HISTORY OF ST. FRANCIS XAVIER CATHOLIC CHURCH

Location: Poseyville, Indiana

Established: 1887

The information contained in this history was condensed from “History of St. Francis Xavier Church Centennial” publication that was researched, compiled and written by Lujuan (Mrs. Maurice) Reising, covering the years from 1887 through 1987. Further research was done and the history of the years from 1988 to the present was written by Margaret (Mrs. Ernest) Rapp.

Priests (dates of tenure)

Significant Building and Remodeling Projects and Acquisitions

While traveling east on Main Street in Poseyville, one notices that a stately brick church looms ahead with its steeple pointing toward heaven. The church is St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church that has stood on the site since the late summer of 1887 when the original 34 X 76 foot brick church with stained glass windows was completed. The inspiration for the building of St. Francis came from a trip to Poseyville made by Reverend Francis B. Luebermann of Mt. Vernon in 1885. At his instigation and with the encouragement of Catholics in the area as well as non-Catholic businessmen, the site was chosen and an acre of ground was purchased from Miss Amelia Endicott for $500 in April, 1886. A loan was secured, funds were collected and the laying of the cornerstone took place on Sunday, October 31, 1886. A great celebration was held on September 17, 1877 for the dedication of the new church which when completed cost $4100, including some furniture. St. Francis’ first bell which still can be heard ringing over the town and country to this day was purchased from Stuckstede & Company in August, 1889. The Blessing of the Bell was celebrated by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Chatard, D.D. on August 11. Father Luebbermann continued to serve St. Francis from Mt. Vernon, traveling by train. Services were unscheduled and occurred once a month or so.

In 1895, Father Luebbermann was relieved of his ministry to Poseyville by the arrival of Reverend Andrew Schaaf on August 3. During this time, St. Francis was a mission church with masses every first and third Sunday of the month. Father Schaaf resided in Evansville and also assisted the pastor at St. Mary’s Church on Cherry Street. At that time St. Francis’ congregation numbered twenty-five families. Through Father Schaaf’s efforts, a second acre of ground to the north of the first was purchased. Father Schaaf himself was an architect and he designed and directed the work and building of the steeple of the church, adding a cupola and the present spire of 82 feet. During his fifteen year tenure, many improvements and additions were made, including an organ, the statue of St. Francis Xavier, and a second bell. The parsonage was begun and completed in 1897 and the construction of the school began. In July of 1897, Father Schaaf began his permanent residency in Poseyville and also served St. Bernard (Ft. Branch) as a mission parish. In the fall, one room of the school was completed and it opened September 13 with an enrollment of twenty-five students taught by Miss Martha Ketzner. She taught the students in English and German since many of the German settlers in the area still only spoke German in their homes.

In 1898, with about 48 families in the parish, further improvements were made to the interior of the church which was frescoed by Schaefer Brothers. A walk and new steps were added to the outside. In 1899, Father Schaaf also became pastor of Holy Angels Church in New Harmony. Holy Angels continued to be a mission church served by St. Francis Xavier pastors for about the next five decades.

Additional property was purchased by the church over the years. These included the purchase of three acres in 1901 for a cemetery a mile west of Poseyville. In 1903, ground adjoining the church on the south was purchased which included a residence. This residence became the home of the Sisters of St. Benedict who took charge of the school. The first nuns to arrive were Sisters Veronica, Henrietta, and Antonia, O.S.B. Classes were taught in the lower rooms of their residence as well as the one room school house until 1906 when the school was enlarged.

One of the historical treasures still in use today at St. Francis is a tracker action pipe organ that was purchased in 1907 and refurbished in 2002. It was built by Edmund Giesecke, who came from Germany, and is one of only two with its original mechanism in the area today.

The next endeavor by Father Schaaf was to build the present convent home for the sisters. It was completed in the spring of 1908. In October of 1908, electric lights began replacing the coal oil lamps used prior to this time.

Funds were always a problem for the early church. Sunday collections in those days amounted to a few cents and seldom more than $2. Funds came through donations and loans when necessary. Pledges were collected and dues from the ladies’ Altar and men’s Holy Name Societies were utilized. Pew rent, which began as early as 1888 which consisted of only a few seats at that time, gradually increased in amount each year. Tin name plates were purchased for the ends of the pews and this method of financing parish needs equaled or surpassed the total of all other ordinary income. Other fund raisers included tickets and raffles for such things as quilts and pigs. A Barbecue and a Passion Play were given in 1900 and in 1901 the most popular affair was the homemade Ice Cream and Cake Festival.

In June, 1910, Reverend Francis W. Wolf became pastor. He arrived to find an established congregation of seventy families. During his ten years at St. Francis, he oversaw additional improvements. Two of St. Francis’ historical treasures still being used today were purchased and donated by parishioners during this period—the statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, purchased in 1912, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, purchased in 1913 both of which were imported from Tirol, Austria.

Parish groups that existed during this time were the men’s Holy Name Society, the ladies’ Altar Society, the young men’s Junior Holy Name Society, the young ladies’ Sodality of the Blessed Virgin, the Drama Club and the choir. In addition to Pew Rent and the Ice Cream Festival, many fund raisers were conducted by these church groups including sponsored Socials, Euchre parties, Raffles, Box Suppers, a Thanksgiving Bazaar and plays by the Drama Club.

Father Wolf had hoped to add an extension to the church which had become too small for the growing parish. August 1, 1920 saw the arrival of Reverend Henry T. Verst, the third resident pastor. Father Verst undertook the task of adding the much needed space by proposing a large addition to the church. The new addition consisted of a large transept with sacristies and a wide sanctuary. The building formed a cross 120 feet long and 50 feet wide that would seat about 400. Three large altars, a communion railing, and beautiful art and mosaic windows were installed. The church was rededicated on September 18, 1921. By August of 1921, the Ice Cream Festival was a two day affair. It was the largest source of income followed by the Pew Rent.

On September 1, 1927, Reverend Henry C. Hunger became pastor of St. Francis Xavier Church. Father Hunger is said to have been very popular with the school children and was often found on the school grounds actively participating in their sports. He was also very devoted to the sick. His tenure at St. Francis was relatively short.

August 22, 1931 saw the arrival of Reverend John A. Schenk to be pastor where he served St. Francis parish through the Great Depression and World War II. Although suffering from ill health, his thriftiness and effort resulted in paying off the parish’s debt. The 1933 Annual Diocesan Report listed 68 families and approximately 324 parishioners at St. Francis Xavier. Father Schenk was the last of St. Francis’ pastors to serve New Harmony as a mission and New Harmony became a parish on its own in 1948.

Bingo was introduced in 1932 with prizes awarded to winners. Sunday collections averaged about $8.00 in 1934, then rapidly increased but did not overtake Pew Rent as a source of income until 1940. The annual Ice Cream Festival was however still the largest single source of income. The last festival was held August 17, 1941, netting $3036.19. For several years following its discontinuance donations were made toward a Festival Fund with parishioners preferring that to all the labor involved. From that time forward, Sunday and Holy Day collections became the greatest source of income.

By 1950, the parish had grown to about 105 families with 417 parishioners. Over the years, the societies of the parish had gradually become inactive. However, the ladies of the parish did continue with many chores. Eventually the majority of ladies desired an active society and on May 10, 1955 the Altar Society was reorganized under the title of Our Lady of Good Counsel.

In June, 1956, after suffering for years with failing health, Father Schenk gave up his pastorate to take up residency at the new St. Mary’s Hospital in Evansville. June 16, 1956 saw the arrival of Reverend Alfred W. Niehaus. Under his supervision, including his manual labor, the rectory was completely redecorated and the Sisters’ home was improved. Within months of his arrival, he made great strides in advancing other groups and activities for the promotion of spiritual growth within the parish. The first Sunday bulletin was printed September 2, 1956. Also in September, he organized several adult Study Clubs, started weekly religion classes for High School youths, and reactivated the men’s Holy Name Society. On April 9, 1957, a Praesidium of the legion of Mary was organized and held its first meeting the following week. On October 26, 1957, a Confraternity of Christian Doctrine school for kindergarten-age children was opened with an enrollment of twenty. Saturday religion classes were provided for students of the parish who attended public grade school.

Three persons, whose longevity of service to St. Francis Xavier parish, are worth mentioning. One is Sister Marcellina, housekeeper for the teaching nuns who served for over thirty years, retiring in 1966. Another is Miss Anna Emge who served the parish as organist and choir director for over sixty years, beginning in 1896 until about 1957-58. Still a third parishioner to be remembered was August “Gus” Wentzel who began his sexton duties in August, 1933 and served until October 9, 1961.

By February, 1961, the parish embraced tithing as a means of funding. However, Pew Rent was not completely discontinued until June of 1965. Due to steadily increasing enrollment in the school which by 1961 was 121, plans were made to replace the old school with a new modern school building. The new school opened for classes on September 10, 1962 with an enrollment of 140 children in eight grades.

In February of 1962, a St. Vincent de Paul Society was started. The Altar Society continued to be active. By the end of 1964, as a result of Vatican Council II, many changes in the Liturgy and practices were taking place. The congregation began responding in English to mass prayers, and a new Altar of Sacrifice was built and added to the sanctuary so that mass could be offered facing the people. In December, the first English dialogue mass at St. Francis was celebrated. In 1967, an altar with a phoenix (pelican) wood carving from the Assumption Cathedral convent was donated to the parish and replaced the old St. Francis High altar. This time period also saw the establishment of Parish Council for the implementation of further lay participation in parish affairs. By November of 1967, the entire mass was given in English.

Reverend Roman Heerdink took up pastoral duties on August 22, 1968. The parish was in the process of organizing the new Parish Council. He succeeded in modernizing the church facilities. In late 1968 and early 1969, the St. Francis C.Y.O. organization became active in sports, winning more than fifty trophies during the next decade in boys and girl’s basketball, softball, and baseball.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society had remained active during this time. Early in 1970, the men and women of the parish decided to have active societies for social purposes. The Men’s Club was organized, and the ladies called themselves the “Socialites,” or as it later evolved, the “Ladies Club.” St. Francis’ first year to host the Ecumenical Thanksgiving service was in 1969. Saturday, June 6, 1970 was the first Saturday evening masses at St. Francis to fulfill the Sunday obligation.

Because of continuing debt and dropping enrollment, it was decided in the fall of 1970 to retain only six grades at St. Francis. The following year, the difficult decision had to be made to close the St. Francis school permanently in May 1971. In order to continue the religious education of the children, additional Confraternity of Christian Doctrine classes were set up with all twelve grades meeting weekly.

On February 21, 1972, due to health problems, Father Heerdink left Poseyville. During the following four months without a pastor, the parish was served by the Reverends James Lex and John Foster of St. Wendel parish. Reverend Alban Berling, O.S.B. assumed pastoral duties at St. Francis on June 20, 1972. St. Francis now had approximately 195 families. Under “Father Alban”, as he was called, the task of making much needed repairs to the church began. A complete renovation of the church interior included the elevation of a portion of the transept floor and the building of a dais so that the Altar of Sacrifice would be surrounded by the people. The two side altars were removed, fused into one to form the Altar of Sacrifice. The previous High altar was made smaller and refinished, then placed on a remodeled platform to become the Altar of Repose. New pews and sanctuary furniture among many other alterations resulted in a newly renovated church which the parish celebrated with an open house on August 5, 1973.

During this period, parish life flourished as lay persons became more involved in the church. Committees of lay people were actively participating in every facet of parish life under the auspices of the Parish Council. Upon Father Alban’s arrival, Sister Mary Ethel, O.S.B., had been procured as part time coordinator for the twelve grades of religion classes (C.C.D.). With the help of her assistants, Sisters Francille and Mary Edward and many parishioners, approximately 243 children were taught religion each Sunday morning between the two masses.

In addition to regular services, missions, retreats, and Forty-Hours Devotion, public praying of the Rosary before the Saturday evening mass began in 1972. The ecumenical practice of alternately hosting joint Thanksgiving and World Day of Prayer services with the other two churches in Poseyville continued. Increased participation of parish members was evidenced by more commissioned laymen assisting in the distribution of Holy Communion, and both men and women acting as Readers during mass. The parish had three choirs: the Adult Choir, the Ladies Special Choir (for funerals), and a Youth Choir.

A first for St. Francis Xavier occurred April 9, 1974 when the church, due to its ideal new seating arrangement, was chosen as the site for the Holy Week Chrism Mass with the Most Reverend Francis R. Shea, Bishop of Evansville, concelebrating the Mass at which the Holy Oils were blessed.

March 26, 1975 saw the formation of the Quilting Club at St. Francis by thirteen ladies of the parish. Since that time they have quilted together and raised funds through quilt raffles which they donate to the church. Other organizations that were active during these years were the Men’s and Ladies’ Clubs, C.Y.O., St. Vincent de Paul, and Society of Mary.

Father Alban was transferred back to St. Benedict’s Church in Evansville on May 27, 1975. St. Francis was temporarily without a pastor. July 21, 1975 heralded the arrival of the new pastor, Reverend Albert J. Scheller. His first message to the parishioners was that during his sermons he intended to “Get up,--speak up,--then shut up!!!” which became a hallmark of his time at St. Francis. In August, Sister Corita Hoffman, O.S.B., became Coordinator of the C.C.D. program.

Father Scheller took a short European vacation beginning July 8, 1976 which turned out to be much longer than planned when he suffered a back injury. During his convalescence Reverend William Schwenk acted as Administrator and served until Father Scheller returned in November. A much needed new rectory was completed in January of 1979. The rectory serves as a multi-purpose building with offices, meeting rooms, and living quarters. It has become a permanent home for the Quilting Club to meet and work.

Several changes took place during this time. The Christmas of 1975 saw the “Midnight Mass” changed to 10:00 pm and a Children’s Mass was introduced at 5:00 pm on Christmas Eve. November 20, 1977 was the first time that congregation members had the option of receiving Holy Communion in the hand. From the fall of 1983 through 1985, the parish took part in the Renew program to educate adult in the Catholic beliefs and doctrines. The spirit of Ecumenism continues with the joint Thanksgiving and World Day of Prayer services alternately being hosted with the three area Protestant churches: the Methodist and Christian churches of Poseyville, and the Christian church of Wadesville. In 1977, a joint Easter Sunrise Service was added. June, 1979 was the beginning of the parish sponsored Vacation Bible School with seventy-five attending the first year.

The Garden Patch project which was begun at St. Francis in 1977 endures, with parishioners donating surplus fresh vegetables for the needy in Evansville.

The bequest of Miss Rose Seib, a lifelong member of St. Francis parish, made possible many improvements to St. Francis Xavier and to the cemetery property. The most noted improvement was the paving of the church and school parking lot in August, 1983.

In 1984, St. Francis adopted St. Albert the Great parish in Haiti. Assistance to this poverty-stricken island parish includes monthly donations for education and food. Support continues to this day.

In 1985 parishioners began plans for St. Francis’ centennial year, 1987. A Centennial Committee decided to publicly celebrate Centennial Sunday, June 7, 1987. A special Mass involving the bishop, former pastors, religious vocations and other clergy, was celebrated, followed with an afternoon festival and dinner. The traditional Forty-Hours Devotion was extended to 100 hours adoration in commemoration and thanksgiving for the 100 years in which God had blessed St. Francis parish.

July, 1987, saw the return of William Schwenk as pastor at St. Francis Xavier parish. His tenure lasted until 1990. Father Schwenk was familiar with St. Francis Xavier Church as he had served for a short time in 1976 while Father Scheller was recovering from back surgery.

In July of 1990, Edward Schneider became the parish priest. In August of 1990, Sister Leta Zeller, O.S.B. arrived to take over as Pastoral Associate. Sister Leta is a Benedictine sister from Ferdinand, Indiana. Her responsibilities include religious education, youth ministry, RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults), and RCIC (Rite of Christian Initiation for Children).

William Dietsch arrived in July, 1996 to take over the pastorate at St. Francis Xavier. Father Bill remains with us to the present day (October, 2004). In May of 2003, he also became the priest for Holy Angels Catholic Church in New Harmony as a result of clustering. Clustering is the Catholic Church’s response to the priesthood shortage in which two or more parishes share the same priest and Pastoral Associate. Together Father Bill and Sister Leta have worked diligently to minister to the needs of the two parishes while helping them to attain their separate identities. The clustering will eventually include two more parishes—St. Wendel and St. Joe in the County.

On March 1, 1997, the St. Francis Teleprayer Network (SAFTNET) was launched. It was instigated because of the belief that through prayer individuals can intercede to God on behalf of another person or family in need. It was done as an outreach to parishioners and community members through a network of prayer. It is a volunteer, grass-roots prayer chain. When someone requests prayers for themselves or a loved one, telephone calls are made to three or four others who in turn call three or four and the process repeats until about 75 people are praying on one accord.

The restoration of the Giesecke pipe organ began in March, 2002, and it was dedicated on the second Sunday in December of that year. Funding for the restoration included various means including the collection, hulling, packaging and selling of pecans from trees located behind the rectory. Parishioners also pitched in to help take apart and reassemble the pipe organ that was repaired by the Miller Pipe Organ Company of Louisville, Ky. Some pipes had to be replaced and were shipped from a German company.

St. Francis Xavier began a process of lay stewardship in 2002 with the formation of the Stewardship Committee. The first undertaking of the committee was to develop a survey to determine the strengths, weaknesses and needs of the parish. As a result of the survey, three subcommittees were formed—Liturgy Committee, Welcoming/Fellowship Committee, and Youth Committee. Some of the things which were implemented to address the needs of the parish were to organize a Youth Choir; initiate a greeters program at masses; establishment of a Welcome Wagon for new parishioners and families with newborns; the organization of “Gathering Sunday” events; and a revitalized parish picnic. The publication of the parish newspaper, The Parish Pen, began in April, 2003 to inform active and inactive Catholics of the happenings at St. Francis. A very worthwhile project that began in August, 2004 was participation in the Habitat for Humanity. The Stewardship Committee raised funds by various means and members of the parish donated their time and abilities to help build a Habitat Home along with several other Catholic churches in the area. Many parishioners have stepped forward to share their time, talent, and treasure with their fellow parishioners on the way to becoming a total stewardship parish.

At the present time (October, 2004), the numbers of families in the St. Francis Xavier parish is 268 with about 860 total people. In addition to the Stewardship committee and its subcommittees, active adult organizations include Men’s Club, Ladies Club, Quilting Club, and St. Vincent de Paul. These organizations exist as a social and a service-oriented outlet for parishioners. For example, the ladies of the Quilting Club recently celebrated the making of their 1000th quilt. Proceeds from the sale and raffling of these quilts are used to purchase needed items for the church. Three choirs exist to meet the musical needs for the liturgies—Adult choir, Youth choir, and the funeral choir. Lay persons serve as advisors to the priest on the Parish Council and the Finance Committee. In addition, parishioners serve as ushers, greeters, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, Sacristans, and servers at mass.

Religious Education is taught by Sister Leta Zeller and a group of dedicated lay catechists who teach pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade. In addition to instruction of the parish youth in spiritual formation these classes do service projects such as the Adopt-A-Family Card Party that is conducted by the 7th & 8th grades to raise money for a needy family they have adopted within the parish. They collect between $1200 and $1400 to purchase shoes, coats, and even pay rent when needed for their adopted family. The St. Francis Xavier Youth Group meets on Sunday evenings. They have officers and each age level within the group works on projects and programs for the group as a whole.

In 2003, St. Francis had its first parishioner, Flora Mae (Mrs. Clarence) Hopf, inducted into the Bruté Society, an honorary association of southwestern Indiana Catholic lay persons who are recognized by their fellow parishioners as outstanding models of Christian stewardship. Then in 2004, two couples, Henry and Virginia Beuligmann and Urban (Sr) and Mary Catherine Schmitt, were inducted and honored.

St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church is proud of its nearly one hundred and seventeen years of providing for the spiritual needs of its parishioners and for its role in the life of this community. Throughout its long and proud history, the work of the Lord has been served by priests, nuns, and lay persons. Each has had a role to play in God’s plan of salvation. It is our prayer that with God’s grace and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, St. Francis Xavier will continue to play a significant role in the lives of generations to come.