Our Catliolic Heritage in Texas
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Bishop, by Father Joseph Anstaett, Vicar-General and Administrator in Galveston, who sent them to join the others in San Antonio. But sickness and death ultimately defeated the brave efforts of the Benedictine pioneers, who in 1864 had the parishes of "St. Mary's in San Antonio with a large German congregation in the city and vicinity; St. Louis in Castroville, to which [were] attached the stations of Cuero with 20, D'Hannis with 75, and Bandera with some 20 families; Freder- icksburg with the following settlements, Boerne, Comfort, and Llano, containing many families; and New Braunfels with two or three set- tlements." Brother Michael Boehn was the first of the little band to succumb in 1862 to hardships and illness. Two years later the death of Brother Norbert Rossberger was reported. The once enthusiastic and apparently tireless Father Hoermann returned to St. Vincent in December, 1866. His health had been broken by tuberculosis; he died of the dread disease on June 29, 1867. His faithful companion and fellow worker, Father Peter Baunach, contracted the malady also. and returned to the monastery to die. The pastor of New Braunfels, Father Schmidtbauer, became afflicted with the white scourge shortlv after his arrival in 1866, but he stayed at his post 11ntil all the Benedictines were recalled in 1868. Sick unto death, he made his way with the others as far as Covington. Ken- tucky. where he died in St. Joseph's Priory on September 24, 1868, and was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery. Moved by increasing hardships, illness. and death. two of the Fathers in the Texas missions, attached to the Abbev by simole profession onlv. became disheartened and applied f~r disoensation to become diocesan priests. 29 In the face of such circumstances, Abbot Wimmer felt compelled to call a meeting-on March 18, 1867, to ask the Fathers of the monastery if. in their opinion. the missionary work in Texas should be continued. Ailing- Father Baunach. who had but recently returned from Texas- he was to die of tuberculosis on Sentemher ro. 1868-got up from his sick hed to plead for the continuation. b11t the majority favored giving- 11p the work in order to be better ahle to care for the missions nearer home. Regretfully. Abbot Wimmer informed Bishop Dubuis of the decision taken. b11t he promised that the withdrawal would be gradual so as to lighten as much as possible the blow to the missions. Bishop D11buis, who had been pastor of San Fernando when the Benedictines first came to San Antonio and had a high esteem for their work, wa!I
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1 9 Fellnf'r, flt,. ril. . 5()6-601.
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