CANONS
296
CANONS
of each enjoyed all the rights anil privileges of the
other. The constitutions of the Lateran Congrega-
tion were adopted with some little modification by
the Irish. In 1703 Dom Milerius Burke, Abbot of
St. Thomas, Dublin, was appointed by the abbot
general, Clappini, with the approval of Clement XI,
vicar-gene.al in the three kingdoms. In 1735 the
Irish canons were claiming before the Congregation
of Propaganda their right to several churches, par-
ishes, and houses. The cause was settled in their
favour, but there were many difficulties, and they
could get possession of only a few. In the "Spicile-
gium Ossoriense" (III, 148) we find that Henry
O' Kelly, a canon regular, obtained from Pope Bene-
dict XIII letters in virtue of which he not only called
himself Abbot of St. Thomas, Dublin, but also claimed
the parochial rights over a great pari of the city, with-
out any dependence upon the metropolitan. The last.
canon of the Irish Congregation died towards the be-
ginning of the nineteenth century. But. the Irish
Congregation having been united, as we have stated,
with the Lateran, all its rights and privileges still sur-
vive in the last-named.
The Austrian Congregation, formed in 1907, is com- posed of the various ancient monasteries, abbeys, and collegiate churches of canons regular in Austria. These are St. Florian, Klosterneuburg, Herzogenburg. Reichersburg, Voran, Neustift. The president of this new congregation is the Abbot of St. Florian.
Other more or less distinct congregations now no longer in existence have been those of St. Rufus, founded in 1039, and once flourishing in Dauphine; of Aroasia (Diocese of Arras, in France), founded in 1097; Marbaeh (1100); of the Holy Redeemer of Bologna, also called the Renana (1136), now united to the Lateran Congregation; of the Holy Spirit in Sassia (1198); of St. George in Alga, at Venice(1404); of Our Saviour in Lorraine, reformed in 162S by St. Peter Fourier.
Canonesses Regular. — To most religious orders and congregations of men convents of nuns are re- lated, following the same rules and constitutions. There are canonesses regular, as well as canons regular. The Apostolic origin is common to both. As Suarez says, "with regard to origin and antiquity the same is to be said of orders of women both in general and in particular as of orders of men. The one generally began with the other. St. Basil in his rules addresses both men and women. And St. Augustine founded his first monastery for women in Africa at Tagaste". Most, if not all, of the con- gregations which go to form the canonical order Bad, or still have, a correlative congregation for women. In Ireland St. Patrick instituted canons regular, and St. Bridget was the first of numberless canonesses. The monasteries of the Gilbertine Con- gregation were nearly alw 7 ays double, for men and women. As with the canons, so also among the canonesses, discipline and love of community life now flourished now languished, so that in the tenth and eleventh centuries many of them be- came canonicce saculares and. though living in the same house, no longer cherished the spirit of religious povertj <>r kept a common table.
On the other hand many communities of canonesses willingly took the nana- and the rule of life laid down for the congregations of regular canons. There still exist in Italy, Prance, Spain. Belgium, Holland. Eng- land, Germany, Africa. America, nuns and convents belonging to the Lateran or to some other congrega- tion of canons regular. The contemplative life is represented by such convents as Newton Abbot in England, Sta. Pudenziana at Home, Sta. Maria di at (e una. Hernani in Spain, St. Trudo at Bruges. The I lospitalarians were till lately well represented in France with convents of canonesses at Paris, Reims, Laon, Soissons, and elsewhere.
Occupied in the education of children, there are,
besides some of the ancient convents of canonesses
of various congregations, the canonesses of the
Congregation of Notre Dame, instituted in 1597
at Mattaincourt, in Lorraine, by St. Peter Fourier.
This congregation, whose object is the gratuitous edu-
cation of poor girls, spread rapidly in France and
Italy. There are now convents of Notre Dame in
France, Belgium, Holland, Austria, Germany, Italy,
and Africa. In France alone, until the persecution
of 1907, they had some thirty flourishing communi-
ties and as many schools for externs and boarders.
Driven away from France, some have taken refuge
in England, like those of the famous convent of Les
Oiseaux, Paris, who are now at Westgate, and those
of Versailles who have settled at. Hull. With some
modifications the work was soon introduced into the
New World in a remarkable way. The canonesses of
the convent at Troves had for some time earnestly
desired to carry on their institute in Canada. Cir-
cumstances, however, prevented their going, but at
their request Margaret Bourgeoys, the president of
the confraternity attached to their convent, gladly
crossed the ocean. In 1657 she opened a school at
Montreal, in which, in accordance with the rules laid
down by Peter Fourier, the poor were taught gratui-
tously. The school was a great success. Margaret
returned to France to ask for helpers, and found them
among her sisters, the Children of Mary of Troyes.
Returning to Canada with four fellow-workers, and
soon followed by others, she opened a school for board-
ers as well as a day school. In 1676 these pious
women were formed into the "Congregation of Notre
Dame. Margaret died in 1700 and has since been
declared venerable. The work she had transferred
to Canada is still flourishing. At her death there
were ten houses in the Dominion; there are now more
than a hundred spread over the whole of North Amer-
ica under a superior general, who resides at the
mother-house, Montreal.
In 1S09 Bishop Wittmann founded, in Bavaria. "The Poor Sisters of the Schools of Notre Dame", an institute similar to that founded by St. Peter Fourier. This association is now widespread in Europe and in America, and has done excellent work in the field of education.
There are English canonesses at Bruges, and at Neuilly. near Paris. In England there is a convent of the Holy Sepulchre at New Hall, with a flourishing school, originally at Liege; also a filiation of that at Bruges, at Hayward's Heath, with a large school; at Newton Abbot a numerous community, with a colony at Hoddesdon, devoted to the contemplative life and the Perpetual Adoration. This last convent is, as it were, a link with the pre-Reformation canonesses, through Sister Elizabeth Woodford, who was pro- fessed at Burnham Priory, Bucks, S December, 1519. When the convent was suppressed, in 1537, she was received for some time into the household of Blessed Thomas More. Later on she went to the Low Coun- tries and was received into the convent of canonesses regular at St. Ursula's, Louvain, of the Windesheim Congregation. So many English ladies, daughters and sisters of martyrs, like Ann Clitheroe, Margaret. Clement. Eleanor and Margaret Garnet, followed her that, in 1609, they formed an English community. St. Monica's, Louvain. Towards the end of the eigh- teenth century, this community of English canonesses returned to England, first to Spettisbury, afterwards to their present, home at Newton Abbot. The chron- icles of this ancient convent are being published, and
two very interesting volumes have already appeared.
Bullanum Lateranmat (Rome, 1727 ; PlNNOTTO, Gcneralis Sacri Ordinis Clericorum-Cammworum Historia Tripartita (Rome. 1642); Amort, Vetus ditciplina canonici sanitaria tt Bbnvknutx, Discorso storico-teologico drlla oita com- mune ,l,i Chierici <M primi dodici iacoli dtOa Chiaa (1728); Mm ink r. Sur roriqme ct VantiquiU dr.* chanoinw sttulien H riauliers; PlBANI, Notice Kistorique sur VOrdre des Chanoinet
