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Diamond Jubilee Sacred Heart Church St. Joseph, Florida 
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County, Florida, came here in March 1883, and after pros- pecting during three months, returned to Minnesota to an- nounce to his many friends the wonderful things of "The Land of Flowers." He moved here with his family in Jan- uary 1885, whereas his brother, Bernard A. Barthle and fam- ily, had settled here in June 1883. Others soon followed, most of them from Minnesota. This place was originally know as "Barthle Settlement" and later as "St. Joseph." At that period San Antonio, Florida, was the nearest post office and place of worship. The settlers were quite numerous in 1888, when they planned to build a chapel." | |
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acres of land were acquired for a school and a church. The school house was completed September 30th. On the following Monday, October 1st, 1888, it was dedicated by the Very Rev. Gerard M. Pliz, O. S. B., Rector of San Antonio, |
Florida. The school is a frame
structure, one story high, with a bell touer in the rear. In the front of the school hall is a plat- form on which stands a beautiful altar --- for meanwhile the school house will be used also as a church. After the Dedication Rev. |
Father Gerard celebrated THE
FIRST MASS IN THE SETTLE- MENT, and at its close the con- gregation sang 'Grosser Gott.' Then followed the formal opening of the school and the installation of its teacher, who for the pres- sent is Mr. Bernard A. Barthle." |
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1892, the Church, begun last May, was dedicated by the Rt. Rev. John Moore, D. D., Bishop of St. Augustine, Florida, assisted By the Rev. Benedictine Fathers Charles, Roman, Bened'ct and James of St. Leo College, St. Leo, Florida. The Clergy were joined en route to St. Joseph by the San Antonio Brass Band. Whose lovely marches re-ecoed cheerfully through the balmy pine forests. When they arrived at the Church everything was ready for the dedicatory services. The dedication was immediately performed by the Rt. Rev. Bishop. Then Rev. Father Benedict O. S. B., Pastor, sang high mass, the Bishop and the Fathers assist- ing in the sanctuary, After the Gospel of the Mass the Bishop explained the ceremonies of the Dedication and then preached on the text. :Go.ve therefore, into the who'e world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." After Mass the Rt. Rev. Bishop gave Benediction of the Blessed Sac- rament. In conclusion the con- gregation sang the "Grosser Gott" (Te Deum) with great emo- |
tion. The choir was conducted by
Mr. Henry Klein. The San An- tonio Brass Band did its best and gave the people a real musical treat before, during and after the services. one of the Benedictine Sisters of Holy Nanme Convent, San an- tonio, Florida, tendered the Rt. Rev.Bishop an enteriaining re- ception." Thomas Hoffman, O.S.B., the Rector of Sacred Heart Church, started to build the present St. Teresta Hall, and finished the structure in little over over a month. Up to that time all parish enter- tainments and social gatherings were held in the school building." Francis Sadiler, O. S. B., D. D., then Rector of the Church, made preparations and began the work of extending the front of the Church twelve feet; a tower was also added to the church. The members of the congregation fur- nished the lumber and hauled it to and from the mill. The men of |
the parish did the work, by
Christmas the addition to the Church was almost finished." ber, the Rev. Thomas Hoffman, O. S. B., a former Rector of Sa- cred Heart church, built a mold for a baptismal font. The font is now complete and will be instal- led in the Church, priot to the Jubilee celebration; it is to be a memorial of the Golden Jubilee of the Church." and early settlers of the commun- ity recall the days when people traveled to their destination by horse drawn buggy or wagon. Some recall the trip from Wild- wood, the end of the railroad line, by ox cart. light in hearing of their trips thru thick pine and oak wood forests, kept free of large a- mounts of grass and weeds by the the cattle which were allowed to roam at will. had a long ride from St. Leo and Holy Name. Some people still re- call "Maudess a gray mare the school boys took much delight in |
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stabling for the nuns.
main crop was strawberries. Oth- er crops included fresh vegetables of all types. Issue of the "Florida Grower") the set out on his Pasco county farm of 340 acres about an acre of kumquats. Today he is the world's kumquat king. His grove area in this fruit now totals something better than four acress, considerably less than what other growers possess, but all his trees bear so prolifically that his ship- |
ments gave him first rank among
producers." approximately 1600 crates of this fruit were picked and shipped from the Nathe groves. The prices received ranged from nothing to as high as $6.00 a crate. The av- erage was about $2.50 a crate." recall -- the first baptism, Cas- per Andreu Barthle, August 20, 1890; the first marriage Frank Christ and Anna Barthle, June 18, 1889; the first post office, a part of a screened porch of the home of Mr. Bernard Barthle, the |
father of Mr. John B. Barthle
who lives presently at the same lo- cation; the first family, in the community to own a car, the C. J. Nathe family, a 1914 Model T. Ford; the first car driven by a school teacher, Mrs. Jessie Dunne of San Antonio, a 1908 one cylin- der, chain driven Cadillac. community and their many friends will be recalling these and other memories today as The Sa- cres Heart Church reserves a special day to celebrate their Dia- mond Jubilee. |