Fr. Zachary Kunz, the first pastor of St. Francis of Assisi, was succeeded by an equally energetic missionary friar, Fr. Alexander Martin of the Province of Saint Leopold in Tyrol, Austria. At the time of his ordination, he had desired to be sent to America as a missionary, but his superiors sent him to the Holy Land as a German-speaking confessor. Eventually he received permission to go to Cincinnati as a missionary to work among the German immigrants. He arrived in Cincinnati in 1846, but due to a conflict between his superior and the local bishop, Fr. Alexander went to serve as pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Boston for two years. In a letter to his provincial minister, Fr. Alexander explained that he left Boston for New York because of the problems inflicted upon him by the Freemasons of Boston.

Fr. Alexander heard about the parish left vacant by Fr. Zachary’s death and that church authorities were considering entrust- ing the parish to the Franciscans. Fr. Alexander thought it was ideal for a Franciscan mission church, and that if it were given over to the friars, he would contact his superiors about the details of the transaction In his letter, he added, “If the transaction does not come to pass, which is possible because of the fickle and peculiar mentality of this country, I have another offer from a bishop in the northwestern missions.â€

Fr. Alexander was assigned as pastor of Saint Francis Church and he served the people for ten years. It is evident that he had a great deal of trouble with his Tyrolian superiors but none of his contemporaries ever doubted his dedication to the people and his work ethic. During a fierce epidemic of cholera, Fr. Alexander worked night and day caring for the sick, and it almost cost him his life. On one occasion, Father James R. Bayley, later Archbishop of Baltimore, called on him and found him collapsed with exhaustion because of his work among the cholera victims.

In 1853 Fr. Alexander enlarged and renovated the church and built a small rectory next door. Archbishop Hughes rededicated the renovated St. Francis Church in the spring of 1853, and preached the sermon. His final words were truly prophetic:

“Let this day be the commencement of a long period in which religion will prosper in this church – in which piety will be extended – in which the old and the young will al blend together harmoniously their voices of gratitude and their voices of prayer towards God who has favored their undertaking and this day crowned with success.â€

This is the third in a series of articles on the history of our parish which will be published throughout our 175th anniversary year. They are adapted from the writings of Fr. Flavian Walsh, O.F.M., Pastor from 1985-87.

Who lives in Holy Name Province?

There are 325 Franciscan Friars in Holy Name Province serving the people of God in a wide variety of settings – colleges, parishes, urban ministry centers and diverse social ministries along the East Coast. Today we continue the mission of Saint Francis to make the Gospel message come alive in our contemporary world. We live in cities, suburbs and rural areas. Our backgrounds are diverse and our ministries are varied; most of us serve in pastoral roles, while others work in education, social ministry, administration and manual trades.

What is the mission of the Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province?

The core of the Franciscan charism is in the living out of the Gospel of Jesus Christ within the Church according to the rule of life proposed and observed by Saint Francis of Assisi to preach this message to every creature. This is our purpose and mission.

Our message is very simple: God loves each of us totally and unconditionally.

What makes the Franciscan Friars different?

The Franciscan Friars have always been thought of as “of
the people and with the peopleâ€. Living in community is a core value and often helps the Friars to put things in a more “down to earth†perspective. The Friars never see themselves as better than anyone, and therefore they are not usually judgmental and are very accepting of everyone, those who are in the faith community and those who are not.

All Are Welcome is the core of Franciscan hospitality.

I [Pope Francis] like to contemplate the holiness present in the patience of God’s people: in those parents who raise their children with immense love, in those men and women who work hard to support their families, in the sick, in elderly religious who never lose their smile. In their daily perseverance I see the holiness of the church militant.

Very often it is a holiness found in our next-door neighbor, those who, living in our midst, reflect God’s presence. We might call them ‘the middle class of holiness.â€

Let us be spurred on by the signs of holiness that the Lord shows us through the humblest members of (God’s) people… Holiness is the most attractive face of the church. But even out- side the Catholic Church, and in very different contexts, the Holy Spirit raises up “signs of his presence that help Christ’s followers.â€