The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1879-01-26
st. Louis Globe-Democrat.

St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Rev. E. Higgins, s. j., who, up to about four
years ago, was president of the st. Louis Uni
versity, corner of Ninth and Washington
avenue, and who then was changed to Cincin-
natl to OCCUPY a similar position in st. Francis
Xsvier's College in that city, returned here
yesterday to fill the vacancy occasionedlby the
calling away of Rev. Thomas ONeill. Father
Higgins new labors consist in seeing to the
spiritual as we'll as the temporal welfare of the
Jeeuits Western Province in Missouri Beyond
this Father Higgins, who was visited last eve
ming by Glode. Democrat reporter, said it vas
unnecessary for the public to know. The
change concerns only himself and the Order of
which he is on eff ser.
Several changes have lately been made
among the Jesuits stationed in the Western
country, all at the direction of the General Of
the Order, who is forced to take up tempo
rary residence in the vicinity of Florence,
whence the Jesuts. with other religious Or
ders, have been banished for some time.
Father Higgins was particular in emphasizing
this latter fact, and it is for this reason tho
information, q matter OF common history, is
repeated here. The new Provincial will have
his permanent residence in st. Louis, the CEN
trAl station for the Jesuits of the Western
country, and has already assumed the duties
of his position. The Order, it 10 we'll known,
is the most powerful one in the Catholic
Church. welding great deal OF int1 aence and
growing with steady pace in this country. In
Missouri alone it has Numerous missons, be-
sides having two large churches here in this
city, and an extensive novitiAte near Floris'
SAINT, where young men are trsined and edu.
Gated to the profe essioo.
FATHER HIGGINS JURISDICTION.
covers she entire Western Province, embrac.
ing the States of Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Wis
consin, Nebraska and Missouri. embracing in
all an entire membership OF $50 priests, pro-
fessoro and lay brothers, into which classes the
Order lie subiivied. In Ohio, they have one
church and college in Cinoin mott, with a com.
munity of about 1orty members; in Michigan,
thnry hNu md ia ~ Nnt in III arr
employing twelve priests and professors in
Illinois, Chicago has two chnrohes and one
college, with a membership Of about fifty in
Wisconsin there are two churches, one built
recently, and residence in which there ore
fourteen members; in Nebraska they have the
Creighton College, just started at Omaha. and
which was endowed by and named after |
Edward Creighton, where five professors and |
priests found 81 fficient; while in Kansas
there is the celebrated ST. Mary's Mission, co ~
prisipg church and college having over 100 |
boarders and q com N unity of twenty mem bers
and the Usage Mission, an academy for boys,
where the community is of about the same
strength as that Of Sr. MARY o The Order 10
Missouri number some fifty members, most of
whom are at the College, corner of Ninth street
and Washington avenue; some few are at the
several missions ia the interior of the State,
and the remainder at the st. Stanislaus Semin-
ary, or Novitiate, near Florissant.
This institution is a remar kAble one in m any
respects, and it's daily routine of life is capa-
BILE of furnishing food for much aetonishment
to those who are unacquainted with the modes
of life of the Jesuit Father. The institution
now holds in the neighborhood OF forty
who have devoted their lives to
study and religion. They enter the place
At an age when other young men are going
out into the world to build up regulations and
fortunes for themselves, with tho stern aud
inviting fact staring them in the face that
1t will be years, many long years, before they
can attain the summit of their mbiton. They
k knowledge which the college graduate pos
sesses and be ready to take hold Of higher | !
studies. The first two years of their sesy is !
devoted to vigorous discipline, the severity OF !
which is calculated to wean them from all :
hope that the life they are seeking is to be {
gilded or luxurious one. aud the other two r
years, while of almost equally unrel lenting and 3
1ntiripg discipline and study, are intended to | q
prepare them for still harder and more unde-
,irable labor, for when they have completed r
ihe course of study designated at the st stan | +
If their real studies. They are then sent to .
Wooks took College, near Baltimore, Nd, from +
which institution the provinces of the United y
States q
RECEIVE THEIR RE ENFORCEMENTS. g
Woodstock College is the general supply J
1epot for Jesuit Fathers in this country mere b
hey finish theiI ante-ordi nation studies, and IL n
hence they are anointed into their CHOSEN b
profession. The number priested each year
oes not exceed more than dcz an, bat besides | f,
hese there are many received from European r.
eminAries, whittier they have been sent by n
heir respective colleges. at Woodstock the n
curse embraces seven years of continuous Rp. p
'lication, the fret three Of which are devoted a.
o the study of philosophy, and the other four eC
o theology. Thus it will be seen that the 81
ouDg man of sixteen, who starts in at Floris- b.
ant to become a Jesuit. has actually eleven a.
ears of novitiate before him, and frequently tt
be novices are much older. IL
There is q general impression existing among
ne public that q man cannot become q Jesuit al
REST under the sge OF %. but there is no law W
the Order establishing such contingency Iii
till it is nevertheless fact that few ever be- re
ONE priests under 80, and the majority are fe
nany years in advance of this age when they st
re admitted. The average attendance at tt
Noodstock College is about l2o. The Missouri IN
T Western is only one of the provinces OF the CO
esuits. The Eastern province comprises N
early all of the Eastern States, and besides th
here are what are known as missions, where
lie order is in existence but not ia sutli sic hi
rangth to be self-supporting. NeT YORK Is ch
n nbraced in the Canada Mission, which forms Jc
art of tho French province. tn