Father Stephen Eckert
(April 28, 1869 - February 16, 1923)
Father Stephen was the first permanent pastor at the Capuchin's St. Benedict the Moor parish in Milwaukee and is buried there, nameless, with the inscription "The apostle and champion of the colored race".
Stephen Eckert's Apostolate in the Early 1900's
Interesting quotes about Stephen Eckert from Catherine M. Odell's book, Father Solanus: the Story of Solanus Casey, O.F.M. Cap:
pg 74: "Offering friendship and prayers for those who were bedridden or in pain, Father Solanus began to make it a habit to call on parishioners. He would carry holy water and a crucifix with him. He made special efforts to reach out to those of other faiths, especially Jews and Protestants. It was an unusual gesture for the day but Solanus had carefully observed this ecumenical effort in Father Stephen Eckert in 1904, the year the two had lived together at Sacred Heart."
pg 172: "In late April of 1949, Father Solanus and Fathers Ambrose, Angelus and Herbert from St. Felix set out for Milwaukee by car. They were headed for the unveiling of a statue of a Capuchin, Father Stephen Eckert, who had died there in 1923. Solanus had known him in Yonkers at Sacred Heart, in 1904. He had been so impressed with the holiness of Father Stephen that he worked with others to promote Father Stephen's cause for beatification."