THE GEOCACHE
This is one of 20 historical caches along the Butler Freeport Community Trail, formerly the Butler Branch of the Western Pennsylvania Railroad. Please replace exactly as found
THE GEOCOIN
Inside each BFTHGT cache container is a QR CODE and trackable number. Scanning the code will open a trackable page. Visitors discovering AT LEAST 15 of the 20 trackables are eligible to claim a BFTHGT commemorative trackable geocoin. To get your coin, visit:
http://www.butlerfreeporttrail.org/on-the-butler-freeport-community-trail/geocaching/
The building of St. Fidelis' College, a part of St. Mary's Monastery, was completed in the spring of 1877. In 1877 the old parochial residence was converted into a school and a number of young men entered as students. In 1878 it was enlarged, and in 1879 another new building was erected. In 1880 four students came from the Capuchin College in Bavaria to engage in their studies. They were the first to graduates to be ordained here as priests of the church. Outside of the Catholic people of the county, mention is seldom made of this College, though the chairs were filled by scholars of a very high order, and the curriculum was equal to that presented by the leading colleges of the country. The College is now the Summit Academy for troubled youth from Pittsburgh and surrounding areas.
St. Mary's Monastery was a series of Monastic-Gothic buildings which the Capuchin fathers have topped the summits above Herman Station. The buildings form the church, monastery and College of St. Mary's. They were constructed during the last quarter of the 1800’s. The foundation stone of the Monastery was laid July 21, 1876, and the corner stone August 15, of that year, by Father Hyacinth the bishop of Pittsburgh. Father Hyacinth outlined the plan, the lay brother, Eleutherius made the drawings, and T. Wolf of Pittsburgh was the builder.
St. Mary's Catholic Church began with the settlement of Catholic pioneers in Summit Township. Before they were numerous enough to maintain a church, they were visited by priests from surrounding parishes, and had religious services in their homes. The first baptism in the township was that of Catherine Weiland on June 7, 1846, daughter of Nicholas and Elizabeth (Schmidt) Weiland.
The 1895 History of Butler County describes the church aptly,
“In 1841 a chapel was erected, but it was not until 1846 that the bishop appointed a resident priest. In 1863 the building was enlarged. At various times since it has been remodeled and is now one of the most beautiful houses of worship in the diocese. In 1889 the old windows were replaced with beautiful stained glass, and the spire, 170 feet in height, completed. The interior of the building reminds one of the chapels of medieval days. In altars, statuary, paintings, and frescoes, as well as its stained-glass windows, all combine in producing a singularly beautiful effect, and the beholder is impressed with the artistic harmony existing between the interior architecture and the decorations. The church is practically one of the buildings of the Monastery and completes the Gothic group. For nearly half a century the priests and people of St. Mary's church have labored to produce an institution worthy of their faith, and they have succeeded.” Photograph taken from the book “St. Mary’s of Assumption Roman Catholic Church Herman, Pennsylvania 150th Anniversary”
Dale Karenbauer.