Western Vicariate

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.

As Ms. Mason stood in the former sanctuary not far from where the Nativity window once served as a Christmas beacon of hope, an icy wind whipped through what remains of the church. There is no roof. It was lost in the fire, along with the steeple.