Franciscan Cemetery



Saint Francis College, in Loretto, Pennsylvania., was founded in 1847, by the Congregation of the Religious Brothers of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis, from Mountbellew, Ireland, under the auspices of Rt Rev Michael O'Conner, D D, first Bishop of Pittsburgh. The town of Loretto was founded by Rev Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin, in 1799. It was the site of the first English-language Roman Catholic settlement established west of the Allegheny Front. The college was one of the first Catholic colleges in the United States and the first Franciscan college in the nation. Although it originally only admitted males, it became one of the first Catholic colleges to become co-educational. In 2001, Saint Francis College was approved to change to become a university by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and renamed to Saint Francis University.



Franciscan Cemetery is located on the Campus of Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania. It is located directly behind the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, on the campus. The cemetery is the final resting place for professed members of two orders of Franciscans, and a few of their families and friends. The professed members are either Third Order Regular of Saint Francis of Penance (T.O.R.) or Religious Brothers of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis (O.S.F.).



The cemetery is two-tiered with steps along each side. The bottom tier is a courtyard with a Memorial dedicated to three Franciscans who were appointed to the position of Bishop or Archbishop. Archbishop John H. Bocella, T.O.R. (1912-1992) served the Archdiocese of Izmir, Turkey. Bishop Urban McGarry, T.O.R. (1910-2000) served the Archdiocese of Bhagalpur, India. Bishop Adrian Veigle, T.O.R. (1912-2001) served as Bishop of Borba, Brazil.