Clark, Robert Carlton, Ph.D. "History of the Willamette Valley Oregon."  Vol. 3.
Chicago: Chapman Publishing Company, 1927. p. 328.
 
ST. MARY'S CHURCH

     Mt. Angel has greatly benefited by the labors of the Benedictine Fathers
and enjoys the distinction of having been the greatest seat of Catholic
education for its size in the west. One of the institutions in which the
citizens of this community take especial pride is beautiful St. Mary's church,
one of the inspirational and imposing religious edifices in Oregon. The members
of this parish first attended mass in a small chapel at Fillmore, then a
dependency of Gervais. In September, 1881, the building was dedicated by His
Grace, the Most Rev. Charles J. Seghers, D. D., of Portland, in the presence of
Rev. Frank Hartleib, of Gervais, Rev. Gust A. Vermeersch, of St. Louis, and Rev.
Bertram Orth, assistant to the archbishop. The pastoration of the parishes of
Sublimity, Gervais and Fillmore was intrusted to Rev. Adelhelm Odermatt, 0. S.
B., and in 1882, while he was superintending the erection of the monastery in
Gervais, Fathers Beda Horat, 0. S. B., and Barnabas Held, 0. S. B., watched over
the spiritual welfare of St. Mary's parish in Fillmore, which in 1884 secured
its first resident priest. As the name of Fillmore was not popular with the
early settlers Prior Adelhelm besought the railroad company to change the name
of the station to Mt. Angel, which he had chosen for the new monastery in memory
of the motherhouse in Engelberg, Switzerland, and in 1883 this change was
effected. As time passed many Catholic families settled in this vicinity and a
larger house of worship was needed. Rev. Anselm Wachter, who was rector at that
time, decided to erect a new edifice between the monastery and the town and in
the fall of 1893 the church was solemnly dedicated by the prior, in the absence
of the archbishop. In the autumn of 1900 Rev. Placidus Fuerst, 0. S. B., who had
recently graduated from the Catholic University at Washington, D. C., was
appointed the successor of Father Adelhelm as rector and filled the post for ten
years. His first act was the completion of the new schoolhouse, which was opened
in February, 1901, and during the same year altars were erected in the church,
in which an electric lighting system was installed, while the schoolhouse was
similarly equipped. In 1903 the church was decorated with frescoes and a pipe
organ replaced the melodeon, while the year 1904 marked the completion of the
new rectory. In 1907 Rev. Anselm Wachter, 0. S. B., for many years rector of St.
Mary's and Rev. Leo Huebscher, 0. S. B., his assistant for a considerable
period, passed away. They were beloved by the people of the parish and two
marble tablets were hung in the church in commemoration of the services which
they had rendered Mt. Angel during their years of activity in the community. The
parish enjoyed a rapid growth and in 1908 Father Placidus decided to erect a
large and substantial church of concrete. The plans were intrusted to Engelbert
Gier and in June, 1910, the cornerstone was laid by His Grace, Archbishop
Christie in the presence of many dignitaries of the church and a large concourse
of people.

     On August 30, 1910, Father Placidus was elected abbot of St. Benedict's
abbey and Rev. Dominic Waedenschwiler, 0. S. B., has since been rector. He had
served this parish from 1893 until 1897 as its third pastor and Father Frowin,
his successor, had charge of St. Mary's church until 1899, when Father Barnabas
Held assumed the duties of rector. The Rev. Dominic Waedenschwiler was born in
Switzerland and received his education in that country. He was there ordained to
the priesthood and in 1887 left Engelberg, Switzerland, with a company of
twenty-two Benedictine missionaries, none of whom were familiar with the English
language. The party conducted religious services on shipboard as. well as on
their train and first stopped at Gervais, Oregon. Father Dominic was engaged in
field work for Mt. Angel College for some time and during his pastorate secured
subscriptions for the building fund of St. Mary's church. It was completed in
1912 and stands as a fine monument to the Gothic style of architecture. One of
the chief features of the church is a pipe organ which was made in Europe. It
was brought from California to Mt. Angel and is the oldest pipe organ in the
northwest. Father Dominic studied music in Berlin, Germany, during 1906-7 and
has written several compositions for the piano and pipe organ. He is gifted
along this line of artistic achievement and has become recognized as one of the
foremost composers of church music in this country. He has about seventeen
hundred parishioners and is the friend and counselor of his people, ever ready
to assist them in solving life's difficult problems. An indefatigable worker,
Father Dominic gives to the church the full service of a finely tempered mind
and his efforts have been resultant both in spiritual and temporal advancement.

     
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in June 2016 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.