Evening star., 1943-07-02

JCSuII rVvIIISC -
Divided in Two Units
The Maryland New York Province
of the Society of Jesus, which formed
q union 63 years ago. has been ol-
vided into two separate provinces
for more eff1cient and convenient
administration, 1t was announced to-
day. The two Jurisdictions Will De
known as the Maryland and the New
York Provinces.
The Maryland Province, originally
founded III years ago. Is the Oldest
and best known Jesuit jurisdiction
in the country. Its provincial, or
administrator. will be the Very Rev.
Vincent L. Keelan, S. j.. who has
been IN residence at Georgetown
University here since his appoint
mant as wee provincial of the former
Maryland-New York Province.
After today. Father Keelan will
maintain headquarters in Baltimore,
at the rectory of st. Ignatius Church.
His administrative powers will ex-
tend over all Jesuit colleges, univer-
sites, schools and churches IN an
area embracing Maryland. the Dis
trict. Pennsylvania, Virginia and
North Carolina.
New York Province.
The New York Province will be
headed by the Very Rev. James p
Sweeney. S. j.. who had been pro-
vlncial OF the combined jurisdiction
since october 7. 1899. The geo.
graphic boundary of the province
embraces all of New York State and
part Of New Jersey, including Jersey
City.
In addition to Georgetown Uni
versity, the Maryland Province is
the home Of Loyola College, Balti-
more; ST Joseph's College. Phila-
deiphia; Woodstock College. VII
lanova in PENNSYLVANIA, and nu-
mercus other institutions Fordham
University in New York City. where
Father Sweeney maintains his head
quar- tiers, is the largest Jesuit institu-
tion in the country, as Georgetown
is the oldest. St. Peters College in
Jersey City. Canisius College in Buff
1alo and St. Andrew on the Hudson
are among the better known in the
New York province.
For better supervision of a grow
ing number of schools and churches
under Jesuit jurisdiction, the origi-
nal Maryland province was merged
in 1879 with what was then known
as the New York-Canadian Mission
1t embraced part of Canada and the
New England States.
First Separation in 1926.
The first step toward separation
Of the enlarged province took place
in 1926 when the New England area
was made into a separate province.
In 1889 a second step leading to the
division that has now taken place
occurred when Father Keelan was
sent to Georgetown in the new
capacity of vice provincial. He has
administered affairs in the Mary
land areas subject to the direction
of the provincial.
Father Keelan was former dean
of studies of Woodstock College,
Oldest Jesuit house Of studies in
this section. He was born in Balti-
more November 2. 1890, and was
educated in the public schools of
that city, Loyola High School and
College. He left college in his junior
year to enter the Jesuit order, Au-
gust IA, 1907.
Father Keelan continued his Jesuit
studies in philosophy and theology
at Woodstock. taught at Fordham
Preparatory School in 1914 to 1919
and completed his work in theology
at Woodstock, 1903.
Ordained in 1922.
He was ordained June a. 1922. in
Dahlgren Chapel. Georgetown Uni
versity. in the first class conducted
by Archbishop Michael j. Curley of
Baltimore. For two years after his
ordination he studied sacred the
ology at the Gregorian University in
Rome and took his tertianship at
St. Andrew on the Hudson, Pough-
keepsie, N. Y. Before coming to
Washington he was at Woodstock
from 1896.
Father Sweeney, a former presi-
dent of Canisius College, Buffalo,
N. Y, was born in Attica. N. Y, In
1894. He was educated at Canisius,
st. Andrew-on- the Hudson and at
Woodstock. He was admitted to
the Society of Jesus August IA, 1914,
and was ordained May 20, 1926.
Father Sweeney taught classics at
Boston College. l920-23. and was
pastor of st. Joan of Arc Church.
Aberdeen, Md. in 1926-27. For a
number of years he taught philo-
sophy and sociology at various COL
leges and became president Of Cant
sius in 1894. About four years later
he was appointed vice provincial of
the Maryland-New York Province
and two years later became its di-
recting head.