Koller, Peter Felix, Berne, Switzerland, to Bishop Anthony Blanc, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1847 September 1

Koller, a deacon of the canton of Berne in the diocese of Basel, humbly states that he had for some years placed himself under the discipline of the missionary Father Francis de Sales Brunner C.PP.S. , residing in the diocese of Coira, and this priest being called? for the missions in America at Norwalk, the writer followed him, armed with dimissorials from his bishop. There he received minor orders and the subdiaconate in the Church of St. Alphonse on August 2, 1844, from Bishop John Baptist Purcell, Bishop of Cincinnati in the United states of America and the diaconate on the 16th of the same month from the same Bishop. Because of illness, he returned to his native country with the authorization of that bishop and with the permission of the above testimonials for the orders received although they were requested by the said superior. Back in Switzerland he entered, for a year, the seminary at Lucerne under the discipline of the Jesuits but not being able to prove his ecclesiastical state, Koller was forced by the Protestant government of Berne to serve in the army where he could not recite the divine office without being exposed to the most vile insults. Therefore he asks that the Bishop arrange with Purcell so that he may send the writer the handful of testimonials with the greatest possible speed. :: V-5-h D. Italian 1p. 4to.