Sebastian Gebhard Messmer (August 29, 1847 – August 4, 1930) was a

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

-born

American Catholic The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the pope, who as of 2025 is Chicago, Illinois-born Leo XIV. With 23 percent of the United States' population , the Catholic Church is the cou ...

prelate who served as

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 ...

from 1903 to 1930. He previously served as Bishop of Green Bay (1892–1903). Messmer is largely remembered as a political moderate. As a progressive for his time, Messmer opposed

segregationist Racial segregation is the separation of people into racial or other ethnic groups in daily life. Segregation can involve the spatial separation of the races, and mandatory use of different institutions, such as schools and hospitals by peopl ...

church policies based on race or language, and he was a major supporter of expanding Catholic-run welfare programs. But he also pushed back against

socialism Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

as the movement was growing in Wisconsin, and he opposed women gaining the right to vote.

Biography

Early life and education

Sebastian Messmer was born in Goldach, Switzerland, the eldest of five children of Sebastian and Rosa (née Baumgartner) Messmer. His father, a farmer and innkeeper, also served in the

Federal Assembly of Switzerland Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

. His mother died when he was 10 years old. Messmer received his early education in Goldach, then attended the ''

realschule Real school (, ) is a type of secondary school in Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia (''realna gimnazija''), the Austrian Empire, the German Empire, Denmark and Norway (''realskole''), Sweden (''realskola''), F ...

'' in Rorschach for three years. From 1861 to 1866, he studied at the College of St. George, the diocesan preparatory seminary, in St. Gallen, Switzerland. He then studied

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

and

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

at the

University of Innsbruck The University of Innsbruck (; ) is a public research university in Innsbruck, the capital of the Austrian federal state of Tyrol (state), Tyrol, founded on October 15, 1669. It is the largest education facility in the Austrian States of Austria, ...

in Innsbruck,

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

Priesthood and ministry

Messmer 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 ...

to the priesthood by Bishop Atanasio Zuber on July 23, 1871. A week later, he offered his first

mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

in Goldach. During this time period, American bishops were actively recruiting German-speaking clerics in Europe who could minister to German parishes in the United States.While visiting the University of Innsbruck, Bishop James Bayley from the Diocese of Newark in New Jersey convinced Messmer to join him. After Messmer arrived in New Jersey in September 1871, Bayley appointed him as professor of theology at

Seton Hall College Seton Hall University (SHU) is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizab ...

in South Orange, remaining there until 1889. In addition to his academic duties, he served as one of the secretaries of the

Third Plenary Council of Baltimore The Plenary Councils of Baltimore were three meetings of American Catholic bishops, archbishops and superiors of religious orders in the United States. The councils were held in 1852, 1866 and 1884 in Baltimore, Maryland. These three conferenc ...

(1884) and as

pastor A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christianity, Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutherani ...

of St. Peter's Parish in Newark (1885 to 1886). Messmer then went to Rome to study at the

Pontifical Roman Athenaeum Saint Apollinare Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare is a former pontifical university in Rome, named after St. Apollinaris of Ravenna. Its facilities are now occupied by the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. Initially, the Palace of St. Apollinare wa ...

, where he received a

Doctor of Canon Law Doctor of Canon Law (, JCD) is the doctoral-level terminal degree in the studies of canon law of the Roman Catholic Church. It can also be an honorary degree awarded by Anglican colleges. It may also be abbreviated ICD or dr.iur.can. (''Iuris Can ...

degree in 1890. After finishing his degree, Messmer served as a professor of

canon law Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...

at the

Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Catholic research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is one of two pontifical universities of the Catholic Church in the United States – the only one that is not primarily a ...

in Washington, D.C., for one year.

Bishop of Green Bay

On December 14, 1891, Messmer was appointed the fourth bishop of Green Bay by

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...

. He received his episcopal

consecration Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...

on March 27, 1892, from Bishop Otto Zardetti (his former schoolmate in Rorschach), with Bishops Winand Wigger and John Keane serving as

co-consecrators A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churche ...

, at St. Peter's Church in Newark. During his 11-year tenure, Messmer encouraged the growth of

parochial school A parochial school is a private school, private Primary school, primary or secondary school affiliated with a religious organization, and whose curriculum includes general religious education in addition to secular subjects, such as science, mathem ...

s and other religious institutions. He also invited Abbot Bernard Pennings to establish the Norbertine Order in the United States, which led to the founding of St. Norbert College in

De Pere, Wisconsin De Pere ( ) is a city in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 25,410 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is part of the Green Bay metropolitan area. History When the first European, Jean Nicolet, visited the p ...

Archbishop of Milwaukee

On November 28, 1903, Messmer was appointed the fourth archbishop of Milwaukee by

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X (; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing Modernism in the Catholic Church, modern ...

. He was installed on December 10, 1903. He succeeded Archbishop Frederick Katzer. At this time, there was a great debate in American dioceses between Conservatives and Americanizers. The Conservatives wanted to maintain church services and parish school instruction in German and other ethnic language. The Americanizers wanted everything to be in English. However, by the beginning of the 19th century, the German immigrant population was becoming more assimilated and English was starting to become their predominant language. As archbishop, Messmer sought to ease parishioners through the transition to English. He encouraged, but did not mandate, English-language education in the schools and bilingual church services. Messmer did mandate at least one English-language sermon each Sunday in every parish. "Messmer deliberately de-emphasized ethnic self-consciousness as part of a design to unify and mobilize Catholics for social action," states one article in the '' U.S. Catholic Historian''. By 1920, all the parishes in the archdiocese had ceased instruction in German. Soon after his consecration, Messmer came into conflict with '' Kuryer Polski,'' an independent Polish-language newspaper in Milwaukee. Its editor, Michał Kruszka, consistently complained about the lack of Poles in the archdiocesan Catholic hierarchy, then dominated by Germans. In response, Messmer help fund a new Polish newspaper, ''Nowiny Polskie,'' in 1906 that was more supportive of his administration. Kruska said that the new paper was a propaganda tool for the Germans and attacked it mercilessly. In 1912, Messmer banned Catholics from reading ''Kuryer Polski.'' Messmer in 1907 supported the transition of Marquette College in Marquette,Wisconsin, to

Marquette University Marquette University () is a Private university, private Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. It was established as Marquette College on August 28, 1881, by John Henni, the first Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Ar ...

. In 1913, he assisted the

School Sisters of Notre Dame School Sisters of Notre Dame is a worldwide religious institute of Roman Catholic sisters founded in Bavaria in 1833 and devoted to primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Their life in mission centers on prayer, community life and min ...

in their founding for women of

Mount Mary College Mount Mary University is a private Catholic women's university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. The university was founded in 1913 by the School Sisters of Notre Dame Messmer was an opponent of Prohibition movement, which looked to ban the manufacture and sales of most alcoholic beverages in the United States. Messmer issued a pastoral letter in 1918, declaring,

" eoplefail to see the absolutely false principle underlying the movement and the sinister work of the enemies of the Catholic Church trying to profit by this opportunity of attacking her in the most sacred mystery entrusted to her."

In 1921, Messmer prohibited Catholic children in Milwaukee from participating in a

Fourth of July Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing th ...

pilgrim pageant. He criticized the pageant as "exclusively a glorification of the

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

Pilgrims," but later withdrew his objections. Messmer also opposed

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffra ...

. He denounced the

labor movement The labour movement is the collective organisation of working people to further their shared political and economic interests. It consists of the trade union or labour union movement, as well as political parties of labour. It can be considere ...

as being tinged with

. Messmer supported ministry to

African-Americans African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

and

Mexican-American Mexican Americans are Americans of full or partial Mexican descent. In 2022, Mexican Americans comprised 11.2% of the US population and 58.9% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the United State ...

Catholics at a time when many American dioceses were discriminating against them. He actively supported the American Federation of Catholic Societies. Nearly 30 religious orders were founded and charitable institutions were doubled during his administration. Messmer in 1920 founded the archdiocesan chapter of

Catholic Charities The Catholic Church operates numerous charitable organizations. Catholic spiritual teaching includes spreading the Gospel, while Catholic social teaching emphasises support for the sick, the poor and the afflicted through the corporal and spir ...

. He started the ''Catholic Herald'', the archdiocesan newspaper, in 1922.

Death and legacy

Messmer died on August 4, 1930, while vacationing in Goldach at age 82. He was then the oldest Catholic bishop in the United States. He is buried in Goldach. Messmer High School in Milwaukee, now part of Messmer Catholic Schools, was named in his honor in 1928.

References

External links

Archbishop Messmer
at Archdiocese of Milwaukee {{DEFAULTSORT:Messmer, Sebastian Gebhard 1847 births 1930 deaths 20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in the United States Roman Catholic archbishops of Milwaukee Roman Catholic bishops of Green Bay Seton Hall University faculty Swiss emigrants to the United States 19th-century Swiss Roman Catholic priests Catholic University of America faculty University of Innsbruck alumni 19th-century American Roman Catholic priests