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Commemorative Pages
Dedication
Foreword
Genesis
Inhabitants
Church
Parish
Patronat
School
Events
World War
Closing Words
Heroes of WWI
Footnotes
Bell from United States
Places Mentioned
People Mentioned
Author Credits
Translator Credits
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Original Jubilee Book

The inhabitants of the community are German, Roman Catholic as regards their religion.  The ancestors emigrated in the year 1786/87 from Austria, Germany and some parts of Lorraine; therefore, even today the Plennert family is still called “Lothringer.”[18]  Close to 150 families had settled here. What hardships the ancestors had do endure on the weeks-long journey, with what untoward events they had to contend need not be told at great length. In most cases anyway, they came downstream on boats or rafts as far as Szegedin[19] or Pantschova[20] and were transported from there with farm carts or on foot, as each one was able, to their destination since up to that time there still was no railroad transport.  After their arrival, the immigrants were accommodated in the previously completed houses and simultaneously the total tax exemption was granted to them for 10 years.  At the same time, each family received a complete agricultural outfitting consisting of draft animals, cart, tools, implements and everything necessary thereto.  In addition, the immigrants were offered a whole or half session.[21] However, they chose only a half session because aside from the cultivation of their own fields they also had to perform community works (Robot) dictated by the district authorities, especially assisting with the construction of new paths, with the cutting of ditches and with cultivation of public fields. This work was most rigorously required; nobody was permitted to avoid the same, and also because of that nobody was able to venture to undertake the cultivation of their own whole session.

However even though they received almost everything at the outset for nothing, our ancestors, in no case, lived in golden times!  All the areas which they received had grown to a wild state. In their time, the Turks indeed not only devastated cities and villages but also left field and soil in a grown-wild state. Under such arduous conditions then, our ancestors went to work to make the agricultural field arable. This was heavy, almost inhuman labor, yet only simple, primitive work tools were at their disposal.

The soil received, which had remained uncultivated for the most part for centuries, therefore had to be laboriously conquered little by little; reed, brushwood and thorns had to be cut out, the standing water in the many pools and swamps be drained. Only thus was the soil able to be made arable after laborious work lasting for years. When many, which indeed may easily be imagined, also departed this world prematurely from the hard work, for all that most people struggled on, worked and sacrificed and contributed to the development of the community. They relied on God in good times as well as in the greatest fateful hours and took their refuge in the divine providence under all circumstances. The record from the year 1794 shows what they, 6 community officials, publicly vowed to the Lord God so that He would keep both epidemic and conflagration as well as diseases, too, far from the community. The text of the record is the following:

We the undersigned judge,[22] jurymen[23] and elders of the Chamber community Neu-Panath show herewith and engage that to extol the glory of God we vow and pledge to God under today’s date, in addition to the feast and holy days chosen by the aforesaid community in the year 1786, to celebrate annually namely as follows: firstly, the feast of St Fabian and St. Sebastian[24] so that in mercy God would ordain to ward off the plague from us and protects us instead; secondly, the feast of St. Mark the Evangelist[25] so that God would bless and protect the fruit of the land for us and would want to drive any hail and storms from us; thirdly, the feast of St. Florian[26] so that God would mercifully protect us from conflagrations;[27] fourthly, the feast of St. Wendelin[28] so that we might be protected from foot and mouth disease. And also since St. Wendelin as a guardian of the locality also has been chosen as the patron saint of the church, thus shall these four days of repentance be celebrated with a High Mass on the days when they fall. Thus, if St. Wendelin’s day falls on a Sunday then it is celebrated at the same time with the church consecration solemnity as patron saint of the church; however, if it falls on a weekday then the church consecration solemnity is postponed until the next Sunday in this octave. In addition to this, however, we also dedicate and vow to God a requiem for the dead souls in the community which shall be held annually on a Monday after the church consecration. All of this shall be categorically observed by us, silently and without performing the least work on these days; in default whereof, the one who will act to the contrary and shall work shall be under a church penalty. To which document and record, such have signed under vow with name signature in their own hands and want to and shall confirm with the customary community seal.  Signed in Neu Panath the 23^rd of October 1794. Martin Lyubicics mp.,[29] Local Chaplain in Neu Panath. Jacob Schäfer mp., judge; Lucas Gebharth, juryman; Heinrich Sand, juryman; Andreas Tropfenbaum, father of the church.[30]

Whereas the weather blow which happened for the 4^th of May 1803 in fact is repeated almost yearly in this village, for that very reason so that through the intercession of the saints Almighty God would want to turn away such and every misfortune from us in the future, therefore the entire community has engaged to observe a general holiday, and this shall be observed annually on the 1^st of May, even if the weather will allow it differently on the day first mentioned even if without the usual service, also for the intention first named a public procession is held to the cross which is situated on the meadow field. In case, however, the procession cannot be held on account of impossibility, then the same is postponed from the 1^st of May to that extent until the weather will allow it. Signed in Neu Panath on the 1^st of May 1804.  Josef Baumann mp., judge; Georg Wenzl, juryman; Franz Mandik, juryman; Peter Wolf mp., juryman.

At present, the number of souls is 1917, of which 1890 are Roman Catholic and 27 Greek Orthodox.

All matters concerning the parish were always settled in perfect agreement with the community administration. Finally in the year 1901, the choice of an autonomous so-called “father of the church” appeared necessary, who from that time on was in charge of all matters of the parish himself. Then in the year 1935, the self-supporting parish was established for the deepening of Catholic self-assurance on the one hand and for the stimulation and development of parish life on the other hand. This took place on direct orders of the higher episcopal authorities, and still in the same year the church committee was created on the basis of binding ordinances instituted regarding this. Also when the church laws as well as the laws of the state grant to the bishop the right of administration of the ecclesiastical properties, the episcopal authorities therefore wanted in consideration of that the faithful of the diocese to have to carry at least a portion of the material burdens, especially since in the statute concerning the ratification of the concordat was stated: “The patronages and Patronat[31] obligations of every kind are and remain abolished in every case without compensation” (Article XV), in consideration of which the episcopal authorities wanted to stimulate the faithful toward collaboration on the development of parish life and to this end have drawn up uniform statutes which were also confirmed by the High Ministry for Instruction and Worship under number 14485/1934.X.5.  These statutes were of course also recognized by the local parish on the 14^th of April of the year 1935 and according to the same the church committee was appointed at the same time, which sent out from its midst the commission for the legal representation of the parish.

Thus for two years, this commission are the shock troops of the pastor, so to speak. As such, the committee is called on to take an interest in all the pastoral tasks and to collaborate with the pastor on the building of the parish.

The distinguished band of our church committee deserves grateful acknowledgement and special mention in the scope of these commemorative pages because the members of this church committee commission are those to whom is owed the preservation of the orderliness in the church and the determined guidance for the maintenance of the parish. A good number of the parish committee members already look back on a long series of years of faithful service.

Members of the present church committee commission in the jubilee year are the following gentlemen: Secular chairman is Andreas Klein; deputy-chairman Franz Sallanz; trustee, Michael Hoffmann; treasurer, Johann Reif; secretary, Konrad Bretträger; testers, Josef Fritz and Peter Reingruber. Ordinary members, Jakob Klemenz, Josef Wolf, Johann Sand, Peter Schmalz, Johann Baumann, Sebastian Schmalz and Johann Wolf.

As in the past so then also today, the inhabitants are still true-believers. The best gauge for the religious spirit of the local faithful, for the strength of their faith and the religious life which is dominant in this community is the fact that the community Panatulnou (Neupanat) even if not so wealthy is blessed with vocations to priesthood and religious order anyway.

1) Anton Hoffmann (born March 4, 1885) prepared himself for the priesthood of the secular clergy,[32] who unfortunately was called away to eternity still as a cleric on February 10, 1906 in Temeswar. 2) Johann Wolf (born December 27, 1909) felt the same vocation in himself, who also was actually ordained as priest in his native church on March 26, 1933 and presently works as spiritual in the convent of Notre Dame of Temeswar-Josefstadt.[33] 3) His brother Franz Wolf (born September 4, 1915) still prepares himself for the priesthood, at the moment a student of theology of the 5^th year’s class in the diocesan seminary in Timişoara.

Georg Konrad (born September 7, 1900) felt himself called to the religious order, who also actually entered the Piarist Order[34] at Budapest on December 24, 1923 and had received ordination as a Piarist professor in that very place on July 14, 1925. Unfortunately, he went home too early after death took place in Veszprem[35] on November 28, 1928.

Entered into the feminine order of the School Sisters of Notre Dame are: a) Catharina Schlechter (born August 23, 1884) with the convent name Maria Arimathea, she died, though, in the convent at Periam (Perjamos)[36] on December 22, 1931. b) Justina Scherer (born July 1, 1897) with the convent name Marie Agreda presently works in Lipova.[37] c) Catharina Scherer (born November 9, 1898) with the convent name Marie Fides presently works in Timişoara. d) As a candidate and pupil of the 3^rd class of the Roman Catholic Teacher Institute of Notre Dame, Anna Scherer (born July 18, 1912) felt a calling to the feminine Order of the School Sisters in addition, fell victim to a pernicious lung disease, though, and died here on November 29, 1932.

Another sign of the religiousness in this community shows in the church societies in addition. A good many societies developed which not only look after the special interests of their members but also in many instances can carry out valuable services to the whole community. Operating like that today are: 1. The Rosary Fellowship. To it belong pious persons who make it their business to practice the Living Rosary devotion diligently and also to win devoted admirers of Mary. Monthly, the members contribute their bit to pious objectives, particularly on behalf of Holy Masses. The director is the pastor of the day.  The president is Widow Filipp Weszpecher, née Anna Schleich. In addition, there are 15 superiors, each with 15 members. 2. Heart of Jesus Fellowship.  We are indebted to it for the most popular devotion by far in the community, namely the “Heart of Jesus” devotion. The fellowship has 284 members. The director of this pious society is the pastor. 3. Mission Society of the Pontifical Work for the Propagation of the Faith. The goal of this church society is: Through personal influence to fill others with love for the missions and through a monthly contribution of 2 Lei[38] to support the heathen mission work. Partly my means of the yearly contributions of the members of this society partly by means of the special yearly collection on Mission Sunday, the means are obtained which are for the benefit of the Catholic mission work of the whole world. The society presently counts 26 members. 4. Finally, there is the Work of the Little Theresa (of the child Jesus), with 149 members, which was called into existence as a fine outcome of the mission held in the year 1933.

No less, the missions which already were held here repeatedly show the splendid and exemplary religious lives: 1. in the year 1906 by the Redemptorist Fathers Andreas Koszler and Josef Rudisch; 2. in the year 1924 by the unforgettable Salvatorian Father Petrus Zimmermann and 3. in the year 1931 by the Redemptorist Fathers Aloysius Schwarz and Heinrich Schopf.

During the first-mentioned mission, 1100 Communions took place at the distribution; during the second, 2060 and during the third, 1900; surely a record which cannot be so easily surpassed by any other community.

Shored-up by these nice results, the local pastor himself held a small mission in the year 1933 on the 19^th-23^rd of March with cooperation of the Pastor Thomas Schuster from Livada (Fakert).[39] It was regarded as worthy preparation for ordination, incidental to which Johann Wolf, a local child, was supposed to be ordained priest in his native church.  Despite the terrible weather and snowstorm which set in, the mission received a fine outcome with eager participation of the people and was crowned by nearly unbelievable results. His Excellency Diocesan Bishop Dr. Augustin Pacha personally held the solemn conclusion. Altogether, 1120 Communions were distributed in this time of grace, where the total number of inhabitants only amounts to 1890.

In the end, may the beautiful pilgrimage processions, which are undertaken annually to the pilgrimage place Maria Radna with large participation on the third day of prayer in the Ascension Day feast at which many, often very many, take part praying and singing, still stand in every memory.

The faithful church choir which proclaims the praise of Christ, our divine king, with singing Sundays and Holy days at the High Mass and at other services, and thereby contributes a lot to the enhancement and glorification of the service, definitely deserves special mention in these commemorative pages. This church choir deserves the fullest appreciation especially because its members put their valuable services at the disposal of the church without pay and solely for the glory of God.

Of course, proclaiming the praise of the highest Lord is not the sole object of the church choir. No! On the whole, the cultivation of German song lies close to the hearts of all the members. After all, our ancestors brought along German song to the new homeland as the lightest luggage. And to propagate and to disseminate this German song is the goal of the local church choir in addition. And rightly! Our marvelous German song is part of the little good and pure, the few true ideals, which we rescued for ourselves from the chaos of the last quarter-century and which nobody can take from us!

And if we will preserve German song to the people, if we cherish and cultivate German male singing, in the awareness of its great moral and ethical strengths, then can we say with satisfaction that we have collaborated in the spiritual rebirth of our people.

A choral society was already founded imbued with this lofty goal many years ago.

For almost 10 years, it bears the name “Church Choir” and for 2 years is lead by the pastor himself. There is hardly a festivity in the community in which the church choir would not be involved. The conductor at present is the local pastor; president, Johann Wolf; secretary, Josef Schleich; treasurer, Josef Konrad.

This article with regard to the description of the inhabitants would not be whole and complete if mention was not also made of the local children who entered upon an academic career and thus as intellectuals of the community have attained honorable positions in civil life. From this community, came:

Nikolaus Baumann, Station Head, i.P. Szeged.

Peter Bretträger, Section Head in the Ministry of the Interior, died in Budapest.

Dr. Anton Engel, City Physicist, Budapest.

Dr. Emil Hoffmann, Law Courts Judge, Baja.[40]

Michael Hoffmann, Notary, Varadia de Mures.[41]

Johann Kampis, Senior Civil Servant, died in Budapest.

Jakob Konrad, Engineer, Budapest.

Peter Mandik, Doctor, Proprietor of a film theater in Budapest.

Jakob Scherer, University Student.

Josef Schill, Last Hungarian Vice-gespan[42] of Arad County, died in Budapest 7 May 1937.

Filipp Schill, Chief School Inspector of Middle Schools, Szeged.

Johann Schill, Director at the agricultural School of Agriculture, Mako.[43]

Franz Steger, Director of the Civil Girls’ School, Budapest.

Josef Vidor, Music Inspector, Principal, Budapest.

Josef Wolf, Bank Director, Lugos.[44]

Jakob Zeller, Notary, i.P. in Timişoara.

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