Sodality pre-dates establishment of church

Next year, the congregation of St. Mary's Cathedral, pictured above in the early 1900s, will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the church. Just by chance, I found an article relating to the formation of the parish that offered a few details that I had never seen before.

One of those details is the fact that the cathedral's St. Anne's Sodality was actually established in 1867, a year before the church. And, if the article is to be believed, it was the women who were members of the sodality who took a leading role in making the German-speaking parish a reality.

Pity the poor typesetter who assembled this story. He transposed two numbers in the date for the establishment of the organization not once, but twice. It has been corrected in the copy below.

Published April 14, 1917, on the front page of The Daily Republican:

ST. ANNE'S SOCIETY CELEBRATES GOLDEN JUBILEE SUNDAY

Founded In 1867 -- Mrs. Reiker, Mrs. Wittmore Only Living Charter Members.

On Sunday, April 15, the St. Anne's Society of St. Mary's German Catholic Church will celebrate its golden anniversary.

The occasion will be celebrated in fitting manner by the various societies of men and women of the church, who will be the hosts and hostesses to the honored guests during that day.

The society was formed in 1867 by a band of eight German Catholic ladies, who were then members of St. Vincent's Church. A mission had been conducted at the church by a Franciscan, Father Rayomdos Dickneite. It was during this mission and through the words of the priest, that the idea of a German Catholic church first became something more than a mere suggestion. A church had been planned in 1858 and the lots were bought for this purpose on the corner of Themis and Ellis streets. The Civil War broke out shortly after and the matter was quieted for a time. However, it was not the intention of the women to let things drop all together and they formed a society that through their efforts laid the real foundation for the building of the present St. Mary's Church.

They met in those days at the (Joseph) Lansman home, on William and Water streets, and from the eight charter members soon sprang a gathering of 41 active members.

Of these charter members, Mrs. Catherine Reiker and Mrs. Frances Wittmore, are the only two living today who will take a specially honored part in the festivities.

Father Joseph Myer was then pastor of St. Vincent's Church and through his encouragement the work of the society was able to be carried on to such gratifying results.

Father Pruente to Say Mass.

It was not until a year or more after the organizing of the St. Anne's Society among the German Catholic ladies, that a church was started with Father Julius Herde, as pastor.

In 1881, 35 years ago, Father Eberhardt Pruente became pastor of the church, and under his care and faithful services, has watched the society and church grow to one among the largest in the city.

The jubilee celebration will open with a solemn High Mass Sunday morning at 7:30 at St. Mary's Church. The children of the parochial school will take an active part, that will add much to the effectiveness of the occasion. Twenty-five little girls, all dressed in white with sashes of orange colored material, will form in a line at the school hall and march around the grounds to the side walk, where they will line up in two rows, through which the members of the St. Anne's Society will march as they enter the church.

The children will then follow them into church and will be placed in front of the sanctuary. As the ladies rise to receive Communion, the children will again form in two lines through which the former will pass to the altar rail.

Father Pruente will celebrate the Mass and will deliver the sermon, taking as his subject the history of the society as the part enjoyed by the women in building the church to its present day prosperity.

At 2:30 in the afternoon Vespers will be read, after which the day's guests of honor will be invited to St. Mary's hall where a little surprise is to await them. In the evening the men's societies of the church will give an entertainment for the ladies and their families.

Both of the ladies honored as charter members of the St. Anne's Sodality died the year following the organization's sesquicentennial.

Catherine Hesse Reiker, the widow of John Reiker, died Jan. 4, 1918, in Cape Girardeau and was buried in the Catholic section of Old Lorimier Cemetery. John Reiker, who died Sept. 24, 1903, was Catherine's second husband, her first being Theodore Whittler. She was the daughter of George Hesse and Catherine Fastebrand, according to online sources.

Frances Eichhorn Wittmore died April 16, 1918, in Cape Girardeau. There is some question as to where she's buried, as Find-A-Grave.com has her buried at both Old Lorimier and at St. Mary's. Her husband, who died April 11, 1885, is buried at Old Lorimier under the name John Wittmar.