Felix-Joseph Barbelin
Felix-Joseph Barbelin,(30 May 1808 – 9 June 1869)[1]called the "Apostle of Philadelphia", was a 19th-centuryJesuitpriestinfluential in the development of theCatholiccommunity inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania,in the United States.
Life[edit]
Barbelin was born atLunéville,(then in the Province ofMeurthe,nowMeurthe-et-Moselle), in theAlsatianregion of France, the oldest of seven children born to Dominic and Elizabeth Louis Barbelin. His father was the Secretary to the Revenue Department of the district of Luneville. All but one of his siblings chose to enter religious life. His youngest brother, Ignace-Xavier, also became a Jesuit.[2]
Barbelin received his early training at the home of a reverend grand-uncle, and at the age of nineteen took up his philosophical and theological studies in a seminary inNancywhere another grand-uncle was president.[3]He received minor orders in 1829 and was then Prefect of Studies at the minor seminary at Pont-à-Mousson.[2]
He sailed from Le Havre on December 21, 1830, just before being conscripted, and landed inNorfolk, Virginia.From there he went to Georgetown, and entered theSociety of Jesuson January 7,1831, at theirnovitiateatWhite Marsh ManorinMaryland.[1]Subsequent to that, for some years he was stationed atGeorgetown University,where he served as assistant prefect and professor of French.[3]He was ordained in September 1835.
In 1836, he became assistant pastor ofHoly Trinity Churchin theGeorgetownsection ofWashington, D.C.Given the tumultuous history of Irish factions inPhiladelphia,in 1838, church authorities decided to send the Frenchman as assistant toSt. Joseph's Churchin Philadelphia.[1]In the spring of 1844,anti-Catholic riotsswept Philadelphia. Barbelin was advised to disguise himself and remove to a place of safety. Although St. Michael's andSt. Augustine Churchwere burnt down, St. Joseph's was spared. When some rioters proposed to sack it, their leaders were heard to say, "Oh no, that little Frenchman won't hurt anybody".[2]Philadelphians held a partiality towards the French because of the assistance they had provided during the Revolution. Barbelin was named pastor of St. Joseph's in August of that year.[4]
For more than a quarter of a century he was pastor ofSt. Joseph's Church,Willing's Alley, which became, mainly during his term of office, the centre from which radiated Catholic influences throughout the city and diocese. He founded Saint Joseph's Hospital (closed 2015) in his adopted city, and was the first to establishsodalitiesfor men and women and for the young. In 1852 he was appointed the firstPresident of Saint Joseph's College,which is now known asSaint Joseph's University.Barbelin Hallat that university is named in his honor.[3]
Around 1856, he andThomas Lillyfounded of the first Catholic school in Philadelphia to serve the educational needs ofAfrican Americanstudents. It later became St. Peter Claver School.[5]
Barbelin died in Philadelphia on June 8, 1869.
Barbelin Hall at Old St. Joseph's was dedicated on March 18, 2005.[6]It hosts the parishes "Faith, Food & Friends" outreach program, serving over 200 meals a week to the homeless and hungry poor.[7]The hall has also been used to stage a production ofPope John Paul II's "The Jeweler’s Shop", put on by St. Joseph's eldership group.[8]
References[edit]
- ^abcPenn. "Father Barbelin",The American Catholic Historical Researches,vol. 7, no. 3, 1911, pp. 205–10. JSTOR
- ^abcDonnelly, Eleanor C.,Amemoir of Father Felix Joseph Barbelin S.J.,New York, Christian Press Association Publishing, 1886
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
- ^abcSpillane, Edward. "Felix-Joseph Barbelin." The Catholic EncyclopediaVol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 14 January 2019
- ^"19th century", Old St. Joseph's
- ^"Sister Karen Dietrich SSJ Receives The Molyneux-Lilly Award January 25, 2018", SSJ of Chestnut Hill
- ^dedication of Barbelin Hall, Catholic Historical Research Center, Archdiocese of Philadelphia
- ^"Faith, Food & Friends", Old St. Joseph's
- ^Christian, Gina. "Parish’s seniors stage St. John Paul’s play on marriage",Catholic Philly,July 21, 2017
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Felix-Joseph Barbelin".Catholic Encyclopedia.New York: Robert Appleton Company.
