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Chapter Five

Thou Art a Priest Forever

During Passion Week of 1898, the same year that Teddy Roosevelt and Admiral Dewey were fighting the Spanish-American War, young John Noll received the Subdiaconate with the traditional pledge of celibacy. He made his vow before Archbishop William Henry Elder of Cincinnati and received the Diaconate the following day. Immediately, preparations for his ordination were made.

Ordination day

On June 4, 1898, at the early age of 23, John Noll was ordained at the Cathedral of Fort Wayne by Bishop Joseph Rademacher. Originally, a later date had been set, but two compelling reasons caused the date to be changed. First, the gravely ill rector of the Cathedral, Fr. Joseph Brammer, greatly desired to see the ordination of this first seminarian from his parish to be ordained. He feared he would not live until the end of the month, so the Bishop honored his final wish. The second reason was a request by Fr. Henry Boecklemann, who had known John when he was an elementary school student. A diabetic, Fr. Boecklemann planned to take a vacation to rest and wanted John to take his place.

Fr. Brammer himself made the preparations for the First Mass, to be celebrated on June 5, the feast of the Holy Trinity. He carefully selected a speaker, Msgr. Joseph Kroll, a respected preacher, and two young girls dressed in white to lead the procession to the altar. He also arranged for a large parish reception following the Mass. Afterward, the tired but happy priest went to his bed, never to leave it again. His premonition was correct — he died on June 20.

A priest at last, 1898

At the banquet following the reception, John noticed his friends the Schnelkers seated at the end of the table. The young priest got up and went to bring them to sit next to him at the head of the table. His parents were on one side; these close friends on the other. As a gift, they presented John with a nice watch, which — many years later — he returned as a gift to one of their sons.