Title: St. Gregory's Church (St. Nazianz, Wis.) Records
Inclusive Dates: 1854-1911, 1954

Creator:

• St. Gregory's Church (St. Nazianz, Wis.)

Call Number: Green Bay Micro 5; Green Bay Micro 22; Green Bay SC 109; Micro 488; Micro 731

Quantity: 2 reels of microfilm (35mm) and 0.1 c.f. (1 folder)

Repository:

Housed at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Archives and Area Research Center; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

UW-Green Bay Cofrin Library / Green Bay Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Records of a church and its founders, an association of Roman Catholic emigrants from Freiburg, Germany, led by Father Ambrose Oschwald, who sought a religious environment and practiced a communal economic system. Available in paper form is a copy of the articles of agreement governing the colony and a newsclipping on finding the articles in Manitowoc County, Wis., Circuit Court files. On microfilm is a published history, a chronicle book, financial records, a pastor's diary (1884-1890), and records of land transactions and other activities. Much of the collection is in German. The collection documents the establishment of the village of St. Nazianz in 1854, building of the church in 1866, dissension within the church over communal property ownership and transfer of property to a corporate entity known as the Roman Catholic Religious Society of St. Nazianz, and an 1896 agreement with the Society of the Divine Savior in Rome to provide spiritual and temporal care for members in exchange for property rights.

Language: German, English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-micr0488

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

The village of St. Nazianz in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, was founded in 1854 by a group of Roman Catholic immigrants from Freiburg, Germany, led and inspired by Father Ambrose Oschwald. Though their main purpose in coming to America was to establish a properly religious atmosphere in which to live, they are also interesting to historians because of the economic practices of their new community. Before immigrating, they formed themselves into an Association and after their arrival, all money was pooled for the purchase of lands in common; all worked together in building their village and in crop raising; shoes, clothes, and other necessities were produced by non-profit, community-owned businesses. Private enterprise gradually replaced this Christian communal system as the colony became more firmly established.

This conversion to a capitalist system was hastened by a controversy in the colony following Father Oschwald's death in 1873. Father Oschwald had held property in his name for the Association, i.e., the original settlers plus later additional members of the community. He willed this property to the Association, which, because it had never been incorporated, was a legally non-existent body. Community dissidents, unhappy with the financial management of the colony, disputed his will in court; won; and subsequently demanded not only the portion they had contributed to the community upon joining it, but also wages for their labors since joining. To legally fight these claims, the contented residents formed a corporation called the Roman Catholic Religious Society of St. Nazianz. After ten years, the probate court handed down the decision that the claimants were entitled to no wages but should have their original contributions returned to them.

As the nineteenth century drew to a close, the Association faced the problem of extinction, since original members were dying while no new members were being enrolled. Eager to ensure that their property would continue to support the religious atmosphere they had sought in coming to America, they contacted the Society of the Divine Savior, a religious society recently founded in Rome. In 1896 an agreement was reached which provided that the Society would assume responsibility for the spiritual and temporal care of the members of the Association and in return would eventually receive the Association's property. This agreement was gradually carried out and St. Nazianz became the first home of the Salvatorian Fathers in the United States.

The records of St. Gregory's Church consist largely of microfilm which was produced at two different times. Material loaned to the archives for copying in 1972 contains records of the Association, of St. Gregory's Church which the members built, and of the Roman Catholic Religious Society of St. Nazianz. Also included is a diary kept by Father Durst, pastor at St. Gregory's, and a published centennial history. Most of the records are in German.

Additions loaned for copying in 1978 consists of six volumes of records, primarily financial, of St. Gregory's Church and the religious community of St. Nazianz. The one minute book of meetings of the Congregation of St. Gregory's includes information on the original organization and funding for the church, rectory, cemetery, etc. A day book also contains details of the decision to build St. Gregory's in 1866. Notes and mortgages accepted by the St. Nazianz community in 1885 are found in volume four. All records are in German.

Available in paper form is a copy of the articles of agreement governing the colony and a newsclipping on finding the articles in Manitowoc County, Wis., Circuit Court files.

Acquisition Information

Paper items presented by Harvey Strouf, Manitowoc County Clerk, July 29, 1937. Microfilmed materials loaned for copying by Father Cyril Dickrell, St. Nazianz, Wisconsin, 1972 and 1978. Accession Number: M72-363, M78-315

Processing Information

1972 accession processed by Eleanor Niermann and Karen Baumann November 10, 1972. Additions processed by Mary Diezel, Al Knoebel, and Max Evans, January, 1979.

Green Bay Micro/Micro 488	Series: Microfilm Produced in 1972: Records, 1854-1902
Reel   1	Published history, 1954
Reel   1	Chronicle Book, 1854-1896 (primarily 1854-1887)
Reel   1	Notice Book, 1873-1900 Note: Records “Agreement between St. Gregory Parish and the Religious Association; Final payment of St. Gregory Congregation to Oschwald Association on church building; Inventory St. Gregory's Church, Pastors' salary payments.”
	Financial Records
Reel   1	“Journal. . .for total expenditures for new St. Gregory Parish. . .,” 1869, June-1883, March
Reel   1	“Receipts and Expenditures, St. Gregory Congregation,” 1873-1901
Reel   1	“Revenues and Expenses of Old Oschwald Association,” 1889-1902 Note: Includes information on land transactions and descriptions.
Reel   1	Father Durst's Diary, 1884, August-1890, September
	Roman Catholic Religious Society of St. Nazianz
Reel   1	Record Book, 1874-1896 Note: Includes constitution, minutes, notes on land transactions, maps of lots, and tax records.
Reel   1	Receipts and Expenditures Book, 1878-1887
Green Bay Micro 22/Micro 731	Series: Microfilm Produced in 1978: Records, 1866-1911	⇧
Reel   1	Minute Book of St. Gregory's, 1866-1911 (Volume 1)
Reel   1	Day book, 1866-1911 (Volume 2)
Reel   1	Account Book, 1866-1869 (Volume 3)
Reel   1	Account Book, 1873?-1895 (Volume 4) Note: Includes records of notes and mortgages and loose papers enclosed in back of book
Reel   1	Pew Rent List, 1878-1895 (Volume 5)
Reel   1	"Ledger No. II," 1889-1908 (Volume 6) Note: Maintained by Reverend P.A. Mutz.
Green Bay SC 109	Series: Paper Records: “Statutes,” or articles of agreement, 1854, governing the colony, as filed with the Circuit Court of Manitowoc County; and a newsclipping about the articles	⇧