Dubois County, Indiana - Chapter 15: Very Rev. Joseph Kundeck, Vicar General of Vincennes. Missionary to Dubois County, 1910

General appearance of Father Kvindeck; birth; education; missionary work in America; received by Dr. Brute at Vincennes; sent to Jasper - St. Joseph's Hall - First German Catholic church in the state of Louisiana - Ferdinand - Deed for the town of Ferdinand - Engraved map - Celestine - Court house at Jasper; petition for same; price paid for labor - Board of school examiners - Sisters of Providence - Visit to Europe; result - St. Meinrad - Death of Rev. Kundeck; burial - Loss to the community.

The subject of this sketch is probably the most remarkable man that ever lived and died in Dubois county. His labors have left a lasting impression upon southern Indiana. In the arts of war, this man would have been a general. In the commercial world he would have been a "captain of industry. ' ' In the religious world, he was both. He asked no rest, acknowledged no fatigue, and knew no such word as fail. A scholar and a gentleman in the wilderness of Dubois county as well as in the dignified courts and crowded cities of Europe was he. Of him it may be said:

Father Kundeck was five feet, ten inches high, with a broad forehead, oval face, aquiline nose, round chin, small mouth, light brown hair and blue eyes. He would be classed as of light complexion. Upon the street, in citizen's dress, as well as before the altar in the dignity of his cloth, he commanded and received the confidence and respect of all men. His labor for the spiritual is so closely connected with his labor for the temporal welfare of his people that no attempt shall be made to separate them.

Rev. Joseph Kundeck was born in Johannich, province of Croatia, in the empire of Austria-Hungary, Friday, August 24, 1810. He pursued his studies in the diocesan seminary of Agram, Croatia. After his ordination to the Catholic priesthood he labored for two years as the assistant to the pastor of Petrinia, in his native diocese of Agram.

Hearingof the needs of the missions in the United States, and not finding sufficient work in his native land for his zeal and ability he resolved to dedicate his life-work to the American missions. Through the efforts of the newly founded Leopoldine Society, of Vienna, his attention was directed to Indiana. In the year 1837, he bade farewell to his mother, his fatherland, friends, and fellow-priests in order to dedicate his life to the missions.

Dr. Brute had shortly before been appointed the first bishop of Vincennes. The diocese of Vincennes comprised, at that time, the whole of the state of Indiana and nearly all of Illinois. Dr. Brute was only too happy to receive the young- missionary into his new and poor diocese. The question arose as to where the young priest might be placed. The bishop's attention was directed to Dubois county, where lately about fifteen families had congregated, especially around the town of Jasper. Most of these had just arrived from Baden, Germanj^ and were not able to speak or understand the English language. They were for that reason, more or less, deprived of a satisfactory pastorate, for there were no German priests near.

This little flock, commensurate with their means, had erected a little log church near the banks of Patoka river. Here they congregated every Sunday to attend to their simple devotions. Once in a while, but rarely, a missionary looked after the wants of the scattered Catholics in the virgin forests of Dubois county, and said mass for them. The first priest to visit them was the Rev. Maurice De St. Palais, then stationed at Mount Pleasant, or St. Mary's, north of White river. He afterwards became the third bishop of Vincennes. He did all in his power for the little flock. Although Rev. Palais was unable to speak the German language he encouraged them to persevere. It was due to his influence and advice that Father Kundeck was sent to Jasper to take charge of the little congregation. With great courage and fervent zeal the Rev. Kundeck undertook the task, which was to bring such great results, not only for the Catholic church, but also for the town of Jasper and county of Dubois.

It is said the Rev. Maurice De St. Palais first held services, at Jasper, about where the Southern railroad crosses Mill street, at the residence of Mr. Matsells. When Father Kundeck came he held services, on lot number 118, at the northwest corner of Seventh and Newton streets, and lived on lot number 153, at the southwest corner of Ninth and Newton streets, and, later, on lot number 12, at the corner of Tenth and Main. He finally lived and died in a log residence about one hundred yards southwest of the new St. Joseph's Church. He built the present parsonage, but died before he could occupy it.

Father Kundeck arrived at Jasper, accompanied by the Rev. Maurice De St. Palais, who installed him as the first pastor of St. Joseph's church in the spring of 1838. In Jasper the young priest found fifteen families, a poor church and very poor prospects for the future. The families were poor, for they had used all of their money in entering their lands, as buying lands from the government was called, and in building their log cabins. Under the circumstances they had nothing to offer their new pastor but their good will. This was sufficient for Father Kundeck. By superior knowledge and strenuous activity, supported by a peculiar eloquence of his own, he succeeded so well, that in the short period of two years he began to devise ways and means for building a spacious brick church. This, by dint of perseverance, he accomplished. It is in use to-day for hall and school purposes and is known as St. Joseph's Hall.

Through his influence a great number of new settlers arrived, and bought farms in the vicinity of Jasper. In the years 1840 and 1841, the new church was put under roof, new emigrants assisting. Each family was obliged to furnish a certain amount of bricks. Many had no conveyances of any kind. They carried bricks to the building place. All the labor, such as burning lime, hewing and hauling timber, was done by the members of the congregation. Some hauled sand and stone, others dressed the rough timbers into joists, flooring, rafters, and boards. In short, they did everything that could be done by unskilled labor, gratis. Money could not be obtained by many. For his own support Father Kundeck acquired land which he rented out to some of his people. In this way he secured his own modest living. The county records show he bought many tracts of land from the United States, and was one of Dubois county's largest land owners in his day, The old St. Joseph's church built by Father Kundeck stands to-day, a monument to his industry and good workmanship.

The labors of Father Kundeck were not confined to Jasper and vicinity. We might call Jasper his headquarters for, from it, he traveled in all directions, over to Illinois, and as far east as Madison. Railroads were, in those days, unknown in Indiana, hence these trips were made on horseback. In addition to these sporadic excursions he made regular trips to Ferdinand, Troy, Celestine, Fulda, and Mclyoughlin.

So much labor finally undermined his health, in spite of his strong constitution. He went to New Orleans in order to restore his shattered health in the Southern clime. His stay in the South w^as not spent in idleness. Seeing the German Catholics were neglected, he congregated them and built for them at New Orleans, the first German Catholic church in the state of lyouisana. At the same time he was not forgetful of his congregation in Indiana. He appealed to the generosity of the Catholics of New Orleans. His appeal was not in vain. He returned with better health and a lighter heart in the spring of 1844, having been in the South about one year. With the money collected in New Orleans he was able to build a stone church at Ferdinand. It was always his plan to concentrate the scattered Catholic families in order to be better able to minister to their spiritual wants. For this purpose he bought a large tract of land, which he laid out into lots. From the sale of these lots he derived a sum sufiicient to complete the church. This was the way in which the towns of Ferdinand and Celestine were founded by him. The towns helped the church; the church helped the towns. Ferdinand was named in honor of the then reigning emporer of Austria - Ferdinand. Celestine was named after Bishop Celestine De la Hailandiere, of Vincennes.

Father Kundeck's deed for the town of Ferdinand, written by himself, and acknowledged before Col. Bazil B. Edmonston, county recorder, Wednesday, March 18, 1S40, is unique. The deed in full is as follows:

Whereas, I, the undersigned, viewing the multitude of Germans coming on, both from Europe and all thepartsof the United States and settling them in different townships of the County of Dubois, in Indiana, to promote their spiritual welfare in building a German chapel - by opening a school in their maternal language for their offspring producing so a true temporal and acternal happiness among them and making good moral citizens of them to the adopted land of promise - I deliberally resolved to lay off a new town under a German name "Ferdinand" out of this reason, that they can pronounce it easily, impress on their minds and find it out accordingly.

The above named town "Ferdinand" is situated in the state of Indiana, Dubois county in township No. three, south, of range No. four, west, in the section twentyeight lying generally in southwest quarter and some lots in section thirty-three of the same township in northwest quarter and northeast quarter of northwest quarter, comprehending in all two hundred and seventy six lots, besides chapel's reserves.

The town is laid off with five north and south streets through the whole length of town, every one of whom number fifty feet in width, except one, the main street, nominated Ohio street which is eighty feet wide. The first of them, northeast, is named Caroline street; the second one Maryland; the third, Ohio street; the fourth, Virginia street; the fifth, Missouri street.

The number of the east and west streets are ten, each of them is forty feet wide except the other one main street named Indiana, being sixty feet wide. The names of them are as follows: Beginning from the northeast corner, the first one, Washington street; the second, Jefferson street; the third, Jackson street; the fourth Vienna street; the fifth, the said Indiana street; the sixth, Schoenbrum street; the seventh, Europe street ; the eighth. Stranger street; the ninth, Lafayette street; the last Leopold street, with these remarks: That neither Indiana or Caroline street do cross the chapel's reserve, consisting of the said streets and of twelve lots more, as it can be seen in the adjoined-to-ittown plat. Each lot of that new town contains ninety-nine feet, square, nothing more nor less. Being almost all the lots corner lots there are no lanes or alle5's in the town and no public square, not being a county'' s town. A parcel of the lot designated by its number, two hundred and sixty-five is lying in the southeast corner of east half of southeast quarter in section twenty-nine, the same township.

The said and above described chapel's reserve I do hereby, with these presents, grant and donate with all my titles and claims forever and ever to the Catholic German congregation belonging to this parish to the purpose of a Catholic chapel and a Catholic German and American school house on it, to-wit: for both languages, their native and American, being subject always to the inspection of the Catholic bishop of Vincennes; still reserving to me the power of disposing of it as long as I will reside among them, donating and granting a full right to the said congregation of Catholics to form some alleys or lanes out from their reserve round about the same reserve, when necessary.

Father Kiindeck always wrote his name without "c." Accompanying this deed was an engraved map of Ferdinand, one of the finest ever used in the county. These words appear upon it,

Father Kundeck was also the founder of Celestine, in Hall township, and acknowledged his plat Thursday, November 16, 1843. He also laid out the first addition to the town of Jasper, under the date of November 29. 1855.

The reader wmII observe that Father Kundeck was untiring in his labors, not only for the spiritual but for the temporal welfare of his congregations. His success surpassed all expectations. In the territory where he had started with fifteen families and a small log church, there were now four spacious churches and around each of them many Catholics. Within six years Father Kundeck built St. Joseph's, at Jasper; St. Ferdinand's, at Ferdinand, St. Boniface's, at Fulda, and St. Pius,' at Troy. This shows him to have been a man of restless activity, paired with tenacity of purpose.

Father Kundeck' s labors had an indirect influence on the development of Dubois count}', and a direct influence on Jasper, "the county-seat town." No exertion was shunned, by him, to make Jasper the center of all business of the county. The old part (east three-fifths) of the brick court house, at Jasper, was a testimony of his zeal. It was, in its day, considered one of the most substantial public buildings in Indiana.

The first court house built at Jasper, and all its valuable records, were destroyed by fire, on Saturday night, August 17, 1839. This necessitated the building of a new and substantial court house. The board of county commissioners appropriated a sum for a new building, and Alexander McK. Groves, the contractor, started to construct the building, but quit when he had completed the foundation. In this manner it came to a standstill. Then it was that Father Kundeck stepped in and offered to complete the court house. After consulting with men of experience and with mechanics, who offered to do the work cheaper under his management than for any one else, for they knew his sterling honesty, he filed a petition with the board of commissioners in which he agreed to complete the court house by December i, 1845. The petition reads as follows:

Gentlemen: I view with deep solicitude the happy progress and benefit of oui county. To promote the same as much as it lies in my power, is my sincere motto Hence seeing the putting up of a new court house delayed, yea, the whole work nearly prostrated, I have the honor to offer to the Honorable Board to prosecute the said work and to complete it with the following conditions:

2nd. I want to put up a course more of the cut stone foundation with a step to it. 3rd. I will try to finish the whole work till the ist. day of December, 1845. 4th. I want from the present session of your honorable body one thousand dollars m the county orders, certified by the auditor of the county to enable me to buy many appurtenances at Pittsburg, to the credit of a good security when demanded.

5th. I humbly ask from you, honourable gentlemen, for the fair consideration that I intend to undertake the job only when nobody wants it, or when you have nobody e se worthy of your trust, that the county's interest may not be at stake, as I drew along with me many residents in the county, whose not only spiritual welfare, but the temporal benefit is concentrated at the bottom of my heart, and as I am now yours at large, and the county is my new Fatherland, so I sincerely wish to see it grow up in prosperity and respectability.

Father Kundeck's offer was accepted and the court house completed as stipulated. This undertaking was the foundation of Jasper's growth and prosperity, and it gained for Father Kundeck the esteem and confidence of all, irrespective of church, creed or nationality, because he had undertaken and completed a work none other dared to undertake.

The court house contract entered into, bears date of Tuesday, December 3, 1844. It is signed by Joseph Kundeck, as contractor and John Hurst, John Cave, Joseph Schneider, Jesse Corn, Jr., John D. Noble, Elijah Kendall and Giles N. Lansford, known as a "Board of Justices-of-the-Peace, doing county business for the county of Dubois." The specifications for the work would be a credit to a modern architect. It was carefully and skillfully drawn, and it was followed to the very letter, even to the finial on the steeple.

To show the price paid for labor in 1845, we add that Michael Marandt was paid $28.00 for the two lower stone columns in the front of the court house hall. This included the stone caps to the columns. For the two upper ones, which were in two parts, he got $30.00. He dressed the columns in a quarry near Jasper.

The confidence of the people in Father Kundeck is shown by another incident. A law had been passed for a board of school examiners for each county. The duty was to examine teachers of the county and to issue to them certificates setting forth their ability to teach. Father Kundeck was appointed on this board. Some of the aged citizens pride themselves, to-day, on having in their possession certificates signed by him as a member of the board of examiners. That Father Kundeck was a man who took great interest in the education of his church members is shown by his engaging the Sisters of Providence in 1844 for his school of little boys and girls. Sisters of this order still conduct the schools of St. Joseph's congregation.

When the first railroads were being built in Indiana, Father Kundeck took great interest in trying to get one to reach Jasper. Hearing of a road being contemplated from Evansville to Indianapolis, he with Dr. E. Stephenson, and other public spirited citizens rode to Petersburg, and pledged to the company a subsidy of $50,000, to be voted by Dubois county. Pike county bid more, and the road was partly constructed, but never completed. Part of its old road bed may be seen east of Petersburg and east of Washington. Later, a railroad was constructed on the banks of the old Wabash and Erie canal, and Petersburg secured a railroad. Father Kundeck's efforts in this connection show that he realized the importance of railroads in the development of a country and the spreading of its commercial interest. The Southern extension to French Lick, completed in 1907, represents Father Kundeck's dream.

Where many a one would have considered his labors complete, Father Kundeck looked at them as only begun. His aim was not to found parishes and towns, but also to give them permanency. He knew the scarcity of priests, and the difficulty the bishops had in supplying congregations with good pastors. After serious consideration he concluded to give his congregations into the hands of a religious order. For this purpose he entered into negotiations with the "Provincial of the Redemptorists," but without success. Not baffled by this he turned his eyes to Europe, where he hoped to realize his plans.

Father Kundeck can properly be called a church builder and organizer of congregations. Even in his moments of relaxation from labor, his extraordinary powers were fruitful in the matter of building churches and organizing congregations. In the spring of 1S51 he started from his home at Jasper, to re-visit Europe, his native country, meet again the friends of his childhood, and look upon scenes familiar and dear to him in his youthful days.

On his way he stopped over at Madison, Indiana, and seeing the German Catholics there without any church, he tarried there long enough to inaugurate and put under way the erection of a church for their use. This gives him the credit of being the chief instrument in the erection of the first German Catholic church in the city of Madison. After this delaying and postponing, for a season, the anticipated pleasures of his visit to his native home, he started anew on his journey to Europe in the fall of 1851.

In Europe he traveled in Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland to get priests and help for his missions, in America. One of the relics of this trip is an old passport, which shows that the traveler, in those days, was very much annoyed by tiresome regulations and restrictions. Whenever he arrived at a new city he had to have his pass revised by some official. According to this pass Father Kundeck reached London, Friday, November 28, 1851. He traveled all over Europe and left Havre, for England, Saturday, May 7, 1853.

Father Kundeck succeeded in getting priests and students of theology in Prussia and Austria. He then went to Switzerland. There he visited the renowned Abbey of Einsiedlen and persuaded the abbot to send some of his monks to Indiana to take charge of the missions. It was due to him that these fathers founded the little monastery at St. Meinrad, which has grown into an abbey, and into an educational center of the Benedictine Order.

Abbot Henry IV, of Maria Einsiedlen, Switzerland, had entertained the project of sending a colony of his monks to America, and of establishing here a monastery, in connection with Einsiedlen. The initiatory steps were taken in 1852. The immediate cause was the visit made by Father Kundeck, who was then known as a Vicar-General, representing Bishop de St. Palais, of Vincennes. He convinced Abbot Henry that great good could be achieved by comparatively small efforts and so perseveringly did he plead the cause that the abbot resolved to grant it, and to center his monks in the diocese of Vincennes The abbot received the sanction of Pope Pius IX in this undertaking. Several of the fathers placed themselves at the abbot's disposal for the founding of St. Meinrad's. They bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, in Spencer county, on Friday, August 12, 1853, and began work. Father Kundeck became the first and best friend of St. Meinrad's abbey.

In June, 1853, Father Kundeck returned to Jasper and was received with all the pomp possible in those days. After his return he did not venture upon any new undertakings as his health had begun to fail. At first he suffered from repeated attacks of colic. On March 19th, 1857, an abscess formed on his right leg, which baffled the skill of the physicians. A visit to Frenck Lick did not benefit him. In October the limb was lanced and although this relieved him, the wound never healed. On Friday, the 4th day of December, 1857, exhausted by his long sickness he delivered his soul to his Maker for whose glory he had labored so faithfully. His remains were buried in St. Joseph's cemetery, at Jasper, on Sunday, December 6th, 1857, amidst an immense concourse of people from the whole county.

Father Kundeck was a remarkable man. He did much for the Catholic church wherever he labored, and left behind him permanent and enduring evidences of his work. He was held in high esteem by all classes in Dubois county, and was sincerely beloved by the members of St. Joseph's congregation. His death caused general sorrow in and around Jasper, and his memory is still fresh in the minds of many of the people of Dubois county.

The solemn obsequies were conducted by Father Ulrich, who preached the sermon, and Father Chrysostom who celebrated mass, assisted by Fathers Bede and Isidor.

Over the grave where his mortal remains lie buried stands a fine monument. A short sketch of his life is carved upon it, together with the following scriptural texts: "At the command of thy mouth all thy people shall obey." " I am thy servant and son of thy handmaid." " Hold the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me in faith, and the love which is in Christ Jesus."

In Father Kundeck' s death his church suffered an irreparable loss, the state lost a worthy and public-spirited citizen, and Jasper a man of real worth and great merit. The sympathy of this man was genuine and his alms-giving was just and generous; and many an unfortunate fellowtraveler and pioneer was helped over the rough places of life by his timely aid .

He baptized the babe, taught the child, encouraged the youth, guided the man, counseled the aged, and buried the dead. His labors extended from continent to continent and from birth to death. God, in his infinite wisdom, called him to eternal repose, at age forty-seven and he now peacefully sleeps in the soil of his adopted county.