VGI Updates

Frederick V (31 March 1723 – 14 January 1766) ruled Denmark from 1746 until his death. Under his invitation, about 4,000 German colonists immigrated from southern and southwestern Germany between 1759 and 1762 to the duchy of Schleswig Holstein, which was at that time under his control. Many of these colonists did not like their new homes in Schleswig-Holstein and returned to Germany. Others deserted the Danish colonies and joined the migration to Russia that began in 1764.

Father Johannes Fix was born in 1864 in Franzfeld in the Odessa District. He graduated from the Saratov Seminary and was ordained 6 September 1887. He served in the following parishes: Rosental (1901-1903), Neu-Kolonie (1903-1905), Pfeifer (1905-1911), Mariental - Odessa District (1911-1915), Kleinliebental - Odessa District (1915-1928), and Baden in Germany (1928-1930). He went into hiding in 1921 for some time following the "Clergy Uprising" in which he participated. He was arrested in 1931 during the sweep of Catholic clergy.

Emmanuel Bader (1881-1938) served as the last deacon in the colonies of Louis and Mariental beginning in 1928.

Peter Weigel, son of Johannes Weigel, was born 12 July 1892 in the Volga German colony of Herzog.

He studied theology at the Saratov Roman Catholic Theological Seminary and was ordained in 1916. He also studied at the University of Göttingen and also the Gregorian University in Rome. He served as a missionary in Africa, Paraguay, Brazil, and Peru.

He served in the parish of the Volga German colony of Herzog. In 1921, he became the vicar of the Mariental parish (serving along with Dean Nikolaus Kraft).

Father Nikolaus Kraft was born 6 December 1875 in the German colony of Kleinliebental in the Odessa District. He studied theology at the Catholic Seminary in Saratov and was ordained 2 May 1899.

He served his home parish of Kleinliebental and later in the colony of Christina in Ukraine. From 1907-1921 he served the Volga German parish of Mariental.

Father Joseph Kruschinsky was born in 1865 in Lewjanowo in the Mariupol district. He studied theology at the Catholic Seminary in Saratov and was ordained 5 February 1889.

He served the parish of Mariental from 1896 to about 1898. From 1900 to 1904, he served as Dean of the parish in Seelmann, and under his leadership the new church was built there in 1902.

On 1 May 1904, he became Vicar General of the Catholic Theological Seminary in Saratov, and in 1911 he became the Archdeacon there. From 1911 to 1918, he served as a professor in the Seminary.

Father Loran was born 23 May 1859 in the Beresan colony of Karlsruhe and died 8 January 1893 in Göttland. He was ordained on 24 April 1883 and served the parishes in Graf and Mariental. He became the administrator of the Rosental parish and served from 1886 to 1891, when he moved to Göttland where he died.

Father Johannes Schönberger served the parish of Hildmann from 1915-1919.