Anton Anderledy - Missionary, Rector, Provincial

Missionary, Rector, Provincial

For two years (1848–50) Anderledy took care of the pastoral needs of the German migrants at Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he devoted himself with great energy to his flock. He was recalled to Europe in 1850, first in order to make his final year of formation (called 'Tertianship') in Drongen, Belgium and soon after (1851), in Germany, to be a member of the 'missionary band' led by Father Peter Roh. With him he took part in more than 40 popular missions in different German towns. In 1853, he was chosen to be rector of Jesuit students in Cologne. He accompanied them to Paderborn and remained in charge of their studies until 1859, when he was appointed Provincial of the German Province. During Anderledy's term of office, which lasted six years, he purchased the splendid medieval abbey of Maria Laach, near Bonn, where he established the province-house of higher studies. In 1865, he was himself sent to Maria-Laach as professor of moral theology. From there he launched the well-known Theological journal Stimmen aus Maria-Laach. In 1870, Anderledy was called to Rome as Assistant to the Jesuit Superior-General, for the German-speaking provinces.