say: "The pastor must have had the 'blues' when he wrote this." Not at all. True, this is bleak November weather as he writes these lines; but he knew this parish for about forty years; he knows it today, and therefore he knows what he writes. He feels sure, too, that all the older members of the parish will agree with him.

     These thoughts have strayed into my mind as I tried to reckon how many Indian heads would be necessary to put a copper roof on both church and
school!(17)

     Doubtless, the allusion to the Indian heads refers to the predominance of copper pennies in the collection basket. In 1915, however toward the close of his third term as pastor Father Joseph was made happy by the suc-

(14) St. Aug., Jan., 1911, pp. 2-5.
(15) Feb., 1911. p. 8.
(16) St. Aug., Sept., 1914, p. 9.
(17) Ibid., Nov., 1913, p. 8.

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cessful collection of gold and silver for a beautiful chalice and ciborium to commemorate the golden jubilee of the foundation of the parish. Taking the year 1860 as the beginning of organization, the year 1910 marked the fiftieth year. In an appeal entitled: "Better Late than Never", the pastor reminded the parishioners of the significant date already passed and suggested that they still commemorate it by presenting a jubilee chalice to the church. Instead of asking money, the pastor requested each member to make a personal sacrifice of jewelry, gold or silver, new or old, and present it for the making of a chalice. The result was so gratifying that enough gold and silver were collected for a chalice, paten and ciborium. The vessels were made by W. J. Feeley Company, Goldsmiths of Providence, R.I., and are masterpieces of gold studded with precious stones. The chalice bears the inscription: "Jubilee Gift of St. Augustine's Parish to its Church." The chalice was used for the first time on the first Sunday of October, 1915, at the seven o'clock Mass which was offered for all the donors.

     During this third pastorate of Father Joseph Anthony the following sons of the parish sang their first solemn Masses at St. Augustine's: Father Augustine Waldvogel, O.M.Cap., on May 31, and Father Edgar Riemer, O.M.Cap., on June 7, 1914. Father Joseph Anthony preached for the former celebration and Father Cassian Hartl, O.M.Cap., for the latter. In 1915, Father Anscar Zawart, O.M.Cap., sang his first solemn Mass on May 30 at seven o'clock and Father Justin Walz, O.M.Cap., at ten o'clock. The sermons were preached by Fathers Clement Pfeifer, O.M.Cap., and Godhard Friedmann, O.M.Cap.

     Father Joseph completed his third term in July, 1915. Broken in health he lived at the local friary without holding any office. About four years later, on May 25, 1919, he passed away at the age of sixty-five. Father Ignatius Weisbruch, O.M.Cap., Ex-Provincial at the time, sang the solemn Requiem and the Right Rev. Stephen Walsh, pastor of St. James' Church, Wilkinsburg, preached an eloquent and touching sermon. The Most Reverend Bishop, Regis Canevin, performed the last absolution. A host of priests and religious including the Rt. Rev. Archabbot Aurelius Stehle, O.S.B., of St. Vincent's, Latrobe attended the obsequies. His remains rest in St. Augustine's Cemetery, near the companions of his early labors, with Fathers Maurice and Hyacinth with whom his name is inseparably linked.(18)

     The next pastor was an old acquaintance, Father Agatho Rolf. Since the parish buildings had been so thoroughly renovated in recent years, there was little to do in this respect. Consequently, the new pastor, a fervent friend of the missions, endeavored to make the parish mission-minded. He himself had been instrumental in establishing the Catholic Students' Mission Crusade, having presided at the organizing meeting held at Techny, Illinois, in 1918. True to his conviction, he sought to inspire the parish with a practical love for the missions. Accordingly, in 1915, he conducted a grand mission bazaar that netted $2,058.89. The next year he organized the Little Flower Mission Circle composed of young ladies who volunteered their leisure to sew for the poor churches in mission lands. In many ways, both in the church and in the school, he continued to interest the parish in the "other sheep not of this fold."

     The outstanding work of Father Agatho in this regard was the establishment of the Missionary Confraternity of Christian Doctrine at St. Augustine's. This noble work was founded by Miss Mary Dunn of St. John the Baptist Parish on June 21, 1908. Its purpose was to instruct the Catholic children in outlying districts lacking both church and school. In January, 1916, Father Agatho established the Confraternity at St. Augustine's to catechize the neglected Catholic children, chiefly Italians and Slavs, living within the limits of the parish. Every Sunday after the childrens' Mass these children gathered into the parlors of the monastery to receive instruction from volunteer teachers under the supervision of Father Agatho. Happily, this work has continued to the present day.(19)

(18) Seraphic Home Journal, June, 1919, pp. 37-38. This obituary states erroneously that Bishop Domenec ordained Fr. Joseph. He was ordained by Bishop Tuigg.
(19) Cf. Silver Jubilee of the Missionary Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Pittsburgh, 1933.

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     During the pastorate of Father Agatho the sanctuary was enriched with a costly credence table of onyx and gilded brass, cut-glass cruets and gilt plate. The donor was Mrs. Albert Brandner who chose this way to honor the memory of her late husband. The baptistry was also enhanced by a new altar with artistic relief donated by a friend of the Suffering Souls.

     On May 28, 1916, Father William Stehle, O.M.Cap., returned to sing his first solemn Mass in his home parish. Father Cassian, O.M.Cap., preached.

     An unprecedented honor came to the parish on December 8, 1916, when Pope Benedict XV conferred the Knighthood of St. Gregory on Mr. Charles Jaegle. Born on September 19, 1854, in Freiburg in Breisgau, he came to the United States in 1868 and settled in Pittsburgh. He married Elizabeth Koebert on August 30, 1874. In 1880, he was chosen first editor and manager of the Pittsburgher Beobachter, and in 1898, he established the Pittsburgh Observer, a Catholic weekly. Later he edited the Knight of St. George, the organ of the Knights of that Order. Mr. Charles Jaegle was highly honored by the Most Rev. Bernard Christen of Andermatt, O.M.Cap., General of the Capuchins, who in 1893 affiliated him to the Capuchin Order. This affiliation entitled him and his descendants to the third generation to participate in all the Masses and good works of the Order. Mr. Jaegle was also a charter member of the Catholic Press Association and for many years its treasurer.

     The knighting of Mr. Jaegle took place in St. Augustine's Church on April 22, 1917. The Most Rev. Regis Canevin, Bishop of Pittsburgh, officiated. Up to that time Mr. Jaegle was, so far as we have ascertained, the only Catholic of the Pittsburgh Diocese to be made a Knight of St. Gregory. Mr. Jaegle bore his distinction with honor yet with humility, occupying his privileged place in the sanctuary on solemn occasions. He died on November, 1926, and was buried in St. Augustine's Cemetery. The Right Rev. William F. Stadelman, C.S.Sp., officiated.(20)

     On August 19, 1917, St. Augustine's was honored by a visit of the Most Rev. Venantius Dodo, a Lisle en Rigault, General of the Capuchin Order. On this occasion he made a brief address to the tertiaries of St. Francis.(21)

     Under the pastorate of Father Agatho, the following sons of the parish sang their first Solemn High Mass: Rev. Hyacinth Steigner, O.M.Cap., June, 1917; and Rev. Theodore Schillo, O.M.Cap., May 19, 1918. Father Agatho preached the festive sermon for Father Theodore.

     Father Agatho's pastorate ended in July, 1918. In keeping with his apostolic love for the missions, he volunteered his services for the Capuchin Mission of Kansu, China, although in years he was well beyond the fiftieth milestone. For a decade he worked zealously, bearing all the hardships inseparable from mission life in the Orient, and when about to return to the land of his birth, was stricken with the dreaded typhus and passed to his reward on July 7, 1931. He is buried in Tsinchow. His name will be in benediction not only in St. Augustine's and other parishes of the homeland, but also in far-off China for whose conversion he shortened his years.

(20) St. Aug., Dec., 1916, pp. 8, 9; Acta Apost. Sedis Dec., 1916, p. 463.
(21) Analecta O.M.Cap., vol. XXXIII, Rome, 1917, p. 198.

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Mrs. Clementina Frauenheim Epping

Edward J. Frauenheim

Joeph Elsesser, Sr., Oldest Living Member of St. Augustine Parish.  Born October 27, 1851; baptized in St. Philomena's Church; received First Holy Communion in St. Augustine's Church May 15, 1864

Leopold Vilsack

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