Rev. John Peter Hoffmann

HOFFMANN, WEBER

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 3/5/2007 at 22:04:44

Biographies from the 1914 "Past and Present of O'Brien and Osceola Counties of Iowa"

REV. JOHN PETER HOFFMANN.

The amount of good which comes from the work done by the church can never be calculated, for the reason that its results are not in a tangible form. In no profession do men lead such unselfish lives as those who minister to our spiritual wants. Their sole desire is to make the world better and lead men to higher and better things. Among the men of Osceola County who are devoting their lives to the uplifting of their fellow men there is no one who deserves a greater amount of praise than Rev. John Peter Hoffmann, the pastor of the Ashton Catholic Church. He is entirely unassuming and unpretentious and content in the thought that he is continuously putting forth his best efforts in following in the footsteps of the lowly Nazarine and inducing others to follow in the same path.

Rev. John P. Hoffmann, the pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Ashton, Iowa, was born November 11, 1855, in the grand duchy of Luxemburg. His parents, John and Mary (Weber) Hoffmann, came to America in 1871 and located in Council Bluffs, in the Plumber settlement. Mills county, Iowa, upon a farm. Reverend Hoffmann received the elements of his education in his native country and upon arriving in this state with his parents he assisted his father upon the farm until he was twenty-three years of age. He then began his studies for the priesthood; he entered Calvary College in Wisconsin and took the classical course as outlined in that institution. He later took the philosophical courses at St. Joseph's College in Dubuque, Iowa, and followed this with the theological course in Montreal, Canada. He was ordained by his grace, Archbishop John Hennessey at St. Rafel's Cathedral, at Dubuque on December 8, 1886, and assigned to the parish at Pleasant Valley, Carroll County, Iowa, immediately after his ordination. He remained here nine months and in September, 1887, was transferred to Festina. Winneshiek County, Iowa. He came to Ashton, January 27, 1890, and has been in continuous charge of the church at this place since that time.

Since coming to Ashton Father Hoffmann has had the satisfaction of seeing the church grow in members and influence, so that today it occupies a prominent place in the spiritual life of this community. In 1893 he built the church at a cost of eight thousand three hundred dollars and in 1910 built an addition which cost fourteen thousand dollars. The church is now modern throughout and is sufficient for the needs of the rapidly growing congregation. In 1898 he was instrumental in having a five-room parochial school building erected; which is now under the charge of five Sisters. Later the parsonage was remodeled for a Sisters' dwelling, while the old school building was arranged as the parsonage. The first church building is now used as a public hall and opera house in Ashton. The church is now in a flourishing condition and is one of the important features in the spiritual life of the people of this community. Reverend Hoffmann is a man of genial personality and is untiring in his efforts to advance the good of his church in this community.

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