Fr. Paul Joseph Volk is seen in Central America in this undated photo. COURTESY OF ARCHIVES
‘Fr. Paul Volk, founder of the Mount, murdered?’ – How a case of mistaken identity caused temporary international confusion
BY EDWARD WILSON, ARCHIVES
In the midst of a brutal three-year rebellion in Columbia, a priest is pulled from his home in the middle of the night. The rebels take the holy man to the middle of a dark road, have him kneel, and, in front of several crying captives, six shots break the peaceful silence of the cool Central American night. Following this, a headline breaks the hearts of many across multiple continents: “In Central America the Rev. Missionary P. J. Volk was attacked and shot. The victim is a native of Fulda. For more than twenty-five years the so unmercifully and cruelly assassinated missionary worked as pastor under the most trying conditions in the region.”
Born in Hünfeld and ordained in Fulda, in what is now Germany, Fr. Paul Joseph Volk arrived in the United States, then a mission territory, to serve the Diocese of Louisville. Through most of the 1870s, Fr. Volk famously served the German and English-speaking Catholics of Daviess County, completing Mount Saint Joseph in 1874. The good priest was then sent to Lincoln and Boyle Counties to minister to the German communities there for nearly a decade. After nearly 20 years serving in Kentucky, he was granted permission to mission to the priest-poor people of Ecuador.
He labored with great success throughout Central America. For years, Fr. Volk’s adventures captured the attention of Catholics in the United States and Europe. His letters and articles were often published in newspapers in the U.S. and Germany. His observations of the customs and scenery of Central America fascinated his western audience. But in 1902, an unwelcome headline came.
For years, Columbia had been in the throes of rebellion. No one was safe. This was especially true for priests. The news of Fr. Volk’s murder rocked the Kentucky diocese and his native Germany.
But perhaps the most shocked person to read the news was Fr. Volk himself. He mentioned that he read the news of his death in a German newspaper with the “greatest surprise.”
It turned out the report was a mistake. The Louisville Courier-Journal later dispelled the story, reporting that they had spoken with Mother Augustine Bloemer at Mount Saint Joseph, and she confirmed she had recently corresponded with Fr. Volk and he was alive.
Fr. Volk later explained that another priest in a nearby village had been tragically killed, Fr. Ruso. However, Fr. Volk recounted what he did “During that dangerous night.” Amidst the gunfire and bloodshed echoing through the jungle, Fr. Volk proceeded to the church, had a long adoration, consumed the Host for what he thought would be the last time and awaited his martyrdom. The night passed and troops arrived to protect the village. As the last boat was departing from Panama, Fr. Volk’s parishioners begged him to flee. He refused, later stating “no power on earth could have induced me to abandon my people.” He also convinced two other priests to stay their posts. Fr. Volk continued missioning for over another 10 years, into his 70s, until finally returning to Mount Saint Joseph to spend his final years. Fr. Volk, pray for us!
Edward Wilson is the director of the Diocese of Owensboro’s Archives and the Archives of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph. Comments and questions may be sent to [email protected].
Originally printed in the March 2025 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
