Frederick Eis (January 20, 1843 – May 5, 1926) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie-Marquette in the

Upper Peninsula of Michigan The Upper Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. – is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by ...

from 1899 to 1922.

Biography

Early life

Frederick Eis was born in Arbach, then in the

Rhine Province The Rhine Province (german: Rheinprovinz), also known as Rhenish Prussia () or synonymous with the Rhineland (), was the westernmost province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822 to 1946. It ...

of the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) constituted the German state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918. Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: ...

, part of the German Empire (present day Germany). He was the youngest of four children of William Eis and Catherine Dietrich. When Eis was age 12, his family emigrated to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

in 1855. They settled first in

Calvary, Wisconsin Calvary, Wisconsin is an unincorporated community located in the town of Marshfield, in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. The community was originally known locally as Calvary Station since the community was built around the railroad depot for Mou ...

, then

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...

and finally in Rockland, Michigan. Eis was taught

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

and French by a missionary priest, Martin Fox. In 1861, Eis began his studies for the priesthood at St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Due to the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

, Bishop

Frederic Baraga Irenaeus Frederic Baraga (June 29, 1797 – January 19, 1868; sl, Irenej Friderik Baraga) was a Slovenian Roman Catholic missionary to the United States and a grammarian by and author of Christian poetry and hymns in Native American lang ...

sent Eis to study philosophy and

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

instead at the College of Joliette in

Joliette, Quebec Joliette is a city in southwest Quebec, Canada. It is approximately northeast of Montreal, on the L'Assomption River and is the seat of the Regional County Municipality of Joliette. It is considered to be a part of the North Shore of Greater ...

. During his final years at Joliette, he taught

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, mathematics and commerce.

Priesthood

Eis was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform var ...

a priest by Bishop Ignatius Mrak on October 30, 1870, for the Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie and Marquette. After his ordination, Eis served in the following parishes in Michigan: * Rector of St. Peter Cathedral Parish in Marquette (1870 to 1873) * Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Calumet, (1873 to 1874) * Pastor of St. Anne Parish in Hancock (1874 to 1880) * Pastor at St. Paul Parish in

Negaunee Negaunee ( or ) is a city in Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,568 at the 2010 census. The city is located at the southwest corner of Negaunee Township, which is administratively separate, in the Upper Pen ...

(1880 to 1890). While at St. Paul, he reduced the parish's debt and built a school. He was forced to resign in 1890 due to health problems. For the next five years, to improve his health, Eis spent his winters in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

and

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, returning to Michigan in the summer. After his health improved, he was appointed pastor of St. Sebastian Parish in

Bessemer, Michigan Bessemer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 1,805. It is the county seat of Gogebic County. The city is surrounded by Bessemer Township, but the two are administered autonomously. It is on U ...

, in 1894, then moved in 1895 to Guardian Angels Parish in

Crystal Falls, Michigan Crystal Falls is a city and the county seat of Iron County, Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,469. The city is located within Crystal Falls Township, but is a separate municipal entity. The area first developed as a maj ...

, to serve as pastor. During this period, Eis served as the inspector of the diocesan schools. After the death of Bishop

John Vertin John Vertin (July 17, 1844 – February 26, 1899) was a Slovenian-born American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the third bishop of the Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie and Marquette in Michigan, from 1879 until his death in 1899. ...

, Eis served as diocesan administrator.

Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie and Marquette

On June 7, 1899, Eis was appointed the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie and Marquette by

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...

. He received consecration on August 20, 1899, from Archbishop

Frederick Katzer Frederick Xavier Katzer (February 7, 1844 – July 20, 1903) was an Austrian-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay in Wisconsin (1886–1891) and archbishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in Wiscons ...

at St. Peter Cathedral. During Eis' 23-year tenure as bishop, he led the diocese through the nationalist controversies within the American Catholic community, and founded several charitable institutions and hospitals. He was known for being helpful to men wanting to enter

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

and women wanting to join

religious orders A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious pract ...

.In 1900, Eis travelled to Rome, meeting with Leo XIII at the Vatican.

Retirement and legacy

On July 8, 1922,

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fr ...

accepted Eis' resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Sault Sainte Marie and Marquette and appointed him as

titular bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox a ...

of Bita and an

assistant at the pontifical throne The Bishops-Assistant at the Pontifical Throne were ecclesiastical titles in the Roman Catholic Church. It designated prelates belonging to the Papal Chapel, who stood near the throne of the Pope at solemn functions. They ranked immediately b ...

. Frederick Eis died in Marquette on May 5, 1926, at age 83. He is buried in the bishops' crypt at St. Peter Cathedral.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eis, Frederick 1843 births 1926 deaths People from Vulkaneifel German emigrants to the United States 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Roman Catholic bishops of Marquette Burials at St. Peter Cathedral (Marquette, Michigan) Clergy from the Rhine Province People from Marshfield, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin Catholics from Wisconsin