- ST. NORBERT ABBEY
- DE PERE, WISCONSIN, U.S.A.
- Rev.
Raymond P. Wagner, O. Praem.
- b. Thursday, Jan. 21,
1892 – d. Saturday, Apr. 2, 1955
Our brother
Raymond Wagner was born in
Milwaukee
in 1892. After beginning high
school at
Mt.
Calvary
, he transferred to St. Norbert, finishing high school there and starting at the
college. He joined the Order in 1913
and became a member of the college faculty as a frat in 1915.
Solemn vows were professed in 1918.
In
1919, “Black Pete,” as he was known, was appointed registrar of the college.
He received his Master’s degree in psychology from
Catholic
University
in 1921.
In
1929, he became the principal of
St.
Norbert
High School
and in 1942 rejoined the faculty at the college.
Abbot Pennings made him prior of the abbey in 1945, with the duty of
teaching frats and serving as master of postulants in the villa across from the
abbey during the summer months. As
his reward, he became pastor of St. Peter’s in
Lincoln
,
Wisconsin
, in 1948. He put his knowledge of psychology to good use, persuading his
Belgian parishioners to spend significant sums of money to refurbish the parish
church. He would suggest “Belgian
blue” as a color for the sanctuary and symbols from Belgian documents as
decorations.
He
died suddenly on Saturday, April 2nd, 1955 at the age of 63.
