In 1854, Fr. Ambrose Oschwald and a group of settlers emigrated from Baden, Germany, to found a Catholic religious colony in Wisconsin in the spirit of early Christians. The communal settlement was named St. Nazianz after St. Gregory of Nazianzus, from whose life and writings Fr. Oschwald drew inspiration. Like St. Gregory, Fr. Oschwald was interested in healing physical ills, and before departing for America he studied medicine at the University of Munich. In Wisconsin, many came to St. Nazianz to seek his aid, and miraculous healings were reported. Fr. Oschwald's spiritual leadership and effective administration held the community together, but when he died in 1873 there was no successor of his equal and the community began to disintegrate. Descendents of the first settlers of St. Nazianz still believe in Fr. Oschwald's motto, "let all do their best to promote the welfare of their neighbor."