ta ▁( née ▁G ies ue bel ) ▁Fl as ch . ▁One ▁of ▁ten ▁children , ▁he ▁was ▁his ▁parents ' ▁fourth ▁child ▁and ▁second ▁son ; ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁son ▁who ▁surv ived ▁inf ancy . ▁He ▁was ▁raised ▁on ▁his ▁family ' s ▁farm ▁and ▁received ▁his ▁early ▁education ▁at ▁neighbor ing ▁schools . ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 7 , ▁his ▁family ▁sold ▁their ▁farm ▁and ▁imm igr ated ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁sett ling ▁in ▁F ond ▁du ▁Lac , ▁Wisconsin . ▁ ▁Fl as ch ▁entered ▁the ▁College ▁of ▁Notre ▁D ame ▁in ▁South ▁B end , ▁Indiana , ▁and ▁continued ▁his ▁studies ▁at ▁St . ▁Vincent ▁Sem inary ▁in ▁Lat ro be , ▁Pennsylvania . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 6 , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁Wisconsin ▁and ▁en rolled ▁at ▁the ▁newly ▁opened ▁St . ▁Francis ▁Sem inary ▁in ▁Mil w au kee . ▁He ▁completed ▁his ▁studies ▁at ▁St . ▁Francis , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁gradu ating ▁class . ▁ ▁Pri est hood ▁and ▁min istry ▁Fl as ch ▁was ▁ord ained ▁to ▁the ▁priest hood ▁by ▁Bishop ▁John ▁Hen ni ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 8 5 9 . ▁He ▁celebrated ▁his ▁first ▁Mass ▁at ▁the ▁chap el ▁of ▁the ▁School ▁Sister s ▁of ▁Notre ▁D ame , ▁of ▁which ▁three ▁of ▁his ▁sister s ▁were ▁members , ▁in ▁Mil w au kee ▁the ▁following ▁Sunday . ▁His ▁first ▁assignment ▁was ▁as ▁past or