Men of the Time, eleventh edition/Beckx, Peter John
BECKX, Peter John, General of the Jesuits, was born at Sichem, in Belgium, Feb. 8, 1795, and educated for the priesthood. Shortly after receiving priest's orders he was admitted into the Society of Jesus, at Hildesheim, in Oct. 1819. His superiors soon perceived that he possessed rare abilities, and employed him on several delicate missions. When the Duke Ferdinand of Anhalt-Köthen became a convert to the Catholic religion, young Beckx was appointed his confessor, and he officiated for some years as priest of the new Catholic church which was built at Köthen. After the decease of the Duke he continued at the court with his widow, the Countess Julia, whom, at a later period, he accompanied to Vienna. In 1847 he was appointed procurator for the province of Austria, and in this capacity he went to the College of Procurators at Rome. In the following year the Jesuits were temporarily driven from Austria, and consequently Father Beckx, being unable to return to that country, repaired to Belgium, and was nominated rector of the college belonging to his order at Louvain. When the Jesuits were re-established in Austria, he zealously supported the projects of the Government, which were highly favourable to the interests of the Church. He lent his powerful aid to the Primate of Hungary, Cardinal Szeitowsky, who succeeded in obtaining the reinstatement of the Jesuits in that portion of the empire, and founding the noviciate at Tyrnan. Being sent to the assembly summoned at Rome in 1853, to choose a successor to Father Roothan, he was elected Superior of the Order. The success of the Jesuits since that time, especially in non-Catholic countries, is due, in no slight degree, to the ability and foresight of Father Beckx. Besides some minor writings and occasional discourses, he has published a "Month of Mary" (Vienna, 1843), which has passed through numerous editions, and been translated into many languages.