Peter Joseph Baltes

Peter Joseph Baltes ( born April 7, 1827 in Ensheim, Saar Palatinate, † February 15, 1886 in Alton, Illinois ) was a Catholic priest and from 1869 to 1886 Bishop of Alton, Illinois. He is a well-known theological writer in the United States.

Life

Youth and priesthood

Peter Joseph Baltes was born as the fourth child of a carpenter and cans maker Andreas Baltes and his wife Susanna Walljan. In 1833 he emigrated with his parents and siblings of economic hardship to America. The family settled in Oswego, New York, at that time, directly located a small patch of about a thousand inhabitants, on Lake Ontario. The Baltes family counted in this area to the early immigrants. The area on Lake Ontario experienced a major boom, was opened in 1825 the Erie Canal, which connected the Hudson River with Lake Erie. Joseph Peter Baltes began as a carpenter and took at the age of 16 years first private lessons with a priest. Then the young man the Holy Cross attended college in Worcester, Massachusetts; later he went to Chicago, Illinois to study at the university of St. Mary of the Lake, philosophy and theology, and at the same time giving German courses. Then Baltes moved to Montreal, Canada, where he attended the Lavelle University, where he continued his theological studies and finished. On May 21, 1853, at the age of 26 years, was (still in Montreal) ordained a priest for the Diocese of Chicago Peter Joseph Baltes. Since 1844, the entire state of Illinois consisted of only a diocese with Bishop based in Chicago. Only in 1853 came another diocese based in Quincy to but was relocated in 1857 to Alton. With this new diocese was worn the strong influx of Catholics, especially from Germany and Ireland, partly from France account. On the death of the first Bishop Henry Damian Juncker 1868, the Catholic population was already 80,000 believers in 77 parishes. His first took office minister Baltes in those forming part of this diocese village Waterloo, Monroe County, where he worked in the St. Paul Church until 1855. Then he was appointed to Belleville, where he had built as a successor of the born in Alsace Ostlangenberg pastor, the local St. Peter 's Church, a training center for young women as well as a parish school and the School Sisters of Notre Dame settled. He was a man of action and creativity, optimism and trust in God: When, on December 6, 1865 collapsed the nearly completed church, pastor Baltes did not hesitate with her immediate reconstruction and completed the construction within one year (up to the towers). She later became the cathedral of the new Diocese of Belleville. The chronicle shows that the church was built mainly of German origin artisans.

For the Palatinate priest a steep theological career joined. In 1866 Bishop Henry Damian Juncker elected him to his theological advisor for the 2nd Plenary Council in Baltimore and it was from him Vicar General of the Diocese of Alton, Madison County, appointed in southwestern Illinois - an area which are heavily German Catholic emigrants was coined and was subsequently a center of Catholicism. In contemporary writing: ". The Concilium in Baltimore, 7 to 21 October 1866, a picture of church life in America " (Andreas Niedermayer, publisher of Arts and Sciences, Frankfurt) is Baltes mentioned by name. It says: " Now in shimmering robes came the Generalvicare and administrators vacanter bishoprics, about 40 in number we call from them only Mr. Melchers from St. Louis, Stibiel from Pittsburg, Luhr from Cleveland, Baltes of Alton. . " ( page 22) one year later (1867 ) he was promoted to manager of the fledgling diocese (founded in 1857), as Bishop Juncker Vatican Council in Rome was called, an office which he has been appointed on the death of Bishop Juncker in 1868 again.

Bishop of Alton

On September 24, 1869, he was eventually replaced by Pope Pius IX. the new ( and second overall ) appointed Bishop of Alton and consecrated on 23 January 1870 in the he built St. Peter 's Church in Belleville. Principal consecrator was Bishop John Henry Luers of Fort Wayne, were co-consecrators Bishop Augustus Maria Toebbe from Covington and Archbishop Patrick John Ryan, Philadelphia; the two consecrating bishops were German, the Archbishop an Irishman. Bishop Baltes has erected many new churches in his diocese during his pontificate, and founded several religious orders whose work he strongly supported. So he founded for example, the " Ecclesiastical College of the Sacred Heart" in Ruma. His diocesan administration is described as very successful, as Bishop Baltes written numerous writings on education and leadership of the priesthood and the Church's laity. He dedicated it to the design of the liturgy, the church discipline and church ownership Particular attention. The most important work is considered in this context, its " Pastoral Instruction " (New York, 1875; reissued and expanded, 1880) In 1878 Bishop Baltes visited during a trip to Rome in his native diocese of Speyer Jacob Bisson stated above: ..

" A striking coincidence led him in Speyer, after the Mass at the cathedral, with its priestly compatriot, pastor of St. Martin Zimmermann together. He accepted the invitation of his compatriot to St. Martin and visited a few days later, accompanied by the former pastor of Ensheim, Pf Peter Wack, now watch home, his home community Ensheim. Here he was a happy and warm welcome to part. As Bishop of Alton, he organized the young diocese in such a degree that they stood at that time unique in North America. The linguistic diversity of his diocese he carried carefully into account. He preferred no nationality. Those were his favorite, the most faithfully adhered to the Church. He was an example to all strict way of life and a conscientious performance of duty. Moreover, Bishop Baltes founded a club for the incoming immigrants from Europe. "

During his tenure, the number of Catholics had increased to 109,000, which is distributed to 126 parishes and 77 missions - powered by 138 priests. Attached great importance Bishop Baltes to the expansion of the Church's education. In 1886 there were two colleges and a high school for boys, nine girls academies and 102 Catholic primary schools for 11,000 pupils, also 13 hospitals, three orphanages and two nursing homes that have been maintained by the Catholic Church. Bishop Baltes died on 15 February 1886 at the age of not quite 59 years, in Alton, after 3 days of sick bed, as a result of liver disease. On February 19, he was in a buried in a crypt of St. Peter and Paul Cathedral of Alton, in the presence of the Archbishops of Chicago, St. Louis and Milwaukee, 160 priests and many other mourners. In his obituary it says:

"Father had been great as Baltes pastor, he Became Greater even as bishop. " ( Bishop Baltes was a great pastor, but he was an even greater bishop. )

A year after his death, the diocese was divided: now there was the Diocese Alton in the north ( with 28 counties ) and the Diocese of Belleville in the south ( with also 28 counties ). Since 1923, both are merged into the Diocese of Springfield.

The parental family of the bishop remained Oswego connected in the coming decades. For the father Andreas Baltes corresponding control lists are obtained from 1850 and 1860. Different family members are mentioned yet 1865-1890 there. Today, however, seem to live here no more Baltes offspring. But a glance at the Social Security Death Index, that in the New York area live many Baltes, which probably belong to the circle of other relatives Palatine Mission bishop. Also in the family Ensheim Baltes is still a resident.