Thursday, November 10, 2005 FEATURE Southern Cross, Page 3 Father Francis J. Weiss, SMA, ministered to black Catholics around the world rom his birth in Strasbourg in Alsace-Lorraine onward, Francis J. Weiss seemed destined to lead a Fcosmopolitan life. Although he was ordained a priest of the Society of African Missions in 1904 at the SMA seminary in Lyons, France, one of Weiss’first assignments took him to Cork, Ireland. At Cork, he served on the faculty of Saint Joseph’s College before beginning missionary work in Lagose, Nigeria, in British West Africa. He remained in Africa until 1914 when he answered a different call. This time, Father Francis Weiss was off to war. request,” he writes. “I have decided to publish a Returning to France, he served as a chaplain in small pamphlet on the occasion of the 25th the French Army until the Armistice of 1918 anniversary celebration of Our Lady of Lourdes ended World War I. Then, it was back to Africa; Church.” What Weiss is seeking is Bishop this time, in the role of principal of a school for O’Hara’s permission to publish the booklet, teachers. Next, Weiss’ academic career veered along with a preface written by the bishop, and again to France with his appointment as director “a cut (picture) of yourself to appear on the front of the Apostolic College of Saint Pierre. page of the pamphlet.” Father Weiss closes this In 1929, Father Weiss returned to Africa to letter by saying he will never forget the bish- serve as rector of the Cathedral of the op’s stay at the rectory of Our Lady of Holy Cross in Lagos. Lourdes and that he and his assistant, American ministry Father B. Baechtel, were honored to have Father Weiss’ American ministry be- the bishop living with them during the gan in 1930 when he arrived in the week of the mission. United States and became assistant pas- That Father Weiss’ requests for Bishop tor of Saint Benedict the Moor Church O’Hara’s approval of the anniversary book- in Savannah. In 1933, Father Weiss was let and for a preface and a photo were hon- appointed pastor of “a colored parish” Rita H. DeLorme ored is confirmed by the presence of the courtesy of the Diocesan Archives. Photo (in the terminology of the times), the published anniversary booklet, “Silver Father Francis J. Weiss, SMA Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, in Atlanta. Jubilee, 1912-1937, of Our Lady of Lourdes In Atlanta, then part of the Diocese of Parish, Atlanta, Georgia, USA,” in the diocesan answer: “Father, we could not scare you, you Savannah, Father Weiss hit his stride, his obvi- archives. Noted on the booklet’s cover are the were not afraid of the whole town of Atlanta, so ous zeal resulting in a steadily increasing con- names of pastor and assistant pastor, Fathers F. J. I wish to have you as my friend.” gregation. The residential Bible classes he Weiss, SMA, and B. P. Baechtel, SMA. The site chosen for the Mission Church was 25 organized were well attended and drew many Boulevard, N.E. The new building was blessed converts to the Church. An old house next door November is Black by Bishop Benjamin J. Keiley on November 22, to his rectory was transformed into a parish hall. 1912, and dedicated under the title of Our Lady Branching out, Weiss became spiritual director Catholic History Month of Lourdes. A large congregation of both white of the Colored Catholic Laymen’s League of and black Catholics attended the service and Georgia and a member of the Diocesan Council Beginning with the prologue and photo of applauded the choir of Saint Benedict the Moor, for Negro Parishes. Bishop O’Hara, the history of Our Lady of Savannah, as it rendered a choral chant in im- Listing these accomplishments does injustice Lourdes unfolds in Weiss’ words: “The year of peccable Latin. to the scope of what Father Weiss achieved in the Lord 1912 was marked by a stirring event in Our Lady of Lourdes parish’s progress over the diocese. The humility and fervor of his min- the history of the Catholic Church in Atlanta. the next 25 years, as charted in Father Weiss’ istry shines through all his correspondence with Never before that date had there been made an pamphlet, included the coming of the Sisters of Savannah Bishop Gerald P. O’Hara. In a letter attempt to gather together the handful of Catho- the Blessed Sacrament to teach at its school and dated November 5, 1937, Weiss thanks the bish- lic Colored people living in the Gate City of the a listing of its pastors: Father Ignatius Lissner, op for following up on his (the bishop’s) ex- South with the purpose of forming a nucleus for SMA, founder, and Society of African Missions pressed wish of coming “into closer contact with a Catholic Colored Mission.” Fathers M Scherrer, P. Hess, E. Peter, A. Wolff, the portion of your flock entrusted to the Fathers Father Weiss goes on to detail problems faced and F. J. Weiss. of the African Missions for Georgia.” by his Superior, Father Ignatius Lissner, in find- Father Weiss went on to serve Our Lady of Bishop O’Hara fulfilled this wish by preaching ing a suitable location for the mission because of Lourdes until his death on February 1, 1946. a mission at Our Lady of Lourdes Church and existing restrictions. Eventually, aided by promi- Bishop Gerald P. O’Hara, the same prelate who told Father Weiss that the time he spent at his nent Catholic, J.J. Spalding, KSG, Lissner was graced Weiss’ parish with his presence for a church giving the mission was “one of the hap- able to circumvent a racial roadblock that neces- week in 1937, offered the Pontifical Requiem piest weeks that I have had since I came to sitated abandonment of the first site proposed, Mass said for him at Our Lady of Lourdes and Georgia.” Father Weiss countered this statement on Highland Avenue, because of strong opposi- presided at funeral services at the Cathedral of by observing, “I must say that for me it was the tion to location of a black church there. Saint John the Baptist in Savannah. happiest week I have had since I began working “Highland Indignation Objectors” Father Weiss was described in a February 23, among the Colored people in Georgia. I will In his 25th anniversary pamphlet, Father Weiss 1946 column of The Bulletin of the Catholic never forget it. Your kindness has not only con- further reveals that one of the leaders of a group Laymen’s Association of Georgia as being bril- quered the hearts of the two men in charge of called the “Highland Indignation Objectors” that liant, a world traveler, and a linguist. “His zeal the mission, but also the heart of the whole con- thwarted location of the mission in the Highland for the salvation of souls,” it was noted almost gregation.” area later called on Father Lissner at the rectory unnecessarily, “was truly Apostolic.” Silver Jubilee booklet of Our Lady of Lourdes. Ashamed of his part in Well-educated and an accomplished linguist, opposing the mission’s construction, Lissner’s Columnist RITA H. DELORME Father Weiss in the same letter of November, visitor said he had changed his mind and, though is a volunteer in the Diocesan 1937, asks another favor of Bishop O’Hara. not a Catholic, wanted to donate $25 to the pa- Archives. She can be reached “Now here I come to trouble you with another rish. “Why?” asked Lissner, puzzled. The man’s at [email protected]..