Untitled - Digitizing America

Like Charles, John attended the secret school at
Bohemia. Then, in 1748,hewas sentto a school in
Flanders administered by English Jesuits. Since
his ordination in 1761 he had earned the respect of
all and was considered an excellent choice for the
new post.
Pope Clement XIV abolished the Society of Jesus
in 1773. But Empress Catherine of Russia would
not allow the decree of Jesuit suppression to be
published in her country. Eventually, since the
Society was still thriving there, the newly elected
Pope Pius Vll issued a bull recognizing and reestablishing
the Russian congregation in 1801.
Shortly thereafter, Bishop John Carroll and his
co-adjutor, Bishop Leonard Neale, both former
Jesuits, requested and were given permission to
be reinstated in the order and to be associated
with the Russian community, together with twelve
other former members.
The Russian Superior told Bishop Carroll to appoint
a Superior for the United States, which was
accomplished in June of '1805. Many former
members were welcomed back to the fold and
some Russian Jesuits immigrated to help establish
the fledgling novitiate.
Through the suppressed years, the Jesuits had
remained a closely knit group and were able to
retain their identity. They had, in fact, opened
Georgetown University in September of 1799
through the efforls of Bishop Carroll.
When Bishop Carroll had visited England (where
he was consecrated) and France in 1790, he had
arranged for aictin the form of priests, teachers,
even some sh.dents, as well as financial suppoft-from
the Superior General of the Society of
St. Sulpice in Paris. Within the year, these dedicated
priests had sailed to Maryland and converted
the "One Mile Tavem" on the outskirts of
Baltimore into St. Mary's Seminary, which wasthe
first institution in this country for the training of
American priests.
While the bishop was abroad, our country's second
convent-that of the discalced Carmelite Sisters
from Antwerp-was established in Maryland.
(The Sisters were mainly American Sisters who
had gone earlier to Europe to join the convent.)
Socially, spiritually, financially, politically, exciting
things were happening throughout the New World.
ln 1787, two Catholics-Thomas FitzSimons and
Daniel Carroll, older brother of the bishopparticipated
in the creation and signing of the Constitution.
ln 1800, the year after our first president's
death at Mt. Vernon, our capital was moved from
its decade-long residence in Philadelphia to
Washington, D.C.
During that period, Demetrius Gallitzin (Father
Augustine Smith), son of a Russian prince, left a
life of privilege in Europe to minister to Christ's
People in America. The Catholic settlement of
Loretto grew out of his work in western Pennsylvania.
ln '1803, the Louisiana Purchase, at a cost of fifteen
million dollars, doubled our country's land
area. At three cents per acre, this 828,000 square
mile real estate deal was the best investment
since Manhattan lsland.
When Mother Theresa Farjon, Superior of the Ursuline
Convent in New Orleans, wrote to president
Thomas Jefferson inquiring about the convent's
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