Joseph Salzmann

Background

He was born at Münzbach in the Diocese of Linz, Upper Austria on 17 August 1819.

Career

He was ordained in 1842 and laboured very successfully in his home diocese until 1847, when an urgent appeal of the visiting first Bishop of Milwaukee, John Martin Henni ripened his long-felt desire to devote his life to the foreign missions. Having come to Milwaukee in October, 1847, he was appointed to a small country mission, but soon his extraordinary success induced the bishop to make him pastor of Saint Mary"s congregation at Milwaukee. Feeling the lamentable scarcity of priests Salzmann conceived the idea of founding a seminary.

To collect the necessary funds he went from state to state, and after many difficulties, on 29 January 1856, the institution was opened with twenty-five students.

Review Michael Heiss, afterwards Archbishop of Milwaukee, was its first rector. The seminary became one of the most prominent in the States.

Several hundreds of priests and twenty-three bishops call it their Alma Mater. After years of hard struggles the Catholic Normal School of the Holy Family found a solid basis, yearly sending out efficient teachers to parochial schools.

The American branch of the Saint Cecilia Society for the promotion of genuine church music owes its existence and growth to him.

Salzmann died at Saint Francis, Wisconsin on 17 January 1874.

Achievements

• Salzmann is also the founder of the first Catholic normal school in the United States and of the Pio Nono College.