On Sunday, Oct. 9, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki will celebrate Mass at 10:30 a.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Church. A dinner will be held at the Teutopolis Knights of Columbus Hall, from noon to 1 p.m., followed by an open house there from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend all events, but tickets for the dinner must be purchased in advance. Tickets are for sale through members of local organizations, as well as at the Teutopolis State Bank.
A bus trip is planned for Oct. 20 to visit the SSND Motherhouse in St. Louis. The group will visit with the sisters, have lunch, tour the motherhouse campus, visit its gift shop, and enjoy a scenic drive through Jefferson Barracks Park and National Cemetery. Tickets for the bus trip can be purchased by calling Sue Esker at (217) 857-6249.
The School Sisters of Notre Dame were founded in Bavaria, Germany, in 1833. In 1838 a group of German Catholic immigrants settled in Effingham County in a place they named Teu Topolis, "The City of the Teutons or Germans," writes Sister Carol Marie Wildt, SSND archivist.
The settlement grew, and in 1858 Bishop Henry Damian Juncker of the (then) Diocese of Alton persuaded three Franciscan priests and six brothers from Bremen, Germany, to come to America to minister to the growing number of German-speaking Catholics in the Teutopolis area.
In 1860, Father Damian Hennewig, the first Franciscan pastor at (originally called St. Peter, renamed) St. Francis of Assisi Church, in Teutopolis, contacted Mother Caroline Friess, superior of a group of SSNDs in Milwaukee. He appealed to her to send sisters to care for the spiritual and educational needs of girls in the Teutopolis area. Four months later Father Damian began the foundation of St. Joseph's Seminary and College for the education of boys.
On Dec. 7, 1861, Sister Margaret Mueller, SSND superior, Sister Mauritia Uzmann and Candidate Margaret Rudolph arrived in Teutopolis. For six years they lived in a two-story log house, loaned to them on the condition they educate the owner's daughters for free. In 1866 the cornerstone was laid for a two-story brick building, St. Mary's Academy. By 1868, 35 girls boarded in the new convent/school, which, in addition to providing academic studies, also instructed the girls in art, music and needlework.
The Franciscans taught the boys, the School Sisters taught the girls.
"After a while the sisters were asked to teach boys. They had to write to our mother general in Munich to ask if they could have permission to teach boys. 'That is what they do here in America,' the sisters wrote. In Germany classes were not mixed," said Sister Ann Vincent Siemer, SSND, DRE at St. Francis Parish today.
By 1883 the number of boarders had greatly decreased and the academy was closed, but the sisters continued to teach in the parish school, as well as assist the priests as catechists for adult women converts.
By 1913 enrollment had increased in the parish school so that an annex was added onto it, and the next year a new school building was built. "At this time, the school became a public school but the sisters and their dedicated lay personnel continued to teach in it," says Sister Carol Marie.
In an arrangement with the state and the local school district authorities, from 8 to 9 a.m. each school day religion was taught in the classrooms. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. the school was operated as a public school. From 6 p.m. on, the parish had the right to use the school. Each classroom has a cabinet used to store the Bible, rosaries, crucifixes, and other religious items when the public school is in session.
"Every so many years, they renewed the agreement with Unit 50 School District, which includes Teutopolis and outlying areas — Green Creek, Lillyville and Bishop Creek," said Sister Ann Vincent.
By 1917, the St. Louis SSND province had been formed, and Mother Petra was superior for the sisters within the geographical boundaries of the province which includes Teutopolis. In May of that year, when St. Francis pastor pressed his case with Mother Petra for a sister to teach in the newly opened high school, she declined, saying she could not spare a sister for such a small school. But he countered if she did not give him a sister for the high school, he would get other sisters for the entire school and she could withdraw all the SSNDs.
"Since this was one of the early pioneer missions founded by Mother Caroline, Mother Petra did not wish to close it, so she promised to send a sister by September," Sister Carol Marie said.
Sister Ethelbert Dekum, 24-years-old and two years professed, was appointed principal and superintendent of schools in Teutopolis. It was a position she held from 1917 until 1955.
Other SSNDs who followed Sister Ethelbert as the Teutopolis school superintendent included: Sisters Stephanie Flamm, Anthonita Donaldson and Margaret [Medulpha] McCormick, until a lay person was appointed in 1970.
A count done in 1960 found Teutopolis and Effingham had 40 young women become School Sisters of Notre Dame; 20 Sisters of St. Francis (Joliet); three Dominicans, six Sisters of the Hospital of St. Mary's (Franciscans in St. Louis), two Poor Handmaids, one Sister of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, and 17 Sisters of the Most Precious Blood.
"It used to be all the students attending Teutopolis public schools were Catholic," says Sister Ann Vincent. "I guess it is about 100 now who are not taking religion class."
Today the parish-owned school has five kindergartens; and three grades, with three classrooms for each grade.