The Franciscan Brothers of the Holy Cross (FFSC) were founded by Brother James Wirth in 1862 in Hausen, Germany, to care for orphans, the poor, the sick, and the suffering. In 1891, three Brothers settled in Bad Kreuznach, where they eventually took over a local hospital, now known as St. Marienwörth. The Brothers were invited to come to the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois in 1928 to establish a Monastery and a Trade School. They believed very strongly that young men should learn skills that would enable them to obtain gainful employment. St. James Trade School operated from 1930 to 1972. As master craftsmen, they worked at laying the foundation of an industrial trade school. They later developed "Brother James Court", an intermediate care facility for the developmentally disabled licensed by the State of Illinois, which serves as an integral part of the state's continuum of care for meeting the needs of the developmentally disabled. St. Joseph's motherhouse is in Hausen.