Francis Dzierozynski

The Reverend Francis Dzierozynski
Orders
Ordination	1806
Personal details
Born	Franciszek Dzierożyński (1779-01-03)January 3, 1779 Orsha,Russian Empire
Died	September 22, 1850(1850-09-22)(aged 71) Frederick, Maryland,U.S.
Nationality	Polish
Denomination	Catholic Church

Francis Dzierozynski(bornFranciszek Dzierożyński;January 3, 1779 – September 22, 1850) was a PolishCatholicpriest andJesuitwho became a prominentmissionaryto the United States. Born in the town ofOrsha,in theRussian Empire(modern-dayBelarus), he entered the Society of Jesus and was ordained a priest in 1806. He taught and studied inPolotskandMogilevuntil leading students in an escape from theFrench invasion of Russiain 1812. He returned to Polotsk, where he taught until the expulsion of the Jesuits from theRussian Empirein 1820. Thereafter, he took up teaching inBologna,Italy.

TheJesuit Superior Generalsent Dzierozynski to the United States as amissionarythe following year. He was given broad authority over the Jesuits' Maryland Mission, and taught atGeorgetown Collegewhile learningEnglish.In 1823, he was appointed thesuperiorof the Maryland Mission, with jurisdiction over all the Jesuits in the United States. During his term, he continued teaching at Georgetown, where he was alsomaster of novices.As superior, he reconciled the Society of Jesus and the Corporation of Roman Catholic Clergymen, a holdover from the period ofsuppression of the Jesuitsthat owned most of the American Jesuits' property, and oversaw the transition ofSaint Louis Collegeinto a Jesuit institution. He also was involved in significant disputes with the Americanbishops,especiallyAmbrose Maréchal,with whom his quarrel over the ownership of valuableWhite Marsh Manor,endured for many years and involved such prominent figures asJohn Quincy Adams,Henry Clay,Roger Taney,Luigi Fortis,andPope Pius VII.

His term as superior of the mission came to an end in 1830, and Dzierozynski took up other prominent positions in the Maryland Mission. He also resumed teaching and ledretreats.He again became leader of the newly elevatedMaryland Provincein 1839, but his old age and continuing conflicts with bishops and the Superior General resulted in an unsuccessful administration of the province. His term came to an end in 1843, and he spent his final years at thenovitiateinFrederick, Maryland,where he died.

Early life

Franciszek Dzierożyński was born on January 3, 1779, inOrsha,in theRussian Empire(located in modern-dayBelarus).He enrolled at the Jesuit Collegium in Orsha, before entering theSociety of Jesusin 1794, at the age of fifteen. He studied at thenovitiateinPolotskuntil 1809, but was ordained apriestthere in 1806, after studyingtheologyfor only one year, due to an insufficient number of priests. He then studiedphilosophyduring hisscholasticyears, during which he was assigned to teachFrench,physics, music, and grammar at theCollegium NobiluminSaint Petersburg.

Upon the completion of his education, he continued teaching philosophy and mathematics at the JesuitcollegiuminMogilev,where he also engaged in pastoral work.He then returned to Polotsk, where he taught Jesuitseminariansandlaystudents in theJesuit College.He led a covert escape from theFrench invasion of 1812,and later returned to the city, resuming his position as a professor ofdogmatic theology,apologetics,andhomiletics.

Missionary in America

When CzarAlexander Iexpelled the Jesuits from theRussian Empirein 1820, Dzierozynski left for Italy, where he began teaching inBologna.There, he developed a friendship with the futurecardinalGiuseppe Caspar Mezzofanti,which he maintained throughout his life.He then went toRome,where he received orders from theJesuit Superior General,Luigi Fortis,to become amissionaryand revive the Society of Jesus in the United States following itsworldwide suppression.Dzierozynski's task was to restore the spirit of the Jesuits, improve administration, and expand theapostolateto new areas.Departing withAngelo SecchifromLivorno,the journey took five months, three of which were spent at sea, crossing theAtlantic,and the voyage encountered many perilous storms, before arriving inPhiladelphiaon November 7, 1821.

Teaching and administration

Dzyierozynski eventually arrived atGeorgetown CollegeinWashington, D.C.,on November 12, 1821.Upon his arrival in the United States, he was appointedsocius(assistant) andprocuratorof theMaryland MissionandadmonitortoCharles Neale,thesuperiorof the mission.He was met with a community of Jesuits who lived as planters and were highly suspicious of European Jesuits who sought to modify their lifestyle and pastoral approach. Their suspicion was further heightened by the vast authority that Dzierozynski was given. Thepresident of Georgetown College,Benedict Joseph Fenwick,wrote to Fortis, requesting that Dzierozynski's power not be increased; meanwhile, the European-born missionary,John W. Beschter,supported Dzierozynski's attempted reform of the American Jesuits.

At Georgetown, he began learning English, and sought to gain the trust of the young Jesuits by teaching them philosophy inLatin.He was also fluent in French,Italian,andRussian.Though he initially opposed the American view that the Church should be governed in a "republican"fashion, he eventually adopted the American Jesuits' position.The students came to like Dzierozynski, and gave him the nickname of "Father Zero," as they could not pronounce his last name. He became acitizen of the United Statesin 1828, and believed incivic participation.It was said that he frequently spoke aboutmetaphysicswith Vice PresidentJohn C. Calhoun.

Leadership of the American Jesuits

In April 1823, Dzierozynsi was appointed by theJesuit Superior General,Luigi Fortis,to succeedCharles Nealeassuperiorof theJesuit Mission in Maryland.His jurisdiction extended over 95 Jesuits spread fromMarylandtoNew Englandand as far west as theMississippiandMissouri River Valleys.He took office at a time of severe mismanagement of the mission. The mission's Marylandplantations,which included slave ownership of some 300 people, were barelybreaking even,the novitiate had been effectively closed, and one of its largest institutions,Georgetown College,had a dwindling student body.

Dzierozynski remained a professor at Georgetown,where he also became vice president andtreasurer.Within several years, Georgetown's enrollment had recovered.He also reopened the novitiate at Georgetown in 1827, and personally fulfilled the office ofmaster of novices,succeeding Charles Van Quickenborne.As ordered by Fortis, he also addressed a fractured administration of the mission, which was divided between the Society of Jesus itself and the Corporation of Roman Catholic Clergymen, which was established to hold and administer the Jesuits' property during suppression.In May 1825, the Corporation was reluctantly brought under control of the Society (but continued to exist as a legal entity). In 1827, he accepted the invitation of theBishop of Louisiana and the Two Floridas,Louis Dubourg,to transfer responsibility forSaint Louis Collegefrom the diocese to the Jesuits. After visiting the college inMissourithat same year,he sought permission from the superiors in Rome, who approved the transfer in 1829.When the Superior General ordered theWashington Seminaryclosed, Dzierozynski allowed all the students to transfer to Georgetown free of charge.

He conflicted with theArchbishop of Baltimore,Ambrose Maréchal,over his authority to transfer Jesuit priests among Jesuitparishesin the diocese, a special privilege that had been the right of Jesuit superiors around the world prior to suppression. Maréchal maintained that he could veto any transfer; Fortis concurred, advising Dzierozynski that the papal edict restoring the Jesuits did not include the authority of Jesuit superiors to unilaterally transfer priests within dioceses. Nonetheless, Dzyierozynski argued at theFirst Provincial Council of Baltimorein 1829 that he possessed this authority.The bishops acquiesced to Dzierozynski's assertion, but Fortis' successor,Jan Roothaan,reprimanded Dzierozynski for contradicting his superior.

Dzierozynski played a role in the establishment ofSt. John's CollegeinFrederick, Maryland,in 1829.He was relieved of his office in November 1830, whenPeter Kenneyarrived as anapostolic visitorto investigate the possibility of elevating the Maryland mission to the full status of a province. A futureprovincial superior,James A. Ryder,credited Dzierozynski with saving the Jesuit mission in the United States.

White Marsh dispute

Fortis appointed Dzierozynski on the belief that a non-American superior would be best suited to resolve a dispute between the Jesuits and Ambrose Maréchal stemming from disputed terms of an agreement made during the suppression of the Society of Jesus, over ownership of substantial lands in Maryland, especiallyWhite Marsh Manor.Maréchal argued that the properties that the Corporation of Roman Catholic Clergymen were gifted were given for the benefit of the whole Church, not just the Jesuits; he also claimed a right to an allowance that the Jesuits had paid to his two predecessors, who were Jesuits (while Maréchal was aSulpician). The Jesuits denied both of these claims.Maréchal sailed toRomeand obtained abrieffromPope Pius VIIin 1822, ordering that the Jesuits transfer the property andslavesthereon to the archbishop.Fortis ordered Dzierozynski to obey the papal brief, but the conflict continued to escalate.

The American Jesuits resisted this proclamation, viewing it as foreign interference with their affairs, which were conducted by the Corporation of Roman Catholic Clergymen, a legally separate entity. Luigi Fortis debated the issue before theSacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faithfrom 1823 to 1826. Maréchal enlisted the support of the Sulpicians' legal counsel,Roger Taney(who later becameChief Justice of the United States). Meanwhile,William Matthewsobtained the support of theU.S. Secretary of State,John Quincy Adams,on behalf of the Jesuits,and Dzierozynski enlisted Adams' successor,Henry Clay,to warn Maréchal against foreign interference. The Undersecretary of State, George Ironside, formally notified Maréchal that thePresident of the United Stateswould not permit a foreignhead of state(thepope) to circumvent the American judicial system in resolving a property dispute. The position of theUnited States governmentplayed a substantial role in resolving the dispute.

A compromise was reached in 1826 among the cardinals in Rome, whereby Maréchal would receive a monthly stipend for life from the Jesuit Superior General, and the Jesuits would maintain ownership of the White Marsh plantation.Dzierozynski rejected the claim of Maréchal's successor,James Whitfield,that he and his successors were also due the stipend. The superiors in Rome decided in favor of the archbishop, and directed a final lump payment to be made to Whitfield's successor,Samuel Eccleston.Dzierozynski's successor,Thomas F. Mulledy,paid for this obligation in 1838 byselling the Jesuits' slaves.

Later life

After his term as mission superior, Dzierozynski remained active in the Maryland Mission and laterMaryland Province,which was elevated in 1833.He was appointedconsultor,and was charged by Kenney with appointing personnel within the province.He remained master of novices at Georgetown until 1831. Dzierozynski then resumed the position on December 16, 1834, at the relocated novitiate in Frederick. He held this role until November 1, 1841. From January 15, 1844, to November 13, 1846, he again became the master of novices, as well as the rector of the St. Stanislaus novitiate in Frederick,succeedingSamuel Mulledyand being succeeded by Samuel Barber.While novice master at Georgetown, he also taught philosophy andtheologyto the Jesuitscholasticsand lay students, until 1837. During the 1840s, he was alsotertianmaster.

In addition to his educational duties, Dzierozynski was spiritual director andretreatdirector for Jesuits,religious sisters,and female students atGeorgetown Visitation Academyand theVisitation Academy of Frederick.Benedict Joseph Fenwick, now theBishop of Boston,invited him to attend theSecond Provincial Council of Baltimorein 1833, but he did not.

Vice-provincial superior

William McSherry,the provincial superior of the Maryland Province, died in 1839, just six months after being appointed to the office. The Maryland Jesuits selected Dzierozynski to be vice-provincial to manage the province in the interim period.Though Dzierozynski effectively acted in the capacity of a provincial superior, Jan Roothaan declined to elevate him to indicate that the province was on probation for previous scandals.The combination of his old age and the fact that he had fallen ill several days prior to his appointment resulted in a reclusive provincial who left Frederick, Maryland only after being ordered by Roothaan. The Jesuits criticized Dzierozynski as being too passive in governing the province.Likewise, Roothaan admonished him for allowing such behavior among the Jesuits as excessive imbibing of alcohol, celebration of national holidays, and other customs that the European Jesuits did not allow.

Dzierozynski was reluctant to open a new Jesuit college within his jurisdiction, but Fenwick's persistence combined with Roothaan's approval resulted in the opening of theCollege of the Holy CrossinWorcester, Massachusetts,in 1843.In September of that year, Dzierozynski resigned the office of provincial superior,and was succeeded by James A. Ryder.

Final years

Dzierozynski returned to the role of master of novices, but after three years, his health further deteriorated and his disagreements with Roothaan mounted, resulting in the end of his tenure.By August 1850, he anticipated that he would soon die, and he received hislast rites.His health prevented him from celebratingMass.He died on September 22, 1850. In accordance with his request, Dzierzynski's body was carried in front of the Visitation Convent in Frederick, where thecloistered nunsmourned it, before being removed for burial.He was described as the most prominent of the early Polish Jesuit missionaries to the United States.

References

Sources

• Curran, Robert Emmett (1993).The Bicentennial History of Georgetown University: From academy to university, 1789–1889.Vol. 1. Washington, D.C.:Georgetown University Press.ISBN978-0-87840-485-8.Archivedfrom the original on December 30, 2019.RetrievedDecember 30,2019– viaGoogle Books.
• Curran, Robert Emmett (2012a)."Ambrose Maréchal, the Jesuits, and the Demise of Ecclesial Republicanism in Maryland, 1818–1838".Shaping American Catholicism: Maryland and New York, 1805–1915.Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press. pp. 13–158.ISBN978-0813219677.Archivedfrom the original on September 9, 2018.RetrievedMay 24,2018.
• Curran, Robert Emmett (2012b).Shaping American Catholicism: Maryland and New York, 1805–1915.Washington, D.C.:Catholic University of America Press.ISBN978-0-8132-1967-7.Archivedfrom the original on December 30, 2019.RetrievedDecember 30,2019– viaGoogle Books.
• Devitt, Edward I.(October 1, 1933)."History of the Maryland-New York Province: IX, The Province in the Year 1833".Woodstock Letters.LXII(3): 309–348.Archivedfrom the original on January 30, 2019.RetrievedDecember 30,2019– via Jesuit Online Library.
• Devitt, Edward I.(October 1934)."History of the Maryland-New York Province XI: Deer Creek".Woodstock Letters.63(3): 400–420.Archivedfrom the original on July 4, 2023.RetrievedJuly 3,2023– via Jesuit Online Library.
• Judge, Robert K. (November 1, 1959)."Foundation and First Administration of the Maryland Province, Part I: Background".Woodstock Letters.LXXXVIII(4): 376–406.Archivedfrom the original on January 26, 2019.RetrievedNovember 13,2019– via Jesuit Online Library.
• Kuzniewski, Anthony J. (January 1992). "Francis Dzierozynski and the Jesuit Restoration in the United States".The Catholic Historical Review.78(1): 51–73.JSTOR25023700.
• Kuzniewski, Anthony J. (Spring 2014)."Our American Champions: The First American Generation of American Jesuit Leaders After the Restoration of the Society"(PDF).Studies in the Spirituality of Jesuits.46(1).OCLC874026169.Archived(PDF)from the original on December 18, 2018.RetrievedDecember 18,2018.
• Rutkowska, M. Neomisia (July–December 1946). "A Polish Pioneer Jesuit in America".Polish American Studies.3(3/4): 98–103.JSTOR20147082.
• Schroth, Raymond A. (Spring 2017). "Death and Resurrection: The Suppression of the Jesuits in North America".American Catholic Studies.128(1): 51–66.doi:10.1353/acs.2017.0014.ISSN2161-8534.S2CID201738957.
• Sokol, Stanley S.; Mrotek Kissane, Sharon F. (1992).The Polish Biographical Dictionary: Profiles of Nearly 900 Poles who Have Made Lasting Contributions to World Civilization.Wauconda, Illinois: Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers. pp. 105–106.ISBN0-86516-245-X.Archivedfrom the original on December 30, 2019.RetrievedDecember 30,2019– viaGoogle Books.

External links

• Appearance in the records of theGeorgetown Slavery Archive