# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1902_S40
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

40 Proceedings of the 25th General, or

...a large number, for which we cannot thank God enough, although, in view
of the need of the church, we must lament that the enrollment was not
larger. — Besides the fact that God graciously preserved the institution
from fire and other dangers, the state of health among teachers and
students was also quite favorable; yet among the latter two deaths must be
lamented, one of them of an especially sad kind. A student was, in fact,
run over by a streetcar on May 16 of this year and soon succumbed to his
injuries.

"A heavy visitation befell our seminary, by God's inscrutable counsel, when
two years ago, toward the end of the school year, Prof. Stöckhardt fell ill
and had to discontinue his lectures. It soon became apparent, too, that his
illness would not be a passing one; indeed, the physicians even declared
there was little hope of recovery. With their accustomed self-denial, the
other professors then divided the sick colleague's work among themselves. A
year of anxious waiting and much prayer followed for our institution. But
behold, as the school year again drew to a close, the time of testing was
over for the dear professor, and with him for the seminary. God had
wonderfully strengthened the convalescent, so that he soon regained his
former strength and health, and throughout the whole past school year he
has again been seen in full, vigorous work. Truly, God's mercy toward our
institution has been new every morning, and his faithfulness toward us has
been great.

"On February 24 of this year, the president of the institution, Prof.
Pieper, informed the Board of Control that the faculty had judged it
expedient for Prof. Gräbner to visit our brethren in Australia and Germany,
and that he be delegated to do so by the General Praesidium, provided the
Board would approve his absence from the seminary for the corresponding
period. After a thorough presentation of the circumstances, we recognized
the high importance of this mission and gave our consent all the more
readily since we could be assured that whatever remained of Prof. Gräbner's
workload would be carried to completion by the other professors.

"Considering that, after deducting the time now being taken up by the
Delegate Synod in session, only six lecture days would remain before the
usual closing time, the Board judged it more expedient, rather than
continuing the household for almost a whole month for the sake of six days,
to let the close of the school year fall, exceptionally, on May 31 this
year. In anticipation of this contingency, the last Easter vacation was
shortened by eight days.

"As to the institution's buildings, we are glad to be able to report that
the installation of a new