Pfeiffer window in Spring Green

Weekly Home News, Spring Green, Sauk County, Wisconsin

November 29, 1900

New Catholic Church Dedicated

Services draw a large number of people to Spring Green - imposing ceremony conducted by Bishop Schwebach, Assisted by Eleven Priests - Class of thirty-eight Confirmed.

Last Thursday, the day appointed for the dedication of the new St. John's Catholic church, was an ideal day for that service, and people from far and near gathered here to witness the ceremony. The new church is not yet permanently seated, but was supplied with pews from the old church and chairs sufficient to seat, the greater part of the large audience, yet standing room in the aisles and in every nook and corner was occupied after the first impressive service in connection with the dedication, which was the procession of bishops and priest around the new edifice, the walls of which they sprinkled with holy water while repeating the prayers according to the Roman ritual.

Rev. Father Vaughan preached the dedication sermon, which was an eloquent and scholarly discourse. He tersely compared the works of God and man touching on the beauties of nature and architecture, and pointing out the importance of looking after the temple built by God (the human being) rather than after those erected by man. Rev. Vaughan briefly outlined Catholicism from its beginning up to the present time, showing how, when the whole world was at war, nation against nation, man against man, and when Rome was sucked by the vandals, the church alone withstood the attack, and in its turn Christianized these savages and made them at peace with one another and with God; and how ever since that time it had been the work of that sect to covert the savages everywhere, thus doing in great deal toward civilizing the greater part of the world.

High mass was then celebrated in presence of Bishop Schwebach by Rev. Flasch, Rev. McGuire acting as deacon and Rev. Gunn as sub-deacon. Rev. Schnitzer was master of ceremony.

Rev. Blum gave the sermon in German, and the bishop followed with an address to the children about to be confirmed, a class of thirty-eight boys and girls, and after the confirmation talked especially to the young people, admonishing them to live pure, Christian lives and become good men and maidens. At the conclusion of this address the Te Deum was sung by the choir.

List of Those Confirmed.

Pfeiffer stained-glass window in 1974

John Yanker being Godfather for the boys and Mrs. C. Cramer being Godmother for the girls.

Priests in Attendance.

Bishop Schwebach, of La Crosse; Rev. Fathers Reininger, Roxbury; Vaughan, Loreto; Ritz, Sauk City; Flasch, Mazomanie; McGuire and Gunn, Richland Center; Klein, East Bristol; Wurst, Tomah; Schnitzler, Cashton; Blum, Cross Plains; and Laurer, resident priest.

The above cut is a fair representation of the new edifice, which is 40x81 feet, with nine-foot basement under all. It faces west, gallery in front and altar in rear. The new communion railing was in place on Thursday, and the new pews will be added soon. The church will be heated by furnace. The building cost about $8,000. The windows were given by the following people: One by Rev. Father Laurer, the pastor; one by Branch 170 C.K. of Wisconsin; one by Joseph and Mary Lins; one by the young ladies of the congregation; one by the young men of the congregation; one in memory of the late M.F. Hurley, by his family; one by Miss Helen Pauli; one by John and Anna Evans; one by John and Mary Frank; one by Michael and Margaret Pfeifer [Pfeiffer]; one by Patrick and Mary Bridgeman; one by Mrs. Emster; one by Owen and Helen King.

The trustees of St. John's church are John Frank, treasurer; Thomas McNulty, secretary.

Building committee: Conrad Zilg, Thomas M. Pollard.

Though all seemed to take hold with an interest that is commendable, the fact that this imposing edifice adorns our village is due to the untiring energy and zeal of Rev. Father Laurer.