Building named after St. Martin family

This article submitted by Linda Stelling on 11/19/96.

On Sunday, Nov. 3, St. Johnâs Preparatory School dedicated a new building at its ground breaking to the Bernard and Louise Weber family, St. Martin. The couple had 12 children of which two attended St. Johnâs Prep School, St. Johnâs University and seminary and went into the priesthood and four became sisters at the College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph. The 7,400 square-foot glass and concrete structure will be built next to the front entrance of the school, overlooking nearby Lake Sagatagan and the woods of St. Johnâs.

Father Otto Weber, OSB, graduated from St. Johnâs Prep in 1952 and from SJU in 1957. He joined the Prep School faculty in 1961, serving the school for the next 26 years as a Latin teacher and wrestling coach, girls track coach, administrator, and summer leadership camp co-founder and director. He was 53 years old when he died.

Father Arnold, 71, OSB, marked 50 years as a monk and will observe his 45th anniversary in the priesthood next June. Currently pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Wayzata, he is a Prep School graduate of the Class of 1944, and has also served the Prep School in various capacities for the part 40 years. Father Arnold coached and taught social studies at the Prep School starting in 1952 and developed the summer leadership camp programs with his brother, Father Otto. He served as principal at Benilde-St. Margaretâs in St. Louis Park for four year, before returning to college and getting an advanced degree in family life and marriage. He has served the Holy Name of Jesus Parish 16 years.

Father Arnold served on the schoolâs board of regents and continues his connection through partnership activities between his parish and the prep school as well as the Weber Scholarship Endowment Fund which his parish helped establish with a $300,000 donation. This year his parish has adopted an inter-city black parish to work with. ãI have hopes of getting St. Johnâs Prep involved with the project,ä Father Arnold said.

Sister Bernadette works at a group home in Cold Spring with mentally handicapped individuals. Sister Jane, after working 13 years in Japan and 15 years with Indian missions, has returned home to St. Martin this year. Sister Helen works in the audio visual department at the College of St. Benedict and Sister Marcella does domestic work at the College of St. Benedict.

Father Arnold said the Prep School has been talking about this project for some time and is using memorial money donated by the family and others plus $300,000 donated by the Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Wayzata. Sister Jane said the family was honored and surprised to have a building named after their family. ãAt first we were told it would be named after Father Otto,ä she said.

The remaining siblings, Jerome and Raymond, live on the family farm with their mother, Louise. Elizabeth Schramel lives in Cold Spring and works at Collegeville and Alice Drontle lives at Richmond.

[ Return to Previous Menu | Archived Press Stories Menu | Return to the News Page ]