Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 7.djvu/578

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HUGH


518


HUGH


lyn, Newark, Boston, Burlington, Hartford, and Portland. The First Provincial Council of New York was convened in September, 1S54, after which the archbishop journeyed to Rome and he was present at the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

During his administration institutions of charity and higher learning grew apace with churches and ahools. The seminary was moved in 1840 from Lafargeville to Fordham, where a college also was opened a year later. The Jesuits assumed charge of it in 1S46, but in 1855 the archbishop withdrew the seminary from Fordham, and in 1862 secured prop- erty at Troy, New York, for the establishment of St. Joseph's Provincial Seminary. He also proved to be one of the warmest supporters of the North American College, Rome, projected by Pius IX in 1855, and successfully opened m 1859. To meet diocesan needs he introduced into New York the Christian Brothers, the Religious of the Sacred Heart, the Sisters of Mercy, the Ursulines, the Sisters of Notre Dame, and the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. Finding the Sisters of Charity of Emmitsburg, Maryland, who were labouring in New York, restricted by their ride to a limited field and restrained from undertaking certain good works which the archbishop desired, he organized an independent diocesan community of the Sisters of Charity, who, to-day, are managing a variety of educational, charitable, protective, and industrial institutions, and form one of the most flourishing and successful sisterhoods in the United States. Foreseeing the future greatness of his diocese and cathedral city, he planned the erection of a ca- thedral which would Ije commensurate with the impor- tance of the city and See of New York, and would express in enduring stone the faith of his flock. He laid the corner-stone of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Fifth Avenue, 15 August, 1858; this lofty and inspiring pile stands a monument to his genius and prevision.

He lived and passed away amid stirring times; it was providential for Church and country that he lived when he did. His natural gifts of mind and heart, independent of his education, were of a high order and made him pre-eminent in leadership; not only was he a great ruler of an important diocese in a hierarchy remarkable for distinguished bishops, but also a master-builder of the Church in the United States and one of the most helpful and sagacious of the makers of America. Church and nation are in- debted forever to the prelate and citizen whose strong personality, indomitable courage, and invaluable service constituted him the man needed in his day to meet critical conditions. He was resolute, fearless, far-sighted, and fidl of practical wisdom basetl on the sanest and soundest principles. To bring out the in- nate power within him required but the opportunity presented by the Church struggling for a footing in a rather hostile community, and by the nation endeav- ouring to cope with harassing questions at home and impending trouble abroad. His failures were few; his achievements many and lasting. He w'as feared and loved; misunderstood and idolized; misrepre- sented even to his ecclesiastical superiors in Home, whose confidence in him, however, remained un- shaken. Severe of manner, kindly of heart, he was not aggressive until as.saile<l.

He was a forceful, impressive, and convincing speaker, an able, resourceful, and talented contro- versialist, a clear, logical, atid direct writer. His writings were usually hastily done, as occasion re- quired, but commanded general attention from friend and opponent. His works arc published in two vol- umes, which contain lectures, sermons, and pamph- lets on historical and doctrinal subjects; open letters to public men like Horace Greeley, General Cass, Mayor Harper, Senator Brooks; and "Kirwan Un- masked", a series of six letters to a Presbyterian


minister, writing under the assumed name of Kirwan; these letters are considered models of good English and are among the best written by the archbishop. His mortal remains were interred in old St. Patrick's, but were transferred, 30 January, 1S8.3, to their final resting-place under the sanctuary of the cathedral in Fifth Avenue. His death elicited a general expression of sympathy and respect, and his memory was hon- oured by tributes from President Lincoln, Secretary Seward, Governor Seymour, and the Common Council of New York.

Hassard, Lije of Most Rn'. John Hughes (New York, 1866); Brann, Mosl Rev, John Unqhes (New York, 1892): Kehoe. Works of the Mosl Rei: John Hughes, D.D, (2 vols.. New York. 1864): Clarke, Lives of the Deeeased Bishops (New Y'ork, 1888); Farlet. History of St, Patriek's Cathedral (New York, 1908); Smith, History of the Catholic Church in Xew York, I (New York, 1905); Shea, History of the Catholic Church in the United States (New York, 1892); U, S, Cath, Hist. Soc, Hist. Records and Studies, Corrigan, II, 227, Meehan. I, 171, Thebacd, III, 282; Brownson. Works (Detroit, 1887), XIV, 485, XVII, 197. XX, 50; Maury. Statesmen of ,Atuerica in 1SJ,G (London, 1847); Autobiography of Thurlou- Weed (Boston, 188;i); Baker, Works of William H, Seward, III (New York, 1853), 482.

P. J. Hayes.

Hugh Faringdon {vere Cook), Blessed, English martyr; 1). prob:d)ly at Faringdon, Berkshire, date unknown; d. at Reading, 15 November, 1539. The name of his probable birthplace is also the surname by which he is generally known, but he bore the ai.rs of Cook of Kent. He was elected Abbot of Reading in July, and confirmed, 20 Sept., 1.520. Henry VIII was his guest on 30 January, 1521, and he later became one of the royal chaplains. Among Henry's New Year gifts in 1532 was £20 in a white leather purse to the Abbot of Reading. Faringdon .sat in Parlia- ment from 1523 to 1539. In 1536 he signed the arti- cles of faith passed by Convocation at the king's desire, which virtually acknowledge the royal suprem- acy. On Sunday, 4 November, 1537, he sang the requiem and dirge for Queen Jane Seymour, an<l was present at the burial on 12 Nov. .Vs late as March, 1.538, he was in favour, being placed on the commis- sion of the peace for Berkshire; but in 15:i9,as he de- clined to surrender the abbey, it became necessary to attaint him of high treason. As a mitred abbot he was entitled to be tried by Parliament, but no scru- ples troubled the chancellor, Thomas Cromwell. His death sentence was pa.ssed before his trial began. With him suffered John EjTion (or Oiiyon), a priest of St. Giles's, Reading, an<l John Rugg, a former fellow of the two St. Mary Winton colleges and the first holder of the Wykehamical prebend "Bursalis" at Chichester, who had olitained a dispensation from residence and was living at Reading in 1.532.

Camm, Lives of the English Martyrs. I (London. 1904-5), 338- 387; Victoria History of Berkshire, II (London, 1907), 68-72; Notes and Queries, 10th ser., XI, 350; Martin in Diet, Nat, Biog., s. V. Faringdon, Hugh,

J. B. Wainewkight.

Hugh of Digne, Friar Minorand ascetieal writer; h. at Digni', south-cast France, date uncertain: d. at Mar- seilles about 12S5. His close friend and felliiw-rcligious, Fra Salimbene, to whom we are indelited for a great deal of what is known of his life, refers to him in his Chronicle as "one of the most renowned clerics of the world a great preacher and in favour both among the clergy and the people; ever ready to dispute, he was possessed of a fltient speech, and a voice like that of a trumpet; he was a .spiritual m;in xiltra mi)dum, so that on he:iring him preach one woulil believe that he was listening to another St. Paul or another Elias." Salimbene also tells us that he was called Hugh of Bareola and that the Lombards knew him as Hugh of Montepesulano. Joinvilliers, in his life of Louis IX (Acta SS., .\ugust, V, xxvii), recordsthe visit of Hugh of Digne to the king, who was so impressed with his preaching that he endeavoured to retain him at court, but the saintly friar refused to remain; and on the