Western Vicariate

The past and the future came together in a big way at St. Peter in Hancock April 25 when more than 300 parishioners crowded into the tiny brick church to celebrate their parish’s 175th anniversary.

In an assembly line that would make Henry Ford proud, dozens of volunteers from St. Peter in Hancock transformed their parish hall into an apple dumpling factory Sept. 12-14 – filling the air with the delightfully dense aroma of sweet cinnamon and fresh-baked apples that attracted visitors from near and far.

In a small Western Maryland town whose residents pride homegrown leadership, Mayor Lee Fiedler knows he is probably one of the unlikeliest persons to hold Cumberland’s top job at City Hall.

When Father Mueller needs to unwind from a long day’s work, music is his refuge. Playing mostly by ear, the priest has enjoyed playing the tuba and piano for many years and he’s now working on sharpening his skills on the clarinet.