Leavenworth County Churches
St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Leavenworth
"History of Leavenworth County," 1921
When the Rt. Rev. Louis Mary
Fink was consecrated Bishop of Eucarpia as coadjutor to Bishop Miege
his first public function in Kansas was the consecration of St. Joseph's
Church at Leavenworth on June 16, 1871. Bishop Miege himself celebrated the solemn high mass.
In the year 1858 Rev. Casimer Seitz, 0. B., who was the first priest
ordained by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Miege in Leavenworth, erected a frame
building two stories in height to answer the parochial requirements of a
new parish in Leavenworth for the Catholic Germans. A Catholic school
was also instituted shortly afterward. Father Casimer Seitz was succeeded by the Rev. Father Fisch, who said the first mass there on June 13,
1855. Father Aloys Mayer had charge of the parish in 1859. In 1863
Rev. Anthony Kuhls, who is now Monsignore, and who after leaving
Leavenworth was pastor at St. Mary's, Kansas City, Kansas, for forty-four years, assisted Father Fisch and when the latter was forced through
ill health to retire Father Kuhls took charge of the parish until October,
1864.
Father Kuhls was succeeded at this parish by the Revs. Cyril Knoll
and Xavier Huber, two Carmelite Fathers, who had come during the early
part of the year 1864 from Germany. The Rev. Father Heimann, who
was the first secular priest in the vicariate and who was the first priest
with Bishop Miege in Leavenworth, with the exception of Father Fisch,
joined the Carmelites in 1865, as well as did Rev. Father Louis Guenther.
Subsequent to his joining this order Father Heimann was known as Father
Albert, O. C. C. It was Father Albert that built the beautiful St. Joseph's
Church which was consecrated by Bishop Fink on Corpus Christi, 1871.
Father Louis, 0. C. C, succeeded Father Albert as rector of this parish
and during his incumbency built the three story parish house.
In 1882 the Rev. Father Bernard Fink, O. C. C, became rector of
the parish. He remained until 1887, when he was succeeded by the Rev.
Otto Wiedeman, who added the transepts to the church and had the interiors decorated. In 1890 Father Leo Vanden Heuvel took charge of the
pastorate. During his pastoral administration the new stations in bas
relief were donated in memory of the Mergen de Leglise families. The
"Sorrowful Mother" of "Pieta" in heroic size was also added for the devotion of the congregation. Chime bells were also hung in the tower,
which were blessed by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Fink.
In 1895 the Rev. Father Louis Guenther returned and a little later
the corner stone for a new school building was laid. The dedication took
place on the Feast of the Patronage of St. Joseph, April 26, 1896, the Rev.
Father Aloysius Bradley, 0. S. B., preaching the dedication sermon. In
May, 1896, the new brick building two stories in height was ready for
occupancy and 200 children find ample accommodation there. The Rev.
Father Ferdinand Vander Stay, who had been assisting Father Louis
Guenther, was placed in charge of the pastorate when ill health forced
Father Louis to retire. During the latter part of the year 1903 he died
here and was buried from the St. Joseph's Church, the Rt. Rev. Bishop
Fink officiating at his funeral and Father Beck, of Argentine, preaching
an interesting sermon.
In 1903 Father Sebastian Urnauer, O. C. C, became pastor of St.
Joseph's parish. He made many valuable improvements in the church
and schools. He was succeeded in 1906 by Father Ferdinand, who had
been his predecessor. Father Ferdinand had the church refrescoed and
repaired in many ways in preparation of the parish's Golden Jubilee, which
was held May the 10th to 12th, 1908. Pontifical High Mass was celebrated on the first day by Bishop T. F. Lillis, of Leavenworth; on the
second day by Bishop Cunningham, of Concordia, and, on the third day
by Rt. Rev. Abbot Innocent Wolf, Abbot of St. Benedict's, Atchison, Kansas. Shortly after this Father Ferdinand was called east and Father
Sebastian was again placed in charge. Father Sebstian was succeeded
by Father Peter, O. C. C, who served two terms of three years each, and
he was succeeded by Father Angela Lager, the present pastor, who is
assisted by Rev. Xavier Tynan, O. C. C.
St. Joseph's Benevolent Society was organized in this parish in October, 1859. On October 20, 1879, P. C. Becker instituted the first branch
of the Catholic Mutual Benevolent Association in Kansas at this parish.
A Young Ladies Sodality of the Blessed Virgin was organized in the
parish in 1871 by Rev. Father Albert Heimann. The Society of Christian
Mothers, The Young Men's Casino and the L. C. B. A. are also flourishing
organizations of the St. Joseph's parish.
On December 10, 1903, Bishop Fink dedicated the new chapel under
the title of Our Lady of Lourdes. In the city Father Shorter has built
a school west of the Holy Epiphany Church at a cost of $5,000.00 and
a roomy two-story building to the east of the church as a home for the
Oblate Sisters and dependent colored girls, where they are given needed
care and attention.
Father Shorter is still in charge of the colored mission work in
Leavenworth and of the prisoners in the penitentiary here after a period
of more than thirty years. In 1909 Rev. Thomas F. Lillis appointed
Father Shorter Vicar General of Leavenworth.
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