Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 14.djvu/126

This page needs to be proofread.

SOCIETY


102


SOCIETY


chief factors in founding and maintaining George- town College (q. v.) from 1791 to 1805, when they resumed their relations with the Society still existing in Russia, and were so strongly reinforced by other members of the order from Europe that they could assume full charge of the institution, which they have since retained. On the Restoration of the Society in 1814 these nineteen fathers constituted the mission of the United States. For a time (1808 to 1817) some of them were emjjloyed in the Diocese of New York just erected, Father Anthony Kohl- mann (q. v.) administering the diocese temporarily, the others engaging in school and parish work. In 1816 Gonzaga College, Washington, D. C, was founded. In 1833 the mission of the United States became a province under the title of Maryland. Since then the history of the province is a record of development proportionate with the growth of Cath- olicity in the various fields siiccially cultivated by the Society. The colleges of the Holv Cross, Worcester (founded in 1843), Loyola College, Baltimore (18.52), Boston College (1863) have educated great numbers of young men for the ministry and hberal professions. Up to 1879 members of the Society had been labour- ing in New York as part of the New York-Canada mission. In that year they became affiliated with the first American province under the title of Mary- land-New York. This was added to the old province, besides several residences and parishes, the colleges of St. Francis Xavier and St. John (now Fordham University), New York City, and St. Peter's College, Jersey City, New Jersey. St. Joseph's College, Pliil- adelphia, was chartered in 1852 and the Brooklyn College opened in 1908. In the same year Canisius College, and two parishes in Buffalo, and one parish in Boston for German Catholics, with 88 members of the German province were affiliated with this prov- ince, which has now (1912) 803 members with 12 col- leges and 13 parishes, 1 house of higher studies for the members of the Society, 1 novitiate, in the New Eng- land and Middle States, and in the Virginias, with the Mission of Jamaica, British West Indies.

The Missouri province began as a mission from Maryland in 1823. Father Charles Van Quicken- borne, a Belgian, led several young men of his own nationality who were eager to work among the Indians, among them De Smet (q. v.). Van Assche, and Verhaegen. As a rule the tribes were too nomad- ic to evangelize, and the Indian schools attracted only a very small number of pupils. The missions among the Osage and Pottawatomie were more per- manent and fruitful. It was with experience gathered in these fields that Father De Smet started his mis- sion in the Rocky Mountains in 1840. A college, now St. Louis University, was opened in 1829. For ten years, 1838-48, a college was maintained at Grand Coteau, Louisiana; in 1840 St. Xavier's was opened at Cincinnati. With the aid of seventy-eight Jesuits, who came from Italy and Switzerland in the years of revolution 1847-8, two colleges were maintained, St. Joseph's, Bardstown, 1848 until 1861, another at Loui.sville, Kentucky, 1849-57. In this last year a college was opened at Chicago. The mission became a province in 1863, and since then colleges have been opened at Detroit, Omaha, Milwaukee, St. Mary's (Kansas). By the accession of part of the Buffalo mission when it was separated from the German province in 1907, the Mis.souri province acquired an additional 180 members, and colleges at Cleveland, Toledo, and Prairie du Chien, besides several resi- dences and missions. Its members work in the terri- tory west of the Alleghanies as far as Kansas and Omaha, and from the Lakes to the northern line of Tennessee and Oklahoma, and also in the Mission of British Honduras (q. v.).

New Orleans. — For five years, 1.566-1571, members pf the Peruvian province laboured among the Indiana


along the coast of Florida, where Father Martinez was massacred near St. Augustine in 1566. They penetrated into Virginia, where eight of their number were massacred by Indians at a station named Axaca, supposed to be on the Rappahannock River. Later, Jesuits from Canada, taking as their share of the Louisiana territory the Ilhnois country and afterwards from the Ohio River to the gulf east of the Mississippi, worked among the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Natchez, and Yazoo. Two of their number were murdered by the Natchez and one by the Chickasaw. Their expulsion in 1763 is the subject of a monograph by Carayon, "Documents inedits", XIV. Originally evangeUzed by Jesuits from the Lyons pro\'ince, the New Orleans mission became a province in 1907, having 7 colleges and four residences. It has now 255 members working in the territory north of the Gulf of Mexico to Missouri as far east as Virginia.

California. — In 1907 a province was formed in California comprising the missions of California, the Rocky Mountains, and Alaska (L'nited States). The history of these missions is narrated under Califohni.\ Missions; Missions, Catholic Indian, OF THE United States; Alaska; Idaho; Sioux Indians.

New Mexico. — In the mission of New Mexico ninety-three Jesuits are occupied in the coUege at Denver, Colorado, and in various missions in that state, Arizona, and New Mexico; the mission depends on the Italian province of Naples.

In aU the provinces in the United States there are 6 professional schools, with 4363 students; 26 colleges with full courses, with 2417, and 34 preparatorj' and high schools with 8735 pupils.

Canada. — Jesuits returned to Canada from St. Mary's College, Kentvicky, which had been taken over, in 1834, by members of the province of France. When St. Mary's was given up in 1846 the staff came to take charge of St. John's College, Fortlham, New York, thus forming with their fellows in Montreal the New York-Canada mission. This mission lasted until 1879, the Canadian division having by that year 1 college, 2 residences, 1 novitiate, 3 Indian missions with 131 members. In 188S the mission received $160,000 as its part of the sum paid by the Province of Quebec in compensation for the Jesuit estates appropriated under George III by imperial authority, and transferred to the authorities of the former Prov- ince of Canada, all parties agreeing that the fuU amount, $400,000, thus allowed was far short of the value of the estates, estimated at 82,000,000. The settlement was ratified by the pope and the Legisla- ture of the Province of Quebec, and the balance was divided among the archdioceses of Quebec, Montreal, and other dioceses, the Laval L'niversity besides receiving, in Montreal, .?40,000 and, in Quebec, $100,- 000.

In 1907 the mission was constituted a province. It has now 2 colleges in Montreal, one at St. Boniface with 263 students in the collegiate and 722 in the preparatory classes, 2 residences and churches in Quebec, one at Guelph, Indian missions, and missions in Alaska, and 309 members.

Mexico. — In Mexico (New Spain) Jesuit mission- aries began their work in 1571 and prior to their expulsion, in 1767, they numbered 678 members, of whom 468 were natives. They had over 40 colleges or seminaries, 5 residences, and 6 missionary districts, with 99 missions. The mission included Cuba, Lower California, and as far south as Nicaragua. Three members of the suppressed society who were in Mexico at the time of the Restoration formed a nucleus for its re-pstabli.shment there in 1816. In 1820 there were 32, of whom 15 were priests and 3 scholastics, in care of 4 colleges and 3 seminaries. They were dispersed in 1821. Although invited back in 1843, they could not agree to the limitations put on their activities by