Our History

History of the Province

Cumberland Memories

(Part 6) - Home of Provincials

Once the Province of St. Augustine became a reality in 1882, the Cumberland friary immediately took on new status as the provincial house, and the entire province looked upon it as the center of the province, much the same as the friars today look upon Pittsburgh.

Hyazinth Epp had gone to Summit in 1881 to take on the teaching of moral theology in addition to his work as commissary. With the foundation of the province, however, Hyazinth moved the novitiate from Cumberland to Herman and the school of philosophy and theology to Cumberland, and as lector of theology, he moved along with it.

From then till 1889, all of the definitorial meetings as well as the second and third provincial chapters were held in Cumberland. This was true, even though from 1884 till 1885, and again from 1886 till 1888, the minister, Fr. Hyazinth, personally assumed ihe pastorship and local superiorship at Wheeling.

In the chapter of 1888, the Guardian of Cumberland, Franz Wolff, one of the first two Capuchins in Cumberland, was elected to succeed Hyazinth as provincial minister. Though Franz stationed himself at Summit, Cumberland retained its primacy on the status, and the definitorial meeting of 1889 was held there. Only later in 1889, when a new friary had been built at Pittsburgh, was the motherhouse of the province moved there.

While the motherhouse was in Cumberland, the first press in the province was operated there by Mansuet Peter. Brother came to Cumberland when the motherhouse was established there and died two weeks after it was moved to Pittsburgh. Mansuel's first job was a new formula for general absolution, in 1882, and his second the regulations of the first provincial chapter. His Cumberland Friary Press also printed the first provincial catalog in 1885, the first edition of Pius Reinhold's Mother Love in 1888, Fidelis Weinschenk's Manuale Provinciae in 1888, and the first Manuale Chori in 1889 (Epp 1889 n. 14.).

The move to Pittsburgh was not to be the end of the story. One of the three young priests who finished regular studies in Cumberland that year and left for higher studies in Germany was destined to one day bring the motherhouse back to Cumberland, and not once but twice.

Benedict Wich returned to the States in 1891 and was immediately appointed to Cumberland as lector of theology and canon law, an office he retained until the house of theology moved from Cumberland to Washington in 1931. Moving the house of theology, however, was not sufficient to move Benedict. Nor was naming him general definitor; he refused the office. Benedict remained at Cumberland until his death in 1948, thus becoming almost synonymous with the Capuchins in Cumberland. He was there 58 of this 60 years as a priest, and 62 of his 65 years as a Capuchin.

Benedict was elected provincial minister in 1909 and again in 1912, and during his six years in office Cumberland again moved to the head of the status, with Benedict continuing to reside there, so that he might go on teaching theology. Again the definitorial meetings were held in Cumberland.

Benedict was reelected minister in 1918. This time Pittsburgh remained at the head of the status, but the minister himself and the provincial secretary were listed as residing in Cumberland. The same was true following the death of Sigmund Cratz in 1940, when Benedict ruled the province for another five months as provincial vicar.

While speaking of ministers, it is worth noting that all but one of the 10 ministers since 1909 received part of their Capuchin formation at Cumberland, and three of the previous four served as pastors of SS. Peter and Paul's, Cumberland. Frs. Joseph Anthony Ziegelmayer and Giles Staab were the only ministers never stationed there.

>>next: Part 7, As Pilgrims and Strangers

<<previous: Part 5, Our Other Mother

Fr. Hyazinth Epp, OFM Cap

Fr. Franz Wolff, OFM Cap

Br. Mansuet Peter, OFM Cap

Fr. Benedict Wich, OFM Cap