Saint Cloud Visitor Home Page

by Joseph Young
Visitor Interim Editor

RICHMOND — A brother-in-law is either your spouse’s brother or your sister’s spouse. A sister-in-law is either your spouse’s sister or your brother’s spouse.

Marcella Boeckmann’s brother-in-law, Sylvester Boeckmann, is both her spouse’s brother and her sister’s spouse.

Elmer Boeckmann’s sister-in-law, Coletta Boeckmann, is both his spouse’s sister and his brother’s spouse.

Is all this “brother-and sister-espousing” and “sister-and-brother-in-lawing” in keeping with the law? (And, speaking of “keeping,” was Cain indeed his brother’s keeper?) But, back to the Boeckmann’s, yes, their richly redundant in-law situation is all very lawful.

Fifty years ago, on May 2, 1956, during a double-ring wedding ceremony at St. John the Baptist Church in Collegeville, two brothers named Boeckmann married two sisters named Eisenschenk (see “Golden Years,” page 11).

Elmer and Marcella Boeckmann are members of SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Richmond; Sylvester and Coletta Boeckmann are members of St. Nicholas Parish in St. Nicholas.

	The Boeckmann “spouses/siblings” — posing on May 2, 1956 — are (from left) Elmer, Marcella, Coletta and Sylvester. (Photo courtesy of the Boeckmanns) Wedded brothers and sisters say all their 50 years together were ‘golden’ ones

The whole double-love affair began on Feb. 3, 1952, Marcella recalled. It was the day after Candlemas Day (Feast of the Presentation of the Lord at the Temple), after Sunday Mass. Marcella, who lived in Collegeville, was a young woman working for her cousin and her husband — Dolores and Alfred Braegelmann — doing housework and hand-milking cows on their farm while Dolores was expecting a baby.

After Sunday Mass, Marcella said, “Alfred and Dolores introduced me to Elmer. We were both Catholic and I guess they thought the prospects were good that we’d be a good match.”

“He told me later that when he saw me he said to himself, ‘Someday I’m going to marry that girl.’ ”

--Coletta Boeckmann

ST. CLOUD — A best-selling page-turner has been turned into a potential blockbuster movie. The film version of Dan Brown’s novel, “The Da Vinci Code,” will premiere May 19.

The novel’s popularity may have caused a surge of controversy, but anticipation about the movie, released by Sony, directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, is causing a resurgence of controversy.

Brown’s work of fiction is controversial, especially to many Catholics and other Christians, because elements in its story often contradict the Bible and church teaching.

It says, for example, that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married, had children, and were ancestors of the Merovingian dynasty of early French kings; that the church through the ages has conspired to keep this marriage shrouded in mystery and secrecy; and that the keys to this mystery are encoded in the artwork of Leonardo Da Vinci.

A few voices of those who cracked open the Code:
Did it shake their faith?

by Joseph Young
Visitor Interim Editor

ST. CLOUD — Have you read “The Da Vinci Code?” Do you plan to see the movie? Why or why not?

Those were three questions the Visitor recently asked a smattering of Catholics across the St. Cloud Diocese. Here are their responses:

Members of Our Lady of the Runestone Parish, Kensington:

Jeanne Stamness: “Yes. Yes. It was an interesting book and I’d like to see how they portray it on the screen. Plus, I like the actor Tom Hanks.

Carol Keller: “No. No. I’m not too happy with some things I have heard about it.

Judi Lardy: “No. No. Donald, my husband, and I have heard it’s very controversial. We’re not into that kind of crud.”

Leona Kraemer: “No. No. I think it’s kind of useless. They’re trying to make something out of nothing. I don’t go to too many movies any more anyway.”

Jenny Phipps, 17: “I plan on reading the book and seeing the movie. I know how it kind of goes against Catholic beliefs. But I think I’ll be able to question what it says, so it won’t affect by beliefs.”

Seven brides for 7 brothers? No, but 2 for 2