From: History of Holy Trinity Parish, published in the Parish Messenger (Holy Trinity) by Francis L. Auer, ci. 1930s.

In April 1871 two new assistant Priests came to our Parish. They were Rev. Fr. Plebs and Rev. J. A. Strombergen. Father Plebs remained with us till July 1871 and Father Strombergen till 1873.

            With membership in our parish school constantly increasing it again became an absolute necessity to procure more school space. Thus it was that early in year 1871 it was decided to build a new school building for the boys, to be located on the North-West corner of 14th and Mallinckrodt Streets. The work of building was soon begun. The Corner Stone laying of this building took place on the 15th of July.

            This new building of which we now write is the old school building which still stands, though abandoned for school purposes. It was and is a three story building, 69 ½ feet long and 58 feet wide. The first and second floors were converted into class rooms to accommodcate about 400 boys. The third floor [Illeg.]

            In November 1867 Rev. John Hennes became second assistant to Father Brinkhoff and he remained till December 1875.

            In June 1873 Rev. A. Meyer became assistant priest in our parish and he remained till January 1874.

            In July, 1873, the Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help was established, thus cutting off a portion of our parish at the northwest end. This was the third daughter church of Holy Trinity. The fourth daughter church of our parish was that of St. Augustine at the west end of the parish, which was established in January of the following year (1874).

            In the year 1874, Father Brinkhoff established the St. Aloysius and St. Agnes Sodalities for the purpose of gathering together under Catholic auspices for a spiritual and social purpose those boys and girls who were just growing up into young manhood and young ladyhood.

            There are no records extant of the first officers of the St. Aloysius Sodality, but we do have some information of the sodality at the time of the Golden Jubilee of the Parish in 1899. In that year they numbered 100 membeers. Their officers were [Illeg.]

            The first officers of the St. Agnes Sodality were as follows: President, Catherine Vollmer; First Assistant, Gertrude Brockhard; Second Assistant, Anna Evers; Secretary, Mary Woeste; Treasurer, Helen Zimmerer. In 1899, the St. Agnes Sodality numbered 120 members of the officers at that time were as follows: Spiritual Director, Reverend H. Adrian; President, Clara Muckermann; First Assistant, Augustine Sandbothe; Second Assistant, Dorothy Huelsmann; Secretary, Theresa Deiss; Treasurer, Mary Hilke.

            On October 4, 1874, Father Bernard Stemker, a son of the parish, and on the 13th of February, 1877, Father Henry Bathe celebrated their first Solemn High Masses in our church.

            In 1877, the Holy Trinity Conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society was established by Father Brinkhoff. The first officers were as follows: Spiritual Director, Rev. F. Brinkhoff; President, Simon Haas; Vice-President, Henry Gravemann; Secretary and Treasurer, Charles Kircher. In 1899, the Society numbered 67 active and 2 honorary members. The officers at that time were as follows: Spiritual Director, Rev. Joseph Schroeder; Assistant Spiritual Directors, Reverends Joseph Kroeger and Herman Adrian; President, Christ Hilke; Vice-President, August Kayser; Secretary, H. D. Westerheide; Treasurer, John Hangartner.

            In 1878 Father Brinkhoff established the St. Cecilia Society [Illeg.] This society was the pioneer society for the promotion of genuine church music in the city of St. Louis. In 1899, it numbered 44 active and 19 honorary members and it was under the direction of Professor Henry Hoernschemeyer. The officers of this society in 1899 were as follows: President, William Muckermann; Vice-President, Theodore Reuber; Secretary, John Feckter; Treasurer, Peter Knopp; Librarian, John Petschel; First Assistant Librarian, Frank Edler; Second Assistant Librarian, William Koch.

            In the same year that Father Brinkhoff established his St. Cecilia Society he was appointed the Diocesan President of all Cecilian Societies in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, which position he held for many years. His work in this direction was to gather together appropriate songs to be sung in the German Catholic parishes not only in the city of St. Louis but also in the whole archdiocese.

            On the 29th of October, 1878, Father Doebbner, the former pastor of Holy Trinity, at age of 50, died at the Hospital of the Sisters of Mercy on Grand Avenue. In May, 1865, at his departure from us, he had gone to Terre Haute, Indiana. In February, 1878, he returned to St. Louis and took over St. Nicholas Parish and in the following month went down in a sickness which turned out to be fatal. He was buried in SS. Peter and Paul Cemetery.