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 PRESENTATION

399

PRESENTATION

erence made in them to the devotion of the Slavery of Our Lady, which was suppressed by the Church.

(2) Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin, founded in 1684 by Ven. Marie Poussepin at Sain- ville in the Diocese of Chartres, for teaching and the care of the sick. At the time of the reUgious disturb- ances in France, over seventeen hundred sisters were engaged in PVance, Spain, South America, and Asiatic Turke}-, where they have charge of a number of schools and protectories for girls. At Agua de Dios in Colombia they care for a colony of lepers. In 1813 the mother-house was estabhshed at Saint-Sym- phorien near Tours.

(3) Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, also called White Ladies, founded in 1796 at Montpezat by Ven. Marie Rivier (d. 1838), assisted by the Abb6 Pontan- nier, for the instruction of poor girls. The first novi- tiate was opened at Thueys, near Aubenas, but the mother-house was permanently established at Bourg- Saint-Andeol in the Diocese of Viviers. The congre- gation soon spread over France and in 18.i3 a house was established in Canada. At the time of the dis- persion of the religious orders in France the congre- gation numbered two thousand members in charge of schools and orphan asylums. The Polish mother- house is at Cracow.

(4) Sisters of the Presentation of Our Lady, founded at Ghent in 180.5 by Miss Weewauters, in religion Mother Marj' Augustine, and Canon de Decker (d. 1874) for the education of girls. The mother-house is at Saint-Xicolas, on which are dependent a number of fihal houses, with about two hundred members.

HElilBUCHEH, Orden u. Kongretjationen (Paderborn, 1907); H^LYOT, Diet, des Ordresrel. (Paris, 1859); Vie de M. Ririir f Avignon, 1S42).

Florence Rddge McGahan.

Presentation, Right of. — Out of gratitude for the foundation or endowment of churches and benefices, the Church grants founders, if they wish to reserve it, the right of patronage, the first and chief privilege of which is the right of pre.senting a cleric for the ben- efice. Presentation therefore means the naming to the ecclesiastical authorities of a suitable cleric, thereby conferring on the latter the right to have the vacant benefice. Like election and nomination presentation confers on the cleric presented a real right (jus a/lreni), so that the ecclesiastical superior entrusted with the institution may not give the benefice to another. There are many forms of the right of patronage; here we need refer only to the right of ecclesiastical patron- age belonging to ecclesiastical bodies as such, e. g. a chapter, and to the right of lay-patronage, possessed by laymen or ecclesiastics in their private capacity. Hence there exist notable differences in the manner of exercising the right of patronage, as might naturally be expected, especially when we remember that the foundations or endowments gi^ng rise to the right of ecclesiastical patronage are made with property al- ready belonging to the Church (see Patron and Patronage). Theoretically no special form of pres- entation is necessary: it suffices if the act signifies the presentation, and excludes anything that might indi- cate a collation of the benefice, and if there is no simony; in practice it is made in writing, generally after voting has taken place or an arrangement has been made, when the patron is not an individual and when there are co-patrons. It is communicated to the ecclesiastical superior, usually the bishop, who has to perform the canonical institution. The patron exer- cises his right personally if past the age of puberty (fourteen or twelve years respectively), although he may act by an attorney; if he has not attained this age, he must act through those who have authority over him: mother, guardian, protector. If the patron is an individual, he makes the presentation by himself; if it is a college, e. g. a chapter, a secret vote is taken and an absolute majority is required; if the co-patrons

act individually, as when the different members of a family are called on to present a candidate, the mosi important point is to observe all the regulations gov- erning the foundation; account is taken of the branches of the family and of the persons in each branch, in which case a relative majority is sufficient. A ballot is resorted to also when the patronage is exer- cised by a numerous community, e. g. the men of a parish who have attained their majority. In case of a tie, the bishop selects one of the candidates proposed. As to the suitability of the candidate, see Patron and Patronage. Often, in virtue of a local law, as in Austria, the patron must select from a list of suitable candidates three for ecclesiastical patrons. By the acceptance of the presentation, the cleric presented acquires immediately the right to the benefice, if the patronage is ecclesiastical ; but the right is definitive only, if the patronage is lay, on the expiration of the four months allowed the patron to exercise his right of presentation, unless the bishop has already proceeded to the institution. On learning of the presentation and acceptance, the bishop examines into the fitness of the candidate, whom he admits or rejects according to the case; if he admits him, he gives him canonical institution, regularly within two months; if he rejects, the patron may present another, unless in the pre- vious instance he had knowingly presented an unfit candidate (cf. Lib. Ill, Decret., tit. xxxviii, "De jure patronatus"; Cone. Trid. Sess. VII, c. 13; Sess. XXIV, c. 18; Sess. XXV, c. 9, de Ref.; see also Benefice).

See commentariea on De jure patronatus. III. xxxviii, and VI: Ferr.\ri9, Prompta hibliotheca, s. v. Beneficia. a. Ill and V; s. V. Juspatronatus; S.iGMtJLLER, Lehrhuch ti. kathot. Kirchenrechts (Freiburg. 1909), §S4. A. BoUDINHON.

Presentation Brothers. — In the early part of the nineteenth century when the Penal Laws were relaxed, and the ban which was placed on the Catholic educa- tion of youth in Ireland during a long period of perse- cution was removed, great efforts were made to em- ploy the opportunities which a comparative freedom placed within the reach of Irish Catholics, and several new religious congregations of both men and women sprang into existence. Amongst these was the Insti- tute of Presentation Brothers founded by Edmund Ignatius Rice. The Brothers continued a diocesan congregation approved of by Rome until 1889, when a change was effected in the constitution of the body with a view to its more rapid development. With the sanction of the bishops under whom the Brothers then laboured, all the houses of the Institute were united under a superior-general and Leo XIII approved and confirmed the new constitutions. The rapid spread of the order since then has been very marked. It now has several branches in each of the provinces of Ire- land, and is also established in England and Canada. The Brothers conduct colleges, primary schools, indus- trial schools, and orphanages. A new novitiate and training college has been erected at Mount St. Joseph, Cork. The superior-general resides there. The Com- missioners of National Education, after investigating the methods of training adopted by the institute, fully approved of them and recognized the training college. In the colleges, special attention is paid to the teach- ing of experimental science. Classes are taught in connexion with the Intermediate Education Board and Technical Department. Students are prepared for the Civil Service as well as for the National University. In the industrial schools and orphan- ages, in addition to the ordinary school studies, various trades are taught, as also agriculture and horticulture. Moreover, all the boys get a two years' course in manual instruction.

Brother De Sales.

Presentation of Mary, Congregation of the. — This congregation, devoted to the education of young girls, was founded in 1796 at Theuyts, ArdSche,