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StJLPICIUS


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SULPICIUS


picians, whose houses had hitherto been located in the Atlantic states, accepted a call to the Far West in 1898. Most of the students for the San Francisco archdiocese had for many years been sent to St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore. A long-cherished de- sire of Archbishop Riordan was realized when St. Patrick's Seminary was opened 20 Sept., 1898, under the care of the Sulpicians. The institution was to comprise a preparatory seminary or college and a seminary proper, of philosophy and theology. It began with only three classes of the college depart- ment, the succeeding classes in the college and sem- inary being added according as the students were pre- pared. Very Rev. A. J. B. Vuibert was the first presi- dent of the college department,and had under him, at the beginning, seven professors, four of whom were Sulpicians, and twenty-eight students. He was suc- ceeded in 1911 by Rev. John J. Doran, S.S. The theological department was opened in 1904, when Very Rev. Henry A. Ayrinhac, S.S., D.D., became president of the seminary. The magnificent structure was greatly damaged in the earthquake of 1900, but was soon restored, thanks to the characteristic energy of Archbishop Riordan. There are at present over one hundred students in this flourishing and hopeful young seminary.

Catholic University. — Leo XIII, in granting a constitution to the Catholic University of America, laid upon the Sulpicians the duty of caring for the dis- cipline and spiritual direction of the ecclesiastical stu- dents and of assisting them in the choice and piu'suit of their studies. Divinity College was opened in Oc- tober, 1889, under Very Rev. John B. Hogan, who re- mained president till 189-1. His successors have been Very Revs. F. M. L. Dumont (1894-1911), and John F. Fenlon.

St. Atistin's College. — The aspirants to the Society of St-Sulpice pursue their studies in the seminary, undistinguished from the other students; until re- cently, tlie American aspirants generally were sent to Rome or Paris for post-graduate studies after ordina- tion and to the Solitude at Issy, near Paris, for their novitiate. In Oct., 1901, the American scholasticate of the Sulpicians, known as St. Austin's CoUege, was opened near the Catholic University', Washington. The students, who are received only after having com- pleted their seminary studies, follow courses at the university in philosophy, theology, science, or letters, to prepare themselves for work in college or seminary. It has been presided over by Very Revs. James F. DriscoU (1901-02), Daniel P. Duffv (1902-04), John F. Fenlon (1904-11), and Francis P. Havey. In 191 1 the first American novitiate of the Sulpicians, known as the Solitude, was begun in this house under Father Havey as director.

The government of the Sulpician houses in the United States was, until recent years, dependent di- rectly upon the superior-general in Paris. In 1903 the President of St. Mary's Seminary, Father Dyer, was appointed vicar-general of the Superior of St-Sul- pice, an office resembling that of provincial in a re- ligious order. He governs ordinary Sulpician afffirs in the United States with the advice and assistance of his council. In the early days of the American hier- archy several Sulpicians were among its members: Mart-chal (1817-28), and Eccleston (1834-51), Arch- bishops of Baltimore; Flaget, first Bishop of Bards- town (1810-50), with David (1819-41), and Chabrat (1834-47), as coadjutors; Dubourg, Bishop of New Orleans (1815-2(3), died Archbishop of Besan^on in 1833; Dubois of New York (1826-42); Brute, first Bishop of Vincennes (1834-39), who, with Flaget and David, is well remembered for great sanctity of life; Chance, fir.st Bishop of Natchez (1841-52); V6rot, Bishop of Savannah (1859-70); afterwards first Bi.shop of St. Augustine (1870-70), <>f which he had been vicar Apostolic in 1S58; and O'Farrell, Bi.shoi)of


Trenton (1881-94). More than twenty American archbishops, past and present and more than sixty bishops have received their clerical formation, at least in part, in Sulpician houses at home or abroad. All the rectors of the Catholic University have been their pupils. Father David, sent by Father Emery with Bishop Flaget to establish a seminarj', founded St. Thomas's Seminary at Bardstown, and taught its stu- dents almost single-handed for many years. The dio- cese had onlj' three priests when he arrived in 1810; he trained up forty-seven, mostly natives, of whom the most illustrious is Martin J. Spalding. To this little-known seminary is attributed the greatest part in the preservation and spread of Catholicism in Kentucky.

Si.\ .seminaries in all, Baltimore, Bardstown, Brigh- ton, Emmitsburg, Dunwoodie, and Menlo Park, were founded or directed by Sulpicians, and their traditions and spirit have been carried into many new institu- tions by their alumni. Largelj- through their efforts, the Propagation of the Faith was established in this country and for a long time developed. The Sisters of Charity at Emmitsburg were established by their direction and co-operation, and united, through Father Deluol, to the foundation of St. Vincent de Paul at Paris. Father Joubert founded the coloiu-ed sisterhood of the Oblates at Baltimore, and Father David the Sisters of Nazareth, in Kentucky. Bishop Dubourg introduced the Vincentians into the United States, also the Rehgious of the Sacred Heart. He was the founder of St. Louis Latin Academy which developed, imder the Jesuits, into the St. Louis Uni- versity. On Flaget's invitation the Good Shepherd Sisters came to thus country. In the earh' days the Sulpicians ministered to the coloured Catholics of Baltimore, and since the foundation of St. Joseph's Seminary for work among the negroes, its students have made their seminary studies at St. Mary's. The secretarial work of the Negro and Indian Commission has always been carried on in connexion with St. Mary's Seminary. The fathers of the seminary have acted as secretaries or theologians in the synods and in the provincial and plenary councils of Baltimore. The literary productions of the Sulpicians have, al- most without exception, grown directly out of their work as educators; they have written books on Latin grammar, history, ancient and modern, English liter- ature, liturgy, rubrics, dogmatic and moral theology. Holy Scripture, devotion, etc. They have translated many standard French works into English, and Eng- lish into French. Their best-known wTiters are Father Hogan, whose "Clerical Studies" is the classic of its subject, and Father Adolphe Tanquerey, whose text-bocks on dogmatic and moral theology are used in numerous seminaries throughout the world.

Shea, History of the Catlwlic Church in the Vnittd States (New York. 18S8); O'Gorman. A History oj the Roman Catholic Church in the United States (New York, 1S95); St. Mary's Seminary (Memorial Volume of the Centenary, Baltimore, 1891); Cata- logues of St. Mary's Seminanj, St. Josfjih's Seminary of New York.

St. Patririrs Sfm^'inr; „i N ,n Frn> r" and St. Charles's College.

History on '■ ' 1'^ - I'l i h..i by the United States

Bureau ..f 1 ,. , ^^ ^ .p. vii, is; The Catholic

Church VI ' I • I i :; 1 I 'v the Catholic Editing

Company v\lu \oik, liiu.M. i>j.. ...... irirnestriel des anciens

Aleves de St. Sulpice, containing a scrictt of articles by Axdr^ on

the Sulpicians' history in the United States (Paris, 1908 );

McSwEENEY, The Story of the Mountain, I (Mount St. Mary's, Emmitsburg, 19111. i-\ii: Spmimn-r. Life of Bishop Flaget (Louis- \'ille, 1852): Ho\\ 1 f w ^' 7' vai.v. Seminary, near Bardstown (St. I.ouis. 1906): M!' > /. i Georgetown College {Wnshing-

ton, 1911); Mourn ; . / . s franfais emigris (Paris, 1S56); FiNOTTl. Bibliograi^i.ui ( u.,',„;.,a .Imericana (New York, 1872); Catholic Educational litticu, I (.Washington. 1911). 347-48.

John Francis Fenlon.

SuIpiciUS SeverUS, an ecclesiiistical writer, b. of noble parents in .\(iuitume c. 300; d. about 420-25. The scanty informatioTi which we possess concerning his life is derived mainly fnmi the writings of his friend Paulinus of Nola and Cennadius. He enjoyed excellent educational advantages, studied jurispru-