Some Parish Priests of Tirol (Conclusion)

Appendix.

History.

Some parish priests of Tirol. 3/3

(Conclusion.)

Flugi's successor, both on the episcopal see and in the parish of Tirol, was Joseph v. Mohr 1) of Zernetz in the Engadin. He too had previously been parish priest in Feldkirch, 2) in 1610 cathedral custodian, and at the time of his election cathedral scholasticus in Chur. In a document titled: "Pactation between His Princely Grace Lord Prince Bishop of Chur (Joseph) on the one part, and Lord Johann Flugi on the other part, concerning the Princely Prelacy and Parish of Tyrol. — Done at Meran the 20th day of the month of November in the year 1627" — his commissioner, Kaspar Probst, acknowledges that the newly elected Prince-Bishop Joseph "upon the demise of the Prince-Bishop of Chur and parish priest of Tyrol and Meran, received [the prelacy] from His Serene Highness Archduke Leopold of Austria, our most gracious Lord and Sovereign Prince, as rightful patron, upon his petition and request." In this agreement, all revenues of the "parish and prelacy" of Tirol are transferred to the said Lord Johann Flugi; he, in return, is obligated to faithfully administer pastoral care with all its duties and to make all required payments; "furthermore to give to all church servants, such as clergy, schoolmasters and assistants, 3) organists, assistants, sextons, and others, what one is indebted to give and provide to them." — Prince-Bishop Joseph died, stricken by the prevailing plague, as early as August 6, 1635.

The aforementioned Johann v. Flugi von und zu Aspermont, the younger, a nephew of the praised Prince-Bishop Johann, was born in 1595. He was a doctor of theology and law, canon at Chur, and already under his uncle, barely 28 years of age, administrator of the parish of Tirol in 1623, 4) as well as episcopal vicar in the Vinschgau. 5) Subsequently, he became cathedral provost at Chur and papal chamberlain, and finally, on February 1, 1636, Prince-Bishop. He received episcopal consecration from the papal nuncio to Switzerland in the monastery of Muri on Holy Christmas Eve of the same year. He worked tirelessly for the welfare of the Church entrusted to him. In order to provide a safe refuge in Tirol for his family, who were endangered by religious reformers in Graubünden, he purchased Schloss Knillenberg in Mais near Meran from the brothers of Johann Ekhard v. Rosenberg in 1641. 6) He expanded it by adding two new towers. He resided there frequently. He passed away

on January 24, 1661.

1) Gabriel Mohr v. Lichtenegg and Franz Dismas Count v. Mohr v. Dornsberg, both canons of Chur, were parish priests of Tirol and Meran, the former from 1633 to 1642, the latter from 1776 to 1795.

2) Bothe v. u. f. Tirol etc. 1827. No. 57. fol. 228.

3) Schoolteachers with assistants were probably not yet common everywhere at that time.

4) Res gestae Congregationis B. V. M. erectae Merani A. D. 1623. Ms.

5) According to the cited documents from the year 1627.

6) The Barons v. Flugi once held this noble residence along with many associated estates and bore its name until the extinction of their last male line in 1776. Even during his lifetime, all splendor of the former Flugi greatness had vanished.