Obituary Notice
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Archbp. Ignatius Paoli (1818-1885 ) IGNATIUS PAOLI,; Bishon of Nicopolis; Archbishop of Bucharest. Jenatius Paoli was bora in Florence on 25th July 1818, and received his education at St.Gajetan's College in that city. 4b the age of 27 he entered the Congregation, anid was professed on 6th January 1846 at Lucca. After his ordination in 1850 he taughb theology at SS.John & Paul's until he wa elected Provincial of the Anglo-—Hibernian Province at the General Chapter of 1857. The reason for the GENERAL Cuapter electing our Provincial was that the second Provincial Chapter of our Province, due to be held in 1854, was prorogued sine die. But that is another story irrelevant to this paper. He remained Provincial for nine consecutive years, and then was First Consultor from 1866 to 1869. During his term of office he did so much for the consolidation and extension of our Province that he is known os its "Second Founder." In 1913 Fr.Joseph Smith wrote of him: "He did more than any other man before or since his time to put this Province on a secure and permanent basis." His Provincialate saw the foundation of St.Mungo's, Glasgow; St.Joseph's, | Paris; and St.Joseph's, Highgate (transferred from The Hyde.) He has left a long _ and detailed accounf of his experiences in establishing us at Highgate. ts ; In addition to these foundations, Ignatius, together with Fr.Bernard O'Loughlin, was instrumental in bringing the Passionists to Spain. But perhaps his most out- standing and enduring work was the building of the church and monastery at Mount Argus. (enduring" - pace Brian D'Arcy's million—pound bill fo rebuild the plase !} Paoli'g motivation in building Hount Argus was his interest in the best possible education for our students. It is note-worthy that Mount Argus was known in his time and by express will, not as "St.Paul's Retreat", but as "St.Paul's College" or “The Passionist Ecclesiastical College." Is this the first and only inStance of one of our monasteries not being designated "Retreat" 2? I=gnatius appointed himself and remained "President of the College." Vocations olso increased under Paoli's leadership. When he came to England in 1857 our religious numbered 59. By 1869 that number had grow to 129. In 1869 Ignatius Paoli wag elected General Consultor, and in that year was sent as Visttor-General to the U.S.A. While there he assisted as one of the official theologians at. the Plenary: Council of Baltimore. | ‘The following year, 1870, he was appointed Bishop of Nicopolis and Administrator of Wallachia. His first concern was the building up of a native clergy. There were twelve native priests in Bulgarla when he went there; thirteen years Inter there vere forty. He waa transferred from Nicopolis to become the first Archbishop of Bucharest in 1683. He dled in Vienna on 27th February 1885, and is buried in Bucharash. FE REE EEE E EEL OEE E EEE EEE EEE
Source: Obituary Notices, Provincial Archive, St Joseph's Province. Passionist Congregation.