Beatification of St. Paul. Foundation in Pittsburg, U.S.A. B. Paul's feast.
This year seems to be about the most eventful one, up to this time if we look at our merely domestic incidents. Sutton was getting a new table and chair added here and an article of furniture added there under the care of F. Honorius its first Rector. Broadway was gathering its young ones into the schools and its old ones into the Church. Aston Hall seemed in a decent lull of stagnation. St. Wilfrid's heard a few theological difficulties solved by a meagre class of students and London was in a haze as to whether to continue its existence at the Hyde, commit canonical suicide or migrate again. The last seemed the most becoming mode of extinction, but it was not then revealed to our Superiors where we could be transplanted. Doomed the place was and doomed it ought to be.
Father Ignatius who says he is the Rector, or rather the erecter of the imaginary house, goes to France and Germany to try and collect funds for its building but meets with no great success and the place is tinkered into a shelter for a few religious, awaiting better times.
If the annals of our Congregation in these countries were scant of incident the Annals of the whole Congregation were not. The decree for the Beatification of St. Paul of the Cross was cited in Rome about the middle of August 1852, and was signed on the 28th September following. The Founder of our Congregation died on the 18th October, 1775 and the process for his elevation to the honours of the Altar were at once begun. It took a long time to collect, sift, arrange and prove the conditions requisite for this event. The journeys, the examination of witnesses, the arrangement of materials, the printing of documents, the contests with the Promotor Fidei (Devil's Advocate), and the various steps which have to be taken as well as the pauses between each, make us wonder that the matter could have have come an issue so soon.
A month or so afterwards Dr. O'Connor, Bishop of Pittsburg in the United States obtained from our general three Fathers and a laybrother to begin a branch of our Congregation in his diocese. Looking back in memory upon the three most unpromising men, totally ignorant of the English language (and who indeed never learnt to speak it properly) which set off upon this far distant mission we have to bend our heads in astonishment at the wonders which God works even in our own times. Verily, the weak things of this world has He chosen to confound the strong. Frs. John Dominic, Albinus and Anthony seemed the three most unlikely men for America who could be found in the entire Order.
Let us follow them out to the scene of their future labours (where one of them is now interred after years of apostolic labours) and find a clue to their wonderful success. They arrive in Pittsburg, the Birmingham of Pensylvania and there, lodged in the bishop's house, and unable to speak a word of the language or assist in any parish work except to say Mass, we find them completely helpless. Some one of themselves will recount their hardships and trials, their endurance and difficulties, their contests and success. They have grown into a mighty multitude. When one stands at the window of the Episcopal palace, which gives a view (if the smoke permits) of the declivity on the top of which St. Paul's Retreat now is, could he imagine that those poor men, seemingly so ignorant would one day crown it with a splendid structure, with a house and church which would
do credit to Italy. That these three poor men would attract others to be their companions, evangelise America from the Isthmus of Panama to the Arctic circle almost, and in the space of twenty years, build a splendid province, would seem the wildest chimera even of a Yankee mind. They have done it.
In twenty years five splendid houses of our Congregation graced and beautified the States. A Basilica has arisen in Hoboken which seems to cast a shadow of Rome itself across the Hudson. To gaze upon that grand structure from 34th Street in New York is to imagine yourself standing on Monte Pincio and wondering at one of the masterpieces of Roman architecture. Cincinati, Dunkirk, Baltimore and Louisville can testify to how these poor men increased and multiplied and how their poor beginnings came to have such splendid results. They have built two extra churches in Pittsburg, two more in New Jersey. They have filled their houses with excellent religious gathered from American youths and the work of the Institute has had willing hands and tongues to carry it on. The American province is more numerous and flourishing than any other in the Order at present.
Not only have they supplied their own wants but they have sent offshoots to Mexico and Buenos Ayres to be the seeds of future provinces which may one day vie with their own.
The Americans often complain of the Italian element being too strong; but it is as well that a heavy restraining power or a deadweight of some kind should be continually clogging their efforts lest the mercurial spirit of the Yankees should give our Rules and Regulations a clean pair of heels altogether.
Our house on Mount Adam looks down upon the City of Cincinnati. Our Housein Dunkirk nicely situated on the brink of Lake Erie, looks over into Canada. Our house in Hoboken joins New York and New Jersey in mutual admiration and our house in Maryland stands upon the property of Mr. Carrol, whose ancestors signed the Articles of Independence in Philadelphia in 1776. Thus have they embraced the States and formed centres for their missionary labours which have the spirit of great efforts for the future about to be developed.
In the beginning of the year 1853 we were charged with the temporary care of the mission of Barnet. Dr. Faa di Bruno has established somewhat of a catholic footing in this old town and just then was called away from it by the order of his Superiors. A large tract of country was now under our spiritual jurisdiction and Father Ignatius busied himself by doing the duties thereof on foot. The house at the Hyde was put into more convenient shape by the aid of Mr Hall's pockets and the hands of some Irish haymakers. In it was the first chapel dedicated to B. Paul of the Cross.
Towards the end of the year grand celebrations took place in our various chapels and a reunion of the Fathers was held at St. Wilfrid's where several Bishops were assembled to do the requisite honours.
It is recorded in the Chronicles of Broadway that on the eve of the Feast of B. Paul, just before 1st Vespers there was not a copy of the new Office or Mass to be had. Just then the doorbell rang, a parcel was handed in containing 100 copies of both, which had been printed in Rome. No one knew where they came from, the messenger was sought but could not be found, and no tidings ever came of whence and how the parcel had come.
The records of the Province were badly kept in 1852 and 1853 and consequently very little is known of the doings of the brethren. We may presume that the usual number of retreats and missions were given as we see Fr. Ignatius giving eight or nine in West Bromwich, Commercial Road and in Wolverhampton, Oxburgh and Southport, Lancashire.
The Fathers were troubled with wants which their work created and which their means would not supply. They wanted to build a house here, a church there, a school in some other place and had not wherewith to accomplish their work. Some of the most active Fathers were told off to collect funds - some combined the twofold work - some did one and not the other - some vocations were early tried and some were lost by the experiment.
The year 1853 seemed to be full of clouds on every side of our spiritual horizon. There must have been dissatisfaction felt at Rome, the product of dissatisfied people at home as we find preparations being made to send a Visitor General.
During the year 1853, three priests, two students and a laybrother left the congregation in this Province. The loss would not be felt had we been more numerous. One of these students has since become a famous missionary in Australia and Tasmania. He still retains his old love for the Congregation and may yet die in the habit. His name is the Rev. Julian Woods. Evidently a good missionary was lost in him.