Born in Polkvitz, Germany, on November 15, 1893, Bernard Elsner as a young boy settled with his parents in Brooklyn. He spent several years after High School working to support his parents, and then, inspired by the prayerful and austere life of the Friars of St. Michael church, decided to join them. He entered the Order at the age of 24, with a strong determination to be a friar after the heart of Saint Francis, receiving the religious name of Norbert. For the rest of his life this ideal never wavered. In later years as guardian and in the missions as superior regular his concern that others be just as faithful to their religious commitment led some to the judgment that he was too demanding a superior. Ordained at 31, he was immediately called on to assume various provincial responsibilities. His first assignment was as professor and director of the brother candidates in the original friary at Garrison. In 1927, he became guardian there. In 1930 his zeal for the Franciscan way brought him as guardian to the novitiate in Huntington. Then in 1933, elected to serve on the Provincial Definitory, he returned to Garrison as guardian of the new friary.
His request for some pastoral ministry brought him in 1937, as vicar of the community at Our Lady Queen of Angels in East Harlem, New York City. After two years he became pastor upon the sudden death of his predecessor and also as guardian of the community until 1944. He was now ready to follow his ideal of a friar's life, so at the age of 51, he asked to be sent as a missionary to Bluefields, Nicaragua. For twenty years he worked with an amazing zeal, even in moments of discouragement, in a tropical climate that taxed the energy of much younger men. He never tired of beautifying the cathedral and responded resourcefully to the needs of the people, whether baptizing, giving instructions, performing marriages, confessing or as chaplain visiting the sick and dying at the hospital.
In addition to pastoral responsibilities, the friars could depend on him to take care of the monastery garden, keep the library in order, and look after the parish books. His sermons were well-prepared, always finding it helpful to write out the Spanish beforehand every week. His end came as he might have wished. On an extremely hot day in a stuffy cathedral, he suffered a stroke as he celebrated Mass. True to form, he would not discontinue but struggled to finish and then collapsed in the sacristy afterwards. He died the following day, April 27, 1964, aged 70. This friar and priest worked hard, lived poorly and cultivated a deep prayer life, remaining a true follower of Saint Francis and faithful in the service of God's people until the end.
His request for some pastoral ministry brought him in 1937, as vicar of the community at Our Lady Queen of Angels in East Harlem, New York City. After two years he became pastor upon the sudden death of his predecessor and also as guardian of the community until 1944. He was now ready to follow his ideal of a friar's life, so at the age of 51, he asked to be sent as a missionary to Bluefields, Nicaragua. For twenty years he worked with an amazing zeal, even in moments of discouragement, in a tropical climate that taxed the energy of much younger men. He never tired of beautifying the cathedral and responded resourcefully to the needs of the people, whether baptizing, giving instructions, performing marriages, confessing or as chaplain visiting the sick and dying at the hospital.
In addition to pastoral responsibilities, the friars could depend on him to take care of the monastery garden, keep the library in order, and look after the parish books. His sermons were well-prepared, always finding it helpful to write out the Spanish beforehand every week. His end came as he might have wished. On an extremely hot day in a stuffy cathedral, he suffered a stroke as he celebrated Mass. True to form, he would not discontinue but struggled to finish and then collapsed in the sacristy afterwards. He died the following day, April 27, 1964, aged 70. This friar and priest worked hard, lived poorly and cultivated a deep prayer life, remaining a true follower of Saint Francis and faithful in the service of God's people until the end.
Born in Polkvitz, Germany, on November 15, 1893, Bernard Elsner as a young boy settled with his parents in Brooklyn. He spent several years after High School working to support his parents, and then, inspired by the prayerful and austere life of the Friars of St. Michael church, decided to join them. He entered the Order at the age of 24, with a strong determination to be a friar after the heart of Saint Francis, receiving the religious name of Norbert. For the rest of his life this ideal never wavered. In later years as guardian and in the missions as superior regular his concern that others be just as faithful to their religious commitment led some to the judgment that he was too demanding a superior. Ordained at 31, he was immediately called on to assume various provincial responsibilities. His first assignment was as professor and director of the brother candidates in the original friary at Garrison. In 1927, he became guardian there. In 1930 his zeal for the Franciscan way brought him as guardian to the novitiate in Huntington. Then in 1933, elected to serve on the Provincial Definitory, he returned to Garrison as guardian of the new friary.
His request for some pastoral ministry brought him in 1937, as vicar of the community at Our Lady Queen of Angels in East Harlem, New York City. After two years he became pastor upon the sudden death of his predecessor and also as guardian of the community until 1944. He was now ready to follow his ideal of a friar's life, so at the age of 51, he asked to be sent as a missionary to Bluefields, Nicaragua. For twenty years he worked with an amazing zeal, even in moments of discouragement, in a tropical climate that taxed the energy of much younger men. He never tired of beautifying the cathedral and responded resourcefully to the needs of the people, whether baptizing, giving instructions, performing marriages, confessing or as chaplain visiting the sick and dying at the hospital.
In addition to pastoral responsibilities, the friars could depend on him to take care of the monastery garden, keep the library in order, and look after the parish books. His sermons were well-prepared, always finding it helpful to write out the Spanish beforehand every week. His end came as he might have wished. On an extremely hot day in a stuffy cathedral, he suffered a stroke as he celebrated Mass. True to form, he would not discontinue but struggled to finish and then collapsed in the sacristy afterwards. He died the following day, April 27, 1964, aged 70. This friar and priest worked hard, lived poorly and cultivated a deep prayer life, remaining a true follower of Saint Francis and faithful in the service of God's people until the end.
His request for some pastoral ministry brought him in 1937, as vicar of the community at Our Lady Queen of Angels in East Harlem, New York City. After two years he became pastor upon the sudden death of his predecessor and also as guardian of the community until 1944. He was now ready to follow his ideal of a friar's life, so at the age of 51, he asked to be sent as a missionary to Bluefields, Nicaragua. For twenty years he worked with an amazing zeal, even in moments of discouragement, in a tropical climate that taxed the energy of much younger men. He never tired of beautifying the cathedral and responded resourcefully to the needs of the people, whether baptizing, giving instructions, performing marriages, confessing or as chaplain visiting the sick and dying at the hospital.
In addition to pastoral responsibilities, the friars could depend on him to take care of the monastery garden, keep the library in order, and look after the parish books. His sermons were well-prepared, always finding it helpful to write out the Spanish beforehand every week. His end came as he might have wished. On an extremely hot day in a stuffy cathedral, he suffered a stroke as he celebrated Mass. True to form, he would not discontinue but struggled to finish and then collapsed in the sacristy afterwards. He died the following day, April 27, 1964, aged 70. This friar and priest worked hard, lived poorly and cultivated a deep prayer life, remaining a true follower of Saint Francis and faithful in the service of God's people until the end.
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
