The popular Christmas carol “Good King Wenceslas” reveals how a monarch trudges through a snowstorm to give alms – money – to a peasant. The last line of the song is “Ye who now bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing.”

In the 10th century Wenceslas was a Duke of Bohemia whom Christians in Europe venerated for his good deeds. A 12^th century historian declared, “Rising every night from his noble bed…he went around to God’s churches and gave alms generously to widows, orphans, those in prison and afflicted by every difficulty.”

As a Christian duke in a largely atheist territory Wenceslas welcomed German priests into his realm and founded a rotunda that was consecrated as a cathedral.  Murdered in a plot by his jealous brother in year 935, Wenceslas became a martyr and patron saint of Bohemia.

In 1853, nearly 1,000 years after Wenceslas died, an Anglican priest in England, John Mason Neal, wrote lyrics for what became “Good King Wenceslas.” The lyrics were set to the melody of a 13th century song about springtime.

Good Duke Wenceslas was conferred with the title of king by Holy Roman Emperor Otto I as a tribute to Germans. When hundreds of Germans immigrated to Jefferson County in the 1860s and beyond, they brought “Good King Wenceslas” with them and sang the song around the family hearth at Christmas.

Christmas Trees

Germans left their homeland to settle in Jefferson County and elsewhere in Missouri because journalists described the area as a place with plentiful land, few taxes, few regulations, freedom of choice and opportunities to prosper. The Meramec, Missouri and Mississippi rivers reminded them of the Danube River of their homeland. Today, 38 percent of Arnold’s population has German ancestral roots, and German is the number one claimed ancestry on Missouri census forms.

Saint Nicholas of Myra . Image copyright Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church

German pioneers who became farmers and shopkeepers preserved many of their holiday traditions when they reached this area. One custom was to adorn cedar or pine trees with small toys or candy canes. The book Stories behind the Great Traditions of Christmas explains the typical red, green and gold colors of Christmas decorations.

Red symbolizes the blood of Jesus shed in his crucifixion; green symbolizes eternal life of evergreen trees; gold is the color of one of three gifts the biblical Magi, symbolizing royalty, brought to baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

Born in Greece in year 370, Saint Nicholas of Myra is the patron saint of children. More than 1,300 years later his legendary gift-giving inspired images of Santa Claus (“Saint Nick”) based on the Dutch Sinterklaas. Christmas trees with decorations first appeared in the 16th century. Church archives confirm that a Christmas tree was placed in the Cathedral of Strasbourg in 1539. Germans introduced the Christmas tree tradition to Jefferson County and America.

Christmas is Germany’s most special time of year. German Christmas traditions celebrated in Jefferson County and elsewhere grew more popular across America as the 20^th century approached.

Homemade Gifts

Christmas stollen © Couleur . Pixabay

Many Jefferson County residents in the mid-1800s had Christmas in their hearts but could not afford gifts for their family. After cutting down a fir tree and bringing it to a humble home, many parents made toys for their kids. Perhaps papa carved a wooden toy for sons and mama sewed a rag doll or a dress for daughters. Most decorated their Christmas trees with strings of nuts, popcorn or home-made trinkets, not store-bought ornaments.

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, founded here in 1840, and St. John’s Lutheran Church, founded in 1848, hosted Christmas services to celebrate the birth of Jesus, nurturing the region with righteous spirit, family values and hope for the new year, as they do today.

For winter recreation, many settlers built bonfires on snowy, moonlit nights on hilltops for sledding and sleigh riding. If someone passed around a jar of Jefferson County moonshine to keep warm, nobody informed the sheriff. A long steep slope called Martin’s Hill was a favorite that every snowfall attracted bundled-up kids with wooden sleds for speedy rides to the bottom with long walks back to the top as noisy dogs jumped and yipped all the way.

Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder, circa 1885, wrote Little House on the Prairie. Public domain photo.

Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder, born 1867 in Kansas, was the celebrated author of Little House on the Prairie which, in 1974, became a hit TV show. Later in life she lived in a Mansfield, Missouri farmhouse. One of her books described holiday preparations this way: “Ma was busy all day cooking good things for Christmas. She baked salt-rising bread and ‘Injun bread, Swedish crackers, and a huge pan of baked beans, with salt pork and molasses. She baked vinegar pies and dried-apple pies and filled a big jar with cookies.” On Christmas day Laura found a tin cup, a peppermint candy, a heart-shaped cake and a brand new penny in her stocking.

Jefferson County’s German settlers may have participated in some of these homeland traditions 150 years ago or even nowadays:

Saint Nicholas Day (Sankt Nikolaus Tag). On December 5, children polish their boots to leave them outside before going to bed. Next morning, they find their shoes filled with nuts, candy and small gifts from St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas Day, December 6, is observed in many Christian countries.

Krampus Night (Krampus Nacht). Krampus is a devilish sidekick of St. Nicholas. Men in scary Krampus costumes patrol streets on Krampus Night. They are sometimes invited indoors by parents of naughty children to lecture the kids to be good.

Advent calendar (Adventskalendar). Every day for four weeks before Christmas, a window in the calendar is opened to reveal a poem, parts of a story, a picture of candy or small gift. Many families make their own Advent calendars. “Advent” generally means something is coming.

Christmas angels photo (c) HansLinde

Advent wreaths (Adventskranz) showcase four candles in a bed of pinecones, berries, dried flowers and ornaments. Different families vary traditions. Some display it the first week of December, lighting one candle each Sunday before Christmas.

Mulled wine (Glühwein). This classic warm, spicy Christmas beverage sold in big mugs is considered vital for beating winter chill and spreading cheer.

Christmas angels (Weihnachtsengel), perhaps the most loved Christmas ornaments displayed in homes during the season. Childlike angels may be made of wood and seen playing harps or trumpets.

Christmas stollen is a German cake deliciously made with chopped candied fruits, dried nuts and spices, sprinkled with powdered sugar – sometimes with added orange zest.

Civil War

Thomas Nast illustration from 1863 shows a couple separated by Civil War . Public Domain

An article by Jason Roe published in “Civil War Christmases in Missouri and Kansas” reports that food during holidays was increasingly meaningful in the Civil War.  Letters written to loved ones described meals in detail, as this 1861 letter from Daniel R. Anthony, Missouri commander of 1,500 Union troops: Anthony describes capturing a household to serve as his headquarters and celebrates Christmas by dining on “biscuits, coffee, roasted goose, chicken, butter, and molasses.”

Leigh R. Webber, a Union soldier, wrote from Lexington, Missouri in 1861 about hardships and poor discipline in his regiment, admitting, ‘On Christmas eve day most of the men and officers were drunk and riot and noise reigned triumphant.’”

In Jefferson County, roving bands of Confederate guerillas called Bushwhackers shared simple Christmas meals with southern sympathizers in log cabins appreciating the food as much as a warm fireplace. During the war, many Bushwhackers lived in caves.

As war dragged on, Missouri letter writers described special moments. Eugenia Bronaugh wrote her fiancé in December 1863: “This is Christmas week but persons do not seem to be enjoying it much. Last Sunday it snowed faster & prettier than I ever saw it…As I sat by the window I wished so much for you to be here to look at the large flakes that fell so silently for somehow I felt sad & would like so much to have talked to you. Christmas day we had no company. I frequently managed to be alone to think of the last Christmas that rainy day when you were here.”

“History Today Magazine” explains that the Civil War intensified Christmas’ appeal. “Its sentimental celebration of family matched the yearnings of soldiers and those they left behind. Its message of peace and goodwill spoke to the most immediate prayers of all Americans.”

German immigrant Thomas Nast drew this image of Jolly Old Santa Claus in 1881. Public domain illustration.

The Jewish celebration called Festival of Lights coincides with Christmas season. According to History.com, the eight-day observance known as Hanukkah or Chanukah commemorates rededication during the second century B.C. of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. Hanukkah, meaning “dedication” in Hebrew, begins on the 25th of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar usually in November or December. The holiday is celebrated with lighting of the menorah, traditional foods, games and gifts. Coinciding celebrations mean some Jewish families participate in Christmas activities and vice versa.

The blogger Patrick Young wrote that popular editorial artist Thomas Nast, a German immigrant, “developed the iconic image of central celebratory figure Santa Claus. Nast’s Civil War era cartoons in ‘Harper’s Weekly’ established the fat jolly elf from the North Pole with a big sack of presents as the focus of Christmas Eve dreams for millions of children worldwide.”

Many Americans know the story of a little girl named Virginia who wrote to a newspaper in 1897 asking if Santa Claus is real, and the newspaper’s response “Yes, Virginia. There is a Santa Claus.” Yet few know the  longer response published as an anonymous editorial. Here is the important part:

Dear Editor,

I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus… Please tell me the truth: Is there a Santa Claus?   Virginia O’Hanlon

Virginia, your little friends are wrong.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

The man who wrote it at “The New York Sun” was Francis Pharcellus Church.

St. David Catholic Church

Arnold’s two Catholic churches – Immaculate Conception at 2300 Church Road and St. David’s at 2334 Tenbrook Road – have plenty in common. Differences, too.

Each is in the holy pursuit of saving souls. Each hosts religious services in beautiful ecclesiastical buildings. The pastors, priests and nuns are committed to Catholic ways of life, sacramental worship, charitable practices and helping parishioners grow heartfelt relationships with Jesus Christ.

Both are in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, a Roman Catholic territory that covers St. Louis and ten regional Missouri counties. The first Catholic parish of St. Louis was created by French settlers in 1770. Immaculate

Conception was founded by settlers in 1840 who rode horses and mules. St. David’s was founded by citizens in 1963 who drove cars and trucks.

Immaculate Conception serves about 2,000 parishioners, St. David’s about 800.  The difference? “Many of our parishioners live closer to our church than to St. David’s, so they attend the closest church,” explains Reverend Jeffrey Knight, pastor of Immaculate Conception. It’s true: More Arnold residents live near Immaculate Conception than St. David’s.

Early Days

In 1838, Bishop Joseph Rigali of the St. Louis Diocese (not yet an Archdiocese) sent Father John Peter Fischer to serve German Catholics in Jefferson County because Fr. Fischer spoke German. When he got to the area where Immaculate Conception is located 14 men, their wives and children lived in log cabins, including Christopher and Peter Frederici from Alsace-Lorraine in France.

Fr. Fischer purchased 160 acres of land with his own money if not Archdiocese funds, from Christopher Frederici. January 4, 1839, is the closing date shown on Jefferson County property records. Fr. Fischer hired a man to clear 40 acres and build a church. That task took almost three years; Fr. Fischer conducted masses in parishioners’ log homes until it was built. The first church in 1843 was a humble log building, 24 by 30 feet, tiny for a church yet it became the faithful pioneers’ cathedral.

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Arnold . Photo used with permission

As noted in Immaculate Conception’s historic records, “The dogma of the immaculate conception of Mary was never proclaimed by the catholic Church until 1854. Even so, all evidence points to the conclusion that from the very beginning in 1840 , the parish had been known as the Immaculate Conception. Our baptism book from 1843 bears the following inscription in Latin: ‘The church of the blessed Virgin Mary (by the Meramec River) dedicated under the title Immaculate Conception.’”

Here’s a note from the church’s archives: Numerous local parishes in the Midwest and elsewhere use the name Immaculate Conception. “Devotion to the name Immaculate Conception is particularly French. Maybe Fr. John Peter Fischer was ‘Jean Pierre!’”

The original 14 families comprised the whole parish until 1846 when five more families arrived. Fr. Fischer left in 1843 due to declining health. Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick in St. Louis – the first archbishop west of the Mississippi – sent Austrian-born, German-speaking Fr. Joseph Melcher to the parish as more German immigrants arrived in Jefferson County. Fr. Melcher, a powerful speaker, was popular with his flock and his higher ups in the Vatican for his priestly recruiting talents.

On February 2, 1849, a daughter was born to one of the church’s founding families. Peter Frederici and his wife named her Mary Louisa. The girl was educated at the parish school. On March 6, 1866, she married a Union Army private named William F. Cody. Louisa was 22; Bill Cody was 20. She called him Willie; he called her Lulu. The Cody’s love for each other endured nearly 51 years through happy and sad times, financial troubles, anger, separation and reconciliation. Immaculate Conception history documents reveal, “We still claim Buffalo Bill Cody as our ‘Almost Parishioner’ by virtue of his wife being a daughter of the parish.”

Pastor Jeffrey Knight

Pastor Jeffrey Knight of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Arnold

A native of Franklin County, Pastor Jeffrey Knight, age 62, grew up with eight brothers and four sisters; one brother is a Catholic priest; another is a permanent deacon ordained to the Catholic Church.

Pastor Knight observes of Immaculate Conception, “We are a help for people who want to strive to be people of faith. I think we help form good citizens for Arnold, for our county and our state. Of course, we don’t succeed in every case yet I believe we have helped many more people who are committed to charity and service.

“Some parishioners may be invested in Immaculate Conception because they have lived here for years and are involved with one or more of the activities we offer – we have soccer, volleyball, baseball, and many activities for men, women, children and families.

“Others are here because their children participate in sports or enrolled at our Holy Child Catholic School. Our principal, Bridget Brennell, is outstanding, very experienced, and doing a great job. She was a teacher for many years before becoming a principal.”

Pastor Knight says his greatest satisfaction is “To see people who are living their faith and following God’s direction and doing for the sake of others.

“It’s important that we have a lot of volunteers who donate much of their time as carpenters, plumbers, and electrical workers. Our biggest challenges are financial and maintenance issues. There is always some kind of maintenance governance matter we need to address.”

Pastor Charles F. Farrara

Pastor Charles Ferrara at St. David Catholic Church

Pastor Charles Ferrara at St. David Catholic Church, age 65, is also from a big family. Raised in south St. Louis with four brothers and three sisters, he attended St. Joan of Arc Catholic School and St. Louis University High School, climbing many steps of religious education to reach Catholic priesthood.

After attending the University of Missouri he entered the Jesuits’ Society of Jesus in 1977, taking first vows in 1979. He graduated from St. Louis University with a philosophy degree; then earned an M.A. in Communications from Marquette University. For two years he taught at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, then four years at Regis Jesuit High School in Denver. He entered Toronto School of Theology, Regis College, University of Toronto, graduating with a master’s in divinity, earning the Master of Sacred Theology degree in 1990 and was ordained into Jesuit priesthood.

After ten years teaching at Cardinal Ritter College Prep and DeSmet Jesuit High School Pastor Ferrara moved to  Australia and New Zealand to live for a year on a Jesuit Tertianship sabbatical. “God called me” in 2001, he admits. He then left Jesuit ministry for the Archdiocese of St. Louis. In 2013 Reverend Ferrara became St. David’s pastor.

“The role of our church in the community is to be the source and center of Catholic faith.  Mass and Sacraments are available and offered, as well as a place to pray.

“People attend our church because it is a friendly, welcoming community and it is convenient for parishioners to worship at a place nearby.

“Some of our members attend both churches because we share one Catholic School together, and that is Holy Child School on the campus of Immaculate Conception Church.  So whenever there are all-school masses, parishioners will cross-worship. We have Youth Ministry that we share with Immaculate Conception parish, as well as St. Joseph parish in Imperial. We are here to attract, evangelize, and bring folks together to form and build community.”

Many kids in St. David’s parish enjoy the Immaculate Conception Athletic Association (ICAA). It offers different sports starting with T-Ball for kids in kindergarten thru second grade, plus other sports for third graders on up who compete with age-similar kids in Arnold and other parishes. “The best thing about it is that programs are not exclusionary and kids at all skill levels can play,” asserts ICAA Vice President for Athletics Justin Ream.

Which St. David?

Image of St. David shown on statue on baptismal font at Munktorp Church in Sweden. Photo copyright Catholic Online.

Many non-Catholics know that “The Immaculate One” refers to a woman biblically known as the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. Fewer know the origins of St. David, possibly because there is more than one St. David. The first St. David was born in Wales during the sixth century, became a bishop and ultimately the patron saint of Wales.

Brother Mathias of St. Mary’s School in Baltimore saved Babe Ruth from delinquency by teaching him to play baseball. Photo copyright Catholic Journal.

St. David of the Catholic church in Arnold was born in England in the 11^th century and became a Benedictine monk. He is often known as St. David of Sweden because he migrated to Munktorp where he founded an abbey and evangelized in Swedish villages, baptizing all people who converted to Catholicism. He died in 1082.

St. David’s church website says: “He had a great desire to give his life for Christ as a martyr and proceeded to offer himself to the English mission in Sweden… He traveled from district to district preaching and baptizing with great zeal… He became the first Bishop of Vasteras, and along with Saints Sigfrid and Eskil they were the principal agents in bringing Christianity to Sweden…”

Arnold’s two Catholic pastors Fr. Jeffrey Knight and Fr. Charles Ferrara are great friends and huge baseball fans. Every priest knows that a Catholic monk named Brother Mathias at St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys in Baltimore taught a juvenile delinquent named George Herman Ruth how to play baseball.

The kid grew up to be Babe Ruth.