Monsignor Andrew J. Schumacher

Father Andy grew up on a dairy farm in Greencreek, a close-knit community, like one big family. Father Andy attended Greencreek Elementary and High School, both public schools staffed by the Benedictine Women Religious from the Monastery of St. Gertrude in Cottonwood. In High School, Father Andy, a good athlete in his day, lettered in basketball, baseball and football. He graduated as the valedictorian of his class, from Greencreek High School in May, 1952.

In September of 1952, Father Andy entered the seminary at the Benedictine Monastery in Mount Angel, Ore., to begin his studies for the Catholic priesthood. The call to serve in the Roman Catholic priesthood was something on the back of his mind while in high school. There was one big concern, he stammered. When he spoke to his bishop about entering the seminary, Bishop Edward Kelly noticed he stammered, and told him he needed to overcome that impediment. Andy tried many ways to stop stammering, but had no success. He still stammered when he left Lewiston for Portland, Ore., on the train. The train came to a stop on the way and the car Father Andy was riding in was disconnected and parked on a side track to be picked up by another train from Montana for the rest of the way to Portland. While sitting in the train car and waiting for the Montana train, Father Andy questioned himself, “Do I really want to go to the seminary at Mount Angel to begin answering a call to the priesthood? Is God really calling me to be a priest? What about my stammering?” After a moment of silence, a thought came to him which he expressed in this way, “O God, if you really want me to be a priest, don’t let anyone at Mount Angel ever know that I stammered!” When he stepped off the train in Portland and greeted those from Mount Angel meeting him, he did not stammer. No one at Mount Angel ever knew he stammered. The speech impediment was left behind on the train. He has not stammered since. Father Andy’s response to this, “God is Good!”

Father Andy attended Mount Angel Seminary for his first two years of college under the tutelage of the Benedictine monks. His last two years of college seminary training was at St. Edward’s Seminary at Kenmore, Wash., along Lake Washington near Seattle. Father Andy graduated from St. Edward’s with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in the spring of 1956.

In March of 1956, Father Andy was selected and appointed by his bishop, the Most Rev. Edward J. Kelly, to attend the North American College in Rome for his last four years of theological studies, 1956-1960. The North American College is a Roman residence established for American seminarians from Catholic dioceses throughout the United States. When Father Andy entered the North American College (NAC) there was a total of 278 seminarians at the NAC, of which 83 were in his class.

It was at the Jesuit Gregorian University where Father Andy received his four years of theological training. All the classes were taught in Latin. All the exams, oral and written, were in Latin. The professors came from different countries and spoke Latin with different accents. He said the biggest challenge was learning Hebrew, taught in Latin, by an Italian professor with a strong Italian accent. Father Andy graduated from the Gregorian University in June of 1960, with a Licentiate of Sacred Theology degree.

During his four years in Rome, Father Andy witnessed several significant events. On Oct. 9, 1958, Pope Pius XII died. The body of Pius XII was placed in state in St. Peter’s Basilica for three and a half days, when crowds of people passed by the bier on which the vested body of Pope Pius XII was lying. The seminarians from the North American College were asked to provide an honor guard for Pius XII. Two seminarians at a time, knelt for an hour at the foot of the bier or table on which the body was lying. Father Andy served as an honor guard during the last hour before they closed and locked the doors of St. Peter’s at noon, on the fourth day, ending the public viewing of Pope Pius XII.

Father Andy was also in St. Peter’s piazza on the night of Oct. 28, 1958, when he heard the announcement of good news that Cardinal Angelo Roncalli was elected pope and chose the name John XXIII. The following morning Father Andy was also in St. Peter’s piazza when Pope John XXIII addressed the crowd gathered there. The very first words Pope John XXIII proclaimed to the crowd were the words of Jesus, “I have come to serve and not to be served.” Based on this quote, Pope John XXIII did not want to be placed on a pedestal. He wanted to be a humble servant. John XXIII was truly a model of “Servant Priesthood.” This left a deep impression on Father Andy.

On Nov. 9, 1959, Father Andy together with his bishop, the Most Rev. James Joseph Byrne, had a private audience with Pope John XXIII. Father Andy experienced the humility of Pope John XXIII during this visit. When Father Andy met the pope, he took the pope’s hand, genuflected and kissed the Pope’s ring. As he started to rise, Bishop Byrne told him to stay kneeling. Pope John, still holding Father Andy’s hand, looked down at him and asked, “Why are you on your bended knee?” Before Father Andy could answer that question the Pope said, “Stand up! Stand up! I want to speak to you face to face.” Father Andy was humbled by this encounter as he was lifted up by the hand of a saint.

Father Andy was ordained a Roman Catholic priest on Dec. 20, 1959, at the North American College in Rome by Archbishop Martin J. O’Connor, the rector of the North American College. He was ordained together with 52 of his classmates. The ordination ceremony lasted for six hours. It was the custom to ordain the priests before their last semester of their stay in Rome to give them the opportunity to celebrate Mass at the many prominent basilicas, churches, catacombs and shrines in Rome.

Father Andy’s four-year stay in Rome came to a close at the end of June, 1960. He arrived back in Idaho on July 5, 1960. He was given three weeks of vacation to get reacquainted with family and life in Idaho before reporting to St. John’s Cathedral in Boise where he spent the summer. His first permanent assignment was Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Lewiston as the first parochial vicar to Father Patrick Phelan. This assignment was a great introduction to over sixty years of ministry in the Diocese of Boise.

After three years in Lewiston, Father Andy was assigned in 1963 to the campus of the University of Idaho as the first full-time chaplain to the Catholic community at the University of Idaho. He was there for 11 years, 1963-1974. During this time the Second Vatican Council was already in session. There was no place of worship on campus when Father Andy arrived. The University allowed the Catholic community to use the Borah Theatre in the Student Union Building. In 1965, Father Andy was asked by the Bishop of Idaho to start designing and building a church on the property the Knights of Columbus managed to purchase for a church and student center. Vatican II emphasized how close and loving God is to his people. As a result, a round church with a tent-shaped roof was designed. This expressed the fact that God has pitched his tent among us and is always with us. That God’s love is all inclusive is symbolized by the church in the round. God stands face to face or heart to heart with his people. God is to be loved more than feared. St. Augustine was named the patron of the church building and Catholic community. St. Augustine’s has become a landmark on the UI campus.

In May, 1974, Father Andy was appointed as rector of St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Boise. He was there for 10 years, 1974-1984. During this time Father Andy was asked by Bishop Sylvester Treinen to remodel and update the interior of the cathedral according to the guidelines of Vatican II. The renovation was completed in the early fall of 1979. The rededication and blessing of the renovated cathedral took place in October of 1979. Father Andy pointed out that the renovation of the cathedral brought about a renewal and unification of the parish community.

After his tenure at St. John’s Cathedral, Father Andy was assigned to St. James Parish in Lewiston where he served for four years, 1984-1988. His stay at St. James Parish was cut short when he was asked to fill a pastoral vacancy at St. Pius X Parish in Coeur d’Alene. St. Pius X Parish was a large parish and still expanding rapidly as the city’s population was growing while Father Andy was there. He served as pastor of St. Pius X Parish for seven years, 1988-1995.

After his 11 years in North Idaho, Father Andy was called south to St. Mary’s Parish in Boise, in July of 1995. Before his arrival, a decision was made to relocate St. Mary’s Parish church and school. Upon arrival, Father Andy was presented with the task of relocating St. Mary’s Parish. After three years of determining the future of St. Mary’s Parish, it was decided that to relocate the parish was an impossible task. In 1998, St. Mary’s Parish was twinned with St. John’s Cathedral.

The decision not to relocate St. Mary’s Parish in Boise, Father Andy was freed to be assigned pastor at St. Mary’s Parish in Cottonwood in 1998. When the pastor of St. Anthony’s parish in Greencreek and Assumption Parish in Ferdinand passed on to his eternal reward in October of 2000, Assumption Parish and St. Anthony Parish were attached to St. Mary’s in Cottonwood to form a Tri-Parish. Father Andy was appointed pastor of the three parishes. Father Andy was the pastor of this Tri-Parish until July 1, 2004, when he retired from active ministry.

Lewiston was the place Father Andy chose to live in retirement. Even though he was retired he still remained active in various ways in the Diocese of Boise. He served on the Presbyteral Council for 15 consecutive years. He also served as “Minister to Priests”, which included visiting the housebound elderly priests. Father Andy also served on the Board of Directors for Catholic Charities of Idaho for 10 years. This was his favorite charity for the poor.

In November of 2008, Father Andy was made a “Prelate of Honor” with the title of monsignor, by Pope Benedict XVI. The honor was bestowed upon him by the Most Rev. Michael P. Driscoll, Bishop of Boise, on Feb. 2, 2009.

Having spent four years in Rome, and having traveled for three summers throughout Europe, Father Andy was asked to lead several pilgrimages to visit the many sacred shrines throughout Europe. One pilgrimage of great memory was to Rome in 1998, when his pilgrim group had the privilege to go to the papal summer villa in Castel Gandolfo to attend the Mass celebrated by Pope St. John Paul II. Father Andy concelebrated the Mass with Pope John Paul II. After the Mass he introduced the Holy Father to his pilgrim group in a private audience. The pope shared a short message, in English, and gave the group his Papal blessing.

Father Andy will be remembered for his compassion he shared with couples who suffered miscarriages or felt hopeless of giving birth because of the inability to conceive. The power of prayer, not only Father Andy’s prayer, but also the prayer of the couple and the couple’s family and friends, was made evident. Father Andy strongly believed that every birth is a miracle. He would send a letter to the couple who asked for prayer and remind them to: “Expect a Miracle.” Many “miracle” babies were born.

Reflecting on his life as a priest, Father Andy expressed gratitude to God for having been a priest at the time of the Second Vatican Council. He shared that it was a most exciting time. It opened up the Church to be more inclusive. The reform of the Liturgy emphasized a participation of the laity rather than being mere attendants at the Liturgical celebrations. Vatican II was so positive and so creative, it was not just heavenly minded. The Kingdom of God is here on earth.

Monsignor Andy was the only and last serving member of family made up of four boys and four girls. The family members that preceded him death are: Leona (Arnold) Wassmuth; Lawrence and (Clara) Schumacher; Roman (Anna Marie) Schumacher, Estella (Charles) Wilson, Bernadine (Harold) Wessels, Rita (Donald) Wessels, Ambrose Schumacher; his nephews Donald Wassmuth, Gary Schumacher and Albert Wessels. Monsignor is survived by his sister-in-law Margie Schumacher and his remaining 50 nephews and nieces and their families; various cousins located in Idaho and Illinois. Creation of the all abilities Mass, faith formation groups like Love Circle and the parishioners and loved ones from many parishes.

The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 23, at All Saints Catholic Church, 3330 14th St., Lewiston; followed by burial at Greencreek Cemetery and lunch at the Greencreek Hall.

Vassar-Rawls Funeral Home of Lewiston is in charge of arrangements.