Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 7.djvu/367

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HICKEY


321


HICEET


of Hibernians in America". This union was ratified at the national convention lield at Trenton, New Jersey, from 27 June to 1 July, 1S98.

Preamble of constitution revised and adopted at the national convention held at Indianapolis, Ind., 21-26 July, 190S:—

"The members of The Ancient Order of Hibernians in America declare that the intent and purpose of the Order is to promote Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity among its meml)ers by raising or supporting a fund of money for maintaining the aged, sick, blind and infirm members, for the pay- ment of funeral benefits, for the atlvancement of the principles of Irish nationality, for the legitimate ex- penses of the Order, and for no other purpose what- soever.

"The motto of this Order is Friendship, Unity and Christian Charity. Friendship shall consist of help- ing one another and in assisting each other to the best of our power. Unity, in combining together for mutual support in sickness and distress. Christian Charity, in loving one another and doing to all men as we would wish that they should do unto us.

"(1) This Order is to be formed exclusively of practi- cal Catholics. Therefore, each member is expected to comply with all his Christian duties. (2) Should any of the members fail in the above, and instead of giving edification and encouragement, become a stumbling block and a disgrace to the Organization, such a one, after proper charitable admonition, unless there be an amendment in his conduct, shall be ex- pelled from the Order. (3) In order, however, that all may be done with justice. Christian charity and edification, there shall be in each county a Chaplain, appointed by the Ordinary of the Diocese, to l)e con- sulted by the Division before determining anything relating to morality or religion. (4) The Chaplain in each county shall see that nothing is ilone or counte- nanced within his jurisdiction which is contrary to the laws of the Catholic Church, the decrees of the Plenary Councils of Baltimore, and the Synodical Constitu- tions of the Diocese. In any difficulty or doubt which he may not be able to solve, he shall consult the Onli- nary of the Diocese. (5) All Divisions of this Onler shall adopt the foregoing preamble, and their special Constitution and By-Laws shall be in harmony with the Constitution and By-Laws of this Order."

The constitution of 1908 gives full directions re- garding the government of the organization and the manner of joining it. Article xxxv, sect. 1, treats of the place of joining the order: " Members of this Order shall join and belong to a Division in the city or town in which they reside if the Order exists therein or in the nearest locality in which a Division is located. "

The membership of the A. O. H., according to the annual report for the year ending 31 Dec, 1908, is 127,254, distributed over the United States, including Hawaii, and the Dominion of Canada. The immense good done by the order can be estimated from the amount of funds expended during the past twenty-four years. During that period, about 88,000,000 have been paid for sick and funeral benefits, and for charitable purposes over .$4, .500, 000. Among some of the noble works of the order may be mentioned the endowment of a $.50,000 Gaelic chair at the Catholic University of America, Washington, D. C, and a dona- tion of $40,000 towards their members who suffered in the San Francisco earthquake. The order also made generous gifts to the Gaelic League and estab- lished scholarsliips in colleges and academies to en- courage the study of Irish literature and history. It was likewise instrumental in having Congress appro- priate $50,000 towards the erection of a monument at Wa.shington, D. C, to perpetuate the memory of Commodore John Barry, "Father of the American Navy".

The Ladies Auxiliary to the Ancient Order of VII.— 21


Hibernians in America is the female branch of the order. It was established in Omaha, Nebraska, in May, 1894, and has the same objects and principles as the male branch. The Ladies Auxiliary remained for some time under the tutelage of the male Ancient Order, but, as it rapidly advanced in numbers, the ladies were permitted in 1906, at the Saratoga National Convention, to elect their own national officers, and to conduct their own affairs generally, although re- maining an auxiliary organization. It is now a na- tional body, having a memljership of about 56,000 in the United States and the Dominion of Canada. The ladies have followed the generous example of the men and have established a scholarship in Trinity College, Washington, D. C, with an endowment of $10,000. Macgeoghegan, Historti of Ireland, contd. by John Mitchel (New York, 1868); McGrath. Hislory of the A. O. H. (Cleve- land, Ohio, 1898); Shahan, Lecture on the A. O. H. (Chicago. 1904): Proceedings of National Conventions and Annual Reports oftheA.O.H.

James A. McFaul.

Hickey, Antony, O.F.M., theologian, b. in the Barony of Islands, Co. Clare, Ireland, in 1586; d. in Rome, 26 June, 1641. He received his early educa- tion in his native place, entered the college of St. Antony at Lou- vain, which had just been founded as a refuge for Irish students, and received the Franciscan habit on 1 November, 1607. Among his teachers at Lou- vain were the celebrated Irish scholars Hugh Mac an Bhaird (Ward) and Hugh Mac Cagh- well, later Arch- bishop of Ar- magh. After his ordination to the priesthood, Fa- ther Antony was appointed lec- turer in theology .Antony Hickey at Louvain, and From a frp.sco ill the Aula Maxima, St. subseq u e ntly Isidore's College, Rome professor in the college of St. Francis at Cologne. In 1619 he was summoned to Rome to collaborate with Father Luke Wadding in preparing for publication the Annals of the Franciscan Order and the works of Duns Scotus. He lived for some time at S. Pietro in Mon- torio on the Janiculum and, from 1624 till his death, in the college of St. Isidore. During the discussions which were held in Rome concerning the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, Father Hickey won dis- tinction by his learning and acuteness. His treatise on this subject is called by Marracius (Bibliotheca Mariana) "opus insigne et absolutum". In his work on the Fourth Book of Sentences, he shows great breadth of view and critical perception; in addition to the scholastic method, he makes use of the his- torical method and fully recognizes the development of sacramental theology. He took an active part in the labours of the commissions appointed by Urban VIII to revise the Roman Breviary, and to examine into the affairs of the Eastern Church. At the general chapter of the order held in Rome in 1639, he was elected definitor general.

Hickey wrote " Commentarii in Lib. IV Senten- tiarum" (Lyons, 1639), " Nitela Franciscanae Relig- ionis" (Lyons, 1627), in this book he refutes the aspersions cast on the early history of the Franciscan