Chapter Four
FATHER JOHN M. SOLNCE
(1897-1912)

John M. Solnce was born on June 7, 1861, at Smiednik (Flödnig) in the Duchy of Krain (Carniola) in Austria. He was baptized the same day, and on May 31, 1868, he was confirmed at the cathedral in Laibach by Bishop Bartholomew Widmer. He studied in Laibach and on September 19, 1880, he emigrated to the United States, coming to this country with Father James Trobec who was seeking candidates for the priesthood in his native Carniola. He continued his studies at Saint Francis Seminary in Milwaukee, where his grades were excellent. Among his studies were French and Polish. One of his professors was Otto Zardetti who later became the Bishop of Saint Cloud. On June 24, 1884, Archbishop Michael Heiss of Milwaukee ordained him a priest in the chapel of Saint Francis Seminary. He celebrated his first Mass at St. Felix Church in Wabasha, where Father Trobec was then pastor. His first assignment was to New Ulm from May to September, 1885, when he became pastor at Hokah and then at Sacred Heart in Owatonna until October 1889. He served at Saint Matthew's in Saint Paul from 1889 until 1897 when he was assigned to Saint Agnes to replace Father Trobec who had been appointed Bishop of Saint Cloud. In 1912, he was transferred to the Assumption Church, and on November 15, 1915, he died, a victim of diabetes. The funeral Mass at the Assumption Church was celebrated by Bishop Trobec who had invited Father Solnce to come to the United States years before. Also among the ministers of the Mass were Father Ogulin and Father Rant, both to become pastors of Saint Agnes. Archbishop Ireland preached. Burial was in the priests' plot in Calvary Cemetery in Saint Paul.

On September 10, 1897, Archbishop Ireland wrote to Father Solnce appointing him to Saint Agnes and instructing him to finish up matters at Saint Matthew's the next Sunday and to provide for Mass on Sundays there until a new pastor was appointed. The new pastor assumed his spiritual duties at Saint Agnes, and for the first few years little out of the ordinary occurred. In May of 1898 it was decided to build the pastor a new stable for his horse for the sum of $140. But on May 1, 1900, a letter from Archbishop Ireland began some great activity at Saint Agnes. The Archbishop wrote to Father Solnce:
 

Reverend dear Father: I visited yesterday your schools and the residence of the Sisters. Permit me to say that I was simply horrified by what I saw of the miserable accommodations afforded to the Sisters. Not only are those accommodations such that they give no room for comfort, or provision for health, but even that they set aside the common rules of decency. The distribution of the rooms in the basement, divided as they are between apartments set aside for kitchen and dining room of the Sisters, and apartments used as toilet rooms by the school children, cannot be any longer tolerated. Yourself and your trustees will, I am sure, after a moment's reflection, understand that the Sisters must be treated with that care and courtesy to which ladies and members of a religious community are entitled. Their life at best is one of great hardship, confined as they are for eight or nine hours in dusty, ill-ventilated school rooms. It were cruelty to submit them, when they depart from the school room to such privations as the accommodations they have been condemned to. Let me entreat you to call together the members of your committee, to read this letter of mine to them and ask them in my name to come at once to some conclusion that will remedy this distressful state of things. In my own opinion, what should be done is to build a separate convent edifice, large enough to give all required accommodations to the Sisters, and so separated from the schoolhouse as to give them the privacy to which they are entitled. I shall be glad to hear from yourself and a delegation of your committee what conclusions you intend to come to.  I may say to you at once, I am determined, even if I have to close the schools, not to allow the Sisters to live any longer in the manner in which I found them yesterday.     Sincerely, John Ireland

The letter was placed on file and the minutes record none of the observations that it must have called forth from the trustees. Nothing further was recorded about the problem of providing the Sisters with adequate living accommodations until the meeting of February 7, 1901, nearly ten months later, when Father Solnce opened the discussion of the matter with a proposal to acquire land for a new convent. It is interesting to speculate aboutthe Archbishop's letter and his visit to Saint Agnes. It seems unlikely that the Archbishop would have paid a visit to the Sisters without having received a previous invitation, which may have come from the Sisters themselves or from their motherhouse in Milwaukee, or perhaps from the pastor, who may have been anxious to improve the Sisters' living conditions, but might have had some opposition from the trustees. His position would have been improved by an order from the Archbishop, and the letter was exactly that and in rather severe language. Adding to that possibility is the second letter of the Archbishop to Father Solnce, revising the board of consultors and trustees, who may have been giving the pastor some opposition in his plan to build a new convent for the Sisters. These are only surmises, but the two letters coming so close and the very tone of them indicates that there may have been some friction between the pastor and the board, and that the Archbishop was called upon to support the pastor's initiative.

Another letter from Archbishop Ireland, seemingly in response to an inquiry from Father Solnce, indicates a degree of controversy on the board of trustees and consultors, or perhaps some questioning by the pastor of the role they were called upon to exercise according to the canon law of the Church. Archbishop Ireland wrote under the date of June 12, 1900:
 

On March 21, another proposal was submitted to solve the problem of the Sisters' living quarters. It was suggested to buy the house at 547 Thomas Street as a residence for the priests, and build a convent on Lafond Street on the lots occupied by the priests' house and the parish hall. An adjoining lot could be bought for $700. Remodeling of the house at 547 Thomas was ordered, and plans to put all the children into one school house, doing away with all the temporary frame buildings, required an addition to the school and a renovation of the former Sisters' quarters into school rooms. By August, the plans drawn by George Ries were approved for the new Kloster Maria Hilf. It incorporated the priests' house and built a connecting structure toward the west. The cost of the new convent was $18,799, and the purchase price of the priests' house at 547 Thomas was $4,000. With the cost of the lots, the parish spent $28,444 for the improvements of 1901-1902. Not long after they moved into the new convent, the Sisters suffered the loss of their superior, Sister Angela Merici Domitio, who died of cancer on February 3, 1906. The archbishop attended the funeral and preached, and Bishop Trobec celebrated the Requiem Mass. Nearly the whole parish attended the funeral rites.

The problem of the function and make-up of the board of trustees and consultors was finally solved by the adoption of new bylaws on December 1, 1903. The board of directors or trustees would consist of five members: the Archbishop as president; the pastor as vice-president; the vicar general of the archdiocese; and two laymen, members of the parish and chosen by the three ecclesiastical members of the board. In addition, the board may choose two or more responsible men capable of assisting the trustees, to be called the advisory council. They have no legal vote in the transaction of the business of the corporation. Essentially these bylaws were those used in the other parishes of the archdiocese, and Father Solnce, probably at Archbishop Ireland's initiative, intended to bring the Saint Agnes procedures into line with the rest of the diocese. That may have caused some unhappiness for some who had previously exercised a more authoritative and extensive role.

In 1901, Saint Agnes held a great fair from August 25 to 31. It was advertised as Die erste deutsche Kirmess, verbunden mit Vogelschiessern und Völkerfest. A memorial booklet was published with pictures of the archbishop, the priests of the parish, the trustees and the parish buildings. It contained an abundance of advertisements along with prayers and devotions, and the schedule of services in the church. The record showed that the fair netted the great sum of over $3,000. It was, no doubt, a great community event and a social success with a wonderful variety of activities.

In September of 1901, the Catholics of Saint Paul who came from the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg had the special privilege of entertaining the Bishop of Luxemburg, who was in the city from September 20 to 24. Bishop Joseph Johann Koppes celebrated Mass at Saint Agnes on September 20.

In 1903, Father Solnce made a visit to the Holy Land and on his return spoke to the parishioners of his journey. That same year another step into the modern world occurred when a telephone was installed in the rectory by the Twin Cities Telephone Co.

By 1906, the parish had completed ten years in the basement church and the thinking was growing that it was time "to come out of the catacombs." At a meeting of the trustees and consultors on March 5, 1906, a long discussion took place on the subject of a new church. Finally it was moved by Frank Hafner and seconded by Nicholas Hermes that the pastor should have a sketch drawn of a new church, and then call a mass meeting of the parishioners to ask their sentiments about completing the superstructure of the church. Nothing further was done until October 18, 1908, when Father Solnce again brought up the subject of the new church, and it was agreed to call a meeting of all the parishioners. It was set for Sunday, January 10, 1909, in the basement church after high Mass. Father Solnce said he wanted to get the sentiment of the parish about a new church. Emil Tesch asked about the present debt, and the treasurer, Nicholas Hermes, said it was $20,000. Joseph Wolkerstorfer asked about what would be done with the present basement church, and Father Solnce explained that it would be used for various society functions. Peter Gillen suggested that if the parish would continue to do financially in the next thirty or forty years as it has done in the past twenty, a debt of $ 100,000 could be assumed. George Gerlach expressed the opinion that the parish needed a church which would cost at least $150,000 and that it would be an easy task to raise such funds. Frank Vogel thought the people should first be asked how much they would contribute toward the project. Joseph Matt said that it should be decided now if the new church would be built, and he thought it would be an easy matter to finance it. John J. Schaff urged the building of a new and splendid church

Then John Collett moved and Frank Hafner seconded a motion to build a new church over the basement for a sum of about $ 150,000. A standing unanimous vote approved the action, and Father Solnce thanked the parishioners and assured them that the new church would be worthy of Saint Agnes. An executive board was appointed to carry out the work; it was made up of the members of the board of trustees, the advisory council, and several others, including George N. Gerlach, Peter Gillen, Peter Frey, Joseph Matt, Frank Hafner and John Diederich. This body would function under the by-laws of the corporation to oversee the building of the church. On March 18, 1909, George Ries was engaged as architect, and he presented a sketch of the entrance to the new church on Lafond Street, which extended the structure about thirty-two feet longer than the original basement. He was instructed to draw plans for the building. On April 29, he reported to the board that the building would be in the baroque style and constructed of Bedford sandstone. Bids were to be asked, and opened on July 1. Since it was impossible to complete more than the basement in the current year, it was decided to reject all bids on the entire building and ask for bids only on the basement. John Fischer was awarded the contract for $25,500 on July 17, 1909. Work began on July 22.

The cornerstone was laid on October 17, 1909, by Archbishop Ireland in the presence of a great gathering including Bishop Trobec and seventy priests of the archdiocese. It was a double occasion, because Father Solnce was celebrating his silver jubilee of ordination at the same time. The mayor of Saint Paul, D. W. Lawler, gave an address, and the parishioners presented Father Solnce with a purse of $2,500 on the occasion. The stone was laid at the corner on Lafond and Kent where a stand was erected at the level of the water table, which was as far as the construction had gone. Carved into the stone were the words: Christus vincit. Christus regnat. Christus imperat.

The decision to continue the building of the new church was reached at a meeting attended by 182 parishioners on December 26, 1909, when it was decided to complete the work from the water table to the roof, but not the inside plastering or flooring. It was also decided to build a central heating plant for all the parish buildings. On January 10, 1910, the following contractors were invited to bid on the church: Lauer Brothers, John Brandl, John Fischer, P. J. Dailey, John Hoffmann, George Grant and Butler Brothers. When the bids were opened on March 9, Lauer Brothers were the lowest at $112,581, which would bring the building under roof, finish the basement but leave off the tower roof. Provisions were made for the central heating plant to be installed by the Healy Heating and Plumbing Co. for approximately $11,000. A loan for $60,000 was arranged from the German Roman Catholic Aid Association, and at the motion of Joseph Matt, it was agreed to finish the building of the entire tower, the work being given to Lauer Brothers at the bid price of $4,000. By September, $83,000 in pledges had been collected according to Father Anthony Losleben, but additional borrowing was necessary and in March 1911 the Catholic Aid Association lent the parish an additional $40,000,  bringing their loan to Saint Agnes for the new church construction to $100,000.

The building committee had moved very cautiously, ordering work little by little, first the basement, then the stone work and finally the plastering of the interior and the flooring. Loans were arranged, always with the knowledge that the payment of interest fees would thereby increase. Finally, in April of 1911, John R. Schmit was given the contract to plaster the interior and to install scagliola for stairways, aisles and the sanctuary. Georgia pine was to be laid for the floor under the pews. His bid was a little over $27,000.

As the building neared completion thoughts turned to its furnishing, and a contract was let on February 3, 1912, for pews to be built of white oak. Approximately 2,200 linear feet were necessary, and the contract for $4,795 was given to Minnesota School and Office Furniture. The subject of bells for the tower was deferred until a later time. The great day for the solemn dedication of the new church was June 9, 1912. Der Wanderer described the occasion:
 

G. DIMENSIONS OF THE CHURCH OF SAINT AGNES

Length, including stairway 264 feet, 5 inches
Length of building 200 feet, 7 inches
Width 72 feet, 10 inches
Width of transept 86 feet, 5 inches
Sanctuary area 34' X 32' 6"
Height of main dome 60 feet
Height of lesser domes 50 feet
Height of aisles 44 feet
Height of tower above grade 205 feet, 2 inches
Height of roof 80 feet
Height of tower cross 14 feet
Incline of nave floor 3 feet

The baroque style chosen was familiar to the immigrants from Austria-Hungary. Indeed Saint Agnes could stand in Graz, Innsbuck, Laibach, Vienna or Salzburg and be an attraction for tourists. It would fit into the architecture of any city or town of southern Germany, Austria or Yugoslavia today and be a jewel in the crown of baroque churches that sprinkle that area. The architect in consultation with Father Solnce and the board chose as his model for Saint Agnes a monastery church in Upper Austria, Kloster Schlägl, a Premonstratensian abbey, located near the town of Aigen in Mühlviertel. The area is beautiful, rugged with granite hills and forests. It lies just south of the Bohemian (Czechoslovakia) border, east of Passau, and not far away from the district where many Saint Agnes people had emigrated from, the Bömerwald. Monsignor Schuler tells a story about two young seminary students from Kloster Schlägl he met in Rome at the international study house of the Premonstratensian priests. He asked them if they would like to see a picture of his parish church, and he showed them a picture of Saint Agnes. They immediately on seeing the photograph said that the picture was of their abbey church in Upper Austria and not of  an American parish church. Notable about Saint Agnes is the grace of the tower with its Zwiebelturm or onion tower, so characteristic of the south German baroque style. While nearly every church in the Süd deutsche Raum (the German-speaking lands south of the Danube) has an onion tower, travellers will look in vain for one that has the soaring grace of Saint Agnes. Just as classic is the facade with its statues of Saint Agnes, Saint Peter and Saint Paul and the elaborate carving in stone that emphasizes the three doors and the windows. The inscription above the main entrance, Porta Coeli, truly characterizes the grandeur of the edifice. It is the door of heaven.

One of the gems adorning both the exterior and the interior of the church is the Maria Hilf chapel, to the left of the main entrance. Dedicated to Mary, Help of Christians, it has a replica of a painting that hangs in the Mariahilfkirche on the Mariahilferstrasse in Vienna. Father Solnce had a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin  under the title of Maria Hilf, and so a Viennese artist, Joseph Kastner, was asked to paint the picture.

While the stone exterior was completed in all its elegance, the work of finishing the interior with the elaborate decorations in plaster and paint which mark the baroque churches of Europe was never completed. The church was painted and some decoration added with paintings and plaster, but the interior was never brought to the artistic heights that had been reached on the exterior construction. Many reasons can be found, not least among them the enormous costs that had already been incurred in erecting the building. And another reason lies in the departure of Father Solnce whose dream the building had been. And, not least, the First World War.

In November of 1912, Archbishop Ireland announced a series of changes for the clergy in the German parishes of Saint Paul. The Benedictines from Saint John's would leave the Assumption Church which they had served since 1858 and assume the pastorate of Saint Bernard's Church. Father Anthony Ogulin would leave Saint Bernard's and come to Saint Agnes. Father Solnce would become the pastor of the Church of the Assumption. The Archbishop indicated that Father Solnce's deteriorating health made a less demanding assignment imperative. On November 3, he preached his farewell sermon in the new church which he had built. He stood silent for a long time and then said in German, Ein sterbender Priester gebt in eine sterbende Gemeinde! (A dying priest is going to a dying parish!)

No written portrayal of Father Solnce's qualities exists. His monument stands in stone at Lafond and Kent. What he accomplished in the building of the great church of Saint Agnes lives on. He must have been a man of great sensitivity, artistic in his tastes, educated in the beauty that the Church has always used in praise of God. He loved music and his inherited appreciation for the treasures of art and architecture that he knew from his homeland never left him. As God's plan evolved, he was chosen at the right moment to be the instrument that directed the building of the new parish church at Saint Agnes. God had raised up Father Trobec to found the congregation and establish its organization. Father Solnce came at the decisive moment when the path into the future for a century or more was about to be set. He left the beauty of Saint Agnes to the thousands who have come and will come after him. His choices have set the crown of a glorious church on the foundations of the immigrant parish, marking the greatness from which the immigrants had come and enabling them and their children to continue the glory of the Catholic Church in this country as they had known it in the various lands which they had left. The German language has faded, but the art of those German-speaking lands has been preserved in stone, thanks to Father Solnce. It took the entire archdiocese to erect the magnificent Cathedral of Saint Paul, but the parish of Saint Agnes alone built another cathedral, which the Archbishop called the "grandest church in Saint Paul next to the Cathedral." On November 6, the parish had a farewell celebration for their pastor, and on November 7, after a Mass of thanksgiving, he left Saint Agnes for the Assumption with Father Losleben. Just three years later, he died on November 15, 1915.

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