Assumption Province Franciscans

1 Dear Brother(s) .. I have been writing the history of our Province since last February and hope to complete it before the Chapter of 2011 or shortly thereafter. Reading through our his-torical materials, it struck me time and time again that much of what has been written in various sources will be left untold. There are many fascinating bits of information about our brothers, places and events that are not material for historical text. Yet, they are inva-luable pieces of history told as singular inci-dents or related through daily/monthly di-aries. Because they are informal, brief and sometimes humorously described, they give life to often dry historical facts. They show the human side of the Province and that does make interesting reading. I would like to share some of these delightful tidbits with you.

2 They should be remembered as well as the friars whose memories they invoke. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, said this about history .. If you would understand anything, observe its be-ginning and its development. Perhaps some of the truths, tales and tidbits that will be shared will help us understand who we were and who we have become and how we got to where we are (in spite of the comedy and tragedy of events) while encouraging our continuing journey into the future. It is my plan to publish a one-page Our History every one-two weeks. I hope that you not only enjoy what I find, but that it also leaves you a little more aware and apprecia-tive of our rich past .. and ready to mold the challenges of the present into just as rich a future. 1863 Fr. Erasmus Sobocinski is listed as a student of philosophy in St.

3 Anthony Prov-ince at St. Joseph Monastery in Russian-controlled Midniewice, Poland. It was closed in 1864 by an edict of the Tsar. Exiled to Ita-ly, he completed his studies and was or-dained in 1869. -- Provincial Archives, Historical Factoids, 1863 1866 Br. Augustine Zeytz pronounces so-lemn vows. Six year later, with the suppres-sion of his monastery in Smolany, he would make his first trip to the which plants the seed for a future Franciscan Polish Province . 1869 Fr. Erasmus petitions for seculariza-tion to help his relatives who are in financial straits and his aged father who is in need of care. He appears to have been gone until 1871 or 1873. The circumstances of those intervening two/four years are unknown. He remains in exile in Italy. -- Provincial Archives, Historical Factoids, 1869, 1873 1872 Br.

4 Augustine arrives in the He attempts to provide for the spiritual care of Polish and Lithuanian communities in the area around Blossburg, Pennsylvania. Sur-veying the needs of these people, he was encouraged by an ex-Capuchin friar, Fr. Candid Koz owski to establish a Franciscan monastery in America. Rome hesitated, at this time, to give Augustine permission. He returns to Poland in 1881. -- Obituary of Br. Augustine Zeytz 1874 At this date, Fr. Stanislaus Jeka was ordained one year. He was a member of the Assumption Province FranciscansTruths, tales & tidbits No. 1 January 25, 2009 OOOuuurrr HHHiiiSSStttooorrryyyOur HiStory is published by Jerry Tokarz, OFM, Provincial Historian, on a weekly/every-other-week basis. Immaculate Conception Province (ICP) in Prussian Poland.

5 (Immaculate Conception Province was separated from Assumption Province in Poland [Augustine Zeytz s Prov-ince] in 1855). The Immaculate Conception provincial, Fr. Roger Binkowski, corresponds with the Minister General concerning the reli-gious persecution in Prussia. Clerics and students are given freedom ; friars in Orders are sent to other Provinces. Stanislaus goes to France. No specific mention is made con-cerning Jerome Schneider, a cleric of the ICP. He is, however, ordained in 1876 in Poland. -- Provincial Archives, Historical Factoids, 1874 1881 Frs. Erasmus and Stanislaus are look-ing to establish roots. In a meeting with the Minister General, they are given an ob-edience to visit holy places in Rome, Loretto, LaVerna and then go to Venice. They are excellent religious, but Poles; they are a little unstable until they find a place in their own country.

6 They eventually return to Cracow. Br. Sylvester Kuhn, of the Poznan Province , is sent to Quaracci as tailor. -- Provincial Archives, Historical Factoids, 1881 1882 Fr. Erasmus is saddened by the lack of observance in Cracow and goes to Rovig-no, Province of Venice, pleading with the Polish friars in Cracow to abolish their abuses and create a new house directly sub-ject to the Minister General. -- Provincial Archives, Historical Factoids, 1882 1884 Fr. Erasmus writes the Minister Gen-eral requesting that he, Fr. Stanislaus and Br. Sylvester Kuhn be given an obedience to join the Galicia Province in Crakow. Each member, however, had to make his own re-quest which didn t happen. Furthermore, the provincial of this Province (Galicia) did not reply. -- Provincial Archives, Historical Factoids, 1882 1885 Br.

7 Augustine petitions the Minister General a second time [June] to return to the and erect a Polish Province . His request in 1883 was denied. He begs permission again in July. -- Provincial Archives, Historical Factoids, 1885 1886 In February, Br. Augustine requests permission to join the Galicia Province . On October 15, he makes his fourth request to the Minister General to start a Province in America and is granted for a six-month stay in the US. -- Provincial Archives, Historical Factoids, 1886 1887 By March, Mr. John J. Hoff notarizes the sale of 120 acres of land in Pulaski to Bi-shop Katzer of Green Bay on the condition that a monastery and church be built on that property within a year. On April 18, a docu-ment formally requesting the erection of a friary in Pulaski was sent to the Sacred Con-gregation in Rome by Fr.

8 Joachim Maciejczk, provincial of the Galicia Province . On April 27, the cornerstone for the church was blessed by Bishop Katzer. -- Provincial Archives, Historical Factoids, 1887 The church and connected buildings will form three sides of a hollow the buildings will be two stories high and contain 60-70 rooms. The structure will be brick ve-neered. The church will be of tasty design. The entire cost will be about $20,000. Kimball, of this city, has the contract for the wood work and the mason work will be done by Milwaukee parties. The operations at Pu-laski are under the general charge of Br. Au-gustine Zeytz, of the Franciscan Order. It will be, we are informed, the only monastery of that Order in the country under distinctively Polish auspices. -- State Gazette of Green Bay, May 25, , col.

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