The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-01-28

The Part Father Hewitt Took in the
 Upbuilding of the Paulists.-Em-
 braced the Roman Catholic Faith
 While Apparently Incurably Ill
 With Pulmonary Trouble-Recov-
 bratc His Golden Jubilee as a
 Catholic Priest.-Man of Rare In-
 telIect and Prodigious Worker.
 Bridgeporters, more especially those of Catholic belief whose memories ex- tend over the last two decades, are gratified at the high tribute paid to the memory of the late Very Rev. Au- gustine F. Hewitt, D. D.. during the week of solemn ceremony in progress in New York city in observance of the 50th anniversary of the institution of the Order of Paulists. Dr. Hewitt, a native of Fairfield, born of famous Colonial stock, was the second Super ior-General of the Paulists. succeeding the founder of the order, Father Heck CT. His brilliant attainments, jealous efforts, masterly discussions of ques-
 
 bility of character won for him the profound respect Of all and made him enc of the pre- eminent divines of the Catholic Church. His father was for half a century in Bridgeport one of the foremost Protestant divines
 Born in Fairfield, Conn.,, Nov. 27, 1920, Father Hewitt was given the name of Nathaniel Augustine Hewitt. which on becoming a Catholic he changed to Augustine Francis. He was the elder son of the Rev. Nathaniel Hewitt, D. D., and Rebecca Hillhouse, one of four children. On his paterial side he was descended from a parson of the Church of England who lost his properties for his tendencies towards puritanism, and V ho settled in Connecticut among the first of the early coloniSts. On his maternal side he sprang from an Irish Presbyterian minister who had previ- ously settled in the same colony. In his family tree are to be found such famous names as John Masoj, John and Priscilla Alden. His mother was the daughter of the Honorable James HillhoIse, a member of Congress in 1791 and for 16 years afterwards Unit ed States Senator from Connecticut. She died when Father Hewitt was but Il years of age.
 When only six years of age. Father Hewitt was sent to the Fairfield town school to begin the study of Latin among other tasks. At eight he was enrolled at Phillips Academy, Andover, and at 15 he became a student at Am herst College. Here he was graduat- ed in 1899, in his class being such cele- brities as Dr. Storrs of Brooklyn, Henry Ward Beecher, and Bishop Huntingdon.
 Father Hewit's father was one of the foremost Congregational clergymen. He secured his academic education in Yale, 1908, and his theological equip ment in Andover, 1874. In 1915 he was installed pastor of the Plattsburgh, N. Y Congregational church. Three years later he became pastor of the Fairfield Congregational church, where he married. Later he removed to Bridgeport and for nearly half cen- tury was foremost among the local clergy. In 1862 he was made pastor emeritus and seven years later he died. In 1928 he became a pioneer in temper ance agitation, becoming the agent of the American Temperance Society. He lectured in most of the principal cities of Great Britain and his fine physical appearance and irresistible eloquence won him unstinted praise from all quarters.
 Father Hewitt fitted himself for the Congregat tional ministry at the Semin- ary at East Windsor. But he could not reconcile the principles of Calvan- ism with his own convictions, and he left the church of his father and for six years was a steadfast adherent to the Episcopal church. The High churchmen considered him as a can- didate for delegate to the Greek