Seelos was born in
Füssen in the
Kingdom of Bavaria on January 11, 1819, one of 12 children born to Mang Seelos and Franziska Schwarzenbach. He was baptized that same day in the
Parish Church of
St. Mang. He attended middle school at the Institute of Saint Stephen in Augsburg. Receiving his diploma in 1839, he went on to university in
Munich, where he completed his philosophy studies. Having expressed a desire for the priesthood since childhood, he entered the diocesan seminary on September 19, 1842. Seelos was touched by the letters published in the Catholic newspaper
Sion, from the Redemptorist missionaries describing the lack of spiritual care for the thousands of German-speaking immigrants. After visiting the Redemptorists in
Altötting, he decided to enter the congregation, asking to work as a missionary in the United States. He was accepted by the Redemptorists on November 22, 1842, and sailed the following year from
Le Havre, France, on March 17, arriving in New York on April 20, 1843. On December 22, 1844, after having completed his
novitiate and theological studies, Seelos was ordained a priest in the Redemptorist Church of St. James in
Baltimore,
Maryland.
American missions After being ordained, Seelos worked for nine years in the Parish of
St. Philomena in
Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania—first as
curate to St.
John Neumann, who was the superior of the Redemptorist community, later as Superior himself, and for three years as pastor. During this time, he was also the Redemptorist
Novice master. With Neumann, he also dedicated himself to preaching missions. Regarding their relationship, Seelos said: "He has introduced me to the active life" and "he has guided me as a spiritual director and confessor." Although born in Bavaria, he spoke English elegantly and fluently. In 1860 Seelos was proposed as a candidate for the office of
Bishop of Pittsburgh. Having been excused from this responsibility by
Pope Pius IX, from 1863 until 1866, he dedicated himself to the life of an itinerant missionary preaching in English and German in the states of Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. After a year as Curate of St. Mary's Parish in Detroit, Michigan, Seelos was assigned in 1866 as Pastor of the
Church of St. Mary of the Assumption, New Orleans. However, his ministry in New Orleans was destined to be brief. In September of that year, exhausted from visiting and caring for victims of
yellow fever, he contracted the disease. After several weeks, he died on October 4, 1867, at the age of 48 years and 9 months. ==Veneration==