Joseph Salzmann (August 17, 1819 – January 17, 1874), one of the best-known Roman Catholic pioneer priests in the

Northwest Territory The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...

of the United States, was the Austrian founder of several Catholic educational institutions, including the prominent

Saint Francis de Sales Seminary Saint Francis de Sales Seminary is a seminary for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee, located in the Milwaukee suburb of St. Francis, Wisconsin. Its main building, called Henni Hall, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places ...

(St. Francis, Wisconsin) known as the "Salesianum."

Biography

He was born at

Münzbach Münzbach is a municipality in the district of Perg in the Austrian state of Upper Austria Upper Austria ( ; ; ) is one of the nine States of Austria, states of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic ...

in the Diocese of Linz,

Upper Austria Upper Austria ( ; ; ) is one of the nine States of Austria, states of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg (state), Salzbur ...

on August 17, 1819. He was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

in 1842 and worked in his home diocese until 1847, when an appeal from the visiting first Bishop of Milwaukee,

John Martin Henni John Martin Henni (June 15, 1805 – September 7, 1881) was a Swiss-born Catholic prelate who served as the first Archbishop of Milwaukee from 1843 until his death in 1881. Biography Early life and education John Henni was born on June 15, 1805 ...

inspired him to work in foreign missions. After arriving in

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

in October, 1847, he was appointed to a small country mission, but soon his success caused the bishop to make him pastor of St. Mary's congregation at Milwaukee. There, he was opposed by German free-thinkers and he struggled with them. Because there was a lack of priests, Salzmann conceived the idea of founding a seminary. To collect funds he went from state to state, and, after many difficulties, on January 29, 1856, the institution was opened with twenty-five students. Michael Heiss, afterwards

Archbishop of Milwaukee The Archdiocese of Milwaukee () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church in southeast Wisconsin in the United States. The Archdiocese of Milwaukee is the Metropolis (religious jurisdiction), metropolitan s ...

, was its first rector. The seminary became one of the most prominent in the United States. Several hundred priests and twenty-three bishops graduated from it by 1900. Salzmann was also the founder of the first Catholic normal school in the United States and of the Pio Nono College. After years of struggles, the Catholic Normal School of the Holy Family found a solid basis, sending out teachers to parochial schools every year. The American branch of the St. Cecilia Society for the promotion of genuine church music owes its existence and growth to him. Salzmann died at St. Francis, Wisconsin on January 17, 1874. He was praised as having a noble character full of holy enthusiasm for the cause of God and the Catholic Church, fearless in the defense of truth, an eloquent preacher, a warm friend and father of his students, and a wise counselor to priests and bishops.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 19th-century Austrian Roman Catholic priests Austrian emigrants to the United States