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Capuchins - Pioneers on the West Coast
The Capuchins of the West are proud of the 64 years of service they have offered to the people of God in Oregon and California. From the pioneer beginnings of Irish Capuchins in Oregon in 1910, where the way of life in western America and the ministry for priests still bore the character, if not the statue, of missionary countries, our work has flourished until today.
Hermiston, in the north-east corner of the state, was the starting point of the Irish Capuchins' missionary work in Oregon. Fathers Luke Sheehan and Thomas Dowling arrived on Feb. 10, 1910, and found that there was no church in existence. They set to work immediately and on November 13, the first church of Our Lady of Angels was dedicated by Bishop O'Reilly. Within the next few years, building continued until three mission churches were completed. From 1910 to the present time, the Capuchin Fathers have worked for the people of Hermiston and the surrounding area and their work is deeply appreciated by a grateful people.
Father Luke moved from Hermiston to Bend in December 1910 to become the first resident priest for this vast area. "I shall not forget," he wrote, "the warm welcome I received when it became known that I was to be the resident pastor of Crook county. I arrived a few days before Christmas. With the joy and fervor of the poor shepherds, twenty fervent souls gathered around the little Christmas altar at Bend, to thank the Infant Savior for, at last, He had heard their prayers. Often they had feared that accident or sickness would come upon them, and that they would have to pass the dread threshold without the comforts of their religion—200 miles or more from a priest." Under the driving energy of Father Luke, mission churches were built in Madras in 1911, in Redmond in 1912 and in Prinville in 1915. His spirit has been the guiding force behind the Capuchins through the years as they continue his work for the good people of Bend.
The Capuchins came to Roseburg, Oregon in 1912. Along with the parish of Roseburg all the 12 mission churches scattered far and wide over Douglas county were entrusted to their care. In succeeding years, many of these missions have become independent sturdy parishes. What the Capuchin Fathers have done for God and His Church in Roseburg over the past 62 years will never be forgotten by the people. "The Capuchin Fathers have served in the Portland Archdiocese since early in the century," writes Archbishop O'Dwyer, "and have given invaluable aid to the Archbishops in promoting the cause of Christ in the Church. St. Joseph's parish, Roseburg, has always been, and happy remains, very much a model because of the devotion of the Capuchins to their work."
Archbishop John J. Cantwell invited the Capuchins into Los Angeles in 1922 and assigned to them the parish of St. Lawrence in Watts. Today, this parish is predominantly Black; here, in a genuine Franciscan way, they have
worked for the people and are loved and respected by them in return. Old Mission Santa Ines was placed under the care of the Capuchin Order in 1924 when the saintly and beloved Capuchin, Father Albert Bibby, became pastor. In 1948, under the pastorship of Father Cyprian O'Leary, part of a very generous grant given for the upkeep of the Old Missions of California by the Hearst Foundation was used to restore the second story of the "convento." The living quarters of the friary and the parish offices were modernized but the beautiful old church remained as it was and still serves as the parish church for the Santa Ynez Valley. The third parish administered by the Capuchins in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is the church of St. Francis of Assisi. Since 1929, a long brown line of Capuchins have worked for God and His people in this area.
"This community," writes Cardinal Manning, "has served the Church in this Archdiocese for over half a century. For forty years of that time I have been a personal witness to its mission. When requested to take one of the poorest parishes in the diocese the Community did so without question, and have equally served in the affluent areas with similar dedication. We have had a succession of splendid priests and brothers placed at our service by the Mother Province in Ireland. The finest tribute to the authenticity of their dedication is the fact that so many native sons have elected to follow in their footsteps. May God bless all you do. It is our prayer that Los Angeles for unending years will be a recipient of the mission of these sons of St. Francis."
Our Lady of Angeles parish in Burlingame has grown from a small unpretentious beginning in 1926 to a Catholic population of 7,000 people. Over the years, the Capuchin Fathers, through the generosity of a dedicated people, have built a very complete parish plant. Dominating the cluster of parish buildings is a beautiful church, built under the pastorship of Father Cornelius Hyland. The parish also serves as the present headquarters of the Western Vice Province of the Capuchins.
Recently, Archbishop McGucken wrote the following to our Provincial, Father Evangelist: "One of the joys of my priestly life has been to know the Capuchin Franciscan Fathers and their zealous work for souls. More recently it has been my pleasure to visit the House of Studies for the future priests here in San Francisco. During the past forty-eight years, the priests of your Order have done admirable work in building up the parish community of Our Lady of Angels in Burlingame."
The Capuchins came to Fresno, California, to act as hospital chaplains in 1968. This new field of activity was a return to an apostolate which was dearly loved by the early Capuchins in the 16th and 17th centuries. The pioneer chaplain was Father Eunan Buckley. Today, four Capuchins continue, in the
words of Cardinal Manning, "their magnificent apostolate with the sick" at Veterans' Administration Valley Medical Center, Community Hospital and also at Porterville State Hospital for children. "It has been most beneficial to the Diocese," writes Bishop Donohoe, "to have the Capuchin Fathers actively engaged in the hospital chaplaincy apostolate and to have the assurance that this work is carried out with zeal and competence. Without the presence of the Capuchin Fathers, it would not be possible for us to provide a high level of pastoral care in the Fresno area hospitals."
A new dimension was added to the apostolate of the Western Vice Province when Father Stephen Murtagh purchased the Old Flintridge Country Club and turned it into St. Francis High School for boys in the La Canada - Pasadena - Glendale area of Los Angeles county. In September 1946 two Capuchin priests, one Capuchin brother and one lay teacher opened the doors of St. Francis High School to a freshman class of 29. With high hopes and almost no money, these pioneers launched into a project that was destined to succeed beyond all their expectations. The success enjoyed by the school over the years is due to its dedicated faculty of both religious and lay teachers: special tribute, however, must be paid to the determined vision of Father Stephen the "founding father," to the dedicated work of Brother Patrick, the "pioneer brother," and to the wise organizing ability of Father Valerian, the "first rector and principal." Today, the student enrollment is 560 and the school is rated as one of the best Catholic high schools in Southern California.
Capuchin priests also serve as teachers of religion at Mater Dei High School, Santa Ana, the largest high school in the Los Angeles Archdiocese. From St. Francis and Mater Dei High Schools the majority of the "Capuchins of Tomorrow" are recruited; by the grace of God these young men will continue the work of the Western Vice Province.
Another vital and essential dimension to the development of the apostolates of the Capuchins on the West Coast was the opening of San L