The Origins of the Parish Mission in England and the Early Passionist Apostolate, 1840–1850

Conrad Charles C.P.

doi:10.1017/S0022046900061431

The Origins of the Parish Mission in England and the Early Passionist Apostolate, 1840–1850

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 March 2011

Conrad Charles C.P.

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Conrad Charles C.P.: Affiliation:
Archivist General of the Passionist Congregation

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The history of the Parish Mission in England begins with a petition addressed to pope Gregory XVI by Monsignor Wiseman at the end of January 1840.

In this document, Mgr. Wiseman expressed his belief that the situation in England gave well-founded hopes for the rapid propagation of the Roman Catholic faith, so long as favourable circumstances were seconded by energetic measures. He said that his own journeys throughout England, the opinion of the Vicars Apostolic, of the clergy and of the people, had confirmed him in his conviction that an Institute of missionary priests would be most efficacious, even necessary, if this rapid growth of Catholicism was to become a reality.

Type: Articles
Information: The Journal of Ecclesiastical History , Volume 15 , Issue 1 , April 1964 , pp. 60 - 75

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022046900061431 [Opens in a new window]
Copyright: Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1964

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^{page 60 note 1} Mgr. Wiseman was at this time Rector of the English College in Rome, a position which he held from 1828 to 1840.

^{page 60 note 2} The two journeys referred to took place in 1835 and 1839.

^{page 60 note 3} There were 4 Vicariates in England at this time; they were increased to 8 on 3 July 1840.

^{page 61 note 1} Translation by the author from the Italian original in the Archives of Propaganda, Scritture (Originali) Riferite nei Congressi, Anglia 9 (1834–41), fols. 730–1.

^{page 61 note 2} A copy of Wiseman's petition, together with a covering letter to bishop Walsh from cardinal Fransoni, is conserved in the Archives of the Birmingham Archdiocese, Walsh Correspondence.

^{page 61 note 3} The official copy of Fransoni's letter to the four Vicars Apostolic is conserved in Archives of Propaganda, Lettere e Decreti della Sac. Cong, e, Biglietti di Monsign. Segretario, 1840, Parte la, vol. 323, fol. 216.

^{page 61 note 4} Their original letters are conserved in the Archives of Propaganda, Scritture (Originali) Riferite nei Congressi, Anglia 9 (1834–41), fols. 767–74.

^{page 62 note 1} Ibid., fol. 773. Author's translation from the original Latin.

^{page 62 note 2} Griffith's two predecessors were William Poynter (29 May 1803–26 November 1827 †) and James Bramston (29 June 1823–11 July 1836 f). Before he became Vicar Apostolic, Bramston was Coadjutor to Poynter.

^{page 62 note 3} A map of the Catholic Missions in England and Wales in 1839 records the London District as having 180 priests and 72 chapels—a word used to cover churches as well. The map referred to is conserved in the Archives of Propaganda, Acta Cong. Prop. Fide, 1839, vol. 202, fol. 378.

^{page 62 note 4} In 1839, the Western District is recorded as having 73 priests and 57 chapels: ibid.

^{page 63 note 1} Author's translation from the French original in the Archives of Propaganda, Scritture (Originali) Riferite nei Congressi, Anglia 9 (1834–41), fols. 769–70.

^{page 64 note 1} Vatican Secret Archives, Spogli of cardinal Acton, vol. iii, fol. 320.

^{page 64 note 2} Fr. Barberi (1792–1849) was beatified by pope Paul VI on 27 October 1963.

^{page 64 note 3} Archives of St. Gabriel's College, Blythe Hall, Ormskirk: Barberi correspondence. The nuns referred to were six Portuguese Bridgettines who came to England early in the century during the occupation of Portugal by Napoleon. The Franciscans were in charge of the Aston Mission from 1818 to 1839.

^{page 65 note 1} ‘Ces petits couvents ne pouvaient héberger que deux ou trois Pères, ce qui compromettait la vie commune. On y etait enseveli dans une obscurité qui, sans doute, favorisait l'humilité, mais tenait aussi sous le boisseau le flambeau de la vérité catholique, que les missionaires étaient venus apporter dans File heretiqué: Maurice de Meulmeester, CSS.R., Le Père Frédéric von Held, Redemptorist, (1799–1881), Jette 1911, 199.

^{page 65 note 2} In the early years of the mission-apostolate, the words ‘public retreat’ were often used to describe what we now call a ‘mission’.

^{page 66 note 1} Archives of St. Gabriel's College, Record of Missions and Retreats, 1842–52, 2.

^{page 66 note 2} Archives of Propaganda, Scritture (Originali) Riferite nei Congressi, Anglia 11 (1846–47), fol. 87. Author's translation from the original Italian.

^{page 66 note 3} Archives of St. Gabriel's College, Record of Missions and Retreats, 1842–52, 12.

^{page 66 note 4} Ibid., 11.

^{page 67 note 1} Ibid., 5. In this context it is interesting to note that Fr. Dominic, a few weeks before he died in August 1849, wrote a small work entitled Recollections left to our Young Missioners in England. Towards the end of this work he speaks of the method to be followed in giving retreats to Secular Priests and then goes on to record his own impressions of the English Clergy: ‘You will usually observe that the English Clergy are very refined and have a. standard of education which is not easily found among the Clergy of other nations … they are good, and I have always loved and respected them. I think that many of them, are fond of me too, because I have never reprimanded them, but have always treated them with the greatest respect’: Archives of the General Postulation, Sts. John and Paul, Rome; Barberi MS. VII, 3, fol. 16. Author's translation from the original Italian, Ricordi Lasciati ai Nostri Giovani Missionari d'Inghilterra.

^{page 67 note 2} All details of Rosminian mission-work are taken from Father John Baptist Pagani's report, ‘Relazioni delle Missioni dei Fratelli della Carita in Inghilterra’, preserved in the Archives of Propaganda, Scritture (Originali) Riferite nei Congressi, Anglia 11 (1846–7), fols. 87–96.

^{page 68 note 1} Archives of the General Postulation, Sts. John and Paul, Rome. Barberi/Testa correspondence.

^{page 68 note 2} Archives of St. Gabriel's College, Record of Missions and Retreats, 1842–52, 29.

^{page 69 note 1} Ibid., 31–3.

^{page 69 note 2} Ibid., 58.

^{page 70 note 1} ‘In February 1847, 26,348 deck passengers from Ireland landed in Liverpool and by July of that year a total of over three hundred thousand had arrived… ’: Mathew, David, Catholicism in England, The Portrait of a Minority: its Culture and Tradition, 3rd ed.London 1955, 185Google Scholar.

^{page 70 note 2} Archives of St. Gabriel's College, Record of Missions and Retreats, 1842–52, 86.

^{page 71 note 1} Subsequent to the death of bishop Griffiths, Wiseman was appointed pro-Vicar Apostolic of the London District on 29 August 1847.

^{page 71 note 2} Archives of St. Joseph's Retreat, Highgate, London, Platea of the London foundations, 1.

^{page 71 note 3} Archives of St. Gabriel's College, Record of Missions and Retreats, 1842–52, 87.

^{page 72 note 1} Archives of St. Gabriel's College, Record of Missions and Retreats, 1842–52, 106.

^{page 73 note 1} Ibid., 107.

^{page 73 note 2} Ibid., 106.

^{page 73 note 3} Ibid., 110.

^{page 73 note 4} The fact that the sermons were given at 8 p.m., in February, indicates that the Missioners must have been preaching by lamp-light.

^{page 73 note 5} The Missioners appeared in the full Passionist habit on these occasions.

^{page 74 note 1} Archives of St. Gabriel's College, Record of Missions and Retreats, 1842–52, 131–2.

^{page 74 note 2} Ibid., 140–1.

^{page 74 note 3} Young, G. M. and Handcock, W. D. (eds.). English Historical Documents, 1833–1874, London 1956, xii (1), 388Google Scholar.

^{page 75 note 1} Ibid., 393–4.

^{page 75 note 2} A Letter on Catholic Unity addressed to the Right Hon. the Earl of Shrewsbury, by Nicholas Bishop of Melipotamus, London 1841, 41Google Scholar. The letter is dated ‘Feast of St. Matthew, 1841’.

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The Origins of the Parish Mission in England and the Early Passionist Apostolate, 1840–1850

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