One of the friendliest faces I encountered during my trip to Buffalo, and perhaps one of the friendliest faces I've seen in my life, was that of Saint Louis Roman Catholic Church Historian Michael Riester. He walked up and greeted me at Concordia Cemetery, yet another meeting arranged by Diane. We confirmed plans for me to attend mass and tour the church where Michael and Maria tied the knot on April 16, 1846. Nearly all of what I share in this post is thanks to Mr. Riester, another professional historian whose knowledge captivated me for the ensuing two hours.
Now, not knowing anything more than the date and the names, are you picturing a quaint, little wood-sided country church with a bell tower that would be dwarfed by your two-story tract home? Why do we non-historians do that (kudos if you didn't)? It seems like every American wedding performed in the 1800s must have been in the style of Little House on the Prairie.
Uh, no...not the case here.
Here's how the church looked in 1846...
Granted, if the wedding had taken place prior to the 1840s, it may have looked a little more like my feeble imagination had envisioned; the church back then was built of logs. The church as Maria and Michael knew it was literally built around the log church, with the original building's materials being dismantled and passed out through the new structure's windows!
There is evidence that Maria regularly attended mass and was likely responsible for the baptisms of at least two of the couple's children at Saint Louis. In 1846, the Wiedrich wedding was one of 221 marriages performed that year! The following year saw 440 baptisms. Known as St. Louis German Catholic Church at that time, it was a focal point in the community for the influx of German immigrants to the area. Perhaps a hundred or more Civil War soldiers attended mass here, including members of Wiedrich's Battery. No doubt, countless prayers were uttered within its walls to plead for the safe return of these husbands and fathers.
Sadly, the building as erected in 1843 no longer stands, due to devastating fire in 1885. The one replacing it is where I spent the afternoon with Michael and other new friends. It is truly magnificent, and bears witness to the importance of God in the lives of the proud German community that rebuilt it.
To say that pictures don't do it justice is an understatement. The church's highest tower reaches 245 feet into the sky. When asking for general directions to the site, more than once I heard the words, "You can't miss it." That was a true statement. With a standard seating capacity of 1900, the church is a breathtaking display of art and craftsmanship. There is stained glass in every direction, amazing architecture and yes, even flying buttresses (I paid attention in high school World History).
When German immigrants entered here, they missed home a little less. I'm sure it was like stepping back into the cathedrals of Europe.
I think it was when I was on the plane home that I was saddened to realize I had not taken any photos of Michael or my new friends that had joined us for the afternoon, Linda Schmieder and Jay Wopperer. Just like everywhere else I had been during my journey, it was the people that made the experience incredible. While the church, and for that matter the museums and cemeteries would have been amazing to visit alone, the wonderful people I'd befriended made the entire experience truly outstanding.
My experience here concluded with a tour of the building, including a museum located in the basement. Mr. Riester is a wealth of information surrounding the church, its parishioners and the community it serves, and it's fitting, as his roots stretch as far back and as deeply as anyone's in Buffalo. If you're in the area, I highly recommend a tour, which can be arranged in advance. I'll tease you by mentioning a "hidden graveyard" on the property that has an amazing story of its own.
Following the church tour, I had the pleasure of concluding my visits in Buffalo by attending my first ever beer hall, Hofbrauhaus Buffalo with Linda and Jay. We met up with Diane, Joyce and other friends and made our way up to the loft where we enjoyed delicious traditional German delicacies. A Bavarian oompah band was in full swing!
Before I knew it, I was the third in a long line of dancers following a costumed drummer through the aisles of the establishment.
I wondered if Michael Wiedrich had ever done this? Yes, the scars of war were physical and worse, I'm sure. Yet I smiled as I realized that relatively few years of his life were darkened by war; the man enjoyed many more years in this city after the War and by all accounts was a social fellow. Maybe he even shifted on his feet to a deep tuba belting out a rhythm similar to the one I was hearing, surrounded by friends like the ones I now had in this unique and wonderful city of Buffalo.
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| The woman who made it all possible, Diane Pesch-Savatteri |
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