Francis Xavier Seelos - Misplaced Pages

German-American Roman Catholic priest

Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos CSsR

Religious, priest and missionary
Born	(1819-01-11)January 11, 1819 Füssen, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Confederation
Died	October 4, 1867(1867-10-04) (aged 48) New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church (United States & Redemptorists)
Beatified	April 9, 2000, Vatican City, by Pope John Paul II
Major shrine	National Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, St. Mary's Assumption Church, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Feast	October 5

Francis Xavier Seelos, CSsR (January 11, 1819 – October 4, 1867) was a German Redemptorist who worked as a missionary in the United States frontier. Towards the end of his life, he went to New Orleans to minister to victims of yellow fever. He then died after contracting the disease.

Early life

Seelos was born in Füssen in the Kingdom of Bavaria on January 11, 1819, one of 12 children born to Mang Seelos and Franziska Schwarzenbach. He was baptized that same day in the Parish Church of St. Mang. He attended middle school at the Institute of Saint Stephen in Augsburg. Receiving his diploma in 1839, he went on to university in Munich, where he completed his philosophy studies. Having expressed a desire for the priesthood since childhood, he entered the diocesan seminary on September 19, 1842.

Seelos was touched by the letters published in the Catholic newspaper Sion, from the Redemptorist missionaries describing the lack of spiritual care for the thousands of German-speaking immigrants. After visiting the Redemptorists in Altötting, he decided to enter the congregation, asking to work as a missionary in the United States. He was accepted by the Redemptorists on November 22, 1842, and sailed the following year from Le Havre, France, on March 17, arriving in New York on April 20, 1843. On December 22, 1844, after having completed his novitiate and theological studies, Seelos was ordained a priest in the Redemptorist Church of St. James in Baltimore, Maryland.

Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, St Mang Basilica, Füssen, Germany

American missions

After being ordained, Seelos worked for nine years in the Parish of St. Philomena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania—first as curate to St. John Neumann, who was the superior of the Redemptorist community, later as Superior himself, and for three years as pastor. During this time, he was also the Redemptorist Novice master. With Neumann, he also dedicated himself to preaching missions. Regarding their relationship, Seelos said: "He has introduced me to the active life" and "he has guided me as a spiritual director and confessor."

Seelos is described as, "...a tall, slender, dignified man, with a kind, open, innocent face." Although born in Bavaria, he spoke English elegantly and fluently.

Seelos's availability and innate kindness in understanding and responding to the faithful's needs quickly made him well known as an expert confessor and spiritual director, so much so that people came to him even from neighboring towns. His confessional was open to all: "I hear confessions in German, English, French, of Whites, and of Blacks." He practiced a simple lifestyle and a simple manner of expressing himself. His preaching themes, rich in Biblical content, were always understood even by the simplest people. Seelos was described as a man with a constant smile and a generous heart, especially towards the needy and the marginalized.

A constant endeavor in this pastoral activity was instructing the little children in the faith. Seelos favored this ministry, but he also held it as fundamental for the growth of the Christian community in the parish. In 1854, he was appointed Pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish simultaneously in Baltimore; Pastor and Prefect of Students at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Cumberland, Maryland, in 1857; and Pastor and Prefect of Students at St. Mary's Parish in Annapolis (1862). As Prefect of Students, he always remained the kind and happy pastor, always prudently attentive to his students' needs and conscientious of their doctrinal formation. Above all, he strove to instill in these future Redemptorist missionaries the enthusiasm, spirit of sacrifice, and apostolic zeal for the people's spiritual and temporal welfare.

In 1860 Seelos was proposed as a candidate for the office of Bishop of Pittsburgh. Having been excused from this responsibility by Pope Pius IX, from 1863 until 1866, he dedicated himself to the life of an itinerant missionary preaching in English and German in the states of Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.

Seelos notably preached a two-week parish mission at St. Mary of Victories Church in St. Louis, Missouri in October 1865. The Church has a small shrine to his honor, a first-class relic, and one of the five known death masks made of Seelos.

After a year as Curate of St. Mary's Parish in Detroit, Michigan, Seelos was assigned in 1866 as Pastor of the Church of St. Mary of the Assumption, New Orleans. However, his ministry in New Orleans was destined to be brief. In September of that year, exhausted from visiting and caring for victims of yellow fever, he contracted the disease. After several weeks, he died on October 4, 1867, at the age of 48 years and 9 months.

Veneration

Theologians approved Seelos's spiritual writings on 8 May 1912. His cause was formally opened, and he was granted the title Servant of God.

Pope John Paul II beatified Seelos in St. Peter's Square on April 9, 2000. In the beatification homily, the pope stated: "Today, Bl. Francis Xavier Seelos invites the members of the Church to deepen their union with Christ in the sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist. Through his intercession, may all who work in the vineyard for the salvation of God's people be encouraged and strengthened in their task."

Seelos is commemorated in the Martyrology on October 5.

The National Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos is located in St. Mary's Assumption Church, the first German Catholic Church in New Orleans and Louisiana. The Shrine contains the official portrait of Father Seelos, used in Rome for his beatification, and photographs that depict Father Seelos and his life as a missionary. The centerpiece of the Shrine is a sacred reliquary, which houses the remains of Father Seelos. St. Mary's Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

The historic St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church at 3037 Dauphine Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, was renamed Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos Catholic Church in his honor. Additionally, after two Catholic elementary schools were merged in Wexford, Pennsylvania, the school was renamed in his honor, Blessed Francis Seelos Academy.

Notes

^ "Francis Xavier Seelos". Retrieved 15 September 2016.
^ "Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos C.Ss.R." Archived from the original on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
^ Stanton, Thomas J., A Century of Growth: or, the history of the Church in Western Maryland, Vol. 1, John Murphy Co., 1900, p. 55 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ "Blessed Francis X. Seelos - Redemptorist Saints - Who We Are - Redemptorists". Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
"Historic St. Mary of Victories Hungarian Catholic Church". smov.info. Retrieved 2015-10-13.
^ "National Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos - New Orleans - Attraction". Retrieved 15 September 2016.
Index ac status causarum beatificationis servorum dei et canonizationis beatorum (in Latin). Typis polyglottis vaticanis. January 1953. p. 80.
Pope John Paul II, Homily on the Beatification of 5 Servants of God, April 9, 2000
"Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos Catholic Church - Our Parish". Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.

References

Foley O.F.M., Leonard. Saint of the Day, Lives, Lessons, and Feast, (revised by Pat Mccloskey O.F.M.), Franciscan Media

External links

Media related to Francis Xavier Seelos at Wikimedia Commons
National Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos C.Ss.R.
Church where Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos was baptized
American Wonderworker, The Life and Miracles of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos by Brother André Marie, M.I.C.M., Saint Benedict Center
Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Francis X. Seelos" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
Francis Xavier Seelos at Find a Grave

v t e Saints of the Catholic Church
Dicastery for the Causes of Saints Stages of canonization: Servant of God → Venerable → Blessed → Saint
Virgin Mary	Mother of God (Theotokos) Immaculate Conception Perpetual virginity Assumption Marian apparition Titles of Mary Joseph (husband)
Apostles	Andrew Barnabas Bartholomew James of Alphaeus James the Great John Jude Matthew Matthias Paul Peter Philip Simon Thomas
Archangels	Gabriel Michael in the Catholic Church Raphael
Confessors	Anatolius Anthony of Kiev Athanasius the Confessor Chariton the Confessor Dominic Edward the Confessor Francis of Assisi Francis Borgia Homobonus Lazarus Zographos Louis Bertrand Maximus the Confessor Michael of Synnada Paphnutius the Confessor Paul I of Constantinople Peter Claver Salonius Sergius of Radonezh Theophanes the Confessor Pio of Pietrelcina
Disciples	Apollos Mary of Bethany Mary Magdalene Priscilla and Aquila Silvanus Stephen Timothy Titus Seventy disciples
Doctors of the Church	Gregory the Great Ambrose Augustine of Hippo Jerome John Chrysostom Basil of Caesarea Gregory of Nazianzus Athanasius of Alexandria Cyril of Alexandria Cyril of Jerusalem John of Damascus Bede the Venerable Ephrem the Syrian Thomas Aquinas Bonaventure Anselm of Canterbury Isidore of Seville Peter Chrysologus Leo the Great Peter Damian Bernard of Clairvaux Hilary of Poitiers Alphonsus Liguori Francis de Sales Peter Canisius John of the Cross Robert Bellarmine Albertus Magnus Anthony of Padua Lawrence of Brindisi Teresa of Ávila Catherine of Siena Thérèse of Lisieux John of Ávila Hildegard of Bingen Gregory of Narek Irenaeus
Evangelists	Matthew Mark Luke John
Church Fathers	Alexander of Alexandria Alexander of Jerusalem Ambrose of Milan Anatolius Athanasius of Alexandria Augustine of Hippo Caesarius of Arles Caius Cappadocian Fathers Clement of Alexandria Clement of Rome Cyprian of Carthage Cyril of Alexandria Cyril of Jerusalem Damasus I Desert Fathers Desert Mothers Dionysius of Alexandria Dionysius of Corinth Dionysius Ephrem the Syrian Epiphanius of Salamis Fulgentius of Ruspe Gregory the Great Gregory of Nazianzus Gregory of Nyssa Hilary of Poitiers Hippolytus of Rome Ignatius of Antioch Irenaeus of Lyons Isidore of Seville Jerome of Stridonium John Chrysostom John of Damascus Maximus the Confessor Melito of Sardis Quadratus of Athens Papias of Hierapolis Peter Chrysologus Polycarp of Smyrna Theophilus of Antioch Victorinus of Pettau Vincent of Lérins Zephyrinus
Martyrs	Abda and Abdisho Boris and Gleb Charles de Foucauld Canadian Martyrs Carthusian Martyrs Child Martyrs of Tlaxcala Christina of Persia Devasahayam Pillai Dismas the Good Thief Forty Martyrs of England and Wales Four Crowned Martyrs Gerard of Csanád Great Martyr The Holy Innocents Irish Martyrs John Fisher Korean Martyrs Lorenzo Ruiz Martyrs of Lübeck Luigi Versiglia Martyrology Martyrs of Albania Martyrs of Algeria Martyrs of Cajonos Martyrs of Compiègne Martyrs of Drina Martyrs of China Martyrs of Gorkum Martyrs of Japan 21 Martyrs of Libya Martyrs of La Rioja Martyrs of Damascus Martyrs of Laos Martyrs of Natal Martyrs of Otranto Martyrs of Prague Martyrs of Sandomierz Martyrs of the Spanish Civil War Martyrs of Zenta Maximilian Kolbe Óscar Romero Pedro Calungsod Perpetua and Felicity Peter Chanel Pietro Parenzo Philomena Saints of the Cristero War Stephen Teresa Benedicta of the Cross Titus Brandsma 17 Thomasian Martyrs Thomas Becket Thomas More Three Martyrs of Chimbote Ulma Family Uganda Martyrs Vietnamese Martyrs Valentine of Rome Victor and Corona Zanitas and Lazarus of Persia
Missionaries	Augustine of Canterbury Boniface Damien of Molokai Evermode of Ratzeburg Francis Xavier François de Laval Gregory the Illuminator Junípero Serra Nino of Georgia Patrick of Ireland Remigius
Patriarchs	Adam Abel Abraham Isaac Jacob Joseph Joseph (father of Jesus) David Noah Solomon Matriarchs
Popes	Adeodatus I Adeodatus II Adrian III Agapetus I Agatho Alexander I Anacletus Anastasius I Anicetus Anterus Benedict II Boniface I Boniface IV Caius Callixtus I Celestine I Celestine V Clement I Cornelius Damasus I Dionysius Eleuterus Eugene I Eusebius Eutychian Evaristus Fabian Felix I Felix III Felix IV Gelasius I Gregory I Gregory II Gregory III Gregory VII Hilarius Hormisdas Hyginus Innocent I John I John XXIII John Paul II Julius I Leo I Leo II Leo III Leo IV Leo IX Linus Lucius I Marcellinus Marcellus I Mark Martin I Miltiades Nicholas I Paschal I Paul I Paul VI Peter Pius I Pius V Pius X Pontian Sergius I Silverius Simplicius Siricius Sixtus I Sixtus II Sixtus III Soter Stephen I Stephen IV Sylvester I Symmachus Telesphorus Urban I Victor I Vitalian Zachary Zephyrinus Zosimus
Prophets	Agabus Amos Anna Baruch ben Neriah David Elijah Ezekiel Habakkuk Haggai Hosea Isaiah Jeremiah Job Joel John the Baptist Jonah Judas Barsabbas Malachi Melchizedek Micah Moses Nahum Obadiah Samuel Seven Maccabees and their mother Simeon Zechariah (prophet) Zechariah (NT) Zephaniah
Virgins	Agatha of Sicily Agnes of Rome Angela of the Cross Æthelthryth Bernadette Soubirous Catherine of Bologna Brigid of Kildare Catherine Labouré Catherine of Siena Cecilia Clare of Assisi Eulalia of Mérida Euphemia Faustina Kowalska Faustina and Liberata of Como Genevieve Hiltrude of Liessies Joan of Arc Kateri Tekakwitha Lucy of Syracuse Maria Goretti María de las Maravillas de Jesús Narcisa de Jesús Patricia of Naples Rosalia Rose of Lima Teresa of the Andes Teresa of Calcutta Trasilla and Emiliana Ubaldesca Taccini Josephine Bakhita
See also	Calendar of saints Four Holy Marshals Fourteen Holy Helpers Martyr of charity Military saints Athleta Christi Miles Christianus Church Militant Seven Champions Virtuous pagan
Catholic Church portal Saints portal

Categories: