German Catholics in Franklin County
Franklin County is right in the heart of Missouri’s German Heritage Corridor. Many people came from Germany and settled in this area during the 1800s and 1900s. Some German immigrants that settled near Washington, Missouri left behind an object that tells us about their religion, values, and why they settled there.
The object is from the 17th State-Convention of the Catholic Union of Missouri, which was held in 1909 at St. Francis Borgia Parish in Washington. I found this object very interesting because it is a short book that tells the story about how and why the immigrants settled there, and also how they grew and thrived as a community.
Why did they leave Germany?
Many German Catholics first came to America to escape persecution and war in Germany. In 1873, The German government passed strict laws over religion, which created conflicts with the Catholic Church. In The German Catholics in the United States of America, Pekari says, “Many of the people in Germany were dissatisfied with the conditions of religion in the homeland and they came to America bringing their Faith with them”.
What was important to them?
These German Catholic settlers wanted to build churches where they could go and have mass with people that had common beliefs and experiences with them. Like Protestant Germans, these Catholic Germans wanted to also build schools in their communities. Once the German Catholics came here, they settled down and usually stayed together. In German Parishes East and West, Spalding says that in rural and small towns, Catholic families from the same area of Germany created communities that helped preserve their traditions. Their communities and traditions helped create “a sense of continuity, identity, and place”, which can still be found in some rural communities today. This helps put into context why these families came here, and why they stayed together and built a parish. It can also explain why the parish thrived here after they created it.
How did they get to Washington?
According to the book, the German Catholic families came on a ship that left from Bremerhaven and landed in New Orleans. They then travelled up the Mississippi River to St. Louis. They planned on settling somewhere along the Illinois River, but the boat that was supposed to bring them ended up sinking. Their next option was to take a boat that was going up the Missouri River. One of the passengers had read Duden’s report of travel in Missouri, and they talked about settling in Marthasville. The captain of the ship, however, suggested that they settle on the southern bank of the Missouri River in Washington. So, on October 12, 1833, the families came to Washington and started a German-Catholic parish that is now St. Francis Borgia parish.
A Thriving Parish
After being created, the parish continued to grow. An article from The Franklin County Observer, written in 1916, talks about how St. Francis Borgia Church flourished. It says that the parish was made up of 375 Catholic families, and it also talks about the parish’s plans to build a new school. Today, the parish continues to thrive and be active in the community.
