Franciscan Brothers of the Holy Cross

The Catholic order founded in 1862, Franciscan Brothers of the Holy Cross ( religious symbol: FFSC ) is an German fraternity, which has its headquarters in Hausen ( Wied), which is why they are also called regional Hausener Franciscan brothers.

Formation and interaction

The habit consists of a brown tunic with a shirt collar, a rope and a scapular. The Franciscan Brothers of the Holy Cross are listed as a member of the Franciscan family and are attributed to the Third Order Regular.

The Congregation was born on 12 June 1862 when the Congregation of pontifical right, with the help of Waldbreitbacher pastor Gomm, other companions and the permission of the bishop of Trier, from the brother of James ( Peter Wirth), founded in 1852 Urbanization Frommer craftsmen. Gomm became infected in the care of smallpox patients and died on March 28, 1871. Between her and the priest of the Franciscan Order ( OFM), there was no connection. She received in 1910 the papal decree of commendation and was finally recognized in 1923 by the Congregation for Religious in Rome.

You are a member of INFAG, the Inter- Franciscan Association. To date, the Franciscan brothers, who run social- charitable institutions for elderly and ill, disabled and poor people. 2002, the Order of 43 members in offices in Germany, the United States of America and the Netherlands.

Period of National Socialism

1936 belonged to the forest Breitenbacher Congregation of 480 brothers and 60 novices. It maintained 31 houses, 20 of them in Germany. In five hospitals with 1870 beds mentally weak and sick men were cared for; were added institutions for care wards, hospitals and outpatient nursing.

For the construction of their works, the Franciscan brothers borrowed money in foreign banks. On the to be paid in foreign currency, interest rates demanded the German Empire with special taxes "against the outflow of capital ," which were massively increased under the Nazis. Systematic checks were all, even accidental, brought error in billing on the indictment and subject to high fines. Through this so-called exchange processes the Nazi regime tried to bleed the church and its organizations financially. When the government briefing points then still all supply orders without notice announced with disability centers, the brothers bankruptcy proceedings had to open in December 1936. In this method, the Nazis took over, among others, the Home for the Disabled St. Joseph Villa in Waldniel for about a third it effective value and used it later as KFA Waldniel - Hostert for the euthanasia program.

In April 1935 came to it after a display to investigations of offenses under § 175, fornication between men. The investigations were extended in autumn 1935. As a result, law enforcement agencies went with the intensified in June 1935 § 175 also against other lay organizations as well as clergymen and priests outside of monasteries before. In addition, the prosecution partially under § 174, fornication with pupils, led or been charged.

Of the 292 investigations in 2500 were conducted against forest Breitenbacher. Most investigations were put down or stopped due to insignificance, limitation or amnesty. In the course of so-called morality processes it came to the conviction of 54 brothers of the Congregation. The high number of convicted Waldbreitbacher felt all through a summation of " homosexual offenses " about.

Add just conducted canonical method 31 brothers were excluded from the forest Breitenbacher community. According to an assessment made by the Vatican Visitation and first Superior General of an external was used and dissolved the community in 1937 at the instigation of the bishop of Trier.

The 1937 expropriated the hospital of St. Mary Worth in Bad Kreuznach was returned to the Franciscan brothers in the summer of 1946 from the District.

Dissemination

Germany

  • St. Joseph House, Hausen / Wied; Retirement and long-term care
  • St. Francis House, Hausen / Wied; Institution for mentally handicapped people
  • Hospital of St. Mary Worth, Bad Kreuznach; General hospital
  • Monastery Ebernach, Cochem / Mosel; Residential and service facility for people with intellectual disabilities
  • House St. Josef, Bad Kreuznach; senior facilities
  • Short-term nursing home St. Anthony, Bad Münster am Stein- Ebernburg
  • Puricelli pen, Rheinboellen; Institution for mentally handicapped people
  • Nursing Home Queen Mary, Kirn
  • Mother House and General House of the fraternity, Hausen / Wied
  • Postulate and Novitiate of the fraternity, Bad Kreuznach

Support investments

  • Moselle workshops Ebernach Kühr gGmbH, Treis- carding; Workshop for disabled people
  • Caritas welfare center on the Rhine and Wied; ambulatory care services Linz / Rhine

United States of America

  • Brother James Court, Springfield, Illinois; facilities for disabled people
  • St. Coletta, Jefferson, WI

Statistics

On 31 December 2005, the congregation consisted of 4 houses with 41 members of the Order, including a priest.

Hausen (Wied) Religious habit Roman Catholic Diocese of Trier James Wirth de minimis
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