Wirth, however, persisted with his call and found other young men who shared his vision of answering the needs of the helpless in their society. They nourished, educated and trained orphan boys, as well as cared for the sick. On 12 June 1862, with the approval of the Bishop of Trier, they formed the Franciscan Brothers of the Holy Cross in the rural Chapel of the Cross () in the nearby town of Waldbreitbach. The motherhouse of the new congregation, St. Joseph Monastery, was built in the town of Hausen in 1866.