Northumberland County PA Archives Biographies.....Koch, John Joseph 1840 - living in 1899 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com June 29, 2005, 3:11 am Author: Biographical Publishing Co. VERY REVEREND JOHN JOSEPH KOCH, whose portrait appears on the preceding page, is the beloved pastor of St. Edward's Roman Catholic Church, the oldest religious organization in Shamokin and the first to build a church in the town. He is a man of sterling character and has for many years been identified with everything which has been for the spiritual and moral advancement of the people with whom he has been so closely associated for over thirty-two years. Father Koch in his priesthood, he has also been father in material ways, and countless families revere him and love him for his fatherly interest and assistance which he has bestowed in times of need, with that unostentatious Christian spirit which marks all his labors and which, with his many manly qualities, has won to him the everlasting love of the Catholics of his parish and the admiration and respect of all citizens of the borough. His high Christian character and the grand work he has accomplished for the people over whom he has charge, stand as fitting and ever-living monuments to his energy, his faithfulness and his untiring labors as priest and as citizen. Our subject is a son of John and Elizabeth (Francois) Koch. He was born February 5, 1840, in Lorraine, France, part of the Province of Alsace-Lorraine which was ceded by France to Germany in 1871 after the war which ended in the triumphant march of the Germans to Paris. At the age of eight and a half years our subject entered the University of Pont-a-Mousson, from which he was graduated August 5, 1857, at the early age of seventeen years. He then entered the Seminary at Nancy, having determined to study for the priesthood. He remained in the seminary for about five years, leaving the institution within four months of the time required to complete the requisite course. The cessation of his studies was owing to the fact that because of his youth he could not be ordained a priest for two years, he being two years under the age fixed by the church for ordination in the priesthood. This circumstance rendered it inadvisable for our subject to remain in France and await the time when he might enter the priesthood there. In 1861 this studious and energetic young man, in response to an invitation from Bishop Wood of Philadelphia, came to the United States, priests at that period being comparatively few as compared with the extensive fields in which the work of the church was being energetically prosecuted. After spending two weeks in Paris he sailed for this country, and after a brief stay in New York City joined •Bishop Wood in Philadelphia. He was then twenty-two years of age, too young to be ordained unless by special dispensation, the age of ordination to the priesthood being twenty-four years. In order that his services might be utilized and that he might immediately enter upon the duties he had chosen for his life-work, a dispensation was granted by Bishop Wood and our subject was ordained and admitted to the priesthood in February, 1863. He was first installed as an assistant at St. Patrick's Church, Philadelphia. Two months later he was appointed assistant chaplain for the hospitals in the Quaker City, an honor which was bestowed upon him because of his special fitness for the work and his knowledge of Latin, French, German. Italian and English. Father Koch's abilities as a priest quickly demonstrated themselves and he was transferred to this section to take charge of important territory. He located in Milton, Northumberland County, December 1, 1863, assuming the charge of the church there and also of the churches and missions in five counties, including one at Cascade, Lycoming County, where there was an Irish settlement numbering seventy families; a German congregation at Danville, where he built a church; at Trevorton, where he took up and zealously pushed to completion a church which was unfinished when the priest died who formerly had been in charge of the congregation; the churches at Sunbury and Lewisburg; and the missions at Herndon, Ralston and Trout Run. For three years our subject made his headquarters at Milton, vigorously performing the multitude of duties incumbent upon him as the shepherd of so many flocks of the faithful in the adjacent country. On September 2, 1866, Father Koch removed to Shamokin, in obedience of orders transferring him to the larger sphere of usefulness and placing upon him the important responsibility of enlarging and perfecting the organization in behalf of his church in the coal region of Northumberland County. He was then appointed the first resident pastor of St. Edward's Church in Shamokin, having charge also of missions at Trevorton, Locust Gap and Mount Carmel. A brief review of the history of St. Edward's Church is necessary to a clear and satisfactory understanding of the conditions which existed when Father Koch assumed charge of the church and the remarkable energy he displayed and the most satisfactory achievements he accomplished in the years which he has devoted to the church and the Catholics of Shamokin and vicinity. Many Catholics were employed in the construction of the Danville & Pottsville Railroad, and as early as 1838 Catholic services were held in Shamokin by the priests of Pottsville and Minersville. An acre of land in the west end of the village was secured for a church and cemetery and in 1839 sufficient money had been raised to erect a frame edifice, 20 by 32 feet in dimensions, unplastered and very plain, on the southwest corner of the site. The leaders in this enterprise were Patrick Reilly, master mechanic in the railroad shops, and Matthew Brannigan, and the small church was built by Stephen Bittenbender. It was dedicated as St. Edward's Church, October 11, 1840, by Bishop Kenrick of Philadelphia. These early Catholics of the little village of Shamokin were administered to by priests of Pottsville, Minersville, Danville and Milton, and occasionally by a missionary, and thus their faith was kept fittingly before them and they rejoiced in their worship, though in a most humble and scantily-furnished church. Rev. Michael Sheridan, pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Danville, had charge of the congregation from 1854 to October, 1857, when he was succeeded by Rev. Edward Murray, who served as pastor for nearly nine years, giving way to the subject of this review in September, 1866. Upon taking control of the Shamokin parish Father Koch immediately set out to infuse new life into the congregation and to build up the church. Early in his administration of the affairs of the church he bought the site, upon which the present handsome edifice stands, for $3,400. The old frame building was demolished and a considerably larger edifice built upon the new site which was opened on Thanksgiving Day, 1866. So rapidly did the congregation of St. Edward's increase under the able guidance of Father Koch that in the following spring of 1867 it was necessary to further enlarge the church that the people might comfortably be accommodated and that none might be deprived of the privilege which they so greatly desired, of attending the services over which our subject presided with graceful dignity and earnestness which are two of his personal charms which have won him respect and love throughout his active and successful career in the priesthood. In the spring of 1869 a parochial residence was erected on a lot adjoining the church at an expenditure of $8,500. In 1870 were purchased the lands at Springfield which have since been used as a burial place for the members of the Catholic faith. Constantly the attendance upon the church increased and within a short period of time the congregation had grown so large that a new place of worship was an imperative necessity. Ground was broken in the summer of 1872, the foundations were put in, and in September following Father Koch laid the first stone in the wall of the church which is to-day the pride of the Catholics of Shamo-kin. The corner-stone was laid with impressive ceremonies May 23, 1873, by Bishop O'Hara of Scranton. A contract had been let for the entire stonework, but the contractor abandoned the work, an act which would utterly have discouraged a less energetic, less persevering man than our subject. Determined that there should be no unnecessary delay, Father Koch for the time acted as his own contractor, and, hiring masons, superintended the construction of the walls until they were ready for the roof, at the same time keeping up with his many pastoral duties. In December, 1873, the roof was on, the tower was built and walks had been laid about the structure. On Christmas morning the first mass was celebrated in the basement of the new church, in which the services were held until June, 1880, when the church was finished. The edifice is of white cut sandstone, quarried from the mountain side about a mile from Shamokin; its interior is 64 feet wide and 125 feet long, and the tower is 207 feet high. The completion of the building was delayed by the lack of funds, but Father Koch hopefully and energetically kept at work and finally was enabled to see the church finished in reasonable time. In November, 1876, a chime of four large bells was hung in the tower, weighing, with the fittings, 8,500 pounds. The frescoing in the interior was done in four months under the direction of a well-known Philadelphia artist. Over the main altar are paintings representing the Crucifixion, St. Patrick, and the patron of the church, St. Edward, the figures being life-size. In the center of the ceiling a beautiful fresco twenty-two feet in diameter portrays the "Resurrection of Christ" and is surrounded by figures of the four Evangelists, and around the walls are paintings of the twelve Apostles. Especially noticeable are two beautiful pieces of statuary standing on either side of the altar, one representing "Christ meeting His Mother on His way to Calvary." and the other "The Descent of the Cross," both of which were imported from France by Father Koch. The building is lighted with electricity and heated by steam and has a seating capacity of over 1,000 and as many as 1,400 persons have gathered within its walls. Especial attention has been paid to educational facilities by Father Koch since he assumed charge of St. Edward's Church. In 1874 he organized a parochial school, using the old church as a school building. The school was for the first year of its existence in charge of lay teachers. In 1875 the school was placed under the supervision of four Sisters of Charity from Mount St. Vincent, Md., and in 1877 a convent was erected for them. Subsequently a lot was purchased opposite the church and the present parochial school was built, being completed in 1883-84. The school is now conducted by eleven Sisters of Charity and has from 500 to 600 pupils. The congregation of St. Edward's now numbers about 3,500 souls, and of these 2,650 are communicants. Its Sunday School is very large and the rector takes great pride in it. For ten years, from 1888 to 1898, Father Koch was vicar-general of the Diocese of Harrisburg. On the death of Bishop McGovern, in 1898, he was appointed administrator of the diocese. Catholics and Protestants alike unite in bespeaking for Father Koch a long continuance in his worthy and beneficial station and long life which shall be crowned with the rewards which come of well doing, rightly living, and faithful performance of the duties in this life laid upon His servants by Him who ruleth all. Additional Comments: Extracted from "Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens of the Seventeenth Congressional District, Pennsylvania" Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY (1899) This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 12.2 Kb