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Reverend Michael Heiss, D.D. 1881 - 1890
Born in Pfahldorf, Bavaria, on April
12, 1818, Michael Heiss was ordained on October 18, 1840, in
Munich, Germany.
He came to Milwaukee as Archbishop Martin
Henni’s secretary in 1844. During his early years in Milwaukee,
he erected Old St. Mary’s Church and served as its pastor.
He was known to make frequent, though hazardous, visits on
horseback to Catholics in surrounding cities. Henni also chose
Heiss to organize Saint Francis Seminary and serve as its
first rector. At Saint Francis, Heiss trained German-speaking
priests to serve German Catholics of the archdiocese. Following
his 12 years at the seminary, he was named the first Bishop
of the Diocese of La Crosse in 1868.
Amid controversy between the German-speaking
and English-speaking Catholics of the Milwaukee archdiocese,
who fought over German control of the archdiocese, he was
named coadjutor of Milwaukee on April 9, 1880, and succeeded
Archbishop Henni on September 7, 1881.
During his administration, Heiss stabilized
the finances of the archdiocese, introduced the parish tax,
regularized the legal status of parishes, and formed the first
archdiocesan school board. He also encouraged American-born
women in the archdiocese to enter religious communities and
allowed more English to be taught in parish schools.
Archbishop Heiss died on March 26, 1890,
after nine years in office. He is buried, according to his
own wishes, beneath the chapel at Saint Francis Seminary.
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