Fourth degree Knights of Columbus served as honor guards at a Mass at Teutopolis April 12, honoring the Franciscan Friars of the Sacred Heart Province on their 150th sesquicentennial. Here, Father Charles Faso, OFM, passes through the Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree honor guard.

TEUTOPOLIS - Franciscan Friars of the Sacred Heart Province came from hundreds of miles away to celebrate the 150th anniversary of their religious order's foundation in the Midwest, at the "cradle" where it all began - Teutopolis. Parishioners and friends of the friars packed St. Francis of Assisi Church on April 12 for the 5:30 p.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop George J. Lucas, with Father John Doctor, OFM, provincial, and Father Austin Albers, OFM, St. Francis pastor, as concelebrants.

A busload of friars and Franciscan sisters came from Sherman and Springfield. Others traveled from St. Louis, Chicago and Cleveland. Among them were Father Jim Lause, Brother Claver Boerner, and Father Joe Carlos, all of whom have served at parishes in the Springfield diocese.

Msgr. Leo Enlow, pastor at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Effingham and dean of the Effingham deanery and Father Daren Zehnle, parochial vicar at St. Anthony, also participated in the Mass, with fourth degree Knights of Columbus serving as honor guards. The friars founded St. Anthony Parish.

"The friars gave to the community, and the community over these 150 years has been very good to the friars," said Father Austin. "A number of those who spoke at the celebration stressed vocations, and how much they are needed. We used to average from 15 to 20 vocations a year back in the '60s. When I was ordained in '64, we had 810 friars. Today we are down to 235, which includes everyone - active, retired and ill."

At the dinner and silent auction held that evening at the nearby Knights of Columbus Hall, the former St. Joseph Seminary, a crowd of 400 parishioners and friends of the Franciscans joined the friars to celebrate their sesquicentennial.

Friars from Saxony (part of modern-day Germany) arrived in New York on Sept. 14, 1858, and eventually they made their way to Teutopolis. They came at the invitation of Bishop Henry Damian Juncker of the then-Diocese of Alton who needed help to minister to the needs of German-speaking Catholics in his diocese.

The Sacred Heart Province, now based in St. Louis, stretches from Bayfield, Wis., on the north, to San Antonio, Texas, on the west and south, and Knoxville, Tenn., on the east.

The province has also sent missionaries to China, Brazil, Zaire (Congo), and Alaska. Missionaries have also served in Morocco, Russia and Singapore. 

Friars of the province have staffed Quincy University, two high schools and three retreat houses. They have staffed parishes in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, Alaska and Hawaii.

Friars have facilitated retreats, parish missions, days of recollection and workshops through the United States from the very beginning of the Franciscan Foundation 150 years ago.

Houses of formation have been located in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio; houses of contemplative prayer have been in Indiana and Missouri.

The Year of Jubilee began in August of 2007 with a gathering of the friars in Mundelein, and has continued with various regional celebrations and service opportunities throughout the province. 

The final event of the sesquicentennial is an assembly in St. Louis on Sept. 14, 150 years to the day that their ancestors began their mission in the United States. 

The next afternoon in Effingham, at St. Anthony of Padua Church, the friars and their friends and supporters will gather for a Eucharist of Thanksgiving, which will be followed by a banquet and an evening of festivities.