Vigil, funeral mass scheduled for Saint Martin’s former prior

Services for the late Father Alfred John Hulscher, former prior of Saint Martin’s Abbey in Lacey, will be open to the community, said Genevieve Canceko Chan, spokeswoman for Saint Martin’s University.

A vigil begins 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and a funeral mass begins at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. Both services will be at Abbey Church, 5000 Abbey Way SE, Lacey.

Hulscher died late Thursday at Providence Mother Joseph Care Center in Olympia. He was 82 years old.

He worked at Saint Martin’s High School, including as chaplain, student counselor, librarian and principal. After the school closed its doors in 1974, Hulscher began managing the abbey’s finances. He also taught German at the college.

Hulscher was one of eight monks profiled last spring in “Behind the Cloister,” a special section that ran on Easter in The Olympian and The News Tribune. He entered hospice care earlier this month.

This story was originally published January 24, 2016 at 12:42 PM with the headline "Vigil, funeral mass scheduled for Saint Martin’s former prior."