In Russian times the civil community and the parish community of Krasna were practically identical. During the Rumanian period a strict division was ordered. One can almost equate the number of Krasna residents with the number of the members of the Catholic church there. There were very few non-Catholics in the village and this was the case until the Resettlement.

The church remained the cultural and religious center of the village until the end. The church also managed the Krasna School until the annexation to Rumania. The German language was no longer used in the Rumanian school, but the church supported German speech and culture. Many details about life in the parish community of Krasna can be found in Eduard Ruscheinski's book 126 Jahre kirchlieches Leben in unserer alten Heimat Krasna/Bessarabien nachgelesen warden (126 Years of Church Life in our old Homeland of Krasna/Bessarabia. ¹⁾)

Note: About church land property, See also 3.4, The Perimeters of the Colony of Krasna
Note: About dis-ownership of church property during the Rumanian land reform, See also 4.3, Landowners and landless people in Krasna.
Note: Church building and cemetery, See also 3.1, The village of Krasna, its Location and Appearance.

The pastor was probably the most highly respected person in the village. He was treated with reverence. People called him Pater (Padre or Father) not priest or pastor. The faithful respectfully kissed the hand of the priest. He was greeted with “Praised be the Lord Jesus Christ”
His advice was treasured, especially in difficult times and the faithful placed great trust in him.

Eduard Ruscheinsky notes: ²⁾) One noticed a child-like awe and reverence in the way the people treated their pastor. The priest was also part of the political decision making of the community. He had a great influence. Only once, in 1934, was there any kind of trouble. It was not possible to settle the differences and the bishop transferred Father Leibham elsewhere. The reason for this is not quite clear. Eduard Ruscheinsky mentions that the problems were based on weaknesses and ailments of both parties.

Wilhelm Schumacher ³⁾ was the last pastor of Krasna before the resettlement. He was very industrious and this did not sit well with several people in the community and some of the local Rumanians. It caused him much misery (See below). He built the parish home “Unser Heim” (Our Home) slated for youths. See also 3.1, The Village of Krasna and its Appearance.

Image 65: Father Schumacher

Father Schumacher was very busy furthering the cultural life of Krasna in many ways (music, theater, changes in the church service). He became persona non grata with the Rumanian powers. He was a German national and that was enough reason to hassle him. It was difficult to extend his visa. He was accused of subversive activities. His efforts to create a cultural center and safeguard the German language were his main crimes. The Rumanian school administrator did not like this effort. A regular “cultural battle” began with the school administration. The German presentations initiated by the pastor were always well attended, but Rumanian ones were largely unattended, especially when they coincided with the pastor’s activities or mass.

Pastor Schumacher was once arrested in Bucharest and held there for two weeks for alleged national socialist activities. These accusations were unfounded. One had to just say that his effort to preserve German culture was disliked by the Rumanians. The community stood solidly behind the pastor. The church council collected signatures with an explanation of the pastor’s services to the community. He was allowed to return. Some material about this incident is still preserved. ⁴⁾

In Rumanian times, aside from the pastor, the church council carried much weight in the parish community of Krasna, after the unity between civilian and parish community was dissolved. The church council discussed and decided together with the priest all important matters of the community, from church services to finances, buildings and personnel. Details about this group, areas of operation, structure, election periods, etc., could not be determined.

There are only two references to members of the board.

• When the bishop visited Krasna in November of 1921, minutes were kept and signed by the two bishops, village pastor Bernhard Leibham and the representatives of the church council. They were Peter and Gottlieb Leintz, Maximilian Hein, M. Volk, S. Dirk, A. Sauterle and M. Ternes.
• The photo of a group of men at the laying of the foundation stone of the parish home (See also 3.1,The Village) seems to depict the church council in office in 1936.

Eight annually elected attendants watched the children and youths during mass. Two watched the boys and male youths, two watched the girls, and two were posted at the church entrance and two at the choir. This assured order since none of the children and youths wanted to risk a slap in the face.

According to a report in the Dakota Rundschau of February 13, 1931, the church fathers elected for 1931 were …for the boys Reimund Schäfer, for the male youths, Josef Lorenz Riehl, for the little girls, Michael Wingenbach and for the larger girls, Kaspar Söhn. Kaspar Gedack and Eusebius Herrmann watched at the choir.

The church custodian of Krasna had a different function than a custodian did in Germany. ⁵⁾ He had to teach the religion class, play the organ and, if needed, preach. This function was mostly carried out by the teachers. The following men were Krasna custodians: Maximilian Hein, Felitian Glas, Edmund Gansky, and Michael Ziebart.

Sundays were sacred. No work was performed on Sunday, not even during the harvest and threshing season. The entire family went to church on Sunday morning. There was an early mass and a high mass. Vespers took place in the afternoon.

Father Schumacher describes the Krasna faithful in his first annual report:

Traditional mass was held. Mass and Vespers are well attended. Content and format of the mass are dictated by tradition. Each attempt to make changes and each suggestion is strictly rejected, even by the Catholic teachers. Military-like discipline is preferred.

• Eight annually chosen attendants keep order during mass (See Church Fathers)
• At the end of the service, churchgoers leave the church in orderly fashion and in a prescribed system. Women having to rush home to cook the Sunday meal are first, then come the small boys and the male youths, then come the men, led by the Primar and members of the church council. The little girls are next, followed by the female youths and the women who do not have to rush home to prepare a meal. An experiment to offer weekday mass on Tuesday and Friday has been rejected so far.

Highlights of the church year were the fasting weeks, Easter week and Easter, Pentecost, Corpus Christi, All Souls, All Saints, Advent and Christmas.
Baptism, the death sacraments, common rosary recitals and May celebration fulfilled the religious needs. The community of Krasna took great joy in the solemn processions and large communion celebrations.
See also 5.3, Culture, Habits and Customs

The Polish spiritual leaders of Krasna during the first decades were strict about the fasting laws. There were great fasts from Ash Wednesday to Easter, the four-week advent fasts, the four “Quatember” fasts ⁶⁾ and the two-day fasts per week year round.
Black fasts (additionally to abstinence from meat, abstinence from milk and eggs during the great fasts) were no longer practiced after the end of the 19th century. All other fasts were more or less strictly adhered to until the end.

According to the custom of the Catholic church, the church bells were not rung from Maundy Thursday until Holy Saturday. “Klapperbuben” (Rattling Boys) and their rattles replaced the church bells in the interim. See 5.3, Culture, Habits and Customs

The holiest of holies was taken to the so-called altar boys' sacristy where the faithful held prayer watches. Mostly boys and girls held watch during the day. They were relieved every half hour. In the evenings and at night the adults watched.

Good Friday was different from the rest of the holy days. On this day it was forbidden to work the soil, but other work was permitted. The liturgy of the Good Friday Mass was also different from other holy days. Alois Leinz remembers from his time as a Rattling Boy: ⁷⁾ After reverence is made to the cross, the grave is opened, which is located on the altar at the boys’ section, the Josef altar. A man sized prone figure represents the body of Christ in the grave. The holiest of holies, where people watched over on Maudy Thursday is now displayed here. The Rattling Boys now hold watch at the grave altar. Faithful file by and kiss the five wounds on the body of Christ on the cross, which the vernacular calls “smooching the lord,” and drop money on the sacrificial plate next to it. This lasts all day as young and old revere the cross.

The highlight and finale of the Holy Week was the celebration of the resurrection on the morning of Easter Sunday. On this day, the church was full, standing room only. The church choir sang and the recruits stood at the entrance, displaying the flags. Much incense was burned. After the priest uncovered the Holiest of Holies and started the chant “The Lord is Risen!“, choir and faithful joined in. A powerful ringing of the church bells reverberated over the steppes and throughout the village. A procession, led by the Christ figure on the cross went singing three times around the church.

At midnight, called Holy Night, the solemn Christ Mass was celebrated in splendor. The well-decorated church was full. Next to the altar stood a large Christmas tree with many burning candles. All residents participated in church on the first and second day of Christmas, as well. In Krasna, the third day of Christmas, St. John’s Day, was also celebrated with a mass.

How the christening ceremony was performed is not handed down. E. Ruscheinsky along reports that if a child was in danger of death, the concerned parents would have the child baptized immediately. However, few parents waited too long before having a child baptized after birth. The customary place and time for baptism was in the church on Sunday after vespers.
See 5.3, Culture, Habits and Customs

Image 66: Baptism of Anselm Leeb

Anually, the First Communion was a major church event. E. Ruscheinsky describes it well: ⁸⁾ An excellent custom in the old homeland was the celebration of first communion. It was considered one of the major feast days of the year. Each household with a child participating in first communion was made ready long in advance ad prepared to make a memorable celebration of it. The children were beautifully garbed. The boys in black suits with corsages pinned to their chest, the girls in white with wreath and veil were broughtfrom the school on Whit Sunday, while the bells were ringing, and escorted in a solemn procession to the church. The children all carried burning candles. The children were ceremoniously addressed in church and reminded of this important phase in their lives where the baptismal oath was renewed. After this ceremony, High Mass began and the children came in pairs to the table of the Lord.

In order for the children of poor folk to also have a memorable first communion day, it was customary in Krasna, at least under Father Schumacher in the final years, that with contributions from the parents a communal feast was prepared in the rectory for the first communion children.

Image 67: Group of First Communion Children in June of 1910 with Father Bernhard Leibham

Confirmation of the youths was always a special event. It happened once every few years. The bishop visited the village. He was picked up from the train station in Beresina, with the flags displayed, acccompanied by horsemen. The village street was decorated with garlands.

Image 68: The Bishop is Brought from the Rectory

Weddings usually took place in the winter months. Most weddings were held in November (after the field work was done). The announcement before the actual ceremony was made before the entire community (three announcements from the pulpit a week apart). Afterwards, the wedding was held, usually on a Tuesday, with a church ceremony afterwards,
Also see: 5.3, Culture, Habits and Customs

Here also note: If a couple “had to get married” because the bride was pregnant before the weding day, it was cusomary for the couple to kneel between the benches assigned to little boys and girls during the entire ceremony and hold a lighted candle. Alois Leinz: ⁹⁾ It was quite the embarrasing matter to be seen up there by all and this method was kept in force until 1930.

People in the hour of death received the sacraments for the dying. Whenever possible, all of his/her family was present. People prayed and shed tears of farewell.

After death, the family member was put on the bier, a wax candle was lighted and a vessel with Holy Water placed at the head. As soon as relatives received the news of the passing, they came to the house of the dead, knelt and prayed for the soul of the departed.
Deaths in the village were also announced by the church bells. Church bells announcing a death went by the following structure:

• children to age 14, the little bell
• youths to age 21, the medium bell
• adults, the big bell

There were three repetitions, then all the bells were rung.

Relatives and friends bade their farewells at the open coffin and the rosary was recited several times.

Image 69: The Body of Michael Ternes 1929

On the day of the funeral, the coffin was taken by neighbors and transported to church by horse-drawn wagon. From there, it was carried into the church and placed in front of the altar. A mass and celebration of the dead followed. Afterwards, a procession, accompanied by the people of the village, went to the cemetery, which was located close to the church and there, the last farewell and actual funeral took place. Bells rang all the way from church to cemetery. In the final years, a brass band also played at the gravesite.

Image 70: Funeral Mass at the Parish Church of Krasna

Polish priests of Krasna had introduced the custom of regular processions, which was well liked by the population. Various types of them were used, depending upon the occasion. ¹⁰⁾)

• Processions with the Holiest of Holies around the perimeters of the church took place after each Friday before or after High Mass. This custom was adhered to until the Resettlement.
• Pleading Processions
  On St, Markus Day (On April 25 and on the other three pleading days), pleading processions were held to the village and field crosses. A young boy carried the procession cross and the community queued up behind him in a prescribed order. The young men carrying the church flags preceded the priest. Rosary was prayed until the field cross was reached. Intermittently, the choir sang the All Saints Litany and recited and prayed. After several crosses at one end of the village were visited, the procession returned to the parish church. On other Pleading Days the crosses at the other end of the village and the center were visited.
• Corpus Christi

Image 71: Young Men Decorating Main Street on Corpus Christi Day

In Krasna, Corpus Christi was by far the major church holiday.
The population was actively involved in the celebration.
A festive procession was held. Four altars were erected close to church and the roads where the altars were located were decorated with green branches and grass.
J. Erker: ¹¹⁾ On Corpus Christi young men festively decorated the main street of Krasna. This was the highest holiday of the Roman Catholic population of Bessarabia.

Image 72: Laying a Flower Carpet at Corpus Christi

The girls, who went to first communion on the previous Whitsunday, spread flowers in front of the cross. The walls and houses were all decorated for this event.

Krasna people were especially fond of the rosary. In the rosary month of October, the rosary was recited on weekdays in mass and on Sundays in the afternoon mass.

The spring month of May was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The community members gathered in church for Mother of Christ services, which were celebrated by the priest at the decorated Virgin Mary altar on the left side of the church.

At the founding of Krasna the old hymnals from back home were still used. The Polish priests soon introduced the Latin church songs and the German songs were phased out. When German priests arrived after 1870, there were no German hymnals available. Eduard Ruscheinsky on the subject: ¹²⁾) This changed for the better in 1908 when the hymnal called “Alleluja” was published in 1908. Church music was enhanced with the arrival of an organ in 1906. A big change for the better occurred in the church music during the final decades of our existence in Bessarabia. The building of “Our Home” created an ideal place to practice the German song.

In order to liven up and encourage religious fervor, peoples’ missions were held. After the right to assemble was allowed in Russia after 1906, and other citizen rights were granted, the first peoples’ missions took place in Krasna. Four Redeemers (Redemptorist priests) came from Vienna to conduct these. Commemorating this mission effort, the missionaries brought a life-sized cross and placed it next to the confessional in church.

Between the World Wars, two more peoples’ missions were held, one in 1922. This time the missionaries did not come from outside of the country, but from the Rumanian town of Chernowitz/Bukovina. The last mission took place in 1934. Eduard Ruscheinsky reports: Only one missionary was sent this time and his task was mainly to restore the goodwill between the pastor and the church members again, which had suffered before. Unfortunately, he did not succeed. The priest was transferred.

The Krasna Church celebrated its fair on the feast day of the church patron saint, St. Joseph, on March 19. Krasna did not have an elaborate celebration as some other Bessarabian villages had.