The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-02-05
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
OF FATHER HECKER
The Famous Founder of the
Paulist Order a Native of
New York City and the Son
ofGermanLut LutheranP Parents
WAS Associate of Emer.
son, Hawthorne, Brownson,
George w. Curtiss and
Charles A. Dana.

Charles A. Dana.
The following brief sketch of the
founder Of the Paulist Order is taken
from the Boston Republic:
Isaac T. Heck"r was born in New
York City On December 1s, 1919, being
the third son and youngest child of
JOHN Hecker and Caroline Freund, his
wife. Both parents were natives of
Germany, but very young at the time
OF their respective families immigra-
tion to New York. There was a trace
Of French blood in the Freunds. Mrs.
Hecksr was very remarkable woman,
and lived to good old age, preceding
her son in death by only twelve years.
Il never saw a son so like his mother"
said one who krew them both inti-
mately
Isaac was baptized in the Lutheran
church in his infancy and from the
strict home up"bringing, and the neces-
sity Of labor which were his from an
early ago, it is highly probable that he
never was guilty of any serious fault
in his life.
At the age of eleven he was working
with his brothers in the afterwards
well-known bakery of the Heckers.
His early schooling was scant, but he
learned the "Three RS" we'll; he was
asceNcs and spiritual minded and if hs
had boon treasurer of his brothers
establishment, he probably would have
given everything outside of their de-
cent livelihood to the poor. His re-
ligious training was very rudimentary;
perhaps not more than faith in divine
Creator and the obligation of keeping
the Commandments. When he joined
the Workingman's Party, in his middle
teens, Of which DIR. Orestes A. Brown
son, Robert Dale owen, and other we'll
known men of the '30s were also MEM
bers, his conception of Our Lord was
ocratic side Of civilization, with corn
plete ignoring Of the religious side Of
His mission. Still, Isaac T. Hecker
was religious and even mystical, ac-
cording to his lights, and the best proof
of his sincerity was in his discomfort
with himself.
On the advice Of DR.. Brownscn.
young Hecker went to Brook Farm,
West Roxbury, where he was associ-
ated in the short lived Transcendental
movement with Mr.. and Mrs. George
Ripley, Nathaniel Hawthorne, George
P. Bradford and others, Charles A,
Dana, later the famous editor Of The
New York Sun, joining them in due
course. Fraternity, not socialism, was
the watchword of this group, which
numbered over seventy, distributed
among q number of houses. He was
first, as Father Walter Elliott, esp.
tells us in his Life of Father Hecker
from which we have drawn all, oul
facts, partial boarder, making up fol
the deficiency in money by taking
charge Of the bread making, which ur
to that time had been very poorly at.
tended to. Later, he was able to pay
in full, so az to devote all his time te
study.
We quote the following from lonl
letter Of George William Curtis, wht
waswas with young Hecker at this in
terssting place, so we'll known to nov
el-readers through Hawthorne's
"Blithedale Romance"
"He was general favorite at
Brook Farm, always equable and
playful, wholly simple and frank
in manner. He talked readily and
easily, but not controversially. His
smile was singularly attractive and
sympathetic, and the earnestness
of which have spoken gave him
an unconscious personal dignity.
His temperament was sanguine.
The whole air of the youth was
that of goodness. do not think
that the impression made by him
forecast hiE career, or in any de-
gree, the leadership which he aft
erwards held in his Church."
The atmosphere of Brook Farm wa
prsdominantly Unitarian; yet it wa
here that the future priest and founde