By Parker Anderson

Father Alfred Quetu is fondly remembered in Prescott history as the priest who built the old Church of the Sacred Heart at the corner of Willis and Marina streets, as wella s the Roman Catholic Church in Jerome.  He was one of Prescott's most revered citizens, but by 1900, the gentle, bearded priest was in failing health and he took on an assistant to help him tend his parish.

This assistant was Father Edmund Claessen, a Belgian priest who had immigrated to Prescott.  Little else is known about him, except that the Courier in the June 19, 1902, issue, described him as "a bright young man of great promise and of strong religious character, deeply devoted to his congregation, and was beloved by all who knew him."

In 1902, Father Claessen contracted typhoid fever, suffered for six weeks and on June 18, passed away.  Father Quetu was on the West Coast for his heath and therefore did not hear of his assistant's death.  The Church of the Sacred Heart was placed in charge of Father Peitz during Quetu's absence.

The Courier also reported on June 19, 1902, "The death of this worthy young priest has caused a feeling of profound sadness to pervade this entire section, for he was taken away in the vigor of a recently matured manhood and at the portals of a career of the noblest work known to man.  This sadness, however, is softened by the conviction that when last summons came, it came to a man whose pure life of noblest endeavor found him ready to welcome the call."  Father Claessen was only 26 years old.

A full Catholic funeral mass was performed for the young priest.  many townspeople attended the ceremony.  The pallbearers were identified as M.J. Hickey, E.J.F. Horne, W.C. Flint, P.J. Farley, Sam L. Pattee and Robert E. Morrison.

In describing the services, the June 21 Courier reported: "The clergymen officiating were Father Novatus of Phoenix, Father Fabre of Flagstaff, and Father Peitz, at present in charge of Prescott parish, Father Connolly of Winslow, being master of ceremonies.

"The church was crowded and the edifice was decorated in black and white.  The high altar was ornamented in an artistic manner, and all the beauty in the church arrangements, it is said, is due to the energy of a modest little Sister belonging to the Order of Saint Joseph.

"The Catholic choir, which has some reputation as a musical organization, consisting of Mrs. Robert E. Morrison, Miss Agnes Conlan, Miss Inez Morrison, and Hon. Robert E. Morrison, were assisted by Mrs. J. Burson and Mr. Thomas F. Ryan, the well-known musician of Tucson, and sang Schmidt's 'Requeim Mass.'

"At the Offertory, Wiegand's 'Salutaris' was sung by Mr. Ryan, and just before the conclusion of the funeral service, Mrs. Morrison sang 'Free as a Bird.'"

The disposal of Father Claessen's remains, however, is shrouded in mystery.  Both the Courier and the Arizona Journal Miner report that he was buried in the Citizen's Cemetery on Sheldon Street.  Yet, existing records for the cemetery do not list a gravesite for him.  Furthermore, a local legend has long contended that Father Claessen was actually interred under the altar of the Church of the Sacred Heart.  In fact, the superstitious have identified him as the ghost who allegedly haunts the Prescott Fine Arts Theater, the current occupants of the former church.

While doing research on Father Claessen a few years ago, Jody Drake of the Sharlot Hall Museum discovered that when the Sacred Heart parish vacated the old church in 1969, they filed for a disinterment citation from the city.  Obviously aware of the legend, and not wanting to leave Father Claessen behind, they excavated under the altar to see if he was really there.  They did not find him.

So where is this kindly young priest buried?  This writer finds it unlikely that both of Prescott's newspapers could have missed such an unusual burial location in their coverage, so I suspect he is in Citizen's Cemetery and the records were simply lost over the years.  We probably will never know for certain.

The death of Father Claessen represented a kind and gentle era in Prescott when an entire community, both Catholic and Protestant, could be profoundly affected by the death of a beloved clergyman.  It is sad that no known photograph has survived of the young priest who obviously meant so much to so many.

Parker Anderson is an active member of the Sharlot Hall Museum's Blue Rose Theatre.

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number: (). Reuse only by permission.

For many years, contrary to reports in the local newspapers, it has been believed that Father Claessen may have been buried underneath the altar of the Sacred Heart Church (shown here from about 1931).  Continuing research has proven that he is not buried there, but the exact location of his remains unknown.