The St. Louis German Catholics [Paperback]

William Barnaby Faherty S.J. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2004

In The St. Louis German Catholics William Barnaby Faherty, S.J., traces the settlement, growth, and impact of one of St. Louis s most enduring communities. Readers will revel in the mention of friends and family in Faherty s accounts, whether the familiar person played for one of Bob Guelker s legendary SLU soccer teams, shopped at a Winkelmann s Pharmacy or Hanneke Hardware, enjoyed some polka at Strassenfest, devoted time to St. Vincent s Orphans Home or the Catholic Knights, attended services at one of the many formerly German churches, or were taught at one of the parish schools.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

In 1827 Godfried Duden, a travel writer from Cologne, Germany, published a narrative in which he marveled at the similarities between the Mississippi and Missouri River valleys and those of the Rhine valley. He pleaded for his countrymen to take up the plow and till the rich soils of the American West, and a number of Germany’s Catholics responded by moving to St. Louis.

In The St. Louis German Catholics, William Barnaby Faherty, S.J., traces the settlement, growth, and impact of one of St. Louis’s most enduring communities. He covers the history of artists and athletes, politicians and priests, businessmen and philanthropists. Most importantly, Faherty provides a history of the individuals who helped shape and maintain one of St. Louis’s most enduring and influential communities, complete with a profile of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, an order that came to St. Louis from Bavaria to teach in German-language Catholic schools, eventually instructing more than eight thousand children.

Readers familiar with the community will revel in the mention of friends and family in Faherty’s accounts, be it someone who played for one of Bob Guelker’s legendary Saint Louis University soccer teams, shopped at a Winkelmann’s Pharmacy or Hanneke Hardware, enjoyed polka at Strassenfest, devoted time to St. Vincent’s Orphans Home or the Catholic Knights, attended services at one of the many formerly German-speaking churches, or was taught at one of the parish schools.

William Barnaby Faherty, S.J., has written more than forty books about the history of the St. Louis area and Catholicism, including St. Louis: A Concise History; The Irish in St. Louis: An Unmatched Celtic Community; and Dream by the River: Two Centuries of St. Louis Catholicism: 1766–1967.

About the Author

William Barnaby Faherty, S.J., has written more than forty books about the history of the St. Louis area and Catholicism, including St. Louis: A Concise History; The Irish in St. Louis: An Unmatched Celtic Community; and Dream by the River: Two Centuries of St. Louis Catholicism: 1766-1967.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Reedy Press (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0975318004
• ISBN-13: 978-0975318003
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #656,568 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fr. Faherty has done it again!, June 16, 2005

By 

James Gallen (St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The St. Louis German Catholics (Paperback)

Fr. Faherty has done it again! "The St. Louis German Catholics" is another contribution to the documentary history of St. Louis. I have often heard Fr. Faherty say that he wrote this book as a sequel to "The Irish In St. Louis " (see my Amazon review) because of all the Irish who had married Germans. Being one of those Irish, I decided to give it a look. I was delighted!

This book which can be appreciated in many ways. I read the surnames of friends and the histories of parishes with which I am familiar. From the pages of this book I developed an appreciation of the contributions of the St. Louis Germans to the religious, commercial and social life of St. Louis. Ever the historian, Fr. Faherty is not satisfied until he explains the developments in Germany which drove its citizens to St. Louis. A consistent explanation is that Bismarck's anti-Catholic policies were a major factor in German immigration to St. Louis.

For anyone with an interest in St. Louis, German immigration to America or Church history, "The St. Louis German Catholics" is a must.