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Sebastian G. Menke (December 21, 1910 – April 21, 2002) was a 20th-century
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
priest in 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 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
who served as the tenth president of
St. Ambrose College St Ambrose College is a Christian Brothers' Roman Catholic boys' grammar school in Hale Barns, Altrincham, Greater Manchester, England. It was founded in 1946 by Dr Joseph Robertson. In 2012 the school became an academy, and was completely re-b ...
in
Davenport, Iowa Davenport is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Iowa, United States. Located along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state, it is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population of 384,324 and a ...
from 1964 to 1973.


Biography


Early life and education

Menke was born and raised in
St. Paul, Iowa St. Paul is a city in Lee County, Iowa, United States. The population was 109 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Fort Madison– Keokuk, IA- MO Micropolitan Statistical Area. History St. Paul was laid out in 1866. Geograph ...
. He graduated from St. Ambrose in 1934, and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Davenport in St. Paul in 1938.


St. Ambrose College

Menke returned to St. Ambrose and taught
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,
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, Greek,
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and
astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...
on campus. He then became rector for East Hall (Rohlman Hall). While he studied for his
doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
at the
University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...
he served as chaplain at Mercy Hospital in
Iowa City Iowa City, offically the City of Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the time ...
. Menke served as president during a time when struggles were high for private colleges. The
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
was raging and there were protests against the war on campus. Dr.
Edward Rogalski Edward Rogalski (born February 16, 1942Flansburg, Susan, ''SCENE Magazine'' of St. Ambrose University, Summer 2007. Accessed January 11, 2008."Born Feb. 16, 1942, to Polish immigrants in Manville, N.J., Ed Rogalski was the youngest of eight childre ...
, who would eventually serve as the college's president, remembers, "He did a lot to help defuse the emotions. We would meet with students at any time of day and night. He even led a protest march here in Davenport — and that was a time when emotions were running very high." In 1964 he was named a
Domestic Prelate Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ca ...
by Pope
Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...
, upon the nomination of Bishop
Ralph Hayes Ralph Leo Hayes S.T.D. (September 21, 1884 – July 5, 1970) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Helena in Montana from 1933 to 1935, and as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Da ...
. From 1970-1973 St. Ambrose and
Marycrest College Marycrest College Historic District is located on a bluff overlooking the West End of Davenport, Iowa, United States. The district encompasses the campus of Marycrest College, which was a small, private collegiate institution. The school became ...
planned for a merger. They even chose a new name for the school, Newman College, before the effort was discontinued and both schools went their own way. During his presidency, South Hall (Cosgrove Hall), Hayes Hall, and Galvin Fine Arts Center were all constructed.


Sacred Heart Cathedral

After leaving the presidency Menke became the
pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...
and rector of
Sacred Heart Cathedral Sacred Heart Cathedral may refer to: Africa *Sacred Heart Cathedral, Moundou, Chad *Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bamako, Mali *Sacred Heart Cathedral, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo *Sacred Heart Cathedral, Freetown, Sierra Leone *Sacred Heart Cathedra ...
. He served as a chairperson for one of the commissions during the diocesan
synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...
in 1974. Msgr. Menke also chaired a board that was working on the consolidation of St. Luke’s and Mercy Hospitals in Davenport. Like the merger of the two colleges, the hospital merger did not happen either. He was involved in establishing the United Way of the Quad-Cities Area. El Centro Cultural Hispano, an organization that cared for the needs of the Spanish-speaking people of the Quad City area, was established at Sacred Heart in 1975. Two years later Mass in Spanish was added to the cathedral schedule. Msgr. Menke was instrumental in establishing a food pantry and a clothing center at the cathedral. He helped out at the
Catholic Worker ''Catholic Worker'' is a newspaper published seven times a year by the flagship Catholic Worker community in New York City. The newspaper was started by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin to make people aware of church teaching on social justice. Hist ...
House and the East Side Development Center. He was involved with other social service agencies and racial matters.


Later life and death

In 1985 Msgr. Menke retired as the cathedral rector and took up residence at St. Mary’s Church in Iowa City. At the end of 1991 he left Iowa City and retired to St. Vincent Center in Davenport. He died in 2002 at the age of 91. Memorial Masses were held at Christ the King Chapel at St. Ambrose and Sacred Heart Cathedral. He donated his body to the Department of Anatomy at the University of Iowa, which was later buried in the Priests' Circle of Mount Calvary Cemetery in Davenport.


Legacy

The Menke Observatory is an astronomical
observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...
owned and operated by St. Ambrose University. It was named in honor of Msgr. Menke.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Menke, Sebastian 1910 births 2002 deaths St. Ambrose University faculty Presidents of St. Ambrose University Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport People from Lee County, Iowa People from Davenport, Iowa University of Iowa alumni St. Ambrose University alumni Religious leaders from Iowa Catholics from Iowa 20th-century American Roman Catholic priests 20th-century American academics