Société des Missions Africaines –Province de Strasbourg

né le 18 septembre 1900 à Guéwenheim dans le diocèse de Strasbourg, France membre de la SMA le 31 juillet 1921 prêtre le 29 juin 1925 décédé le 6 mai 1991

1925-1927 Offémont, professeur 1927-1928 Saint-Pierre et Haguenau 1928-1991 missionnaire en Géorgie, puis Tenafly aumônier militaire pendant la guerre décédé à Tenafly, USA, le 6 mai 1991, à l'âge de 90 ans

Aloysius Ramstein was born in Guewenheim, Alsace, in the diocese of Strasbourg, on September 18, 1900.
He died in Dunroven nursing home, Cresskill, Bergen County, NJ, USA, on May 6, 1991.

Aloysius Ramstein was one of six children born to Joseph and Cecile (nee Ringenbach) Ramstein. He attended the local elementary school in Guewenheim between 1906-1914. He then entered the Society’s apostolic school at Keer, near Maastrict, Holland. Graduating in 1919 he was promoted to the Society’s house of philosophy at Chanly, Belgium. In October 1921 he entered the Society’s major seminary, at Cours Gambetta, Lyon, France, for his theological formation. He was received as a member of the Society on July 31, 1921 and was ordained a priest in the seminary chapel at Lyon, by Bishop Ernest Hauger SMA, Vicar Apostolic of the Gold Coast, on June 29, 1925.

After ordination Aloysius was appointed to the Institution Alexis Pillet-Will, at Chateau d’Offemont (Oise). After a year he joined the staff of the Sacred Heart Seminary, the Society’s junior apostolic school at Saint-Pierre, near Eichhoffen. A year later he was teaching in St. Arbogast seminary, the senior apostolic school in Haguenau. In the following year his priestly career was to take a decisive change of direction. In 1907 the Society had established missions to African-Americans in the Southern States of America. The founder of these works was Ignace Lissner from Alsace. As the number of mission-parishes grew Fr. Lissner increasingly appealed to the Society in Europe for staff. The Alsace Province of the Society was erected in 1927 and took on much of the responsibility of providing staff. Thus it was that in 1928 Aloysius was sent by his Superiors to the USA to assist Fr. Lissner. Between 1929-1932 he served in Our Lady of Lourdes mission-parish, Atlanta, GA. His next assignment was as pastor in St. Benedict the Moor parish, Savannah, GA, the first SMA mission in America, founded in 1907. Aloysius came to America at the onset of the great Depression and in addition to the poverty of those times he suffered the degradations brought about by the callous legal practice of racial segregation in the South. Aloysius ministered in Georgia until 1943 when he volunteered as a chaplain with the US Army, serving in France, the Philippines, Okinawa and Japan. He had become an American citizen on December 10, 1941. He also served German Prisoners-of-War in Massachusetts. In 1958 he was discharged from the Army with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and returned to Georgia where he became pastor of St. Anthony’s mission, Savannah. Between 1966 –1977 he served as a hospital chaplain at St. Francis Villas, Crowley, Texas. He then retired in the SMA Provincial House at Tenafly NJ. Aloysius enjoyed a long retirement, having robust health until April 1991 when he was transferred to a local nursing home.

Aloysius was the last of the Alsatian priests who were sent to the USA. He had two qualities which endeared him to the people. He had a marvelous sense of humor, able to make an impossible situation bearable. His second strong point was his generosity. In his will he left donations to each of the six parishes the SMA’s maintained in Georgia. An interesting insight into the character of the man is given by a document in the Archives of the American Province at Tenafly, a receipt with the writing: ‘Received by Police one Smith and Wesson .32 caliber revolver, property of Ramstein, date 1991.’ This dated back to his years in Georgia where threats from the Klu Klux Klan were frequent.

He is buried in the SMA Community Plot, Mount Carmel Cemetery, Tenafly, NJ.