2 - Canonical Visitation Report for 1952

2

Canonical Visitation Report for 1952

6 pp; typescript

Canoncial visitation report compiled by Fr. Stephen Murtagh OFM Cap. for the Irish Capuchin custody in the United States. The report includes commentary on the spiritual, physical and financial condition of various churches and friaries in Oregon, California, and Delaware. The report also acknowledges that many of the vocational hopes from 1951 were not realized. The report outlines severe personnel setbacks: philosophy students dropped from five to three, only one of three novices professed, only two novices remain, and a long-awaited student transfer from Glen Clyffe was blocked at the last moment. The internal manpower shortage was slightly alleviated by the arrival of two priests from Ireland, allowing the custody to accept two hospital chaplaincies to support their missions. Despite these institutional strains and losing one priest to death in 1952, Father Stephen notes that the existing friars enjoy good health and excel in parish work, highlighting a single preacher whose tireless mission work single-handedly made the Novitiate House self-supporting with a bank balance of $2,500.

ISAD(G) 2nd edition