Church: Colby - St. Mary’s Catholic Church - 50th Anniversary (7 Sept. 1936)

Contact: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: MCGAVICK MULTERER SCHUH DANIELS DORENBACH HAUCK FIRNSTAHL REDING ARTMANN LACHNIT LANG SCHMITZ BAUCK OLSON MUCKERHEIDE MUEHLENKAMP BERGER KNAUF STIEBER CYSEWSKI HAINES NOVAK NAU CAP SEEBOTH DOYLE REUTER LEUTHER KLUZYKOWSKI BRICKL WILLITZER WOJAK AURIT

----Sources: Colby Phonograph (Colby, Clark County, Wis.) 09/10/1936

Observe 50th Anniversary

Rev. Wm. Reding of Wisconsin Rapids Delivers Fine Sermon

Solemn services in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding and first resident pastor of St. Mary’s parish were held in the presence of the Most Rev. Bishop A. J. McGavick, D. D., at the church Monday morning when nearly forty members of the clergy and fifteen religious were here for the occasion. Rev. W. Multerer read mass and he was assisted by Rev. Wm. Daniels as deacon and Rev. G. Schuh as sub-deacon, both being former assistants of St. Mary’s. Rev. Monsignor Dorenbach, pastor of St. John’s church of Marshfield, and Rev. Hauck of Wausau, who will be invested Monsignor next Sunday, also were in attendance. James Firnstahl, son of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Firnstahl, served as page boy. The Rt. Rev. Monsignor Wm. Reding, former pastor of St. Mary’s now at Wisconsin Rapids, preached the sermon.

Rev. Reding delivered a very interesting and inspiring sermon on the years gone by and traced the history of the congregation to the present time. He reviewed the work accomplished in the past fifty years and admonished the little children to follow in the footsteps of their parents and carry on the good work. He urged the young men and women to continue to support their church and thanked and praised the older members for the good work they had done. A fitting tribute was also given those who had been buried up on the hill. Rev. Reding left Colby just twenty-nine years ago and members of the congregation who remember him recall that his voice is not as strong as it used to be when he was in Colby although his sermons are delivered forcefully.

A banquet was served the visiting clergy and the religious in the church parlors.

Among the former St. Mary’s pastors who were here Monday were also Rev. H. Artmann of Durand who left Colby, Wisconsin, seventeen years ago and Rev. H. Lachnit of Rozellville who left Colby when Rev. Lang came here.

Other out of town clergy included Rev. E. W. Schmitz of Marshfield, Rt. Rev. J. B. Bauck of Wausau, Rev. A. Olson of Edgar, Rev. A. Muckerheide of Thorp, Rev. A. Muehlenkamp of Athens, Rev. E. L. Knauf of Big River, Rev. Wenzell Multerer of Halder, Rev. L. Stieber of Sherry, Rev. Joseph Cysewski of Mosinee, Rev. C. W. Haines of Dorchester, Rev. G. Schuh of Boyd, Rev. John Novak of Abbotsford, Rev. C. Nau of Wausau, Father Dominia O. M. Cap., St. Anthony’s monastery of Marathon, Rev. F. Seeboth of Stetsonville, Rev. Thomas Doyle of Wausau, Very Rev. G. J. Reuter of Medford, Rev. H. Leuther of Boyd, Rev. Anthony Aurit of Loyal, Rev. Kluzykowski of Cassel, Rev. Brickl of Wuerzburg, Rev. Joseph Willitzer of Pittsville, Rev. Theophilies Wojak of Wausau.

Out of town sisters included Sisters M. Wilhelm, Margaret Mary, Faith, Ann Marie and Ludmilla of Edgar, Sisters M. Alacoque, Irene, Mary Louis, Honorata and Jeanice of Stratford, Sister M. Borameo of St. Michael’s orphanage and Sister Fina of St. Joseph’s school of LaCrosse.