Felix-Joseph Barbelin was a nineteenth century Jesuit influential in the development of the Catholic community in Philadelphia.

Styled the "apostle of Philadelphia", he was born at Lunéville

Lunéville

Lunéville is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department and lies on the Meurthe River.-History:...

, Alsace

Alsace

Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...

, France and died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was the oldest of six children, of whom five became religious, his youngest brother Ignace-Xavier being the founder of the Apostolic School

Apostolic school

An apostolic school is a missionary college of the Roman Catholic Church, having for its object to cultivate vocations for foreign missions.-History:...

 at Amiens

Amiens

Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...

. He entered the Society of Jesus

Society of Jesus

The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...

, 7 January 1831, at Whitemarsh, Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

, and for some years was stationed at Georgetown University

Georgetown University

Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...

, as disciplinarian and teacher of French.

In 1836 he became assistant pastor of Holy Trinity Church at Georgetown, and in 1838 was transferred to Philadelphia. For more than a quarter of a century he was pastor of Old St. Joseph's Church

Old St. Joseph's Church

Old St. Joseph's Church was the first Catholic church in Philadelphia. When it was founded in 1733, Old St. Joseph's Church was the only place in the English-speaking world where public celebration of the holy sacrifice of the Mass was permitted by law. In 1734, the right of Catholics to worship...

, Willing's Alley, which became, mainly during his term of office, the centre from which radiated Catholic influences throughout the city and diocese. He founded Saint Joseph's Hospital in his adopted city, and was the first to establish sodalities for men and women and for the young. In 1852 he was appointed the first President of Saint Joseph's College which is now known as Saint Joseph's University

Saint Joseph's University

Saint Joseph's University is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic Jesuit university located partially in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia and partially in Lower Merion Township and located in the Pennsylvania Main Line, Pennsylvania, United States.The school was founded in 1851 as Saint...

. Barbelin Hall

Barbelin Hall

Barbelin Hall is the most enduring and memorable building on the campus of Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The structure was completed in 1927 and was the first building on the current City Avenue campus known as Hawk Hill. The building is known for its 165 foot tower which...

at Saint Joseph's is named in his honor.