This is a photograph of Fr. Geselbracht "baptizing a boy, the son of one in a group of thirty-eight converts baptized on Holy Saturday at Fushun, Manchukuo." Rev. Geselbracht was born in Austin, IL. In 1919, after returning from service with the U.S. army in WWI, he joined Maryknoll, and war ordained in 1927. He was assigned to Fushun, Manchuria, where he is said to have developed superb skill in the Mandarin language. Ill health forced him to return to the U.S. in 1935. He returned in 1937 and was interned by the Japanese in 1941, and repatriated on the refugee ship Gripsholm in 1943. He returned to Manchuria in 1946 and was forced to leave by the Communists in 1947 and was expelled from China in 1950. He worked briefly in Taiwan and for a few years in the Philippines, returning to the U.S. in 1958.
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
