BIOGRAPHY: Rev. Marcellus RETTGER, O.S.B., Cambria County, PA 

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From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria 
County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 279
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REV. MARCELLUS RETTGER, 0.S.B., the young and popular pastor of St. Mary's 
Catholic church, at Patton, and St. Patrick's and Seven Dolors' Mission churches 
of Indiana county, is the youngest son of George and Eva (Wilhelm) Rettger, and 
was born at St. Mary's, Elk county, Pennsylvania, March 10, 1868. George Rettger 
was born, reared and educated in Nassau, Germany, and in 1844 came to St. 
Mary's, then a wilderness, and sixty miles from the nearest town or settlement. 
He was a carpenter, and worked at his trade during the years of his active life. 
He died September 25, 1886, aged sixty-eight years.
     He married Eva Wilhelm, of St. Mary's, whose father was a native of 
Herchenfeld, Germany, and an early settler in Elk county. Mr. and Mrs. Rettger 
reared a family of eight children, six sons and two daughters.
     Rev. Marcellus Rettger was reared at St. Mary's, where he attended the 
public schools and received his elementary education. He then entered St. 
Vincent's college, of Westmoreland county, in 1881, from which excellent and 
well-known institution of learning he was graduated in the classical, 
philosophical and theological courses in the year 1892. Immediately after 
graduation he was ordained to the priesthood by Rt. Rev. R. Phelan, Bishop of 
Pittsburg, and served for a short time as pastor of St. Boniface Catholic 
church, of Allegheny county, during the absence of its regular pastor. In the 
autumn of 1892 he came to Carrolltown as assistant pastor of St. Benedict's 
Catholic church, which position he held acceptably for two years, and at the end 
of that time, in 1894, he was appointed as pastor of St. Mary's Catholic church, 
of Patton, this county, which has enjoyed his ministerial labors ever since. 
This church was organized in 1893, and under the efficient and active 
administration of Father Rettger has grown to a congregation of one hundred and 
sixteen families. To this field of labor was added St. Patrick's church, of 
Cammeron's Bottom and Seven Dolors' Mission church, of Indiana county. Energetic 
and practical, he has neglected no interest of his people, and is now making 
preparations for a commodious and tasteful parochial school building near St. 
Mary's church. Besides this school, Father Rettger has many other beneficial 
measures in contemplation for his different congregations when the proper time 
for their introduction arrives.
     A classical scholar, a pleasant gentleman and an energetic worker, his 
pastoral labors have been crowned with gratifying success, while his 
administration has been characterized by prudence and justice.