The Irish standard., 1897-04-24
FIFTY YEARS. 4 PRIEST
FATHER HEWITT CELEBRATES HIS
GOLDEN JUBILEE.
AN INTERESTING BIOGRAPHY OF TIE
FAITHFUL SUPERIOR OF THE PAUL
IST FATHERS.
HIS SEARCH AFTER TRUTH AND Ills
FINAL ENTRANCE INTO THE CATH
OLIC CHURCH.

FINAL ENTRANCE INTO THE CATH
OLIC CHURCH.
Very Rev. Augustine F. Hewitt, D. D.,
superior of the Paulist fathers, cele-
brated last week the golden Jubilee OF
priestly ordination, says the Boston
Republic. Father Hewitt was born in
Fairfield Ct. in November, 1920, and.s
consequently nearly " years old. His
father, Rev. Nathaniel Hewitt, was pas
tor of Presbyterian church in Fair
field. His mother was a daughter Of
Senator James Hillhouse. He was named
Nathaniel Augustus, but when he be-
came Redemptorist he adopted the
name Augustine Francis.
He graduated from Amherst College,
Massachusetts, in 1889. The following
year he entered the theological institute
of Connecticut at East Windsor. Iii
1912 he received his preachers license
in the Congregational church, and it was
then that a most interesting period Of
his career began. He did not find the
Congregational church what he l0nged
for, and he turned his eyes toward the
Protestant Episcopal church; SO within
year he was in Baltimore studying un-
der Bishop Whittingham.> In 1843 the
movement started in Oxford by DR..
Pusey and the late Cardinal Manning
was making itself felt in the United
States Young Hewitt was in the thick Ct
the fight. He was ordained deacon in
the Episcopal church in 1843. But he
was gradually leaning Rolneward, and
this tendency was noted by his ecclesi-
astical superiOrs. The missionary COM
mittee shortly after his ordination as
deacon, refused to allow him to accom-
pany Bishop Southgate to new mission
in Constantinople, on the ground that
he had too strong Catholic bias. The
influence of the Oxford movement on
him continued to increase, and in 1845,
the year that Cardinal Newman became
Catholic, Mr.. Hewitt also left the Epis-
copal church and went to Charleston, S.
c., to study under Bishop Reynolds.
After two years of study Bishop Rey-
nolds ordained him priest. ..-.
1t was originally his intention to do
parish work, and for three years he was
attached to the diocese of Charleston, s.
c. Then he decided that his vocation
was to be member of religious COM
munity, and in 1851 he became an as
sociate of the New York Redemptorists
and one of the priests attached to the
Church of the Holy Redeemer, in Third
street, in that city.
In 1857 Father Hewitt and number
of his associates conceived the idea Of
establishing new order especially
adapted to the work of making converts
among native born Americans. For the
purpose of furthering the project Rev.
Isaac T. Hecker was sent to Rome. Pope
Plus TX, on March 6, 1858, issued the
decree creating the Institute of Mission
ary Priests of st. Paul the Apostle The
first asylum of the new order in New
York city was in the house of George
V. Hecker, the millionaire miller, who
was brother of Father Hecker. Their
first mission was in Watertown, N. Y.
Then they went to New York city. Dur
ing the summer the Congregation Of
Missionary Priests of st. Paul the
Apostle was organized, and ar
rangements were begun for the
foundation of a religious hous,
and church, with a parochial charge an
nexed. On June 10, 1859, Archbishop
Hughes laid the corner stone of a
church at Fifty-ninth street and Ninth
avenue.
The work of the Paulist fathers was
prosecuted vigorously, and it met with
the greatest success. In 1865 Father
Hewitt gave up active missionary work
and devoted his time to theological and
literary studies. AS a result of these
he is considered one of the chief author
tiles on church history, theology and
philosophy. He is an accomplished lin
guist also. When Father Hecker died in
December, 1883, Father Hewitt was
elected Superior of the order. OF the
five founders of the order only Father
Hewitt and Father Deshon are living.
Father Hewitt has been intimately con-
nected with the Catholic University
since it's beginning. He was an ardent
advocate of it, and until year ago was
one of the lecturers there It was by
his motion that the students of the
Paulist order go there to college, and
through his efforts the Paulist fathers
established the College of st. Thomas
Aquinas at the university. In 1886 Father
Hewitt was made doctor of divinity by
Amherst College, and the Pope has also
conferred the same degree upon him.
He has written many books and pamph-
let's. the best known Of which are the
memoir Of his friend, Father Baker,
Reasons for Submitting to the Catholic
Faith" Life of Princess Borgheso, -
Life of Dumoulin-Borie" and his edi-
tion Of "The Complete Works Of Bishop
English"