Evening star., 1939-07-02
Msgr. Hyvernot to Be Invested
As Prothonotory Apostolic
High Mass Today
Opens 18th Summer
Session at 6. u.

The Right Rev. Msgr. Henry Hy.
vernat, professor of Biblical archie
ology and of Semitic Languages
and literature at the Catholic
University, will be invested as a
prothonotary apostolic in the crypt
Of the National Shrine of the I'M
maculate Conception on the uni
versity campus this morning after
the high mass at 10 o'clock, which
formally opens the 29th annual sum-
mer session.
Msgr Hyvernat was elevated to
his rank at the formal convocation
which opened the golden jubilee
year of the university last October
IL. His was the first honor to be
bestowed during the golden jubilee
year and was granted to him by
the late Pope Plus XII, who had
known him years ago at the Vatican
Library. Msgr. Hyvernat is the
only survivor OF the first faculty of
the university.
The Most Rev. John M. McNa-
mara, Auxiliary Bishop of Balti-
more, will invest Msgr. Hyvernat
with the highest rank which can
be bestowed upon monsignor. This
rank permits the wearing of the
mitre and other Episcopal insignia
when a prothonotary apostolic is
the celebrant at an ecclesiastical
function.
The Rev. Leo Ruskowski. S. S.,
will be the celebrant of the high
mass, following which the investi-
ture of Msgr. Hyvernat will take
place. The Right Rev. Joseph M.
Corrigan, rector of the university,
will preach the sermon on this oc-
casion. Msgr. Hyvernat came TO
to prepare for the opening of classes
which took place on November 49,
The 50th anniversary of this event
will be observed with appropriate
ceremonies next fall with the formal
celebration of the golden jubilee
year on the same day.
In anticipation of the opening of
the Catholic University of America
in 1889 he was appointed professor
Of Oriental languages. Since that
time he has served the university,
occupying the Andrews chair of
biblical archaeology and being head
of the department of Semitic and
Egyptian languages and Iteratures.
Prior to this time, on scientific
mission from the French govern
ment, Msgr. Hyvernat Travelled ex-
tensively in the Caucasus. Armenia,
Kurdistan. Mesopotamia. Babylonia,
India, Egypt and Palestine.
Msgr. Hyvernat is a member of
many professional associations,
learned and technical societies of
eminence and was made chevalier
of the Legion of Honor in 1926 and
an officer in 1885,
Thirty years ago he was the mov-
ing spirit in the organization of the
Catholic University Museum, to
which he presented his own highly
valuable personal collections. From
1911-1913 he was in charge of the
J. Pierpont Morgan collection of
Coptic manuscripts. In 1905 he was
founder of the Corpus Scriptorum
Christianorum Orientalium, in which
he is still very deeply interested
From the very first he was director
of the Coptic section of the Corpus
and since 1912, when the Catholic
University, jointly with the Catholic
University of Louvain, assumed
ownership of the Corpus, he was
chairman of the Washington Com
mittee of Consultation until ILL
health forced his retirement from
this activity in 1928. DR.. Hyvernat
is also very much interested in the
Foundation for Research in Chris
tian Oriental Literature, both as its
founder and as chairman of its
Committee of Direction.