Bornon November 17, 1836, in Münster, Westphalia, Germany, Jessing worked at a variety of trades and served in the Westphalian artillery before immigrating to the United States in 1867. The following year he entered Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary of the West, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and upon completion of his studies was ordained a priest on July 17, 1870. He was appointed rector of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Pomeroy, Ohio, where, in 1873, he founded the Ohio Waisenfreund, with profits from this publication going to the orphanage school he founded there. In 1877, Jessing moved the orphanage from Pomeroy to Columbus.
Additional information: Joseph Jessing, Soldier and Immigrant (1836-1870)
This collection includes material documenting Joseph Jessing’s early years including his life in Germany and military career. Part I (Soldier and Immigrant 1836-1870) of the 1936 Jessing biography, Monsignor Joseph Jessing (1836-1899) Founder of the Pontifical College Josephinum is also included in this collection.
John Joseph Jessing and Orphans photograph from Ohio Memory Collection.