Information and this photograph of Father Phillip Manasses St. Louis was taken from the Master of Arts Thesis by C. Luke Leitermann dated January 29, 1934.
Father St. Louis ws born April 15, 1848 in Wisconsin. He was interested in the printing of periodicals and worked on several during his life. He was also "of a mechanical mind" and was proficient in wordworking.
St. Louis was the first priest ordained in America for the Servite Fathers (Servants of Mary) on April 7, 1876 by Bishop Krautbauer of Green Bay. He served that community until 1882.
About 1885 Father St. Louis expressed his desire to become a secular priest and in 1893 he was transferred to Green Bay.
In 1914 his health began to fail and he was "repaired" to Colorado Springs. The environment of Colorado benefitted him greatly and he continued to serve in Colorado for many years. He was in Fruita from 1924 to 1925 then returned to St. Mary's Church in Colorado Springs where he died at the age of 80 in 1928.
Although the photo we have of Father St. Louis was taken when he was a young man, he was about 76 years old when he came to Fruita.