Francis Neale
Encyclopedia
Father Francis Ignatius Neale, S.J.
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...
, (died 1837) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Roman Catholic priest of the Jesuit Order who became President of Georgetown College
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...
on two occasions and who was a leader of the Jesuit Mission
Mission
Mission may refer to:* Mission , variety of grape* Mission , base of missionary practice* Mission statement, a formal short written statement of an organization's value proposition...
in America. He was born in the Catholic colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
of 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...
to a prominent family, descended from Captain James Neale, who had settled in the colony in 1642 with a royal grant of land of two thousand acres. The family traced its origins to the noble O'Neill
O'Neill dynasty
The O'Neill dynasty is a group of families that have held prominent positions and titles throughout European history. The O'Neills take their name from Niall Glúndub, an early 10th century High King of Ireland from the Cenél nEógain...
family of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, from whom came the kings of Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
. Among his direct descendants were Oswald Neale (grandfather to Francis) and his brother, Father Bennett Neale, S.J., one of the first Jesuits in the English colony.
Francis' siblings included Father William Chandler Neale, S.J., (1743–1799) who left America to enter the Jesuit order in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
and spent his life ministering to the Catholics of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where he died. The next two brothers also took this step, but both died before they were able to complete their training. Francis was among the youngest three sons, all of whom also became Jesuit priests. They were the Most Reverend Leonard Neale
Leonard Neale
Leonard Neale, S.J. became, in 1800, the first Roman Catholic bishop ordained in the United States, and the second Archbishop of Baltimore...
, S.J., who also served as president of Georgetown and later became the Archbishop of Baltimore, and Father Charles Neale
Charles Neale
Father Charles Neale, S.J., was a leader of the Jesuit mission in America. He was born in the Catholic colony of Maryland to a prominent family, descended from Captain James Neale, who had settled in the colony in 1642 with a royal grant of land of two thousand acres. The family traced its origins...
, S.J., who served repeatedly as Superior of the Jesuits in America One sister, Anne, became a nun of the Order of Poor Clares in France. The other children of the family included another sister, Eleanor, who married a John Holmes, and a brother Ralph, who was the only son to marry.
He followed his brothers to Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, where he enrolled at St. Omer's College, intending to enter the Jesuits. In 1773, however, before he could do so, the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
ordered the suppression of the Society of Jesus. Remaining in Europe, he continued his seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
studies in Liège
Liège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
and was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
there. He returned to the United States in November 1788, to the high expectations of John Carroll
John Carroll (bishop)
John Carroll, was the first Roman Catholic bishop and archbishop in the United States — serving as the ordinary of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. He is also known as the founder of Georgetown University, the oldest Catholic university in the United States, and St...
, the newly-consecrated
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the new nation. Neale was initially assigned to St. Thomas Manor in St. Mary's County, the estate which served the former Jesuits as a center of worship
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
and operations near Port Tobacco.
At that time, Carroll had envisioned the establishment of a college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
for the training of the young men of the Catholic community, who had thus far had to go to Europe for an education in the faith, as all the clergy to date had been required to do. To this end, he acquired property in Georgetown and broke ground for the project in 1789. Carroll had pinned his hopes for this establishment on the leadership of Francis Neale. The community of former Jesuits, however, was aging and wanted to keep the focus of new members of their society on the manor
Manor
-Land tenure:*Manor, an estate in land of the mediaeval era in England*Manorialism, a system of land tenure and organization of the rural economy and society in parts of medieval Europe based on the manor*Manor house, the principal house of a manor...
s which supported both themselves and the life of the small Catholic community in the Potomac
Potomac
-Places in the United States:Washington, D.C. area:*The Potomac River, which flows through West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC**The Potomac Highlands of West Virginia, a region of the Potomac River's watershed in West Virginia...
region. This lack of interest in a school under the bishop's control came to be shared by Francis Neale, who apparently did not hesitate to voice his opposition. This was to mark the beginning of a long period of conflict between the two. Carroll first expressed his frustration in a letter sent to Neale in January 1790, in which the bishop complained about what he labeled "misinformation" on Neale's part as to the state of the rural missions served by the ex-Jesuits. This was crucial as they comprised the bulk of clergy Carroll had available to minister to the Catholic population of the nation. Carroll also challenged Neale regarding his spirit of cooperation with the goals of the new diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
by obtaining orders for the newly translated Douai Bible
Douai Bible
The Douay–Rheims Bible is a translation of the Bible from the Latin Vulgate into English made by members of the English College, Douai, in the service of the Catholic Church...
and a guide to the faith written by another Neale brother, Leonard.
At that point, in response to a request by the Governor for a priest to serve the growing frontier town of Frederick, Maryland
Frederick, Maryland
Frederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater...
, Carroll tried to remove Neale from the circle of ex-Jesuits by assigning him to minister there. Neale pleaded, however, that he was too ill to leave Port Tobacco, which was to occur periodically. In January, 1792, however, Father Neale arrived at the college, which had opened its doors the previous fall. He was named the first pastor of Holy Trinity Catholic Church adjacent to the college, but the salary he received for his work serving as president and treasurer of the school was his sole means of support. Neale proceeded to start the building of the church, which he was able to have erected within two years by virtue of his fund-raising efforts. By 1795, however, he abandoned efforts at raising subscriptions toward the church and used his own funds for the purchase of land surrounding the church, to protect its sacred environments. He was use his personal fortune to help establish the church over the next fifteen years.
Catholics throughout the region flocked to the church to receive the sacrament
Sacrament
A sacrament is a sacred rite recognized as of particular importance and significance. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites.-General definitions and terms:...
s of their faith, and the demand outstripped the expectations of either Carroll or Neale, who preferred his work for the college. Nevertheless, Carroll again attempted to transfer Neale in 1797. This time influential members of the congregation, whom he did not able to oppose, intervened on Neale's part, and he was allowed to stay. The consequence of this, however, was that the a special committee was drawn up to determine the future of the college. They resolved that the school was to be run by a five-member board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
, composed of the Maryland clergy, which included Francis Neale. The first meeting of the Board named Neale as Vice-President of the college. It has been speculated that this was to oust the college's third president, the ociety of St. Sulpice|Sulpician}} Abbé
Abbé
Abbé is the French word for abbot. It is the title for lower-ranking Catholic clergymen in France....
Louis Dubourg. It had the additional effect of separating Carroll from the administration of his beloved college.
The college thrived in its initial years. But within a few years, under the presidency his brother, Leonard, president of the college for six years (1798–1806), enrollment had declined to the point of endangering its future. It remained that way through the two terms of Francis serving as president. Criticism of the severe discipline imposed by the Neale brothers was voiced as the cause of this decline by Archbishop Carroll.
During this same period, Carroll acted on the repeated requests of Francis Neale (who had even written him a letter, which Carroll found to have a nagging tone, while he was in England, preparing for his consecration as bishop) and the other former members of the Society of Jesus to have them re-integrated into the order. Permission was granted by the Father General of the official remnant of the Society in Russia, where they had found protection of the Empress Catherine the Great. On October 10, 1806 Father Neale entered the Jesuit Order in the first novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
established for them in America. Although a novice
Novice
A novice is a person or creature who is new to a field or activity. The term is most commonly applied in religion and sports.-Buddhism:In many Buddhist orders, a man or woman who intends to take ordination must first become a novice, adopting part of the monastic code indicated in the vinaya and...
himself, he was appointed as Master of novices
Master of novices
The master of novices or novice master is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to refer those religious to whom is committed the training of the novices and the government of the novitiate of a religious order or congregation...
, directing their training.
He was appointed pastor of St. Ignatius Church, one of the Jesuits' first chapels, in Port Tobacco, where he served from 1819 until his death in 1837.