User:Dgtlcraft/Franz X. Krutil

Father Franz or Francis X. Krutil (August 4, 1815 – November 19, 1897), was a 19th-century Moravian-born Redemptorist priest of the Catholic Church. He was known for his remarkable ability to preach in many languages, and served in many missions in the midwest.

Early life and ministry
Franz X. Krutil was born in a small Moravian town in the archdiocese of Olomouc. He was ordained a priest for the archdiocese of Olomouc on August 4, 1839. On June 21, 1841, he took his vows in Eggenburg to the Redemptorists. He volunteered for the American missions, was sent there soon after his profession. https://www.santalfonsoedintorni.it/BiografiePDF/07DictionaryCSSR/Krutil%20Franz.pdf

A DICTIONARY of the REDEMPTORISTS S. J. Boland C. SS. R. Romae 1987 Collegium S. Alfonsi de Urbe http://www.santalfonsoedintorni.it/Libri/BolandDizio/Boland00Dictionary.pdf p. 189-190 BIBLIOGRAPHY: Annales Provinciae Austriacae, Vienna, 1897, 29-31 John F. Byrne, The Redemptorist Centenaries, Philadelphia, 1932, 210-211.

He arrived in the United States at the Redemptorist Foundation in Buffalo, New York in June 1843. He was an early contributor to the Leopoldine Society of Vienna, which directly benefited many American missions, including Cincinnati, New Orleans and Detroit, all of which Krutil would serve at some point.

Friendships during studies. https://forgottenbooks.com/fr/download/HistoricalRecordsandStudies_10206122.pdf HISTORICAL RECORDS AND STUDIES. EDITED BY CHARLES GEORGE HERBERMANN, LL.D Vol VI. Part II. DECEMBER:1912. NEW YORK published by UNITED STATES CATHOLIC HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 1913 From: Register of the Clergy p183 "URBANCZIK (OR URBAN), REV. ANTHONY, C.SS.R. Father Urban was born at Ostrau, in the province of Moravia in Austria, June 17 1813. After finishing his studies he was ordained, September 22, 1838, and labored for a few years as a secular priest. This position, however, seemed to him to be too full of dangers, and following the example of his friend, the Rev. Francis Krutil, who had joined the Redemptorist Fathers, Father Urban also applied for admission. He made his profession July 18, 1842, and was attached to the mother house of the Congregation, Maria-Stiegen in Vienna. His zeal for the salvation of abandoned souls prompted in him the desire Of devoting himself to the American missions."

Father Francis Krutil came to New York. He also visited this island for a considerable time. On Staten Island, there is the quarantine, or the general hospital, for the immigrants. Since an English priest is stationed nearby and also takes care of the English in the hospital, the concern of our priest is directed only to the Germans who are sick. Father Fredolin Luette and Father Krutil were for a considerable time the spiritual comforters of the abandoned sick here. REDEMPTORIST NORTH AMERICAN HISTORICAL BULLETIN Issue #35 ISSN: 1480-5235 Spring 2013

Missionary Work
From 1844 to 1850, Fr. Krutil served at St. Mary's Assumption, a mission at Josephine and Chippewa streets in the City of Lafayette, above the "French Quarter". During these years, he spent much of his time in New Orleans but was also sent on missions to Lafayette. He was a polyglot who demonstrated remarkable ease with tongues, preaching in eleven and hearing confessions in thirteen languages. From July to September 1851, Father Francis Xavier Seelos had Father Krutil accompany Bishop O'Connor on a visitation tour of the diocese in Pennsylvania (Saint Philomena, Pittsburgh). He preached wherever there were German-speaking Catholics. By 1851, he had been sent to the midwest (Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Baltimore before arriving in Detroit), where he would serve 39 missions from 1852-1858, typically spending 10 days at a time in any community.

Redemptorist Missions in America
https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12683a.htm When the success of the Fathers at Pittsburg became known, applications were made to them for other foundations. They were called to Baltimore in 1840; to New York in 1842; to Philadelphia in 1843; to Buffalo in 1845; to Detroit and New Orleans in 1847; and to Cumberland in 1849. In 1837 a German congregation had been organized at Rochester by Father Prost, but the Fathers did not take permanent charge until 1841.

The Redemptorist order in America was closely knit. "During the 20 years of [Johann's] stay in Pittsburgh he became intimately acquainted with the priests of the Redemptorist Order in America, namely with Fathers Neumann, Pösl. Seelos, Leimgruber, Hotz and Helmprecht, with the Holzer missionaries. miller. Schäsfler, Hespelein, Anwander, Wissel, Jold, Clauss and Brandstätter. with the HH. Beranek, Krutil." https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92564641/redeptorists-in-cumberland-1841-1866/

Documented Missions

 * June 1843. Arrived in United States at Redemptorist Foundation in Buffalo, N.Y.

St. Mary's Assumption (1844-1851)

 * 1844-1850(1)?. 1844 Lafayette/New Orleans St. Mary's Assumption, a mission at Josephine and Chippewa streets in the City of Lafayette, above the "French Quarter".
 * 1845. Keyser's Ridge, Garrett County, Maryland. Rev. Francis Krutil celebrated the first Mass there at the home of Lawrence Knecht.
 * In 1848, Father Krutil takes over the mission at Kayser's Hall (corner of Josephine and Chippewa Streets) after Father Czackert dies of yellow fever. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92436386/ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92564325/father-krutil-succeeds-father-czackert/
 * Francis Krutil held the first general communion of English-speaking Catholic children in New Orleans in 1849. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92564191/
 * Father Krutil was the first Redemptorist priest who preached to Catholics in the English language in New Orleans. He formed the nucleus of the St. Alphonsus' congregation. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92564475/

Pittsburgh (1851-1854)

 * Father Seelos is transferred from St. Mary's Assumption to Pittsburgh. Father Krutil accompanies him.
 * July-September, 1851. Father Seelos had Father Francis Krutil accompany Bishop O'Connor on a visitation tour of the diocese. He preached wherever there were German-speaking Catholics. Curriculum Vitae of Blessed Francis Seelos, CSsR.
 * September 20, 1851. Pittsburgh, confirmation and sermon with the Bishop.
 * January 23-30, 1852. Father Seelos sent Father Francis Krutil to give a retreat to the diocesan priests of Wheeling. Curriculum Vitae of Blessed Francis Seelos, CSsR.
 * September 26, 1852. 14 day Mission at St. Peter's. Catholics of Cincinnati.
 * December 7, 1853. Consecration of St. Mary church and cemetery, Uniontown, PA.

The Rumpler Affair
In 1854, Father Seelos was transferred from Pittsburgh to Baltimore, taking on the pastorate of St. Alphonsus Church and serving as second consultor to the Provincial. In 1855, when the Provincial left for Rome for the General Chapter, Father Gabriel Rumpler, the first consultor, was left in charge of the Province. Rumpler underwent a breakdown, leaving Seelos as acting Provincial until October of that year. The way in which this matter was handled left Seelos in a poor light. In December of that year, he was reappointed as rector of St. Alphonsus, but no longer continued as a consultor to the Provincial. https://redemptorists.net/images/upload/Blessed%20Francis%20X%20Seelos.pdf During the interval from May 26 to August 29, 1855 no Superior was definitively appointed, but, for a short time, Father Francis Krutil, and after him Father Michael Mueller were placed over the Annapolis community. O.B. Corrigan. CATHOLICITY IN ALLEGANY AND GARRETT COUNTIES, MARYLAND. Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia. Vol. 36, No. 2 (JUNE, 1925), pp. 113-154 American Catholic Historical Society https://www.jstor.org/stable/44208628 CARL HOEGERL, CSsR BIOGRAPHICAL DATA OF BLESSED FRANCIS XAVIER SEELOS, CSsR
 * 1855. Father Krutil resided at St. Alphonsus convent (Baltimore).
 * June 4, 1855. The Rumpler Affair. Father Seelos, made aware of the seriousness of Father Rumpler's mental state, went to Annapolis with Father Francis Krutil as a temporary novice master and brought Rumpler to Mount Hope, an institution in Baltimore for the mentally deranged under the care of the Sisters of Charity. Father Seelos was now, in effect, the acting provincial. Curriculum Vitae of Blessed Francis Seelos, CSsR.

The Redemptorists now came regularly every three months, beginning, as there was no railway from Baltimore to Cumberland, on a Friday carriage, staying over Sunday, returning on Monday. It wasn't always the same Father who came, but soon this one. soon that one. The memory of all was not preserved; I was able to identify the following: Gabriel Rumpler, Joh. Nep. Neumann. Helmprecht, Krutil. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92564641/redeptorists-in-cumberland-1841-1866/

Father Krutil at St. Michael's. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92565011/father-krutil-at-st-michaels/

Rumpler at St. Nicholas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Nicholas_Kirche_%28New_York_City%29

Poughkeepsie
Born in Limerick, Ireland, in the year 1817, Father Michael Riordan, after making his preparatory studies in his native city, came to this country in 1843 and entered St. Joseph's Seminary at Fordham. He was ordained priest by Bishop Hughes the 14th of April, 1844. Immediately after ordination Father Riordan was sent to Poughkeepsie to relieve Father Maxwell, of Rondout, and here he spent nearly all his priestly life, ministering to that congregation and the missions attended from Poughkeepsie. In the "Freeman's Journal" for June 25, 1870, the editor relates how Father Riordan sent the Redemptorist Father Krutil to see him (the editor), then a Protestant. Father Krutil found Mr. McMaster poring over the "Summa" of St. Thomas. Source: Historical records and studies by United States Catholic Historical Society p.299 ark:/13960/t9w09b73g VOLUME III. 1904.

Archdiocese of Detroit (1855-1858)
From (autumn?) 1855 to 1859 (Summer 1858?) he resided at the Redemptorist house in Detroit (part of the Diocese of Detroit). He was sent as a missionary by Bishop Peter Paul Lefevere to serve the Catholics of Lansing and other outlying areas in January, 1856. During the years that he worked in the midwest, he devoted himself particularly to the care of immigrants of the Slavic races.


 * January, 1856. Sent as missionary by Bishop Lefevre "to look up the scattered Catholics of Huron County."
 * Sometime after January 1856. Parisville. First visit of a Catholic Missionary to Parisville. Source: Detroit's Oldest Polish Parish, St. Albertus, 1872-1972 Centennial. Rev. Joseph Swastek and Rev. John Szopinski, S.J. p.32-33
 * summer? 1856. Foundation of the St. Mary Catholic Church in Lansing, Michigan. Fr. Krutil accepted the donation of two lots offered by Thomas and Eleanora Saier for the construction of a new church in Lansing. Groundbreaking was held the year he arrived, the cellar was completed, and work was begun on a 36 by 50 foot foundation for the church.
 * August 15, 1856 Jesuit Mission preached in Chicago. Catholics of Chicago. The St. Louis Leader. August 15, 1856
 * 1857. Francis Krutil celebrates first Catholic mass in Linn County at the home of James Bristlawn in 1857. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92436847/
 * December 25, 1859. Rev. Francis Krutil is apparently still in Detroit during Christmas 1859. The Detroit Free Press shows the same announcement from March 13, 1859 to January 1, 1860. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92436648/rev-francis-krutil-is-apparently-still/
 * January 8, 1860. Father Clessin replaces Francis Krutil at St. Mary's Detroit after his departure to St. Thomas. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/92563857/father-clessin-replaces-francis-krutil-a/

Danish West Indies (1858-1859)
The Danish National Archives-Rigsarkivet; København, Danmark; 1841-1901 Dansk Vestindiske Folketælling Ancestry.com. Danish West Indies Census, 1841-1901 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2021.
 * 1859 (wrong). Departed United States. Last residence was Detroit, Michigan.
 * Autumn 1858. Stayed 3 months with Father Prost (presumably knew him from earlier work in Annapolis?) in St. Croix. Refused to sign oath. Government would not allow him to stay. Check Memoirs of Joseph Prost, C.Ss.R.: A Redemptorist Missionary in Ireland 1851-1854 (Irish Narratives) by Joseph Prost, Emmet J. Larkin (Editor), Herman Freudenberger (Editor) - it looks like Prost was in Ireland from 1851-1854. See also: https://www.jstor.org/stable/44209081 https://www.jstor.org/stable/27695712
 * January 1859. Left St. Croix for St. Thomas.
 * Resided at the estate of Gregoria Escarfullez in the town of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Dansk Vestindien. (Danish West Indies Census 1860)

A list of The names of INHABITANTS The Danish Westindian Islands (The VIRGIN ISLANDS) from 1650 – ca. 1825, p.316,317,642 http://www.dkconsulateusvi.com/inhabitants/inhabitants07052002.pdf

Return to Europe (1859)

 * September 1859. Returned to Europe.
 * 1861. Returned to the Austrian Province.

Returning to Europe in 1861, he worked mainly among the people of present-day Czechoslovakia until his death in Cervenka on November 19, 1897.