Born in Weisweil (Germany) on April 22, 1855.
Died in Washington (United States) on August 4, 1934.
Emiliano Schilling took on the Franciscan habit on August 25, 1872, assuming the name of Godfrey (Goffredo). He made his solemn vows on August 27, 1876, and was ordained a priest on March 19, 1878. For many years he was superior of the Commissariat of the Holy Land in Washington, where he promoted the construction of the church and convent of Mount St. Sepulchre, based on a project by architect Aristide Leonori. To assist visitors to the shrine he founded the Knights of Mount St. Sepulchre in 1916.
From 15 January 1903, during his trip to the United States, Don Guanella was a guest of Father Schilling, whom he already knew perhaps from his trip to the Holy Land, and was able to see the reproduction of the Annunciation, the Nativity and the Holy Sepulchre, a work by the architect *Aristide Leonori, which he then wanted to reproduce in the *sanctuary of the Sacred Heart in Como. Don Guanella was confused by the kindness and by Father Godfrey who, with great availability, hosted him for three days, assigning him the best room, and studied the project for the Como temple with him, talking «with much fruit». On October 11, 1914 Don Guanella met the Franciscan father again in Rome, who gave him new important clarifications for the project of the sanctuary.
Sources:
"Schematism of the entire Order of Friars Minor", To S. Mariae Angelorum near Assisi, Ex Schola Typographica Umbra, 1909, p. 400.
"Acts of the Order of the Friars Minor", To the Clear Waters of Florence, From the Typography of the College of St. Bonaventure, 1934, p. 363.
http://www.myfranciscan.org (Franciscan Monastery official home page).
Guanellian sources:
Guanellian Letters, nos. 1608, 339, 619, 633.
LUIGI GUANELLA, The journey of Fr Luigi Guanella across the United States of America. Notes and impressions, in «La Divina Provvidenza», 1913, p. 37.
Our Things of America, in «La Divina Provvidenza», 1914, p. 169.
SACRA RITUUM CONGREGATIONE, Comen. seu Mediolanen. Beatificationis et canonizationis servi Dei Aloysii Guanella [...]. Positio super virtutibus, Summarium, Romae, Typis Guerra et Belli, 1950, p. 342 (witness Father Vittorio Gregori).
Photographs:
Taken from http://www.myfranciscan.org, it depicts Father Schilling with the architect Aristide Leonori around 1900