Anselm Weber

[4] He was ordained by the Archbishop Elder of Cincinnati on December 28, 1889, and began teaching as a professor at St. Francis College.

The first mission was founded in 1627 by Franciscan Father Alonso de Benavides in a Tewa village called Santa Clara near the Rio Grande River.

[11] During his time at St. Michael's, Anselm Weber witnessed and participated in the mission's growth and interaction with the Navajo Nation.

[13] This boarding school, which was staffed by Mother Katharine Drexel's order of nuns, was opened on December 3, 1902, with 57 pupils attending.

[14] While it was met with some resistance from Navajo parents at first, and the number of students fluctuated through the years, the school expanded to 250 pupils by 1948.

As the situation between the Navajo and federal agents became increasingly tense, they both used Father Weber as a messenger and mediator.

Eventually, Weber helped both groups meet and reach a compromise that prevented the situation from descending into all-out violence.

[18] While he never caught the disease, he and Berard Haile went to different areas of the Navajo reservation to give last rites to Catholic members and assist priests who had become ill. Weber also imposed a quarantine on the school at St. Michael's which prevented any of the students there from catching the flu.

Indian Commissioner Cato Sells wrote: "I share with you and your associates at St. Michaels deep sorrow because of the passing of Father Weber.

"[24] Father Mandalari, a Jesuit in Albuquerque wrote: "The Church lost an apostolic missionary, and we priests and religious a comfort, a leader, a real friend.