Uncle Heber

That’s my Uncle Heber in cope and mitre on the very center of the front cover. The Living Church for June 19, 2011 has a wide-spread three-panel open-up cover of high church bishops gathered for the 1926 Catholic Congress in Milwaukee. In the thick and looking most regal, the Right Reverend Reginald Heber Weller, Bishop of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Apparently respected and well-liked by those who knew him, he was elected bishop on the first ballot at age 47, consecrated 1900, Suffragan twelve years, Diocesan 21 years, retired 1933. One of my grandfather’s brothers, Uncle Heber died in 1935, the year of my birth.

We have a photograph of Christ Church, St. Andrews (later St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Panama City), about 1915. The congregation are gathered in front of the church. Lots of my family were there. Uncle Heber, visiting from Fond du Lac, is in the photo along with two of his brothers, my grandfather A.D. Weller and the Rev. Charles Knight Weller. Their father, the Rev. R. H. Weller, was rector of St. John's Episcopal Church, Jacksonville, Florida at the time of the Civil War. That day of the photo, Heber and Uncle Charlie would have been guests here in my house. My grandmother was probably here at home frying chicken for Sunday dinner.

My grandfather was very fond of Uncle Heber, once spent a year with him and his family in Wisconsin. That would have been about 1890, Pop was about seventeen. He told me about taking a young lady for a long sleigh ride across snowy fields that winter. She was about sixteen. They stopped the sleigh, and it was the first time he ever kissed a girl.

Here in my custody is a package of Weller family memorabilia. Several things, including Uncle Heber’s communion set. A baptismal bowl. Early 19th century hand-written sermons of my great-great grandfather, the Rev. George Weller, marked to show where he preached each one, and the dates. A chalice and paten given to Uncle Heber in 1918, passed along priest to priest in family generations, now in my stewardship, used from time to time over the years at Easter, Christmas, and family baptisms.

No one is smiling in the 1926 photo spread, looks a grim assembly. Stern. Mirthless. Taking themselves quite seriously?

Behind Uncle Heber and standing on either side of him are two deacons in dalmatics, solemnly holding his cope back. Pontifical. Sober. Somber. Grave. Dead serious. catholic. Catholic? Uncle Heber is buried at Nashota House seminary in Wisconsin.

Say “Cheese,” your lordships.

TW+