In the end, he was satisfied with everything, pressed my hand amid tears, and actually came to the church. The ceremonies of the baptisms, which I explained to him each time, one after the other, made such an impression on this man that he broke out loudly into tears, and let his total satisfaction be known in every possible way. Then we went into the house for the notation in the baptismal book and there I spoke to him about his other circumstances, which, in truth, merited sympathy and help. And actually, I was able to help him for the moment in both respects. Consequently, he left the house completely overwhelmed with gratitude. He kept on promising to send his wife for instructions. He not only did that but himself tried to help her understand the lessons. And so he himself had a completely different frame of mind, and soon said so right out that he wanted to go the same way his children had gone. And really, a complete change took place in the good man, a change not only interiorly but also exteriorly, visible in his face. He made his profession of faith publicly and so loudly that everybody could understand him and every word, which edified and delighted all the Catholics. He can express the gratitude that he feels for me only with his tears. Still, his gratitude was not satisfied with this. He did not stop thinking about what in his poverty he could still do for me, and he came upon the following unusual idea.
There is hanging in our parlor a beautiful picture of the washing of the feet by Christ, which Mr. Herloeb — that is his name — took a great liking to. From this picture, he got the idea how he would show me his gratitude, but did not give any indication. He only asked me when I was going to visit him again. Since I could not get away on that day, I settled for another. When I came, he was so happy and friendly. I never saw him like this before. But how surprised I was when he came out with the proposal that I should let him wash my feet that day. You can easily imagine in what embarrassment I was, and how glad I would have been to have the sign of respect considered as already received, accepted, and granted to him. But when I saw that it would make him feel very bad, I let it happen, but with the condition that his wife and the children had to be absent. I would not be able to express in words with what humility, joy, and gratitude, he performed this washing of my feet.
Gradually, his wife will come along. One cannot be in a hurry with such people, because they are so unstable. It’s the same with Black people. You can only be sure of their perseverance when they have died a happy death in the faith.
Although I have already told you very much, I cannot forgo telling you another incident that happened to one of my penitents from Pittsburgh. He was a carpenter by the name of Martin Schwer. In his youth he led a dissolute life and after he had married a young Catholic lady, he left his native land in order to live more freely and came to America. He settled in Pittsburgh. He liked it there very much and things went very well for him, as the people of the world call ‘well.’ He seldom went to a Catholic church; rather, not at all. He went over completely to the side of the unbelievers by going to the Odd Fellows, a branch of the Freemasons. He even became their head so that he was all tangled up with bad people. Humanly speaking, there was little hope that he would ever again become a devout son of the Catholic Church. But with God all things are possible. Here’s how it happened.
Our fathers came to Pittsburgh and had a hard time there in the beginning. Mr. Schwer became acquainted with them, because he belonged to the most respected Germans and was, besides, always ready to help, a perennial characteristic of his. He helped the fathers by word and deed, became attached to them, and even came to Church, and was converted when he saw their exemplary way of life and heard their first sermons. And as in everything else, so here also, he never did anything half way or superficially, but rather, whatever he undertook he undertook with body and soul.
And so it happened that in a short time he obtained permission to go to Holy Communion three times a week, which he did with great devotion. And to prepare himself worthily, he did not hesitate in the least to wait at the confessional a long time among the old ladies, until it was his turn. Despite all his penances, he was never satisfied with himself. When I came to Pittsburgh and took over his direction, he gave me no peace, and often with tears persisted with me to see to his being accepted as a lay brother in the Trappist Order. But this could not be done immediately. He still had some very little children, and I could not advise him right away toward an order that is so strict and so difficult for human nature. But he remained faithful in his determination. This was his only desire. So matters stood until I had to leave Pittsburgh, and so matters stood until I came to Cumberland and was there already for about two years.
He wrote me from time to time and asked me about various things, and shared all his thoughts with me, naturally also his continuing desire to be accepted into the above-mentioned order. And so I was convinced that it was God’s will and wrote about the whole affair of my dear brother Martin to the abbot of the monastery in the vicinity of Louisville. I explained to him that he had this desire now for such a long time, that his wife was agreeable and was very devout, as was really the case, and that she could easily support herself and her children. The answer was in the affirmative; brother Martin was accepted and without saying a word to anyone, which I had requested him to do, he courageously made his way to Gethsemane, as the monastery is called, after he had taken his moving farewell from his wife. As this fact became known among the people, all the good rejoiced and the evil jeered, because Mr. Schwer was well known among the Germans and the Americans, among Catholics and Protestants, and unbelievers.