Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-22
HEAD OF THE JESU|TS
American viii Probably BE Sc
lected.
REV. RUDOLF MEYERS RISE
Gained Great Fame as a Theo-
Logan.
HIS SUCCESS AT ST. LOUIS
Great Growth of the University ow-
ing to His Management-Some
thing About the Order.
BY WILLIAM z. CURTIS


Special Correspondence Of The star and Chic. 90
Record Herald.
Father Martin. the general of the Society
or Jesus, died few weeks ago and his sue
cessor will be elected this summer REPORTS
from Rome indicate that an American
priest will probably be selected-Father Ru-
dof Meyer of Cincinnati Although the
catholic Church of the United States has
no representative at the Vatican and no
cardinal in the curia, and its affairs at
Rone are subject to the Jurisdiction of Ital-
ian cardinals who have no knowledge Of or
sympathy with American Institutions If ,s
not so among the religious orders. The
heao or the FrFanciscans and of the Car
lIeites are both Americans and Cardinal
Mar tiheiil, prior general of the Augusttn-
i"is HVeo In New York for several years
anu was apostolic legate at Washington for
.'eaiiy iour years, so that he is at least
Iafniiiar with American interests. although
ne ~ not actually a native or a citizen of
this country
Father Rutter. superior general ., +bo
oroer OF st. Francis, is from Trenton N 7
ana up TIL October last was rector of 81
rlaHcls college in that city. He was horn
Nv IL. i rl,l IN 1870 was brought to America
Wy ms parents when he was an infant edu-
cated In the parish schools of New Jersey
ana at st Francis College Trenton and
was Dreamed priest in 1881. For several
years he was at Loretta and afterward i'm
Rome; he did pastoral work IN SI,rao,,.n
ana was then appointed rector of ST Fran
CTS CoHege, where he remained until s1,m-
moned to Rome to be procurator general
order 'tA0 L IL dlclscdh
II is rather curious coincidence that the
prior general of the Carmeltes and the fr
lure general Of the Jesuits should have the
same name and that both should he Anerf
cans-only the former spells n Rudoif
Mayer and the latter Rudolf Never. Father
Mayer or the Carmeltes was born In Pa
narla and brought to this country by his
parents when a child They made tbair
nome In Pittsburg. where his father was
employed In the iron mills and where he
was educated. After his novitiate he was
6ai,acned TO the parish of Holy Trinity
church In Pfttsburg and his zeal and abii
ties made him so influential that In 1898 he
was elected provincial of the Carmelites In
Inc United States and in 1901 was called to
reoiie 70 become procurator general, the
second ofncial In rank of his order
Gained Fame as Theologian.
The other Father Rudolf Meyer who is
likely to become general of the Jesuits. was
born In Cincinnati in 1850. They call the
general of the Jesuits the black pope be-
cause OF his great influence and power. He
alwa ;.s dresses In black, while the sovereign
pontif, the real pope. always dresses in
white Father Meyer was educated at ST
Navier's College in Cincinnati. where he
became Jesuit In 1867 Upon his gradua-
uon he went to Floraissant an old French
settlement In Illinois, one of the original
novltlateS of the society in America and
remained there for two years He then
spent TWO years more reviewing his classi-
cal studies; taught five years in different
western colleges, and then came to the
mouse of studies at Woodstock, Md, where
he spent three years in the study of phil-
osophy and four years in theology He
closed his student career at Woodstock by
the grand act of theology two hours
presentation of his theological views and a
Qe1ense OF them against the attacks of a
dozen or more of the ablest professors of
tneology in the Catholic Church 1t was
the f1rst event of the kind the Jesuits had
ever mad In America, although such things
are common in Europe. There was a SINH
lar act at st. Louis University during the
world fair at which President Roosevelt
was present. Father Meyer came out of the
ordeal with brilliant success, and 1t gave
MIN great fame as a theologian and con-
troversionalist
He was then sent west and established
the scholasticate at the University of ST.
Louis. which is under the care of his order
His reputation and good management of
that institution brought to 1t students from
all over the world, from Mexico, South
America, the Philippine Islands, and even
from Europe. Formerly Woodstock Md.
had the largest number of students but 1t
has been outstripped by the University OF
st. Louis, and now receives few outside of
the immediate surrounding states