The following information about the Fathers from the Second Edition of the Society of the Divine Savior, "On Whose Shoulders We Stand", published 2005. Salvatorian Archives, 2506 N. Wauwatosa Ave., Wauwatosa, WI 53213-1135
Collection compiled by Michael R. Hoffman SDS
Submitted by Bob Domagalski, contact information on contributors page.
FATHER STURMIUS HAERTL SDS Born June 3, 1873 - Died August 15, 1944 Father Sturmius Haertl (birth name: Francis Xavier) was born in Gumpersberg, Bavaria, in 1873. He entered the Society in Rome, Italy, and Fr. Bonaventure Luethen was his Novice Master. He made his profession of vows on October 4, 1893. After completing his studies for the priesthood, he was ordained in Rome in 1898 in the Lateran Basilica, after which he was sent to St. Nazianz, Wisconsin. In 1905, he was assigned to help the new Salvatorian foundation in Wealdstone, England, where he remained for five years. In 1910, he returned to St. Nazianz as the Superior of the community. He taught Latin, Greek, and theology in the seminary in the early years of its existence. He was then appointed Novice Master and later rector of the scholastics. At various times, Fr. Sturmius served the province as treasurer and consultor, and also served as pastor of two neighboring parishes. While he was the Superior at St. Nazianz, he inaugurated a building program that gave rise to the Sisters’ convent, the power plant and laundry complex, and the school’s gymnasium. He was also a zealous promoter of the community’s printing apostolate and he started the Salvatorian publication, “The Savior’s Call.” After a lingering illness, he died on August 15, 1944, in Holy Family Hospital in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and he was buried in the community cemetery in St. Nazianz.
BROTHER VICTOR HAUMSCHILD SDS Born June 26, 1917 - Died December 28, 2001 Brother Victor Haumschild (birth name: Raymond Albert) was born on June 26, 1917, in Pittsville, Wisconsin, a small farming community in the north central part of the state, south of Marshfield. Following high school, like many young men of his day living in the tough times of the Great Depression, he worked with the government’s Civilian Conservation Corps, planting trees and building roads throughout the state. After this, he worked in a paper mill in northern Wisconsin until the beginning of World War II. He entered the US Coast Guard and served during the war years for thirty-eight months. After the war, he worked again in paper mills, both in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, and Oregon City, Oregon. But he felt a call to do something more meaningful, and he discovered his attractions to the religious life He returned to Wisconsin, where he had known of the Society, and entered the community in 1950 in Menominee, Michigan, where he spent his Novitiate year. He made his profession of vows on March 19, 1951. In a world that is characterized by mobility and job-shifting, Bro. Victor stands nearly alone as having had only two assignments throughout his fifty years of ministry. For eleven years, he was at Divine Savior Seminary in Lanham, Maryland, doing laundry, working in the tailor shop, and helping with the bookkeeping. In 1962, he accepted an assignment to St. Pius X Parish in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin where he remained for the rest of his life, working at similar tasks he’d had in Lanham, until just weeks prior to his death. Having been healthy and strong almost all his life, he was diagnosed with a fast-moving terminal cancer. He died on December 28, 2001, and was buried in the community cemetery in St. Nazianz. Bro. Victor is remembered as a man of few words, but of life-long dedication to his ministry and to the community. He loved baseball, ice cream, and chatting with the people of the parish he had grown to know so well over many years.
FATHER ANDREW HEINZ SDS Born June 4, 1926 - Died September 15, 1951 Frater Andrew Heinz (birth name: Phillip Henry) was born in Kickapoo, Illinois, on the outskirts of Peoria, in June of 1926. He attended Salvatorian Seminary in St. Nazianz, Wisconsin, for high school and two years of college, in the accelerated program that was required during the World War II years at St. Nazianz. He attended St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee for the first year of philosophy studies, after which he entered the Novitiate of the Society in Menominee, Michigan, where he made his profession of vows on September 8, 1947. He then lived at Divine Savior Seminary in Lanham, Maryland, and continued his studies for the priesthood at Catholic University in Washington, DC. After completing the third year of theology studies, he made his Final Profession of Vows and became a subdeacon. On September 15, 1951, while on vacation with his fellow scholastics in southern Maryland just prior to the beginning of their fourth year, Frater Andrew’s boat capsized in the river and he drowned. Just 25 years old, he was regarded as a quiet, likeable and humble young man, and his death was a terrible loss to his classmates and to the entire province. His body was returned to St. Nazianz for burial in the community cemetery.
BROTHER ANATOLIUS HEISS SDS Born September 12, 1865 - Died February 25, 1931 Brother Anatolius Heiss (birth name: Wendelin) was born in 1865 in Oberstadion, Germany. He attended elementary school and several years of classical studies, and he took up the trade of tinsmithing. After working as both a tinsmith and a plumber for several years, he entered the Society in Rome, Italy, in 1895, and he made his profession of vows on March 20, 1897, in the Motherhouse. He worked at his chosen trade there until 1902, when he was sent to the United States, to the community in St. Nazianz, Wisconsin, where he worked faithfully as tinsmith and plumber for the remaining twenty-eight years of his life. He proved to be an indispensable member of this newly founded and expanding community. He taught the skills of his trade to his apprentice. Bro. Alphonse Bunse. Others in the community would also come to learn these trades from them. Bro. Anatolius was known for his kindness, unfailing patience, an optimistic view of life, and careful attention to the duties assigned him. He struggled with a bronchial condition for over thirty years, which would sometimes throw him into fits of terrible coughing, but he rarely complained of it. He would only call it “his little cross.” He is remembered as a venerable white-bearded Brother who attracted the attention of many of the visitors by his striking figure. He died on February 25, 1931, surrounded by a few members of the community and by some of the Salvatorian Sisters in St. Mary’s Hospital in Wausau, and he was buried in the community cemetery in St. Nazianz.
FATHER FINTAN HOLZKNECHT SDS Born August 16, 1885 - Died November 30, 1959 Father Fintan Holzknecht (birth name: Francis) was born in 1885 in Wuerzburg, Bavaria. He entered the Society and began his studies for the priesthood in 1903 in Tivoli, Italy. After completing his Novitiate year, he made his profession of vows on October 4, 1906. He studied at the Gregorian University in Rome and was ordained to the priesthood there on July 9, 1911. Shortly after ordination, Fr. Fintan was sent to the United States and he taught in the seminary in St. Nazianz, Wisconsin for a short time. After that, he devoted most of his priestly life to parish work and hospital chaplaincy. Over the course of thirty years, he served as pastor of the parishes in Alverno, near Manitowoc, in Charlestown, and in St. Nazianz. He was especially loved by the parishioners of St. Gregory’s Parish in St. Nazianz, where he was pastor for twenty-two years. Fr. Fintan was a zealous and holy priest with a reputation for being an outstanding preacher, and he possessed a deep voice that would resonate in the church when he would preach or sing at Mass and Benediction. In late 1950, Fr. Fintan became chaplain of Holy Family Hospital in Manitowoc. While it was difficult for him to relinquish the pastorate of St. Gregory’s Parish after so many years and begin a new ministry, he overcame his own personal desires and devoted himself to the spiritual welfare of the sick with great energy and dedication. After a lingering battle with cancer, he died on November 30, 1959, and was buried in the community cemetery on Loretto Hill.
BROTHER THADDEUS HUEBNER SDS Born February 1, 1916 - Died April 30, 2000 Brother Thaddeus Huebner (birth name: Carlton Hugo) was born in 1916 in Neenah, Wisconsin. After graduating from high school, he worked as a mechanic in a local garage and he particularly loved working on motorcycles. He joined the Army during World War II and served in the Pacific and in Asia. For saving the life of a fellow soldier during heavy fire, he was awarded the Silver Star. After his discharge from the service, he entered the Society in St.Nazianz, Wisconsin, as a Brother candidate. His Novitiate year was spent in Menominee, Michigan, and he made his profession of vows on September 8, 1947. He was sent immediately to Blackwood, New Jersey, to help in the building of new structures and the renovation of older buildings, for the new Mother of the Savior Seminary. As the years progressed, he spent time in St. Nazianz; at Divine Savior Seminary in Lanham, Maryland; at the St. Pius X Retreat Center in Blackwood, New Jersey; and at Mount St. Paul College in Waukesha, Wisconsin. In 1971, he returned to St. Nazianz. When most of the community relocated to Milwaukee in 1985, Bro. Thaddeus remained in the village, living in a house next to the parish rectory. During his years there, he took care of the cemetery and the old monastery property. Suffering a fall in 1999, he moved to the Jordan Hall community in Milwaukee. He died in St. Joseph's Hospital on April 30, 2000, and he was buried in the community cemetery in St. Nazianz, a place he himself had taken care of for so many years. Bro. Thaddeus is remembered as a dedicated and faithful worker, always willing to complete his tasks and take on new responsibilities. He knew the thrill of building and opening new communities, and he also knew the pain of having to close doors and move on when communities ceased ministering in a particular place. But his faith and courage always remained.
FATHER JEROME JACOBS SDS Born: January 15, 1905 - Died: June 26, 1973 Father Jerome Jacobs (birth name: Louis Otto) was born in 1905 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1925, two years after graduating from a high school seminary in his home state, he began studies in St. Nazianz, Wisconsin. After finishing there, he continued with his philosophy courses at Catholic University in Washington, DC, and he entered the Society’s Novitiate in 1931. He made his profession of vows on December 8, 1932. Upon completion of his studies for the priesthood, he was ordained in Cleveland, Ohio, on December 21, 1935. He taught in the seminary in St. Nazianz, and also served for a time as dean of studies and dean of discipline; then he became rector and Superior at Divine Savior Seminary in Lanham, Maryland, during which time he was also a provincial consultor. In 1947, Fr. Jerome was elected Provincial. He set up his provincial offices in Menominee, Michigan, on the grounds of Jordan Seminary, serving the province in this capacity for two terms. He then ministered as rector and Superior in St. Nazianz; pastor of Good Shepard Parish in Sheridan, Oregon; and teacher at Mackin High School in Washington, DC. In 1959, he was re-elected Provincial and served another two terms, this time from the relocated provincial offices in Milwaukee. It was during this second set of terms that the province's investment difficulties and great financial crisis began to surface. This crisis, most of which was out of his control, weighed heavily upon Fr. Jerome, and he longed for a less-stressful ministry. In 1965, he became pastor of Mother Mary Mission in Phenix City, Alabama. Two years later, he moved just a bit further north to serve as pastor of St. Joseph's Parish in Huntsville. On June 26, 1973, just two weeks before he was set to retire from the pastorate, he died after a brief illness. He was buried in the community cemetery in St. Nazianz. He is remembered as a gifted and strong leader in the community, and a gentle pastor in his ministries.
BROTHER GORDIAN JUNGWIRTH SDS Born December 17, 1895 - Died November 18, 1979 Brother Gordian Jungwirth (birth name: John Pius) was born in 1895 in Wallern, Bohemia. When he was eight years old, his mother died and his family moved to the United States, to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. In 1909, he enrolled in the very first class of students in the seminary in St. Nazianz. In 1913, he entered the Novitiate as a Brother novice, and on December 8, 1914, he made his profession of vows. He ministered as gardener on the grounds and worked on the farm for a few years; then he worked in the Publishing Department as a typesetter and in circulation. He traveled throughout the state collecting funds to build the new seminary. Later he did similar solicitations in Wisconsin and the surrounding states for the Salvatorian publications, “Manna” and “The Savior’s Call.” For a short time, he worked at Trinity Prep Seminary in Sioux City, Iowa, and then he returned to St. Nazianz, where he served as porter, sacristan, and bookkeeper for the Mass stipend funds. He also drove the bus for the seminarians’ outings. As a result of his travels, Bro. Gordian brought many friends and benefactors to the Society. Throughout his life, he had a special devotion to Mary, Mother of the Savior, and he took special care of her shrine on Loretto Hill. The community also benefited from his wine-making hobby, enjoying his many vintages made from different kinds of berries, herbs, and fruits. As a result of an auto accident suffered weeks before, Bro. Gordian died in St. Mary’s Hospital in Wausau, on November 18, 1979, a month before his 84th birthday. A priest-friend who was driving the car suffered severe, but not fatal, injuries. Bro. Gordian was buried in the community cemetery in St. Nazianz. He is remembered as a kind and dedicated religious, a stabilizing force in the community through years of many changes.
FATHER MAURICE KELCH SDS Born March 7, 1914 - Died November 23, 1982 Father Maurice Kelch (birth name: Charles Emmanuel) was born in 1914 in Edwards, Illinois, on the outskirts of Peoria. After completing his high school studies and first two years of college at Salvatorian Seminary in St. Nazianz, Wisconsin, he entered the Novitiate there in 1943, and made his profession of vows on September 8, 1944. He finished his studies for the priesthood at Divine Savior Seminary in Lanham, Maryland, and Catholic University in Washington, DC, where he was ordained on June 6, 1950, in the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. In his first assignment, he was teacher, librarian, and disciplinarian in the seminary in St. Nazianz. Then he ministered for several years as the province’s Novice Master, first on the property of Jordan Seminary in Menominee, Michigan, and then in Colfax, Iowa. During these years, vocations to the religious life were plentiful, and he directed literally hundreds of men through their introductory year of religious life. Fr. Maurice was firm, but fair. He instilled in his Novices a deep sense of loyalty in answering God’s call to both ministry and community life. After he left this position, he was a teacher and spiritual director at Trinity Prep Seminary in Sioux City; the province’s Mission Director and provincial consultor in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; coordinator of the counselors at the Home on the Range for Boys in Sentinel Butte, North Dakota; and pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in nearby Golva. After a brief illness, he died in St. Alexius Hospital in Bismarck, North Dakota, on November 23, 1982. He was buried in the community cemetery in St. Nazianz. Fr. Maurice is remembered as a devoted and deeply spiritual priest, eager to teach by both word and example.
BROTHER ALOIS (ALOYSIUS) KELTER SDS Born March 23, 1891 - Died June 21, 1980 Brother Alois (Aloysius) Kelter was born in 1891 in Maxville, Wisconsin, a little village in the western part of the state near Eau Claire. He entered the community in St. Nazianz, and after completing Novitiate, he made his profession of vows on September 8, 1915. He was the first American-born Brother of the USA Province. Bro. Alois lived in the community in St. Nazianz for all of his religious life, ministering as refectorian, electrician, painter, gardener, and sacristan. Through his work, electricity was provided to Loretto Chapel for the first time. A tall and quiet man who spoke little, he was surely a man of dedicated service and prayer. Though he was plagued with health problems that often affected his walking, he remained steadfast in his faith and his duties, dealing as best he could with what life dealt him. In 1965, when the members of the Society were allowed to return to their baptismal names, Bro. Alois was surprisingly one of the first to return to his. For many years prior, he was known in religious life by the name “Constantius.” Failing health in the last few weeks of his life forced him to need constant care, and he was brought to St. Mary’s Nursing Home in Manitowoc, where he died peacefully on June 21, 1980. He was buried in the community cemetery in St. Nazianz.
FATHER ANSGAR KOENIGSBAUER SDS Born January 20, 1873 – Died July 28, 1944 Father Ansgar Koenigsbauer (birth name: Sebastian) was born in Auerbach, Bavaria, in 1873. He had desired to study for the priesthood at an early age, but because of his father’s objections, he became a miller. When he was 19, he entered the army and served two years in the infantry. At the age of 24, a friend of his gave a letter of introduction to the Founder, Fr. Francis Jordan, who invited him to come to Rome, Italy. He entered the Society of Rome in 1897, and he made his profession of vows on November 1, 1901. After his ordination to the priesthood in 1906, Fr. Ansgar was sent to the Salvatorian mission in Assam, India, where he labored for several years. At the outbreak of World War I, Fr. Ansgar returned to Europe, to Passau, Bavaria, and he was appointed rector of a large orphanage there. He was often seen walking in the neighborhoods, begging for food from door-to-door so he could feed the children. In 1923,he was sent to the United States, to the Salvatorian Mission House in Elkton, Maryland, where he raised funds for the mission in China, and helped in the neighboring parishes around Elkton. In 1926, he was appointed the province’s Novice Master, and he instructed the novices with the same kind of advice and training he himself had received from the Founder. After serving eleven years as Novice Master, Fr. Ansgar was appointed Superior of Jordan College in Menominee, Michigan. In 1940, he moved to St. Nazianz, Wisconsin, where he remained until his death from an incurable cancer, on July 28, 1944. He is remembered as a truly saintly and gifted man. He was buried in the community cemetery in St. Nazianz.
BROTHER CHARLES HENRY KUBAT SDS Born July 15, 1931 - Died September 13, 2002 Brother Charles Henry Kubat was born in 1931 in Okeene, Oklahoma, a small city northwest of Oklahoma City. After taking college courses in his home state and in Kansas, he became interested in religious life. He joined the Society as a Brother candidate in St. Nazianz, Wisconsin, in 1952. The following year he entered the Novitiate in Menominee, Michigan, where he made his profession of vows on March 19, 1954. He remained in Menominee until 1959, working in the maintenance of the seminary buildings. This was followed by similar work at Divine Savior Seminary in Lanham, Maryland; and Mother of the Savior Seminary in Blackwood, New Jersey. Bro. Charles then answered the call to serve in the Salvatorian missions in Tanzania, East Africa, where he ministered for sixteen years. While there, he served as diocesan treasurer, taught manual skills in the technical school, and did maintenance work in the various mission stations. He returned to the United States in 1980, to St. Nazianz, where he worked in maintenance, and also earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Silver Lake College in Manitowoc. In 1985, he moved to Tennessee, serving as plant manager at Sacred Heart Parish in Knoxville. A near-fatal auto accident in 1990 forced him to leave the parish and to spend many months in physical rehabilitation, both in Tennessee and in Wisconsin. When he was well enough to get around, he took courses at Sacred Heart Seminary in Hales Corners, Wisconsin, and lived and worked with the retired members in the Jordan Hall community in Milwaukee. A little more than a year before his death, he was diagnosed with advanced cancer. He died peacefully in St. Joseph’s Hospital on September 13, 2002, and he was buried in the community cemetery in St. Nazianz. His work in the missions of Tanzania is regarded as invaluable for through his efforts in building several dams, water was accessible to many more places than before. Though Bro. Charles had returned to his baptismal name, he was known for many years in religious life by the name “Otto.”
