The sun., 1896-10-18

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FATHER A. r. HEWITT.
After his preparatory schooling was
Mr.. Hewitt was sent to Amherst College.
whence he was graduated in the class of 1889.
with Dr. Storrs Of Brooklyn and the late Bishop
Huntington OF western New York. In 1s40 he
entered the Theological Institute OF Connecti-
cut at East Windsor. Two years later he re-
ceved his preachers license in the Congregs-
tional Church. and It then that most in
teresting period of his career began. He did
not find in the Congregational Church what he
longed for and he turned his eyes toward the
Protestant Episcopal Church, within year
we find him in Baltimore studying under Bishop
Whittingham. In s43 the movement started
in oxford by DR.. Pusey and the late Cardinal
Manning was making itself felt in Maryland.
OF this movement Father Hewitt in his memoir
OF Father Baker, says:
In this country were somewhat behind
hand and were following at some distance In
the wake of the most advanced English leaders.
so that the later developments rather took us
by surprise. We were reading Mr.. Newman's
earlier works and only partly aware of the
great change taking place in himself and others.
Tho accusation of Romanizng was treated a
calumny. and we had no thought of anything
except bringing our own Church up to what we
thought to be the Catholic level and endeavor-
ing to establish an tntercommunion between 1t
and the Roman and the Greek churches
through mutual consultation and concession,
and a return to the supposed state of things be-
fore the separation of the East and tho West
Probably the effort to make the Protestant
Episcopal Church take the attitude of being
Catholic was never made more earnestly and
with better hope of success than in Mary
land.
There was tide setting strongly backward
toward the faith and practice of ancient times.
and we surrendered ourselves to its influence
without thinking where it wo ud eventually
land US. We had no thought Of ever leaving
the communion to which we belonged. Never.
in any of our conversations, did we ever speak
of such a thing as possible call in question
the legitimate claim OF the authority under
which we were living to our obedience. We
did not sympathize with the Bishop whit
tinGham) and the larger number of ciergymen
OF our theological party In their sentiment or
hostility and antipathy to the Roman COM
The controversy which had such momentous
| Maryland. and Mr.. Hewitt and his friend
Mr. Baker, who was also one of the founders
Hewitt was ordained sub-dehcon and deacon in
the Episcopal CHURCH In 1888; His rapid prog
shown by the refusal Of the Missionary Com
mittee OF the Episcopal Church, shortly after
company Bishop Soutngate to now mission in
| Constantinople. on the ground that he had too
oxota m to M
grease and In ls45 the year M that, that Carainsl
| the Episcopal Church. and went to Charleston.
two years Of study Bishop Reynolds ordained
1t was originally his intention to do parish
work, and for three years he WAS attached to
that his vocation was TO be n ber of re-
ligious community, and in 1891 he became an
one of the priests attached to the Church Of tho
| Holy Redeemer in THIRD street, this city. This
that tfaI'y year by Father BERNARD Hafk kenscheid.
who had come from Holland. accompanied by
r II aeSSer "nm nd e a. TO-
Roman Catholic Church. The. latter two
were ASSOCIATED with Father Hewitt when
death IL 1sSs; wns the sapsrioE, OF Of the M
to the Redemptorists Father Baker and Father
George Deshon, also Americans and converts.
successfully in the mission, but they became
dissatisfied with the methods Of work. They
would be more successful If carried on on q diff
ferent basis; that the methods of the Redemp-
adapted to making conversions among native
born Americans. They, being American CON
yerts themselves, knew the difficulties that lay
| in the way OF spreading the Catholic faith in
this country.
And 50 it was that in the end OF 1857 they de.
| Cided to create new order, II possible ana
| Father Hecker was sent to Rome, Pope Plus
| l\. on March u, 1858. issued the decree Great
Ing tho Institute OF Missionary Priests Of st.
| Paul the Apostle. The first asylum of the order
in this city was in the house of George v.
| Hecker the millionaire miller, who was n rela-
tive OF Father iiecker. Their first mission was in
| WATERFOWL, y. ", ami then they Cnme to this
| city. During the summer the Congregation OF
| Missionary Priests OF st. Paul the Apostle was
organized, and arrangements were begun for tho
foundation OF n religious houseand church. with
n pnrochial charge annexed. On June ~. 1899.
| Archbishop Hughes laid the cornerstone OF n
| church at Fifty y-ninth street and NiGth avenue.
The work OF the Paulist Fathers was prose-
cuted vigorously, and II met with the greatest
success. In 1868 Father Hewitt gave mp active
missionary work and devoted his time to theO-
he IL considered one OF the chct authorities on
Church history, theology, and philosophy. He
Is an accom- mplshed linRuist also When Father
Hecker died in December, 1883, Father Hewitt
was elected Superior Of the order. OF the tivo
founders OF the order only Fat her Hewitt and
been intimately connected with tho Catholic
University since it's beginning. He was an ar
dent advocate of II, and until aycar ago was one
Of the lecturers there. II was by his motion ihat
the students of the Paullst order go here to
college, and through his efforts the Paulist
Aquinas at the university, In $50 Father
iirwit was made doctor OF divinity hy Amherst
College. and the Pope has also conferred the
same degree upon him, He has written many
books and pamphlets. tho best knuNh OF which
are the memoir OF his friend. Father Baker;
Faith';" Life of Princess BorGhese" A." Life "
Dumoulin- Borie," and his edition of The Com
plete Works of Bishop English" For the past
year he has been a regular contributor 10 the
! American Catho'te Quarterly RsrtCr.