Our History

History of the Province

Cumberland Memories

(Part 3) - Forming Friars

For well over 100 years, the friary at Cumberland was directly involved in the formation of young religious: first Redemptorists, later Capuchins.

In fact the Redemptorists started building the large six-story monastery in 1854, because their first house of studies in America, opened three years earlier in the little rectory on the site of the church's present sanctuary, was so overflowing that some of the lay brothers had to move back into the basement of the church.

The principal directors of this school of philosophy and theology at Cumberland were Michael Mueller, noted "author and translator of a large number of popular and instructive books" (Schematismus, Herder, 1882, p. 95), and Francis X. Seelos (1819-1867). whose cause for beatification was begun at the turn of the century.

For reasons of space and health, the school moved to Annapolis in 1862. The Redemptorists then operated their novitiate in Cumberland until 1866, when they decided it should be closer to provincial headquarters in Baltimore. At that time they pulled out of Cumberland altogether and turned the entire compound over to the Carmelites, who had plans, that never materialized, for a formation program in the same buildings.

With the advent of the Capuchins, 93 more years (1875-1968) of formation programs were added to the 15 the Redemptorists had chalked up.

Unlike the Bavarian Capuchins in Pittsburgh, the Westphalian friars apparently had no intention at first of sinking roots in this country. Their purpose in coming to Cumberland was simply to find a safe haven in which to sit out the Kulturkampf.

All the same, as they were forbidden to receive novices in Prussia and Hesse, they realized the need to keep training candidates for the Order elsewhere, so they would be able to repopulate their province once the storm was over. Much like the Bavarian friars in Pittsburgh, therefore, they immediately established at Cumberland both a seraphic school (minor seminary) for boys not yet old enough to be received as candidates in the Order and a novitiate for those who were.

A house of studies for professed religious was also to be established in 1877, but in the meantime there was no need for one. No clerics had been professed in America yet, and the four clerics already professed in Germany at the time of the 1875 May laws had gone with their lectors into the neighboring Belgian province.

Anton Schuermann was advised to start the seraphic school by any number of people. "When we were to see the Archbishop," he wrote, "he told us that, if we wanted to prosper in America, we must erect a seminary, as the Jesuits did, and the Redemptorists and the Benedictines and the Franciscans and the Capuchins in Calvary; that would be the only way to get vocations; that our house in Cumberland would be the very place for it; and that he would assist the undertaking in every possible way. He assured us that it would not be so difficult as in Germany; that three Fathers would be enough to get it underway; that the same would not be required to undergo any test or examination; that the government does not bother with such matters; to the contrary Cumberland would rejoice at the prospect and would lend every assistance. Here in Cumberland we as yet have neither a high school nor a college. That was also the last question asked by the Capuchins in New York: Can you erect a seminary? In that case, you will prosper. The Redemptorists in Baltimore said the same thing. The latter have 60 young clerics in a monastery near Baltimore, all trained and educated by themselves." (Annals V,2,37).

In the fall of 1875, the Capuchins opened their seraphic school at Cumberland, with three boys. By the winter of 1876, this had increased to 10, six of whom were from New York. (Cumb. Chron. 12). Pius Reinhold was named lector of the humanities (Ibid. 17 ) and with four other friars, including some of the older clerical students, he worked hard to make a go of the school, but was fighting against great odds. Most of the other priests were against the whole idea of the school, as they did not wish to train American Capuchins, but rather to prepare German ex-patriots for the future friaries in the fatherland. (Linden 120). Moreover, though Pius was a very talented man, who had taught the humanities in Germany for several years and afterwards wrote the oft-printed Mother Love and The Lay Brother Manual (Gedenkbuch 198), for some reason he was ill-equipped as a teacher of American boys (Linden 120), and the strain began to show on his nerves. (Epp 1904 n. 24). The enrollment of the school sank to three in 1877, and by the following year there were none. (Cumb. Chron. 12).

The other part of the formation program, the novitiate, was more successful, probably because it was directed almost exclusively toward men straight from Germany.

When Pope Pius IX formally approved of the opening of a Capuchin friary in Cumberland on Dec. 12, 1875, he also permitted the friars to establish a novitiate. They had been counting on this, for already they had brought four candidates with them from Prussia. Fr. Anton's two brothers, Bernard and Wilhelm, and Heinrich Bossmann (Rossmann according to some) and 15-year-old Gerold Sluyter had arrived already on the Caland in September. (Ibid. 10).

Franz Wolff was named novice master, and Heinrich Bossmann entered the novitiate as a clerical student on Feb. 15, 1876, receiving the name Bonaventura. Bernard and Wilhelm Schuermann entered 10 days later as lay brothers and received the names Stanislaus and Aegidius. (Ibid. 13-14.). Not yet old enough, Gerold Sluyter remained a candidate for well over a year.

About the same time that these friars became novices, Didakus Rottlaender, a talented young lay brother who had come with them, decided to request permission to study for the priesthood.

Both Frs. Franz and Pius had already served as lectors in Germany, but for some reason the Westphalian commissary asked his counterpart in Pittsburgh, Hyazinth Epp, if he would allow Didakus to come to Pittsburgh to train for the priesthood. Hyazinth later wrote that he "expressed his doubts about the matter but did not absolutely refuse the request. This sufficed for Fr. Anton, and without further ado, he sent Bro. Didakus to Pittsburgh, where he arrived on Feb. 27, 1876, and took up his studies." (Epp 1876 n.8).

In the months that followed, four other candidates arrived in Cumberland from Germany, so that at the end of 1876, the Westphalian commissariate had six novices, three of whom were planning to study for the priesthood. This excelled anything the Westphalians had had In years, even before the Kulturkampf. (Gedenkbuch 66).

The first profession in the commissariate was on Feb. 25, 1877, when Frater Bonaventura and Bros. Stanislaus and Aegidius took their vows. After profession, Bonaventura was sent to Herman to study with the first clerics of the Bavarian commissariate. (Epp 1877 n. 11). In late summer, however, he and another cleric who had joined him there were brought back from Herman, thanks to the arrival in Cumberland of two lectors and three theology students. (Annals 1,2,23). Leonard Siebels, the first Capuchin lector of theology in Cumberland, and two of the clerical students were Westphalian friars who had lived in the Belgian and Dutch provinces for the previous two years. IIdefons Bleyler, lector of philosophy, and the other cleric came with them directly from the Westphalian province, it would seem.

By the end of the year, there were 30 friars in the commissariate: 11 priests, 5 clerics, 4 cleric novices, 9 lay brothers, and a tertiary. Four priests and three brothers were at the new house in Metamora, Bro. Didakus was remaking his novitiate as a cleric at Pittsburgh and the other 22 were in Cumberland.

By way of comparison, the Bavarian commissariate at the time had a total of 18 friars (8 priests, 3 clerics, 2 cleric novices, and 5 lay brothers), with half at Pittsburgh and half at Summit (now known as Herman).

Things were looking so rosy for the growth of the Westphalian group, that Anton had already built a large house in Metamora, III., fully intending to move the house of studies there. He also would soon agree to accept another house at Peoria.

These very actions, however, signalled the death of the clericate as well as the commissariate, for as shall be seen in the next chapter, they became bones of contention for almost two years between the provincial vicar in Dieburg and his official representatives in America. Candidates were sent over from Europe only sporadically during the next two years, depending upon whether or not the vicar thought he was winning or losing in his struggle with the commissariate.

In August of 1879, tragedy struck the Cumberland friary, when Bonaventura Bossmann, a young cleric, and Clemens Ross, the only cleric novice, died of typhoid fever. Fr. Joseph Cupertin Moritz, commissary and novice master whom Fr. Bonifatius Soengen, the Westphalian provincial vicar, had sent over a few months earlier, also came down with the dreaded disease, but managed to pull through. Close on the heels of the loss of the two clerics came news from Bonifatius similarly tragic for the little clericate. Bonifatius wrote that from then on he would send no more students to America. (Linden 122).

In 1881, therefore, when the houses of the Westphalian commissariate joined the Bavarian commissariate, only two clerics remained in Cumberland. These were transferred to the clericate at Summit, and Cumberland became the novitiate for the expanded Bavarian jurisdiction.

Joseph Cupertin was reappointed novice master at Cumberland, but as he was already on his way back to the Tyrol when the word arrived, Gabriel Spaeth was appointed in his place. He had four cleric novices and four lay novices under his care, including Fr. John Chrysostom Jacob (18651921) and Bro. Colonat Weckmann (1864-65). (Epp 1861 n. 6).

When the Pennsylvania province was officially established In 1862, the novitiate was moved to Herman and the clericate in turn from Herman to Cumberland. From 1862 till 1931 then, nearly 200 Capuchins studied for the priesthood In Cumberland. These Included a number of future provincial ministers (Benedict Wich, Thomas Petrie, Ignatius Weisbruch, Henry Kluepfel, Sigmund Cratz, Claude Vogel, and Victor Green), the first missionaries of the province (Agatho Rolf and Rudolph Blockinger, who went to China In 1922) and 43 priests still living in the Province, ranging in age from Eugene Becker down to Linus Doemling.

Until 1903, both philosophy and theology were taught in Cumberland, the first lectors being Frs. Hyazinth Epp (1882-63), Fidelis Weinschenk (1882-66), IIdefons Bleyer (1882-90), Patrick Leinsle (1884-.91), Johann M. Bleyer (1864-66), Andrew Eisenhut (1886-87), and Angelus Baumgartner (1888-93).

In 1889, three newly-ordained priests, Benedict Wich, Aloysius Kausler, and Constantine Hoefler, were sent to Germany to be formally trained as lectors of philosophy and theology under some of the foremost theologians of the day. Their return to the province In 1891 signalled a new era. Benedict began teaching moral theology and canon law, and Aloysius dogma. Two years later Constantine joined them as lector of philosophy, and stayed until he was replaced by John Mary Lenhart in 1902. The following year, the school of philosophy was moved to Victoria, Ks. Aloysius continued as lector of theology at Cumberland until 1921, and Benedict until they moved the school of theology in 1931.

Other lectors of theology In Cumberland were Frs. Thomas Petrie (1900-1915), Kilian Lutz (1907-15, 1922-25). Anscar Zawar! (1915-1916), Gabriel McCarthy (1917-1919, 1920-1925), Clarence Tschippert (1916-1930), Pius Kaelin (1921-1922, 1935-31), Fidelis Meier (1925-26), Charles Heupler (1926-31), Boniface Weckmann (1930-31).

Among the highlights of the Cumberland clericate was the publication of the clerics' research project, India and Its Missions, by the Macmillan Company in 1923. The clerics worked on the project from 1918 till1922, and the 315-page book was hailed as the first American Catholic study of a mission territory.

When the school of theology was moved to Capuchin College in Washington, D.C., in 1931, the void at Cumberland was immediately filled by bringing back the novitiate. Patrick McGann was the first novice master in Cumberland, and Bro. Elred Hermon and Frs. Maynard Appeldorn and Claire Noll were in the first class. Another era began in 1934, when Peter Hohman was appointed novice master. Peter moved with the novitiate to Annapolis in 1950 and continued for another 12 years as novice master.

During the 19 years that the novitiate was again in Cumberland, 178 friars made their first profession there (149 clerics and 29 lay brothers), and another 54 young men started the novitiate but did not stay till profession. Among the new group of Cumberland novices were two future provincial ministers (Thomas More Janeck and Brendan Malloy), Bishop Firmin M. Schmidt, O.F.M. Cap., first Bishop of Mendi, New Guinea, and 79 other priests and 5 lay brothers still living in the Province, ranging in age from Bro. Elred down to Fr. Felix Petrovsky.

The final stage of SS. Peter and Paul's Friary as a center of formation started in 1950 with the decision to move all candidates for the lay brotherhood into one place where they might receive a more systematic training than had previously been the case. Apparently the original plan called for the brothers to make their novitiate in Cumberland, after finishing a year as candidates, for Roland Raible, the first director of the Capuchin Brother's Training Center was also listed as novice master for brothers on the 1950 status. Fr. Blaise Fusco was the assistant director of the CBTC, and the first instructors in vocational arts were Bros. Valentine Venditto, Emeric Miovas, Regis Roell, and Malachy McHugh.

The directorship of the CBTC changed' several times during its 18-year history. In 1951, Clarence Tschippert succeeded Roland. Clarence became a Guardian the following year, and from then on the Guardian and CBTC director were always the same person. The other directors were Jude Senieur, Kilian Krings, Patrick McGann, and James Hannan. Among the five priests that followed Fr. Blaise as assistant CBTC director, special mention must be made of John Chrysostom Lipinski, who held the office 11 of the school's 18 years (1953-64).

Between 175 and 200 young men were enrolled at the CBTC during its brief history. Of these, 60 made first profession as friars and 22 are still members of the Province. The oldest of these is Eugene Pellegrino, the first brother to complete the full five-year program. The youngest is John Daya, who entered the school in 1965.

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Blessed Francis X. Seelos, CSSR