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was the daughter of a school-master; but owing to the onerous duties of his father and the ill health of his mother, his religious instruction was neglected.
Reverses in his father's business rendered it impossible him to acquire a good education in his native town; so he ran away to Schweren, where after passing a successful examination he entered school, supporting himself by giving lessons in music. This was in 1810.
While at Schweren he became acquainted with a Catholic family who persuaded him to attend church with them. This was his first opportunity of becoming acquainted with the Catholics.
In the University he became acquainted with a Catholic student named Adler, older than himself, who also had been a soldier. Adler prescribed for him a course of reading, and this acquaintance afterwards resulted in Lemke's conversion to the Catholic faith.
In 1819, having finished his studies, he was admitted to the Lutheran ministry, and went to his native village to preach his first sermon, which it is said was a very eloquent one after he had overcome the trepidation that in the beginning had annoyed him.
While assistant here, he came across some old writings of Luther in the library, and with the permission of his superior took them to his rooms where he read them carefully, the result of which was that he was no longer a Lutheran, and resigning his position, he sought his friend, Adler, whom he found at Ratisbon, who received him graciously, and the same evening introduced him to one Diepenbrock, who like Lemke, had been a soldier, somewhat careless in religion, but from reading Bishop Sailer's works had become a zealous religious teacher. After months of association with these two men, the latter of whom had by this time become a priest, Lemke found himself a Catholic in belief, and after a course of instruction was received into the Catholic Church April 21, 1824.
Bishop Sailer, who received Lemke in to the church, sent him to one of his old priests in the country to study theology, and on April 11, 1826, he was ordained a priest.
After his ordination, Father Lemke served three years with his preceptor, Father Buchner, when his friend Diepenbrock, now Cardinal, called him to Ratisbon, made him a vicar and intrusted him with the duties of preaching to
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