Francis Ignatius Neale (June 3, 1756December 20, 1837), also known as Francis Xavier Neale, was an American
Catholic priest
The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...
and
Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
who led several academic and religious institutions in Washington, D.C., and
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. He played a substantial role in the
Jesuit order's resurgence in the United States.
Born to a prominent Maryland family, Neale was educated at the
Colleges of Bruges and Liège, where he was ordained a
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
. When Neale returned to the United States in 1788, he became the pastor of the church at
St. Thomas Manor, where he aligned himself with the rural clergy in opposing Bishop
John Carroll John Carroll may refer to:
People Academia and science
*Sir John Carroll (astronomer) (1899–1974), British astronomer
*John Alexander Carroll (died 2000), American history professor
*John Bissell Carroll (1916–2003), American cognitive sci ...
's founding of
Georgetown College
Georgetown College is a private Christian college in Georgetown, Kentucky. Chartered in 1829, Georgetown was the first Baptist college west of the Appalachian Mountains.
The college offers 38 undergraduate degrees and a Master of Arts in educat ...
, believing it would draw resources away from the Jesuits' rural
manors. He would conflict with Carroll over various issues for much of his life.
In 1790, Neale oversaw the establishment of the first Catholic church in Washington, D.C.,
Holy Trinity Church, of which he was pastor for 27 years. He also established the
Church of St. Mary in
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of downtown Washington, D.C.
In 2020, the population was 159,467. ...
, and was its visiting pastor. Neale was briefly the acting
president of Georgetown College, and later became its president in 1809. His tenure was considered unsuccessful, as the number of students declined dramatically due to his implementation of strict monastic discipline.
When the Jesuit order was restored in the United States in 1806, Neale joined the Society and became the
master of novices
In the Roman Catholic Church, a novice master or master of novices, lat. ''Magister noviciorum'', is a member of a religious institute who is responsible for the training and government of the novitiate in that institute. In religious institutes f ...
at
Georgetown. He was also made treasurer of the Jesuits' Maryland mission. He spent his later years as the
spiritual director
Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divinity, divine, or to learn and grow in their personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of their encounters ...
to the
nun
A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...
s at the
Georgetown Visitation Monastery
The Monastery of the Visitation, Georgetown is a monastery of the Visitation Order in the District of Columbia, United States of America.
History
Founding
This monastery was founded by Alice Lalor, native of County Kilkenny, Ireland, who ...
and the pastor at St. Thomas Manor.
Early life
Francis Ignatius Neale was born on June 3, 1756,
at Chandler's Hope, the Neale family estate near
Port Tobacco
Port Tobacco, officially Port Tobacco Village, is a town in Charles County, in southern Maryland, United States. The population was 13 at the 2010 census, making Port Tobacco the smallest incorporated town in Maryland.
Overview
This was historical ...
,
located in
Charles County
Charles County is a county in Southern Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 166,617. The county seat is La Plata. The county was named for Charles Calvert (1637–1715), third Baron Baltimore. Charles County is part of the Wash ...
of the British
Province of Maryland.
He was born into a prominent Maryland family; among his ancestors was Captain
James Neale
Captain James Neale (1615–1684) was an influential early immigrant to Maryland.
Early life
Neale was born to Jane Baker and Raphael Neale of Drury Lane, London and of Wollaston, Northamptonshire, England. One of his daughters was Henrietta Ma ...
, one of the settlers of the Maryland Colony, who arrived in 1637 upon receiving a royal grant of in what would become Port Tobacco.
Neale's parents, William Neale and Anne Neale (), had thirteen children, and all seven of the boys, including Francis, the youngest, were sent to the
Colleges of St Omer, Bruges, and Liège. Two of Francis Neale's brothers died during their studies, and four of the surviving five became Catholic
priests. One brother,
Leonard
Leonard or ''Leo'' is a common English masculine given name and a surname.
The given name and surname originate from the Old High German ''Leonhard'' containing the prefix ''levon'' ("lion") from the Greek Λέων ("lion") through the Latin '' L ...
, would go on to become president of
Georgetown College
Georgetown College is a private Christian college in Georgetown, Kentucky. Chartered in 1829, Georgetown was the first Baptist college west of the Appalachian Mountains.
The college offers 38 undergraduate degrees and a Master of Arts in educat ...
and the
Archbishop of Baltimore
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore ( la, link=no, Archidiœcesis Baltimorensis) is the premier (or first) see of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church in the United States. The archdiocese comprises the City of Baltimore and nine of M ...
, and another,
Charles
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...
, also became a prominent
Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
.
One sister, Anne, entered the
Order of Poor Clares as a
nun
A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...
, in
Aire-sur-la-Lys
Aire-sur-la-Lys (, literally ''Aire on the Lys''; vls, Ariën-aan-de-Leie) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.
Geography
The commune is located 16 kilometres (10 mi) southeast of Saint-Omer, at the junctio ...
, France.
William Matthews, Neale's nephew through his sister Mary, was another future president of Georgetown.
In 1773,
Pope Clement XIV
Pope Clement XIV ( la, Clemens XIV; it, Clemente XIV; 31 October 1705 – 22 September 1774), born Giovanni Vincenzo Antonio Ganganelli, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 May 1769 to his death in Sep ...
ordered the worldwide
suppression of the Society of Jesus
The suppression of the Jesuits was the removal of all members of the Society of Jesus from most of the countries of Western Europe and their colonies beginning in 1759, and the abolishment of the order by the Holy See in 1773. The Jesuits were ...
.
This meant Neale was unable to enter the Jesuit order as he intended,
but he continued his
seminary
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...
studies at the college in
Liège. Following his
ordination
Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorization, authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominational ...
as a
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
on April 3, 1788,
he immediately left for the United States.
Maryland missions
In 1789,
John Carroll John Carroll may refer to:
People Academia and science
*Sir John Carroll (astronomer) (1899–1974), British astronomer
*John Alexander Carroll (died 2000), American history professor
*John Bissell Carroll (1916–2003), American cognitive sci ...
, the Bishop of Baltimore, founded the long-planned Georgetown College in the
District of Columbia
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, the first Catholic institution of higher education in the United States.
As early as 1785, Carroll had requested that
Charles Plowden
Charles Plowden (born at Plowden Hall, Shropshire, 1743; died at Jougne, Doubs, France, 13 June 1821) was an English Jesuit priest, teacher, writer and administrator.
Life
He was a descent of Edmund Plowden, and was raised in a Catholic fami ...
return a cohort of Maryland Jesuits studying at the college in Liège to the United States so that they could staff the fledging college.
He intended Neale, in particular, to play a significant role in the college's early years.
Carroll's requests went unfulfilled until November 1788, when Neale, having completed his studies at Liège, arrived in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
. Carroll initially assigned Neale to the Jesuit estate of
St. Thomas Manor, near Port Tobacco.
Neale enjoyed the rural life, and aligned with those Jesuits stationed at the Jesuits' rural Maryland
manors who opposed Carroll's establishment of a college. He frequently expressed in correspondence with Carroll his belief that the Jesuits should direct their efforts to ministering to rural congregations in
Southern Maryland
Southern Maryland is a geographical, cultural and historic region in Maryland composed of the state's southernmost counties on the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. According to the state of Maryland, the region includes all of Calvert, Cha ...
, rather than on higher education. Neale's relationship with Carroll soured when Neale accused his superior of giving insufficient support to the rural missions, and Carroll chastised Neale for poorly managing his congregation's finances, such as failing to obtain orders for the new American-printed
Douay–Rheims Bible
The Douay–Rheims Bible (, ), also known as the Douay–Rheims Version, Rheims–Douai Bible or Douai Bible, and abbreviated as D–R, DRB, and DRV, is a translation of the Bible from the Latin Vulgate into English made by member ...
.
Eventually, Neale became the most outspoken opponent of Carroll's efforts to establish Georgetown College, which he believed to be at the expense of the Maryland Jesuits' rural manors.
Establishment of Georgetown Chapel
In 1790, the governor of Maryland,
Thomas Sim Lee
Thomas Sim Lee (October 29, 1745 – November 9, 1819) was an American planter and statesman of Frederick County, Maryland. Although not a signatory to the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation or the U.S. Constitution, h ...
, requested that a priest be sent to the rapidly expanding city of
Frederick Frederick may refer to:
People
* Frederick (given name), the name
Nobility
Anhalt-Harzgerode
*Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670)
Austria
* Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198
* Frederick ...
. Carroll sought to transfer Neale to Frederick from St. Thomas Manor, but Neale fell ill at about that time and was unable to go.
Later that year,
Carroll appointed Neale as the first pastor of the yet-to-be-built Georgetown Chapel,
reasoning that Neale's prominent ancestry and acquaintance with many distinguished families in
Georgetown would aid him in raising funds to support the nascent church.
Neale did not arrive in Georgetown until January 13, 1792, after recovering from his period of ill health.
![Chapel of St](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Chapel_of_St._Ignatius_Georgetown_DC.jpg)
Neale proved to be a successful pastor of the church.
He succeeded in raising considerable funds from Catholics in
Montgomery,
Prince George's, Charles, and
St. Mary's counties in Maryland during the first several months of his tenure. This allowed construction on the chapel to begin quickly, and its foundation was complete by the end of 1792; the
superstructure was completed the following year.
As the new church occupied the entire width of its lot, Neale sought to protect it and its adjacent cemetery from encroachment by purchasing land on either side as a buffer. Contributions proved to be inadequate, and he resorted to supplementing donations with his own funds. He would again contribute his own money fifteen years later to purchase the remainder of the block's width, where the
Holy Trinity School now stands.
Construction on the Georgetown Chapel was complete by March 1794.
As the first Catholic church in the District of Columbia,
the Georgetown Chapel drew parishioners from as far as
Dumfries and
Great Falls
Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements
* Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size
* Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent
People
* List of people known as "the Great"
*Artel Great (born ...
in
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
and
Bladensburg in Maryland.
The size of the congregation increased rapidly, and the church soon became overcrowded, despite the erection of makeshift sheds on the sides of the church to augment the size of the building.
In 1796, the parish established a mission church in
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
, which was the first Catholic church in the state of Virginia. Neale ministered to this church, but its location was considered too remote, so he purchased a former
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
meeting house more centrally located in Alexandria, and named it the
Church of St. Mary.
Relations between Neale and Carroll continued to deteriorate, as Neale resisted Carroll's attempts to sell some of the Jesuits' rural properties. In April 1797, Carroll directed Neale to transfer from Georgetown to the Jesuit's
White Marsh Manor
Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Bowie, Maryland is a Catholic church established in 1729. The church was originally built on part of the Jesuit estate known as White Marsh Manor.
History
Sacred Heart Church had been better known as White Marsh a ...
, as had been tentatively discussed at a previous meeting of the clergy, despite Neale's opposition. Before this order could be given effect, several wealthy parishioners and
lay trustees of the Georgetown Chapel intervened to petition Carroll to keep Neale at Georgetown;
Carroll acquiesced,
and Neale remained as pastor until 1817, when he was succeeded by
Benedict Joseph Fenwick
Benedict Joseph Fenwick (September 3, 1782 – August 11, 1846) was an American Catholic prelate, Jesuit, and educator who served as the Bishop of Boston from 1825 until his death in 1846. In 1843, he founded the College of the Holy Cross in ...
.
In the meantime, Neale had become a prominent member of the Select Body of Clergy of the Corporation of Roman Catholic Clergymen of Maryland,
a civil corporation beyond Carroll's authority composed of priests who had been Jesuits before the order's suppression. Neale was made the legal agent of the corporation in 1798.
Georgetown College
In addition to his priestly duties at the Georgetown Chapel, Neale also worked at Georgetown College as treasurer ''pro tempore'', which was his sole source of income, room and board.
In August 1797, a special committee of Maryland clergy was drawn up to determine the future of the college. It resolved that the institution was to be run by a five-member board of directors, composed of Maryland clergy who were selected from and by their peers. The effect of this resolution was to deprive Carroll and the incumbent
Sulpician
The Society of Priests of Saint-Sulpice (french: Compagnie des Prêtres de Saint-Sulpice), abbreviated PSS also known as the Sulpicians is a society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men, named after the Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris ...
president of the college,
Louis William DuBourg, of any official control of the school. Neale was selected as one of the five directors. At the board's first meeting in October 1797, Neale was elected vice president of the college, whose duties largely corresponded to those of his existing role of treasurer.
He would hold the position of vice president for ten years.
![Georgetown 1829](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Georgetown_1829.jpg)
When the president of Georgetown College,
Robert Molyneux, was forced to resign the presidency due to declining health in December 1808,
Neale was made the acting president,
until a permanent successor could be found in his nephew, William Matthews, in March 1809.
Following the end of Matthews' tenure, Neale succeeded him as president on November 1, 1809.
[.] He instituted the same severe monastic discipline that his brother, Leonard, had previously implemented at the college during his presidency. Students were required to follow a daily regimen, which heavily focussed on religious activities. Although this resulted in a considerable number of students entering the priesthood, it led to a significant decrease in the number of non-Catholic students and a severe decline in the overall number of students.
Enrollment was also affected by competition for students with
St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore.
At the college, Neale established the first
Sodality of the Blessed Virgin in the United States.
He also purchased to expand the campus for student recreation.
Neale had little interest in managing the academic affairs of the college, and upon assuming the presidency, transferred responsibility for the school's academics to the vice president.
As he simultaneously held other pastoral and administrative positions, he was largely absent from the college. Carroll's evaluation was that the college had "sunk to the lowest degree of discredit."
Neale's tenure came to an end in August 1812, and
Giovanni Antonio Grassi
Giovanni Antonio Grassi (anglicized as John Anthony Grassi; 10 September 1775 – 12 December 1849) was an Italian Catholic priest and Jesuit who led many academic and religious institutions in Europe and the United States, including Georget ...
was named as his successor.
Involvement in the restored Jesuits
![Francis Neale](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Francis_Neale.png)
In response to the request of Emperor
Paul I of Russia,
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII ( it, Pio VII; born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti; 14 August 1742 – 20 August 1823), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 14 March 1800 to his death in August 1823. Chiaramonti was also a m ...
issued a
bull
A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e., cows), bulls have long been an important symbol in many religions,
includin ...
in 1801 partially lifting the 1773 order of suppression by permitting the Jesuits to officially resume operation in the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
(which they had been already doing unofficially).
Bishop Carroll had long sought to restore the Jesuit order in the United States, and aimed to do so by submitting the Maryland Jesuits to the jurisdiction of the Jesuits' Russian province.
He was wary that such an arrangement would contravene the pope's order and might draw the attention of political enemies of the Jesuits.
Neale and his brother, Charles, led a group of clergy in persistently urging Carroll to effectuate the arrangement.
Carroll was eventually persuaded,
and a Jesuit
novitiate was formally opened on October 10, 1806, in a house offered for use by Neale, across the street from the now-Holy Trinity Church.
[
The newly appointed superior of the Maryland Jesuits, Robert Molyneux, named Neale as the ]master of novices
In the Roman Catholic Church, a novice master or master of novices, lat. ''Magister noviciorum'', is a member of a religious institute who is responsible for the training and government of the novitiate in that institute. In religious institutes f ...
. His selection drew some criticism from the European Jesuits sent at Carroll's request to aid the re-establishment of the Jesuits in the United States, on the grounds that Neale had never been trained in a Jesuit novitiate,[ and that he would simultaneously be a novice himself.] As well as serving as master of novices, Neale assumed the role of treasurer of the Jesuit's Maryland mission. During the War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
, Neale had most of the Jesuits' livestock in St. Inigoes removed to White Marsh, to keep them safe from looting by the British.
Later life
Upon the death of his brother Leonard in 1817, Neale assumed his duties as spiritual director
Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divinity, divine, or to learn and grow in their personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of their encounters ...
to the nuns of the Georgetown Visitation Monastery
The Monastery of the Visitation, Georgetown is a monastery of the Visitation Order in the District of Columbia, United States of America.
History
Founding
This monastery was founded by Alice Lalor, native of County Kilkenny, Ireland, who ...
. He suffered a stroke while in Alexandria. Though this necessitated that he relinquish the full-time position, he continued to hear the nuns' confessions until his death. After his recovery, he once again took up missionary work in rural Maryland. He returned to St. Thomas Manor, where he became pastor of its church, later known as St. Ignatius Church. He served in this office from 1819 until 1837. Neale died on December 20, 1837, and he was buried in the cemetery at St. Thomas Manor.
Notes
References
Citations
Sources
*
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External links
Appearance
in the records of the Georgetown Slavery Archive
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Neale, Francis
1756 births
1837 deaths
People from Port Tobacco Village, Maryland
People educated at Stonyhurst College
19th-century American Jesuits
Pastors of Holy Trinity Catholic Church (Washington, D.C.)
Presidents of Georgetown University
Year of birth unknown