The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-10

ST. JosBPH's CHURoH-The critical talk of
the town among Catholics is the preaching of
the Rev. Robert Fulton Jesuit, who has Just
Church, Willipg's alley.
Father Fulton is a native Of Alexandria, Vir-
ginia an ITishman of very respectable parent
age; a pupil OF the Colleges OF Holy Gross and
Georgetown; and Jusuit for more than
twenty years. He is now about thirty-nine.
The reverend gentleman is well favored, with
tall, symmetrical, portly, and handsome per-
son. His face and brow are of the finest class in
the order OF intellect.
We are well acquainted with chums Of Father
Fulton In Holy Cross. They represent MIN as
wit, as outSpoken on all occasions, as extern
slNely read IN English literature, as always Jhe
first in the class, and as quite gifted with felt
city IN narrating the interesting parts OF what'
ever ne had studied. In Georgetown, cele-
brated college, in which the highest spirit OF
emulation is never at rest, he quickly gained a
leading repute with professors and scholars.
Nothing is truer than that he entered that
institution far finer mind than any among
the students who TOOK up their habltatloh
yers, physicians, soldiers. merchants, ana
clergymen-to attest this. His old time books
are full of proofs Oft.
At the age of about eighteen he entered the
Jesutts' Novitiate in Frederick City, Maryland.
me silent, learned critics in the Reiectory
Pthere, found the pleasures of the scholar in his
elegant, correct way of reading the Latin homi-
lies; After the noviceship he got a professors
chair" alternately where, formerly, he himself
had been "under the ferule," at Holy Gross and
at Georgetown. AS professor he had the Kind
est of dispositions and the most resolute of
purposes His tongue, clear and scathing, was
great, much dreaded scourge to lazy
undergraduates. That, in its indigna.
was not all severity-where 1T SCARED, 1T
could and always did heal; and devoted
application found in it potent incentive eI.,
TO renewed labor In each seat of letters
he taught poetry and rhetoric-that is, Sopho-
mores and Juniors; and, in nearly all cases, he
turned out finished young men. lie mad
and he still possesses, the resolve, the art
and the capacity of making young men make
the most of their talent and their time while
under College iurigQiCtiOn. In this feature
and IL is the most,important feature professor
can have, IL would be difficult TO find any man,
either Within or without the walls of the order
of Jesuits, that excels him. Like the artist de-
telmined that the picture shall not leave him
until perfect in all places, did this Jesuit Priest
watch over his alumni.
In 1852 Father Fulton was changed from teach
ing to studying, and he entered the school of
philosophy in Georgetown. About twenty
other Jesuit scholastics Joined him. He was
then, in the classical sense one of the best
finished and most versatile young Professors in
the United States; and all the old members of
his Order, every one OF whom had erudition,
were proud of him. He commenced philosophy
as a preparation for divinity. With the Jesuits
philosophy, in its three branches of logic meta
physics, and ethics, has, tr its course.
various terms. For those who have philo-
sophie talents of the best order, it is three
years long, and for those not so well endowed,
It ranges from one to two, years. Father
Fulton made, with distinguished success, the
three years course In 1855 he began theology.
Here, too the Jesuits have various terms,
according to talent. The full course is the
mortal length of four years. Father Fulton
made VIGOROUSLY this long term. In 1859, him
self and fourteen who had gone through long
studies with him, were ordained Priests in the
chapel of Georgetown College by the late Arch
bishop Kenrick. Since his ordination, the Reve-
END gentleman has made the "tertianship
| he has been Preiect of Studies in Georgetown
Professor of theology in Boston, and he is now
Pastor of the Church of the Immaculate Con-
| Ception in that city.
Here a few notes on the Priest whose
preaching is now the admiration of the Catho-
| lies of Philadelphia. All who like to enjoy
pulpit eloquence of high order should go tc
| hear him. Certainly, there Is no sacred orator
| in this city, either In the Catholic or in the
| Protestant Church, who surpasses him in merit
| and this is his repute in Boston. There the
| Rationalists, all of whom are educated people
| crowd to hear him when he is anticipated in
| the pulpit. Were he Protestant minister
in place of simple Jesuit, he would
command the first salary and honors in the
Protestant Church in the United States. His
appearance is striking, his voice resonant
calm, and clear; his attitude and manner
very impressive; in language he is as full as
Burke; in style he is all that which the
finished, accomplished classical scholar o
genius ever is; in reasoning philosophy, and
theology seem to be his own and in 1ervid
unequivoc9l religious earnestness, it is impos-
sible for the soul not to be deeply struck by
him. He never has manuscript, and he never
goes beyond thirty minutes. Such is the Rev
Robert Fulton, S. j., in the pulpit,
Father Fulton breaches twice a day during
this week at st. Josephs. II is probable that on
next Sunday he will preach at the 10 O'Clock
mass. And he may preach at the Cathedral or
Easter Sunday.