Paul Joseph Knopp was born February 25, 1920, Louisville, Kentucky. He was the second oldest of eight children born to the deeply religious Ulysses Benjamin and Anna Ruby (Ballard) Knopp. Their faith helped inspire five of their children to follow a religious life and priesthood. Friars Leo, Francis Xavier and Benjamin became Conventual Franciscan Friars; Robert was ordained for the Archdiocese of Louisville; and Sister Paula Ann became a Sister of Charity of Nazareth. He followed his brother Raymond (Father Leo), in the minor seminary at Mount Saint Francis in 1933 and graduated from Junior College in 1939. Paul entered St. Anthony Novitiate, Angola, Indiana, taking the name Francis Xavier. He professed Simple Profession of Vows on August 3, 1940; and Solemn Vows, August 3, 1943, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation, Carey, Ohio. Friar Francis Xavier studied philosophy and Theology at Our Lady of Carey Seminary, Carey, Ohio. He helped organize an efficient print shop at the seminary. Friar Francis Xavier was ordained a priest at Holy Rosary Cathedral, Toledo, Ohio, on December 8, 1945, the second of four brothers to become priests. After ordination Francis Xavier spent a year of post-graduate study at Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1947 he returned to Our Lady of Carey Seminary as a Lector for a brief time. He also took care of St. Joseph's Mission, Salem Township. He soon found that the world of academia was not his bag, which is unfortunate, since many of his former students remarked that he was "the best teacher they ever had!" While in Carey, Francis Xavier founded the Carey Poverello Credit Union. He also founded the parish Credit Unions at Holy Cross, Lansing, Michigan, and at St. Anthony, Clarksville, Indiana. They are living memorials to his talent. He had an excellent mind for mathematics. Francis Xavier served as associate at St. Joseph, Terre Haute, Indiana, St. Anthony, Clarksville and Holy Cross, Lansing, Michigan. One of his memorable experiences was presiding as a young priest over the one hundredth anniversary of St. Joseph, Salem, Township, in 1949. While a novice, Francis Xavier was a bee keeper. On one occasion he was stung countless times by a swarm of angry bees. It was a severe shock and he was never really healthy the rest of his life. Francis Xavier was no stranger to doctors and hospitals and had surgery numerous times. He would sometimes have surgery during the week and be back on the altar for the weekend. For several years he suffered from abdominal disorders. While serving Holy Cross Parish, Francis Xavier died on pancreatic cancer at St. Lawrence Hospital, Lansing Michigan, on August 30, 1957. He probably suffered a long time from the disease but the doctors never discovered it until it was too late. Our Friars were at his bedside when he died. Francis Xavier died young at the age of thirty-seven but he had a close brush with death a few years earlier. While stationed at St. Anthony, Clarksville, Indiana, he became a licensed airplane pilot. During a solo flight his light plane ran out of gas. Fortunately he landed in a farmer's field and his plane was brought to an abrupt stop in a pig pen. Both he and the pigs were spared.

dsp.