Historic Cumberland shrine celebrates 175 years

CUMBERLAND – Sitting in a back pew following a recent Mass at the Shrine of Ss. Peter and Paul in Cumberland, Paula Schoenadel smiled as she surveyed the old Gothic church’s interior.

A bright morning sun illuminated the warm colors in the overhead stained glass windows imported from Innsbruck, Austria, in 1902.

Statues of holy men and women including St. Francis of Assisi, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Conrad of Parzham, St. Peter, St. Paul and a host of others seemed to keep watch over those who lingered after Mass for a few moments of prayer and silent reflection.  

Even the pointed arches prominent throughout the mid-19^th century structure evoked a sense of the holy, symbolizing praying hands.

“The spirit of this place gets me all the time,” Schoenadel said. “I just feel such peace. It feels like home. It really does.”

The Shrine of Ss. Peter and Paul is celebrating its 175^th anniversary this year. For many in Western Maryland, the historic church is a hallowed place of prayer that serves as a physical link to Cumberland’s Catholic past.

The church was established in 1848 by St. John Neumann, a Redemptorist who later became bishop of Philadelphia. For several years prior to the building of Ss. Peter and Paul, Redemptorists travelled via wagon from Baltimore to Cumberland to celebrate weekend Masses in the fast-growing Western Maryland city that saw an influx of German immigrants.

Blessed Francis X. Seelos, another Redemptorist, was pastor from 1857 to 1862, while also serving as prefect of students at the Redemptorist seminary in Cumberland.

After the Redemptorists left the parish in 1866, Carmelites staffed the church until 1875. Capuchin Fransicans arrived in 1875 and continue ministry in the community today.

Cardinal Edwin F. O’Brien declared Ss. Peter and Paul a shrine in 2011. It is part of Our Lady of the Mountains Parish in Cumberland, but is supported by the Friends of the Shrine, a nonprofit organization formed in 2019 that has raised more than $250,000 in a $500,000 campaign to help with maintenance expenses and preservation of the historic church.

“For us in the Catholic community of Cumberland, we feel it’s our Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris,” said Joe George, president of the Friends of the Shrine Board of Directors. “It sits on the highest point in what was the original City of Cumberland limits. The beautiful green copper steeple is a landmark that’s been here for 175 years. We just feel that there’s been so many holy people that have been involved in this church and served it – and our group feels the Holy Spirit touching us to maintain it.”

Outside the shrine, near an area where a monastery once stood, a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary looks out over the city and surrounding mountains. Nearby is a prayer garden that includes a statue of St. John Neumann and a newly installed shrine to Blessed Seelos.

The shrine offers daily 8 a.m. Masses Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and a 6:30 p.m. Wednesday evening Mass. Throughout the year, it is also the site for a concert series.

Capuchin Franciscan Father Gregory Chervenak, pastor of Our Lady of the Mountains, said the parish is making plans to celebrate the Shrine of Ss. Peter and Paul’s 175^th anniversary, along with other upcoming milestones including the 150^th anniversary of the arrival of the Capuchins, the 235^th anniversary of St. Patrick in Cumberland and the 125^th anniversary of St. Mary in Cumberland.

“There is a wonderful, fruitful history contained in all of these milestones that are worth having Masses of thanksgiving and other celebrations to mark the unique Catholic presence and ministry here in Allegany County,” Father Chervenak said.

Paula Schoenadel, who serves with her husband, David, on the Friends of the Shrine Board of Directors, said she hopes many people will visit the shrine and take some time to pray in a peaceful setting.

“It’s a very holy place,” David Schoenadel said.

Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org

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