John S. Willms, C.S.Sp. (March 22, 1849 – January 3, 1914) was a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...
in the Congregation of the Holy Ghost. He worked in a missionary capacity among the Catholic population in the United States, serving as the second rector of the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
(known today as
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit ( or ; Duquesne University or Duquesne) is a private Catholic research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit
, image = Holy Gh ...
), and as the director of the
Holy Childhood Association
The Pontifical Association of the Holy Childhood ( la, Pontificium Opus a Sancta Infantia) or Missionary Childhood Association, is a Catholic children's association for the benefit of foreign missions. It is one of four Pontifical Mission Societie ...
in America.
Biography
Early life
John Willms was born to a large family in
Nideggen
Nideggen () is a town in the district of Düren in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the river Rur, in the Eifel hills, approx. 15 km south of Düren.
Nideggen is known for its ruined, but partly restored ...
, a town near
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. Three of his brothers joined the Congregation of the Holy Ghost: Marie Antoine and Damase were both professed
brothers
A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
in the order, and another died as a seminarian. Willms made preparatory studies for the priesthood in Marienstatt (
Hachenburg
Hachenburg is a town in the Westerwaldkreis in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Geography
The town lies in the Westerwald between Koblenz and Siegen, roughly 10 km west of Bad Marienberg on the river Nister. Hachenburg is the administrative ...
), though because of the '' Kulturkampf'' and the subsequent expulsion of the Holy Ghost Fathers from Germany, he finished those studies in France.
Missionary service in America
In 1876 or 1877, after his ordination, he was sent to the United States, where he performed various pastoral duties in Morrilton,
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
and Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania, a community near Pittsburgh.
Willms succeeded Father William Patrick Power as the second rector of the Pittsburgh Catholic College in 1885. Willms led the fledgling college for a single year, before being transferred to a parish in Pittsburgh's suburb of Millvale.
Subsequently, Willms was one of two delegates from the American Province of the Holy Ghost Fathers to attend their General Chapter meeting in 1896; in 1897 he was appointed to the office of National Director of the
Association of the Holy Childhood
The Pontifical Association of the Holy Childhood ( la, Pontificium Opus a Sancta Infantia) or Missionary Childhood Association, is a Catholic children's association for the benefit of foreign missions. It is one of four Pontifical Mission Societie ...
, a Catholic children's association for the benefit of foreign missions.
Willms narrowly avoided an untimely death in 1898. He had planned to take the steamer '' La Bourgogne'' to
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
to attend a meeting of the Holy Childhood Association, but when he arrived at the dock it was discovered that his second-class seat had been erroneously given to another passenger. Willms was offered a first-class cabin, but he considered that level of luxury incompatible with his
vow of poverty
Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little
, and he decided to wait for another ship. It was to be the ''La Bourgognes last voyage; the vessel collided with the British ship ''Cromartyshire'', with near complete loss of life. Since Willm's name had still been on the ship's passenger list, his fellow priests assumed he had perished in the disaster. They had already offered masses for the repose of his soul before he was able to make it known that he was, in fact, alive.
Willms died at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh on January 3, 1914, at the age of 63.
Personality
Two anecdotes illustrating Willms's personality were remembered in the February 1941 edition of the American Province of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost's monthly bulletin:
As director of the Holy Childhood Association, Willms resided in the rectory of St. Stanislaus Church. A Polish
prelate
A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pre ...
was visiting from Rome one Sunday, and had decided to give a sermon. A locomotive, however, arrived on the tracks outside the church and began to shift its cars back and forward, completely drowning out the speaker's words. Willms left the church immediately and stood on the tracks, refusing to let the engineer pass with the noisy train until the sermon was finished.
The other story relates how Willms suffered from a diabetic disease in his later years. When his toe became
gangrenous
Gangrene is a type of tissue death caused by a lack of blood supply. Symptoms may include a change in skin color to red or black, numbness, swelling, pain, skin breakdown, and coolness. The feet and hands are most commonly affected. If the ga ...
, his doctor reportedly told him, "Your Reverence, your big toe has to be amputated in order to save your life." Willm's answer was spontaneous: "Father Willms will die with his toe!"