RYKEN
284
RYKEN
December, 1856, his Oratorian novitiate. In 1863
he was ordained priest. After Cardinal Newman's
death he was elected superior of the Birmingham
Orator>- and held this office till his health gave
way. He was the last surxnvor of "my dearest
brothers of this House, the Priests of the Birming-
ham Oratorj'" to whom Newman dedicated his
"Apologia". His grave is mth theirs and Cardinal
Newman's at Rednal, a small country house belong-
ing to the Birmingham Oratorj', about seven miles
from Birmingham. His life was uneventful. He cared
little for notoriety
or even fame.
Once only did he
push himself for-
ward, and then
it was to incur
obloquy rather
than applause.
This was in 1867-
8, when he at-
tacked W. G.
Ward, at that time
editor of " The
Dublin Review",
and a leading spirit
among an influen-
tial section of
English Catholics
who were singu-
larly intolerant to-
wards those who
differed from
them. Ward
seemed to think of the pope as unceasingly exer-
cising his ver>' highest prerogative. All doctrinal
instructions contained in papal documents, such
as encycUcals and the Uke were infallible utter-
ances. The Syllabus, together with all the documents
which it quotes, was certainly infallible. So also,
most probably, were the doctrinal Decrees of the Index
and the Holy Office, when sanctioned by the pope and
promulgated by his order. These opinions were put
forward not tentatively, but as the only possible ones
for a loyal Catholic. In other words, the doctrine
of Infallibility was caricatured by its would-be de-
fender in almcst exactly the same way that it was
caricatured a few years later by the Old Catholic
Scliulte (see Fesslek). Against these extravagances
Kydcr delivered his protest in three pamphlets, re-
markable both for their literary style and the theo-
logical knowledge they displayed. He earned for his
reward, as he him.self in later years expressed it,
"the prophet's portion of stones"; but time has
shown that he was mainly in the right; within a very
few years his opponent had to retract many of his
more pronounced opinions in deference to the teach-
ing of Rfjman theologians. It should be added that
Ryder fully beli(;ved in the doctrine of Papal Infalli-
bility before it was defined.
His literary output was small. Apart from a riiimbfrof articles in American and English magazines, he published "Idealism in Thwjlogy, a Review of Dr. Sard's Scheme of Dogmatic Authority" (London, 1867J; "A Letter to W. G. Ward on his Theory of
Henky Ignatius Dudley Ryder
InfaUible Instruction" (London, 1868); "Post-
scriptum to Letter, etc." (London, 1S6S); "A Cri-
tique upon Mr. Foulkes' Letter" (London, 1869);
"Cathohc Controversy", a reply to Littledale's
"Plain Reasons" (London, 1880); "Poems Original
and Translated" (DubHn, 1882). There is besides
"Essays of the Rev. H. I. D. Ryder, edited by Francis
Bacchus" (London, 1911). "His Hterary ideal",
writes Mr. Wilfrid Ward, "was so high; his self-
criticism so unsparing, that much which might have
secured him a wider reputation was set aside. Quan-
tity was sacrificed in preference to letting the world
see anything which he himself felt to fall short of his
own high standard in quaUty."
Wilfrid Wakd, Fnllier Ignalius Ryder in The DiMin Review (January, 1S9S), republished in Idem, Ten Pergonal Studies (London, 1908); Chapman, Dr. Ryder's Essays in The Dublin Review (April, 1911).
J. F. Bacchus.
Ryken, Theodore James, known as Brother Francis Xavier, founder of the Xaverian Brothers, b. at Elshout, North Brabant, Holland, 30 August, 1797; d. at Bruges, 1871. His parents, who were devout Catholics, died while he was yet a child, and a pious uncle reared him. Even in j^outh he loved works of charity and zeal, and at nineteen he became a catechist. At twenty-five he became secretary to a well-known convert, M. Le Sage-ten-Broek, and acted in that capacity for four years, until cholera broke out at Groningen. While helping to nurse the patients, he caught the infection, and came near to death. In 1826 he made a pilgrimage to Rome, and Leo XII gave him a medal in commemoration. He made a second visit in 1838, and had an audience with Gregory XVI. In 1827 he entered a Trappist mon- astery in Germany but, as his confessor told him that God had other designs for him, his stay was short. Ryken came to America in 1831, and remained for three years. His observations in the United States convinced him that Catholic teachers were needed, and, returning to Europe, he planned to establish a teaching institute. In 1837 he returned to America and obtained written approval from seven bishops. Thereupon he asked permission from Bishop Boussen, of Bruges, to found a congregation. Tiic bishop con- sented, but, before the actual foundation, rcciuired Ryken to pass a year's novitiate, which he fulfilled with the Redemptorists.
The Xaverian Brothers (q. v.) were established at Bruges in 1839. The beginning was hard, the founder having, with two or three coinijanions, lo struggle against disheartening obstacles, (courage and energy prevailed, and after a few years came brighter days. Brother Francis pronounced the vows of religion in 1846. In 1860, after holding the office of Superior General of the Xaverians for twenty-seven years, he was relieved of his duties on account of failing strength. At the time of his death the Xaverians were firmly settled in Belgium, England, and the United States. In Ryken's character the conspicuous traits were optimistic faith, rigour towards self, and zeal for the observance of tlie rule.
BiioTFiKK i'lMsriH XwiKii {Tlii,„lori' James Ryken): A Life Sk-rlch (IJaltirnori', 1901); Va.n Toukmiout, Fraf/mcnls from the History of the Xaverian Brothers (lialliniore, 1911).
Brother Isidore.
