Peter Henry Lemke (or Lemcke) (b. at Rehna, Mecklenburg, 27 July 1796; d. at Carrolltown, Pennsylvania, 29 November 1882) was a German Roman Catholic missionary in the United States.
With the aid of his grandfather and the doctor, who supplied him with story books, he received a good basic education.
After the death of his grandfather, Peter ran away at the age of fourteen and applied for admission to the school at Shwerin.
His father, who admired his initiative, wished him well, but due to reduced circumstances was unable to provide any financial assistance.
When not indulging in student dissipation, he read Stolberg's Religion of Jesus Christ, which made a lasting impression.
Eight months later, Lemke applied to Bishop Johann Michael Sailer for admission to the Catholic Church.
A mutual friend, Dr. Raes, showed him a letter from Bishop Kenrick of Philadelphia deploring the lack of German priests to serve his parishioners.
He took up his residence in the neighbouring town of Ebensburg, from where he attended to a portion of Father Gallitzin's district, about fifty miles in extent.
Lemke was a fearless horseman and delighted to give to the admiring settlers exhibitions of his skill in riding and subduing wild and untrained colts.
One Sunday a month he attended the Catholics working on the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal and the Allegheny Portage Railroad at Johnstown.
[2] In the spring of 1837 he bought some land on which two years later he laid out a town which, in honour of the first Catholic Bishop in the United States, John Carroll, he called Carrolltown.
As a convert, he was not in the habit of praying to Mary, but he did so then and shortly saw a faint light in the distance, where a woman in a distant cabin, whose young child had called out to her, had just lit a lantern.