Father Leo Schmitt In First Mass Here
Impressive Ceremonies Mark Newly-Ordained Priest's First Mass Sunday
Two Rivers Reporter, Two Rivers, Wisconsin, June 1, 1943

Escorted to the altar of St. Luke's Catholic Church by his former pastor, the Very Rev. Dean C.V. Hugo, Rev. Leo Schmitt, son of Mrs. Henry Schmitt of this city, read his first solemn mass in one of the most impressive ceremonies of the Catholic Church at 11 o'clock Sunday morning. Scores of Clergymen, relatives and friends taxed the capacity of the spacious church to witness Rev. Leo Schmitt's first mass following ordination ceremonies at Green Bay Saturday morning. Many others who were not at the mass in the beautifully lighted and decorated church witnessed the procession from the parsonage to the church preceding the mass.

35 Priests Take Part

Thirty-five visiting priests took part in the procession from the parsonage, augmented by 36 altar boys of the parish, including a nephew of Father Schmitt. Bride in the ceremony in which Rev. Leo Schmitt was married to the Church, was a niece of the priest. Her bonnet coloring was in contrast to the white floor length dress she wore for the ceremony. The dress had a lace insert and a long train trimmed in lace. Two gardenias adorned her hair and she wore a hammered gold locket, a gift of the priest. She carried a wreath of flowers. Attending the bride were two other nieces of the priest. They were attired in white net dresses over white satin and wore matching hats. Each carried a colonial bouquet of red, white and blue flowers to carry out the color scheme used at the banquet tables when a victory dinner menu was served following the ceremonies. Also attendants in the church's bridal party were two nephews of the priest. They followed the bride's attendants and in turn were followed in the procession by twin daughters of Mrs. Henry Schmitt.

BROTHER IS A STUDENT

Following the bridal party in the processional was John P. Schmitt, master of ceremonies and brother of the celebrant. John Schmitt is a student at St. Francis Seminary and expects to be ordained next year. He was followed by Rev. Henry J. Schmitt, another brother of the priest who was deacon at the Mass and walking with him was Rev. Eugene Geimer, a cousin of Rev. Schmitt. He was sub-deacon. They were followed by Very Rev. Dean C.V. Hugo, assistant celebrant, and Rev. Leo Schmitt, the newly ordained priest. Both were in capes and vested at the altar before the mass. Thurifur at mass was Lawrence Andre, a seminarian at St. Francis seminary. Rev. F.F. Dupont O. Praem, registrar at St. Norbert's College and a close friend of the celebrant delivered the sermon. At the Offertory of the mass, Joseph and John Schmitt, brothers of Father Schmitt, sang Panis Angelicus under the direction of Eugene Kronzer, director of St. Luke's Male choir, Raymond M. Schmitt, another brother, accompanied the duo on the organ and also played the entire mass.

SEMINARIAN CROSS BEARER

Heading the procession from the parsonage to the church was the cross bearer, Walter Morgan, a seminarian at St. Francis, Paul and Phillip Schmitt were the acolytes, one on each side of the cross. Thirty-six altar boys of St. Luke's parish were next in line and they were followed by the visiting priests the Revs. L.M. Schorn, E.A. Radey, John Landowski, J.H. Schmitt, Henry Letz, A. Garthaus, Robert McCarthy, all of Manitowoc; Revs. D.M. Burke, A. Praem, F.F. Dupont, O. Pream, Sternmetz, H.L. Traeger, all of Green Bay; Theo. H. Verbaten, L. Scanian, Claude LeClair, Peter Salm, Edward A. Wagner, Joseph Schaefer, Anthony Betley, and Joseph J. Esdepski, all of Green Bay; Rev. Joseph J. Ahearn, Neenah; George Beth, Black Creek, John W. Husslein, Whitelaw; Hubert Nilles, Oshkosh; Robert J. Klein, Auroe; James A. Kelly, Florence; Angelus Mimploher, S.D.S., St. Nazianz; J. Bartelme, Cooperstown; Kools, Glenmore; Rudolph J. Hodik, Casco; and Peter J. Nilles, Linus Steckbauer and Alfred Loehr of this city. Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament followed the Mass.

FATHER BETH TOASTMASTER

Following the celebration of the First Mass, a dinner was served to the members of the Schmitt family, relatives, friends and clergymen at the J.E. Hamilton Community House. Rev. George Beth, Black Creek, former local man acted as toastmaster at the banquet. Speaking at the banquet were the Very Rev. Dean C.V. Hugo, Rev. Henry J. Schmitt, Sylvester J. Schmitt and Rev. Leo Schmitt. The newly ordained priest will spend the next few weeks with his mother here, awaiting call to an assignment to a parish in the Green Bay diocese. Reading his second mass in St. Luke's Catholic church Monday morning, Rev. Leo Schmitt was celebrant at a solemn requiem high mass for his late father, Henry Schmitt. Rev. Henry Schmitt, another son, was deacon and Rev. George Beth, sub-deacon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rev. Schmitt Reflects On 48 Years In Priesthood
Manitowoc - It's a joyful journey with people who love you. That's how Two Rivers native Rev. Leo Schmitt sums up his 48 years of priesthood. Schmitt retires today as pastor of Holy Innocents parish, Manitowoc. Holy Innocents was founded in 1932 and Schmitt, ordained in 1943, was named its second pastor in 1968. Born in 1917, the ninth of 17 children of Henry and Anna Geimer Schmitt, he will be moving to his year-round cottage in the town of Two Rivers in a wooded area just a short distance from Lake Michigan. He built the home 20 years ago and it became his get-away place when he needed a few hours or days respite from administrative pressures. As a young man, Schmitt used to ride the streetcar to Manitowoc to take music lessons at the Manitowoc Conservatory. At one time, he said, they even had their own family orchestra. He sang, as did his brothers, in the men's choir. His late older priest brother, Henry, he said, was his inspiration. A younger brother, John, is pastor of a parish at Sugarbush. He was the 17th boy from St. Luke Parish to become a priest. A graduate of St. Luke Grade School, Washington High School, St. Norbert College and St. Paul Seminary, he was ordained in 1943 at St. Francis Xavier in Green Bay by Bishop Paul Peter Rhode. After ordination Schmitt was an assistant at parishes in Allouez, Shawano, Sturgeon Bay and De Pere before becoming pastor at Aniwa, Bear Creek, and St. Michael, Whitelaw, from 1965 to 1968. For 12 years he was also Vicariate 12 vicar and in this capacity visited various parishes in the vicariate. One of the nicest things that happened, he said, was the formation of support groups for priests. There are 12 of us priests in our support group who meet monthly to discuss problems. He also enjoyed helping young men share in the active priesthood and to develop their talents. It brought out the best in us, he said. One of those young men, Rev. Jeff Vanden Heuvel, an associate at Holy Innocents until this past January, recently stopped by to visit his former mentor. If you were to ask me what Father Leo has been for me I'd say he's been a model of gentleness. He's been a model of kindness. There's no doubt he genuinely loves people, Vanden Heuvel said. And, he's one of the happiest priest I've ever known. Schmitt plans, he said, to take a six month hiatus; then if his health permits he will be available for fill-in duty as needed. Retirement, he says, is a time to get the pressure of every day finances and leadership off your shoulders. I don't think you stop being a leader but the responsibility for leadership is taken over by someone else and that helped.
Herald Times Reporter, Two Rivers, WI., June 30, 1991

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rev. Leo J. Schmitt, age 79, of 8635 Beech Road, Two Rivers, died Wednesday evening, February 5, 1997. Funeral Services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Monday, February 10, 1997, at Holy Innocents Catholic Church, Manitowoc, with burial at Calvary Cemetery, Two Rivers. Presiding at the Mass of Christian Burial will be Bishop Robert J. Banks.

Rev. Schmitt was born October 30, 1917, in Two Rivers, son of the late Henry and Anna Geimer Schmitt. He attended St. Luke's Grade School, Washington High School, Two Rivers and obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree from St. Norbert College in 1939.

He then entered St. Paul Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., and was ordained by Bishop Paul P. Rhode at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay on May 29, 1943. Rev. Schmitt was Associate Pastor in Allouez, Shawano, Kaukauna, Sturgeon Bay and west DePere.

He was pastor at Aniwa, Bear creek, Whitelaw and Holy Innocents parish in Manitowoc from November 30, 1968, until his retirement on July 1, 1991. He was appointed Episcopal Vicar for the Vicariate XII on June 18, 1975, and was reappointed May of 1978 and July of 1983.

He was instrumental in the development of Roncalli High School and was a strong supporter of Catholic education for many years. Rev. Schmitt was also involved in the development of Cursillo Movement and participated in many of their retreats.

He served on the Manitowoc County Commission for the Aging.

include three brothers and two sisters-in-law, three sisters and two brothers-in-law. He is further survived by two brothers-in-law, four sisters-in-law, his housekeeper, along with nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. He was also preceded in death by seven brothers and three sisters.

The reception of the body will take place at 4 p.m. Sunday at Holy Innocents Catholic Church, Manitowoc. A visitation will follow until 9 p.m. A prayer service will be held at 7 p.m. led by Rev. John Schmitt and Rev. Jerome Taddy. Friends may also call on Monday, February 10, 1997, at Holy Innocents Catholic Church from 9 a.m. until the time of service at 11:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers a memorial has been established in Father Leo's name for Catholic Education.

The Pfeffer Funeral Home, Manitowoc, is assisting the Schmitt family with funeral arrangements.

Herald Times Reporter, Two Rivers, WI Feb. 7, 1997

**********************************
(Rev. Leo John Schmitt, b. 30 Oct 1917, d. 5 Feb 1997)
**********************************
City cemetery records contain the following:
Name: Schmitt, Leo Rev.
Age: 79
Burial Date: 2-10-1997
Type: I (Interment or Regular Burial)
Vet: N (Never A Veteran)