Build My Church

8/3/2019 Build My Church

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http://missourifolkloresociety.truman.edu/hoebing/adrianwewer.html

Build My Church

(the motto of Brother Adrian Wewer, O.S.F 1836-1914)

Complexity theorists speak about a Tokyo butterfly that flaps its wings, and, by this action,causes a hurricane in Florida; all of nature is interconnected and small things have unforseenconsequences. So too with human lives. If one had seen young Antonius Wewer hammering hisfirst nail into a board in Harswinkel, Germany, in the 1840's, one could never have dreamed ofthe religious impact he would have on the United States and its Catholics, during the 19th, 20th,and 21st centuries.

Brother Adrian Wewer, O.S.F. (1836-1914), provincial architect for the Franciscan Province of

St. Louis, 1865-1914.

Many people who attend churches and appreciate the sacred in the church do not know who thearchitect of the church is or was. Church architects would love to hear it said, I really feel closeto God in this church. Whoever built this church did a wonderful thing. It is true that cultures,

societies and individuals have sacred places where they can commune with nature, with God,with God and nature, with other members of the community. E.V. Walter, in Placeways (UNorthCarolina, 1998), describes the value of a Gothic cathedral and believes that it both builds a


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feeling of exaltation and also exalts the eye. Brother Adrian would have identified with Waltersanalysis of the church as a sacred space which leads the person to a place somewhere betweenheaven and earth.

Today as Christians build chapels, churches, basilicas and cathedrals they often forget within a

short time the names of the architects. It would be impossible to estimate the number of peoplewho have prayed and received the sacraments and had their faith grow in churches and chapelsbuilt by Brother Adrian Wewer, O.F.M. (1836-1914). Many of his churches are still being usedin cities and towns from New York to California.

Brother Adrian Wewer would have felt at home with the changes of Vatican II (1962-1965) andwould have had no problem with its theology of worship, because his churches helped manypeople learn about God and to appreciate Him in their lives. In 1858, when Antonius Wewer wastwenty-two years old, he joined the Franciscans at Warendorf, Germany, and received the nameBrother Adrian. This was the same year that nine Franciscans, at the request of Bishop HenryDamian Junker of Alton, Illinois, journeyed from the Holy Cross Province in Germany to

Teutopolis, Illinois to begin work in the diocese of Alton. In October, 1862, Brother Adrian andfour other friars traveled from Wiedenbreck, and arrived in Teutopolis November 21, 1862.Almost a hundred German Franciscans came to the United States during 1875-1876 becausethey were exiled by Bismarck.

The need for churches and schools was great as the Franciscans began to move into the midwestand assist in many dioceses, not only in Illinois and Missouri, but also in adjoining states. Onecan only wonder and continually be amazed at the genius of the Franciscan craftsmen andarchitects. Brother Adrian called St. Anthonys in St. Louis his home for almost fifty years whenhe built churches in fourteen states. As the Franciscans grew in number, the St. Louis-ChicagoProvince found itself being asked by bishops in other dioceses to form parishes and to minister to

those parishioners. As the settlers moved to the west the German Franciscans were a great help.Wherever Catholics settled they wanted a house of God erected to His honor and glory and forthe spiritual welfare of His people. Within its walls, Catholics would worship, receive grace tokeep the commandments of God, receive the sacraments, and learn the principles of living as truefollowers of Christ.

It is difficult to determine where he received his training as an architect, since he came toTeutopolis in 1862 at the age of twenty-six. He was referred to as an excellent carpenter in anearly letter by his superior, and it was not long before he built his first church in Trowbridge,Illinois, in Shelby County in 1864. In 1864 Brother Adrian, assisted by other brothers and somelay persons, also designed the gothic altars and other furniture for the first St. Francis Church inQuincy.

The church was taken down in 1887 and the new St. Francis was constructed in 1886. Thosealtars were placed in the new church and can be seen there today.

Most of the churches that Brother Adrian built were in the neo-Gothic style. People often wonderjust what makes some architecture Gothic. The Gothic architects used height and light to

obtain a feeling of aspiration toward God and heaven. Gothic architecture made its debut in the


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cathedrals of France in the 12th century. They constructed their buildings in such a way that thewalls were not supporting the ceiling, so they could be designed with large openings. Artistsfilled these openings with stained glass which told the stories of Jesus and the saints in HisChurch. When the sun shines through these windows, the light is transformed into multi-coloredpatterns on the floor. The architects of the Gothic churches were trying to create an other-worldly

feeling -- the beauty of heaven.The Encyclopedia Brittanicaarticle notes that Gothic architecturewas considered to be in the German spirit. Many American architects who liked the looks of theGothic churches imitated them in the design of their churches in the 19th and 20th centuries.Experts explain that these churches are called Neo-Gothic because the true Gothic is structuralbesides being decorative. Professor James Harmon points out that Brother Adrian built more than100 church buildings from New York to California and Oregon by 1900. He also built friaries,schools, and hospitals. Some of his buildings are well known to Catholics in the heartland: St.Marys Churchin Quincy, the old St. Anthonys in Melrose, St. Francis in Quincy, QuincyUniversity (the central part and the west wing), St. Joseph in Palmyra, St. Anthonys in St. Louis,St. Francis in Washington, Mo., and St. George in Hermann are a few of the many churches heplanned and built.

Harmon quotes from the Chronicle of Santa Barbararegarding Br. Adrians prolific churchbuilding:In the year 1900 it was stated that up to that time he had drawn the plans for more than one

hundred churches and superintended the erection of them [...] Drawings for almost all thechurches, convents and residences of the Province, including churches of the missions foundedor attended by Fathers, had been made by him with the assistance of one or other brothers, andthe erection at least of all the more important buildings was superintended by him. Cf.,Chronica of Santa Barbara Mission, p.93f. ( http://216.1.106.152/archives/adrian.htm)

1891 must have been an especially busy and exciting year for the Franciscan Brother. Duringthat year he built five churches: St. Marys Church in Quincy, Illinois:

St. Mary's, Quincy, (1891)
http://www.brittannica.com/http://www.brittannica.com/http://www.brittannica.com/http://216.1.106.152/archives/adrian.htmhttp://216.1.106.152/archives/adrian.htmhttp://216.1.106.152/archives/adrian.htmhttp://216.1.106.152/archives/adrian.htmhttp://www.brittannica.com/


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Sacred Heart Church in Indianapolis, Indiana;

Rare church with two towers; Sacred Heart, Indianapolis IN (1891)

As well as St. Augustine Church in Chicago, Illinois (torn down about 1990); St. Francis XavierChurch and Friary in Superior, Wisconsin; Immaculate Conception Basilica in Conception,Missouri; and a major addition to St. Bonaventure Church in Columbus, Nebraska. One marvels

at the amount of travel that was required for supervision of all those projects because this wasbefore planes and automobiles.

Churches and Other Constructions in Missouri


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Conception Abbey Basilica, Conception, MO, under construction (1890)

One of the interesting accounts of Brother Adrians work concerns the beautiful Abbey Church

at Conception, Missouri. This great story tells of the genius and ability of the Franciscanbrother. Abbot Frowin Conrad(http://www.conceptionabbey.org/Frowin/frowin3.htm(page 2) (9/1/01 2:30 PM) came toNorthwest Missouri in 1873 to start a monastery in the sparsely settled corner of NorthwestMissouri to serve the people of the Catholic and Irish families in the area. When the monks hadoutgrown their first monastery and the simple frame church that had also served as the parishchurch, Abbot Frowin decided to build a permanent monastery. The abbot intended the Abbeychurch would express the spiritual purpose of the Benedictine monastic life. He called the churcha center of prayer, where God would be praised and glorified as the Lord of heaven and earth,thus calling down abundant blessings upon the people both far and near. The architectural styleof the church and monastery was very important to Abbot Frowin. He was adamant that it be

designed in an authentic Romanesque style. Although most of the Benedictine abbeys inGermany and Switzerland were built in the Baroque style, his decision to go back to theRomanesque style indicated his belief that Conception would seek a more classical Benedictinespirituality. He searched for an architect from places as close as Iowa and as far away as NewYork. No one knows how he became acquainted with Brother Adrian, but some historians thinkthat he might have met Brother Adrian when the architect was building St.Columban Church andFriary at Chillcothe, Missouri in 1879. Since Brother Adrian had already built other churches inMissouri, St. Anthonys in St. Louis (1869) and St. Marys in Wien, Missouri (1871), AbbotFrowan had probably already known of his work.
http://www.conceptionabbey.org/Frowin/frowin3.htmhttp://www.conceptionabbey.org/Frowin/frowin3.htmhttp://www.conceptionabbey.org/Frowin/frowin3.htmhttp://www.conceptionabbey.org/Frowin/frowin3.htm


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Conception Abbey as it appears today

Although Abbot Frowin began planning the Basilicas construction as early as 1879 the churchsfoundation was begun in 1882. A delay in completing the building was due primarily to strainedfinances, but also to the fact that Abbot Frowin was searching for an architect whom he felt trulyunderstood Romanesque architecture, a style not very well appreciated by a mid-nineteenthcentury architect. He was convinced that the simple lines of Romanesque architecture bettercomplemented the dignified restraint of monastic chant, liturgy and discipline. He wrote in hisdiary, October 24, 1879): The church and monastery should be built as much as possible in the

simple, straightforward and dignified romanesque style. The monastery should announce itselffrom its outward appearance as a house of prayer.

TheConception Abbey webpagehas some wonderful words to describe their abbot. It is notdifficult to appreciate the friendship between Abbot Frowin and Brother Adrian, and one canunderstand why Brother Adrian asked the Abbot to preach the sermon at his Golden Jubilee as aFranciscan in 1908. It seems that Brother Adrian was a humble, self-effacing friar who wasalways ready to assist pastors and others with his expertise. In the parish histories that are part ofJubilee celebrations, one never finds any criticism of Brother Adrian, and it seems that he wasalways invited back to do more work in the parishes where he had built churches. Parish historiesthat are contained in Jubilee Books contain very moving stories of the dedication and sacrificesthat people made to have their own place of worship.Much of the work was done by parishionerswhen a church was built and Brother Adrian seems to have been able to inspire and encourage

each parish group when he built their church.
http://www.conceptionabbey.org/http://www.conceptionabbey.org/http://www.conceptionabbey.org/http://www.conceptionabbey.org/


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Wien. MissouriSt. Marys Church (1871)

Photo courtesy ofMary MeinhardtWien Website administrator

http://www.geocities.com/wien2000us/

St. Mary's, Wien, MO (1871)

St. Marys parish lies in thevillage of Wien, in Chariton County, Missouri. Some of the earlypastors knew Wien by the name Bee-Branch. The parish histories that record the building of itschurch have so many interesting stories about how their church was built and many stories aboutthe parishioners. St. Marys 1976 history, which honors its one hundred years of service to Wien,is no exception. The visiting priest offered Mass in the home of one of the Wien residents.German families, Irish families, a few Protestants were present for the occasion.Within a short

time a black man, Daniel Pedibren, with his wife and two daughters, was received into theCatholic Church.

Wien, Missouri is a good example of the development of a parish. Like St. Anthonys in

Melrose, Quincy, it indicates the difficulties that Brother Adrian met when he was building achurch without a ready source of skilled labor. The parish begins as a mission, and as thenumber of people increases, the need for a church in which to worship becomes evident. In 1873the Catholics in Wien decided to build a log church. In 1876 a Franciscan, Fr. FranciscusMoenning, became pastor of two parishes, Wien and Brunswick.. He was to begin a FranciscanHouse from which the priests would serve other areas, such as Hagers Grove, Hurricane Branch,and Kelley Settlement. Brother Adrian built a Friary for these men in 1877.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.geocities.com/wien2000us/http://www.geocities.com/wien2000us/http://www.geocities.com/wien2000us/history.htmlhttp://www.geocities.com/wien2000us/history.htmlhttp://www.geocities.com/wien2000us/history.htmlhttp://www.geocities.com/wien2000us/history.htmlhttp://www.geocities.com/wien2000us/mailto:[email protected]


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Franciscan Friary at Wien, MO (1871)

In that same year a cornerstone was laid for a new church for which Br. Adrian had drawn the

plans. The 1976 parish history has this interesting account. It indicates that everyone, includingthe pastor, was involved in the construction of the building. It again shows the ability of BrotherAdrian to work with ordinary craftsmen and the willingness of the parishioners the cooperate.

The plans for the church and house were drawn by Brother Adrian. The blasting of the rock forthe foundation was done at the Frederick Nanneman place. P. Franciscus, the pastor, helped withthe work. He took his dinner from the bucket of one farmer this day and from that of another thenext. Between the monastery and school were burnt the bricks by George Damhorst of Quincy.(Page 8 ofCentennial History of St. Marys of Wien.)

It is interesting that Brother Adrian who had built in Quincy, Illinois, brought some of their

craftsmen to Wien to help build the church. It is also interesting that they used the clay from thearea to burn the bricks for the new buildings. When he built St. Anthonys church in Quincy

(Melrose) Illinois (1870) , the bricks were also made from clay near the church. Even todaysome families of St. Anthonys, Melrose, remember that their ancestors (great-grandparents)turned the bricks in the playground during their lunch time.

Another human interest story is about the apprentice blacksmith, Henry Hugger, in Wien. Hecame to the pastor of the church and indicated that he would like to join the Franciscan Order.The pastor allowed him to stay in the friary for private instructions, and, in the fall sent him toQuincy for college. His name became Fr. Titus Hugger when he joined the Franciscans. TheCentennial history has this interesting anecdote:

Mr. George Long tells how Fr. Titus left his anvil. One day he was in the shop when this lad read

very distinctly and with much expression from a newspaper. Mr. Long said to him, Young manit is too bad that you have to stand near an anvil. That gave the lad courage to ask Fr.

Franciscus for admittance with great success.

The history records that Fr. Titus Hugger returned to St. Marys and gave a seri es of sermons

which thoroughly impressed the parishioners who had known him in the blacksmith shop.


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St. Marys continued to grow and a new church had to be planned and built. According to the

history a church had been begun by Fr.Guido, but Brother Adrian finished it in the plain, simpleGothic style which gave the church a very devotional appearance.

The history of the parish has this interesting account: While hauling the building material, Jacob

Palms had the misfortune of breaking his leg. The foundation was laid by Bernard Meinert. Therock was blasted by Frederick Nanneman. The digging for the foundation and the hauling of

bricks and materials was done by the parish who gave great sacrifices of work and time. Every

family donated one load of wood for the burning of bricks which was managed by George Haas

from Brookfield on the land 3/4 mile southeast of the church. The laying of the brick was done by

John Conefes from Quincy. Mr. Brinks of Quincy had the contract for the carpenter work. The

church was dedicated on the feast of St. Francis, Oct. 4th, 1892.

In 1914 the Franciscans left the parish and were replaced by diocesan clergy. The FranciscanFriary became the center for an ecumenical group called, The Brotherhood of Christian Unity.

In 1964. Rev. Joseph Starmann was the founder of the new brotherhood that was to promote

Christian unity through prayer. The parishioners remember that the Brotherhood leadershipconsisted of four men of varied backgrounds, and that these men used the former FranciscanFriary for their offices. At one time there was a Syrian Orthodox Priest, Rev. Francis Forbes,with his family, an Episcopal priest, Fr. John Michael, Brother John Bona, an accountant andCatholic layman, and Brother Frederick, an evangelical minister, living in or near the monastery.Brother Frederick was later found out to be Frederick Waldo Demara, the Great Imposter. Hecame as an ordained minister and had hoped to spend the rest of his life here. He had said, Ihave come here to Wien to dedicate my life to Christian unity, to work and prayer. The groupwas disbanded in 1966 after notification from the Vatican.

A number of Wien residents also remembered the excitement that was caused when The Great

Imposter was recognized as one of the clergymen. He regularly drove the bus to bring childrento the ecumenical meetings. One lady remembered him as being quite jovial and friendly. Itseems that someone recognized him from pictures and he disappeared the following day. As faras the Wien residents know he has never been seen again as an impostor.


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Washington, Missouri: St. Francis Borgia Church (1869)

Professor Harmon has Brother Adrian listed as the architect for this church, although the parishin Washington does not list him as such. It seems that no one is listed as the architect of thebeautiful Gothic church.When this church was built the Jesuits were the pastors of St. FrancisBorgia Church with the Franciscans coming later to serve the parish. An explanation might bethat the Jesuits did not have an architect available at the time, or there might be otherexplanations as to why a Franciscan built the Jesuit church. Brother Adrian was well known toArchbishop Kendrick, of the St, Louis diocese, and it is possible that when the Jesuits weregoing to build a new church, the Archbishop could have suggested Brother Adrian. It could alsobe that Jeusits, like the Benedictine Abbot Frowin, knew Brother Adrian to be an excellent

architect. The Gothic style of St. Francis Borgia Church certainly reflects Brother Adrians well-known style.


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Chillicothe, Missouri: St. Columban Church and Friary (1879)

A brochure from St. Columbans Church gives a brief history in which it states that the architectfor the Church as Brother Adrian Wewer, a Franciscan from St. Louis. The cornerstone was laidon May 25, 1879. At the dedication, Abbot Frowin Conrad, OSB, preached the German sermon,and Fr. Michael Richart, O.F.M., of Quincy, IL, preached the English sermon. It is alsointeresting to remember that Fr. Michael Richart, O.F.M. has been credited with helpingAugustin Tolton, who had escaped from his slave owners in Brush Creek, Missouri, to becomethe first Black Catholic priest in the United States.

Folklore and/or Oral History

One would expect to find many stories about an architect who built so many churches, friaries,schools and hospitals, but it seems that he always kept a low profile. However there are a fewinteresting stories that have been passed down from generation to generation and these havebecome legends.

One of the stories involvesSt. Anthonys Churchin St. Louis, Missouri. Brother Adrian hadbuilt the first church and the new St. Anthonys was being built fifty years later. Today the St.Anthony Church is one of the stops on some tours of visitors to St. Louis. One guide was heardto say that St. Anthony Church had more stained glass windows for its size than any otherchurch in the United States. The second reason for the tourist stop is the quality of the windows.The windows, created by the Frei Company are beautifully designed and their color is exquisite.

Two former pastors of St. Anthony recalled a story that is repeated frequently when churchwindows are discussed. This is the story of how and why St. Anthony Church has such beautifulwindows. According to the story it seems that Mr. Frei, a church window builder [Emil Frei, Sr.,foundr, Emil Frei Associates], had been in California and did not like that part of the UnitedStates. He decided to return to Germany and passed through St. Louis on his way home. He metthe South Side German Franciscans and enjoyed their company. He also met Brother Adrian, thearchitect. Brother Adrian is supposed to have said, I need windows for the new church. Mr.
http://www.catholic-forum.com/churches/233stanthony/padua_welcome.htmlhttp://www.catholic-forum.com/churches/233stanthony/padua_welcome.htmlhttp://www.catholic-forum.com/churches/233stanthony/padua_welcome.htmlhttp://www.lincolnu.edu/~glass/artistic.htmhttp://www.lincolnu.edu/~glass/artistic.htmhttp://www.lincolnu.edu/~glass/artistic.htmhttp://www.catholic-forum.com/churches/233stanthony/padua_welcome.html


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Frei is supposed to have replied, I need a factory to make church windows. Brother Adrianquickly responded, I will build you factory. Mr. Frei supposedly answered, I will build youwindows. The two Germans, Mr. Frei and Brother Adrian, supposedly shook hands and today

we have the beautiful Frei windows in St. Anthonys Church. There was no written contact. Eachman tried to outdo the other in generosity. Mr. Frei also created the large 30 foot window in the

transept -- The Visitation by the Magi. This window was given to Brother Adrian by his manyfriends and admirers on the occasion of his Golden Jubilee as a Franciscan in 1908.

One former pastor enthusiastically related the wonderful experience at the Christmas MidnightMass in St. Anthony Church. Every year, at Christmas, after Communion, all of the lights in thechurch are turned out and one big light is put on the beautiful window of the Christ Child withthe Magi. It is a marvelous religious experience to have everyones attention centered on the

Feast of the Christ Child while Silent Night is sung by the whole congregation..

It also seems that the Holy Father sent a handwritten letter to Brother Adrian on the occasion ofhis Golden Jubilee thanking him for his contribution to the Catholic Church in the United States.

That letter was misplaced or lost and no one knows what happened to it. Maybe the letter waslost amidst all of the correspondence that Brother Adrian had received, or maybe he misplaced it.He might also have been too humble to acknowledge that the Holy Father knew of him and hiswork. Folklorists could imagine innumerable ways in which a letter (in Latin?) could disappear.

In September, 1910, St.Anthony's Church was honored by a visit of his Eminence, CardinalVanutelli of Rome, who had presided at the Eucharistic Congress at Montreal, Canada, andvisited many of the larger cities in the United States before his return home. The Cardinalremarked that on his trip through the United States he had seen many beautiful churches, but thatSt. Anthonys church surpassed all in beauty and goodness. ( Diamond Jubilee Book of St.

Anthony Parish (1863-1910) p.41). One can imagine how proud Brother Adrian and the other

architects were when they heard of the Cardinals appreciation of the big church at 3140Meramec Street.


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Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University, West Wing (1894)

Being so close to St. Louis, the Franciscans in Quincy, Illinois, had Brother Adrian for theirarchitect for many buildings. He was the architect for a major part ofQuincy Universityand alsoof St. Francis of Assissi Church in Quincy. When he built the 4-storey University with its towerit was an extraordinary event. At the time this building was the tallest construction in Illinois,south of Chicago. Br. Adrian did not want that information to be published in the newspaper.

St. Francis of Assissi, Quincy IL (1886). Brother Adrian also designed the main altar. In other

projects, Br. Adrian also designed altars, confessionals, and other artifacts that are an essential

part of Catholic churches.

He also built the parish church, St.Francis. Brother Adrian designed the plans for the new St.Francis church and he wanted it to be cathedral size. The church was to be 200 feet long while
http://www.quincy.edu/http://www.quincy.edu/http://www.quincy.edu/http://www.quincy.edu/


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the Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago was 218 feet. Brother Adrian underestimated the cost of thechurch, saying it would cost $45,000 while it actually cost $85,000. There is a legend that sayswhen Bishop Baltes, of Alton, saw the plans at the laying of the cornerstone, April 26, 1886, hetook a knife and cut off some of the length, saying, Enough is enough. Consequently thechurch was built one bay short -- only 182 feet in length. According to some priests who had

preached in the church, the missing bay harmed the acoustics because it was always difficult tobe understood in that edifice.

St. Anthonys Church in QuincySt. Anthonys Church in Melrose is a good example of how a group of poor Catholics decided to

built a church and how everyone worked together to have their own place of worship. BrotherAdrian, the architect, had to work with a farming community with no money. He was able tocompromise and achieve a beautiful Gothic Church. It began when Melrose Township wasorganized.

On April 2, 1850, 47 legal voters residing within the limits of the newly organized township,

Melrose, met in Center School and elected township officials. In the summer of 1859 anothermeeting took place in the rectory of St. Boniface Church in Quincy. The pastor, Fr. HermanJoseph Schafermeyer, suggested to the group that they should think of building a new church,rectory, and school in Melrose. There were many objections. Some of the people had justemigrated from Germany. Their money had been swallowed up in buying their land, buildingtheir meager dwellings, and stocking their farms. The land on which they had settled was wild,and could only be subdued by the back-breaking swings of the axeman. The entire countrysuffered from the panic of 1857. The hills were thickly covered with oak and hickory timber andthe German settlers, being very found of trees, bought their farms at $5 an acre. The bottomland around Fall Creek was a swamp and had to be drained for many years. There was also thereligious reason, the pious settlers wished to be as close as possible to St. Boniface Church, theonly Catholic Church within a hundred miles in those early days. An indication of the scarcity ofmoney was that the early pioneer walked with shoes in hand. On reaching his destination, he putthe shoes on his feet. Shoes, even wooden shoes, were at a premium. The pastor encouraged thepeople at the meeting and told them, Begin very small at the start, and end up with grandeur."If you cannot build a frame church, then make one out of logs. Before the first church wasbuilt, because of bad roads, the early pioneers came to Quincy, 7 or 8 miles, on Saturday andstayed overnight. The following day, they attended both Masses, had lunch and stayed forVespers and then made their way home. Naturally, the church would need a name; uppermost

in their minds, why not miracle-worker? Surely, a fitting name, especially since theFranciscans were promised as pastorsnot to mention that Mr. Bordewicks Christian namewas Anthony. (Mr. Bordewick gave the land for the church.) So it became St. Anthony

Church. The first St. Anthony Church was 36 feet long, 24 feet wide with a square sanctuary 12feet by 12 feet. It was certainly an example of beginning small. For the most part theparishioners walked to church, some as far as six miles. When, however, the creeks ran high,they came in their big farm wagons, sitting on chairs. Buggies and surreys were unknown tothem in those early days. The first church was dedicated in 1861 but it was too small even forthe small number of parishioners. The parish contacted Brother Adrian who drew the plans forthe simply lined, pure Gothic brick structure.


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It seems that he often wished to build larger churches, such as at St. Anthonys in Quincy

(Melrose) but was forced to cut back his plans because of the lack of finances. He modified theoriginal plans by keeping the forty feet width but he shortened the original plan to seventy feetfrom ninety feet. He also dropped the sixty-five foot height to fifty feet. He refused to allow thelack of funds to hamper the tower. The tower is the symbol of the spirit of the parish. He

determined that it would rise every foot of its 125 feet into the sky, and it did. Work began on thechurch in 1869 and the new church was consecrated on June 13, 1870.

As with the building an any small church at that time in history, the parishioners did much of theconstruction work. During the construction of St. Anthonys two brothers by the name ofBlomer, who were traveling jacks of all trades, were bricklayers and they were a bit toughand rough. When they were teased by some of the regular St. Anthonys parishioner about theirheavy German accent, the bricklayers whipped out their knives, and the man who stopped thefight had his wrists slashed for his peacemaking attempt. Brother Adrians church served theparishioners for more than 100 years and was replaced by a larger church in 1984.

It is almost too much to believe but Brother Adrian built churches in 14 States -- from New Yorkto Washington, Oregon and California. Although all of the buildings have the imprint of BrotherAdrian on them, each church is a little different from the others. He simply did not take the plansfrom one church and use them in another place. Besides his Neo-Gothic and Neo-Romanesquestyles he also made use of the Mission style of architecture when he built in the west.

designed by Brother Adrian in 1912

In a vast majority of his buildings, however, Brother Adrian worked with the Neo-Romanesqueor Neo-Gothic forms common to his architecture in the Midwest. In his architectural designs, theProvincial architect combined the standard elements of his architectural vocabulary in seeminglyever varied configurations; in doing so, he planned each church to be somewhat different fromall the others. All of his churches, nonetheless, show an architectural signature distinctly his own.


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He also did much work in San Francisco after the earthquake and fire of 1906. He returned to St.Louis on December 13, 1908 to celebrate his fiftieth year in the Franciscan Order. It was a greatcelebration and his old friend Abbot Frowin Conrad of the abbey at Conception gave the festivalsermon at the mass. There were many letters and telegrams congratulating the FranciscanBrother, including as Professor Harmon notes, a congratulatory handwritten letter from the Holy

Father.

He continued to build churches until his death on March 15, 1914 in St. Josephs Hospital in San

Francisco and is buried in St. Mary Cemetery, Oakland.

Phil HoebingProfessor Emeritus of Philosophy

Quincy UniversityMarch 26, 2003

More of Brother Adrian's work:

St. Francis Borgia, Washington MO (1869)
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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St. George, Hermann, MO, style Brother Adrian (1915)

St. Boniface, Brunswick, MO (1902)


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St. Joseph, Palmyra, MO (1899 -- with others)

A major source for information on Brother Adrian is Fr. Francis Jerome Gray, O.F.M., PhD,

Professor Emeritus of History, Quincy University. Fr. Gray has been the historian of the St.

Louis-Chicago Franciscan Province for many years. He shared much information on Brother

Adrian for this article.

See also: James A. Harmon. "A Swiss-German Abbey at Conception, Missouri: Its Establishment

and Its Century-Old Basilica and Murals-- The Fate of a Prime Example of Medievalism in

America" Yearbook of German-American Studies, vol. 26 (1991)

Click here for a profile of Brother Adrian from the Franciscan archives

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http://www.thefriars.org/archives/items/adrian.htmhttp://www.thefriars.org/archives/items/adrian.htmhttp://missourifolkloresociety.truman.edu/mfs.htmlhttp://missourifolkloresociety.truman.edu/mfs.htmlhttp://missourifolkloresociety.truman.edu/mfs.htmlhttp://www.thefriars.org/archives/items/adrian.htm

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