The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-10-23


was first published at Louvain in 1852.
The edition of this work, to which
Cardinal Moran added a preface. was
published in Dublin in 1868, and there
in we may learn Of what heroic mould
these Waterford ecclesiastics were. A
fellow-student of Lombard in Louvain
was Nicholas Quemerford, and of him
and others the Lord President of
Munster, Sir William Drury, complains
that "the Catholic cause was mainly
supported by the students of Water
ford educated at Louvain, by whom,
and by some others aforesaid, the
proud and undutiful Inhabitants of the
town are cankered in Popery and are
slandering the Gospel publicly" The
zeal of these Irishmen from Louvain
is. in the judgment of this pious Prot
estant officer, shameful in reformed
CITY,"
Peter Lombard was one of the dis
tinguished Irish students to win the
high honor of Primus in schola Arthur,
an honor indeed when we consider the
method Of comforting it, and the merit
required to win it, To select the stu
dent, general concursus of the fac
ulty of arts was held each year. Nine
students were chosen from each Of the
four following colleges, Castri, Porci,
Falcons, and Lilii. Two professors
from these colleges examined the can
didates; and on the third Sunday of
October made known their judgments.
The announcement of the Primus was
regarded as q great honor to the re-
cipient, as well as to his college, his
native country, and his friends. Re-
ceptions and fetes were held at Lou
vain, and likewise, as the chroniclers
of the time tell us, in the native place
of the honor man. Ireland was not in
way to celebrate the glorious record
of her successful children; for, as the
commentator adds, "Our country in
those penal days had to remit one
half the rejoicing, as their native land
was bowed down with sorrow and rest
ing in blood"
Among the other names that stand
accredited with this great academic
honor of Primus was John Shinnick
of Cork, who took his degree at Lou.
vain in 1925. In his class of competi-
tors we're two hundred and thirty.six
Masters of Arts. A note from the Bax
Manuscripts about John Shinnick will
serve to describe state of society
which existed in Ireland in the seven
teenth century, when even amid the
hardships of persecution, zeal for
learning was still vigorous John
Shinnick began his classical studies in
his native city of Cork. In short
time he made such progress therein
that not only his masters and fellow
students, but also the magnates of the
whole Province of Munster turned
their eyes towards him on account of
his great talents, and, according to the
custom of the country, wished to take
possession Of the boy, that he might
live In their sight; so that three of the
most ancient and illustrious families
of Munster fought with the sword for
his residence among them; which
aforesaid quarrel caused his parents
to send him to Louvain, although
otherwise they could conveniently edu.
cate him at home. Thus, in his early
youth, for the sake of the Catholic
Faith, he was exiled from his country
and his kindred, and inf1amed with q
love for knowledge and virtue he
came, as it were from the Ultima
Thule, to the University of Louvain.' -
The early promise given by young
Shinnick in intellectual achievements
was richly fulfilled in later years. He
pursued his studies at Louvain with
marked success. Step by step he went
on gaining academic successes as q
teacher and regent. But his greatest
honor came in February, 1913, when
he was elected Rector Magniicus OF
the University. He was reelected in
August. 1860. Theological controversy
was vigorous in Louvain during Dr.
Shinnick's rectorship. The great ques'
ton De Auxillis exercised the master
minds of the University. Cornelius
Jansenius was one who tried his hand
at the controversy, and in 1910 ap.
peared from the press his work: Cor.
nelii Jansenii Episcopi Iprensis Angus
tinus. AS Rector Magnifcus, DR.. Shin
nick took leading part in the great
debate. Eleven publications bear his
name; and while the reader may doubt
his orthodoxy, knowing that the Con.
gregation of the Index condemned
some of his writings. yet Shinnick
never wavered in his devotion and
obedience to the Holy See. He died
in May, 1866, at the College of the
Holy Ghost, of which he had been
president for twenty-five years.
Though his scholarly life had been