The Irish standard., 1906-05-26


Society of Jesus, died few weeks ago.
and his successor will be elected this
summer. Reports from Rome indicate
that an American priest will probably
be selected-Father Rudolf Meyer OF
Cincinnati, says William E. Curtis in
the Chicago Record-Herald. writing
from Washington, D. c., under date
of May 20.
Although the Catholic church of the
United States has no representative
at the Vatican and no cardinal in the
curia. and it's affairs at Rome are sub
ject to the jurisdiction of Italian car
dinals it is not SO among religious Or
ders. The heads of the Franciscans and
the Carmelites are both Americans and
Cardinal Martinelli, prior general of
the Augustinians. lived in New York
for several years and was apostolic
legate at Washington for nearly four
years, SO that he is at least familiar
with American interests, although he
is not actually native Or citizen
Of this country.
Father Rutter. superior general OF
the order of st. Francis, is from Tren-
ton. N. j., and until October last was
rector of st. Francis College in that
city. He was born in Germany in
1856. was brought to America by his
,fC. 1,n iIDfn
Gated in the parish schools of New
Jersey and at st Francis College.
Trenton and was ordained priest in
1881. For several years he was at
Loretta and afterward in Rome; he
did pastoral work in Syracuse and was
then appointed rector Of st. Francis
moned to Rome to be procurato' gen.
eral the second highest office of the
Franciscan order.
1t is a rather curious coincidence that
the friar general of the Carmelites; and
the future general of the Jesuits
should have the same name and that
-ormer spells it Rudolf Mayer and the
latter Rudolf Meyer. Father Mayer
of the Carmeites was born in Ba-
varia and brought to this country by
his parents when a child. They made
their home in Pittsburg. where his
father was employed in the iron mills
r.
his novitiate he was attached to the
parish of Holy Trinity Churcn In
Pittsburg, and his zeal and abilities
made him so influential that in 1898
he was elected provincial of the Car
lnelites in the United States. and in
1901 was called to Rome to become
procurator general. the second official
in rank of his order.
The other Father Rudolf Meyer, who
is likely to become general of the
Jesuits, was born in Cincinnati In
1850. The general always dresses in
black, While the sovereign pontiff, the
real pope, always dresses in white.
Father Meyer was educated at ST.
Xavier's College in Cincinnati, where
lie became q Jesuit in 1867. Upon his
graduation he went to Florisant. an
old French settlement in Missouri, one
Of the original novitiates of the soci-
ETY. in America. and remained there
for two years. He then spent two
years more reviewing his classical
studies, taught five years in different
western colleges. and then came to
the House of Studies at Woodstock,
Md, where he spent three years in the
study of philosophy and four years
in theology. He closed his student
career at Woodstock by the grand
act of theology''-a two hours presen-
tation of his theological views and a
defense of them against the attacks
of dozen or more of the ablest pro-
fessors Of theology in the Catholic
church. 1t was the first event of the
kind the Jesuits had ever had in Amer
lea, although such things are common
in Europe. There was a similar act
at St. Louis University during the
worlds fair, at which President
Roosevelt was present, Father Meyer
came out of the ordeal with brilliant
success, and it gave him great fame