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 CARROLL

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CARROLL

probably baptized at Boone's Chapel, now Rosary- ville, Maryland. When twelve years of age, he went to the Jesuits' grammar school at Bohemia in Cecil Co., Maryland, where he was "assiduous in study, pious and amiable". After one year there, he went abroad to St. Omer's College in French Flanders, and for six years pursvied a liberal education with "marked capability of mind, attention to studies and docility and kindness of manner". His father died in 1750, and in 1753 John Carroll joined the Society of Jesus. In 1755 he began his studies of philosophy and theology at Liege, and after fourteen years (1769) was ordained priest at the age of thirty-four. The next four years he spent at St-Omer and at Liege teaching philosophy and theology. During the win- ter of 1772-3 Father Carroll travelled through Europe as preceptor, with the son of Lord Stourton. Upon his return to England he was, for a short time, the guest and chaplain of Lord Arundel! at Wardour Castle. This year, 1773, Pope Clement XIV issued (21 July) and' published (16 August) at Rome, the Bull suppressing and dissolving the Society of Jesus. This news reached Father Carroll 5 September, and after writing a vindication of the Society he had to provide for his future course of life. In the following spring he returned (26 June) to Maryland and hast- ened to his mother's home at Rock Creek, with whom and other intimates he had faithfully corresponded while in Europe. As a result of laws discriminating against Catholics, there was then no public Catholic Church in Maryland, so Father Carroll began the life of a missionary in Maryland and Virginia. He built a tiny frame chapel on his mother's estate and here on Sundays (in her house on weekdays) he said Mass when at home. During the next two years he de- voted the time left from his devotions to the study of ancient literature and current topics in order to in- crease his knowledge; yet he did not neglect his social obligations. Apropos of his support at that time he himself wrote: "Catholics contributed nothing to the support of religion in its ministers; the whole main- tenance fell on the priests themselves . . . the pro- duce of their lands was sufficient to answer their demands."

In 1776, when a committee composed of Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Chase, and Charles Carroll of Car- rollton was about to be sent by the Continental Con- gress to seek the neutrality of Canada during the War of Independence, "by a special resolution (Feb. 15) Charles Carroll of Carrollton was requested to prevail on Mr. John Carroll to accompany the com- mittee to Canada, to assist them in such matters as they shall think useful". He accepted the honour- able office, and spent the remainder of the winter in Canada; he found, however (Shea, Life and Times of the Most Rev. John Carroll, New York, 1888, 148-53), that it was too late to discuss the question of union with the revolted colonies, or even neutral- ity, and returned to New York at the end of May in company with Benjamin Franklin. His influence on his fellow-countrymen even at this period may be surmised from the fact that, though out of the constitutions adopted by the Thirteen States, only four did away with tin- "Id Penal Laws and al- lowed Catholics absolute equality with other citizens, yet these (Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, and Maryland) were situated nearest tn Father Carroll.

During these years he chose to live with his mother,

then seventy years old, and refused to accept an as- signment elsewhere by Father Lewis, formerly Supe- rior of the Jesuits in Maryland, and now Vicar-Gen- eral of thr Vicar Apostolic of London (or the West- ern Distn.-t i. Father Lewis, however, did not con- sider him entitled to support, from the income of the property belonging to the Jesuits, although In- had to labour very hard, often riding twenty-five mil-: on sick-calls'. (Shea, op. cit., 85 Mi; Camp-

bell in U. S. Cath. Magazine, Baltimore, 1844, III, 364, 365.)

When the war was over Carroll and five other priests met at Whitemarsh, Md., 27 June, 17S3, to discuss ways and means to carry on their missionary work and hold their property intact. They held a second meeting 6 November, 1783, and a third 11 Oc- tober, 1784, at the same place, when they formulated the draft of the regulations binding all the clergy of Maryland. Thereby every priest was maintained and given thirty pounds a year, and each priest agreed to offer ten Masses for every priest who died there. They adopted the following: —

" It is the opinion of a majority of the chapter that a superior 'in spirit ualibus', with powers to give Con- firmation, grant faculties, dispensations, bless oils, etc., is adequate to the present exigencies of religion in this country. Resolved therefore,

" 1st, That a bishop is at present unnecessary.

" 2nd, That if one is sent it is decided by the major- ity of the chapter that he shall not be entitled to any support from the present estates of the clergy.

"3rd, That a committee of three be appointed to prepare and give an answer to Rome conformable to the above resolution."

In response to a petition sent by the Maryland clergy to Rome, 6 November, 17S3, for permission for the missionaries here to nominate a superior who should have some of the powers of a bishop, Father Carroll, having been selected, was confirmed by the pope, 6 June, 1784, as Superior of the Missions in the thirteen United States of North America, with power to give confirmation. He was asked to send a report of the state of Catholicity in the United States. This same year a minister named Charles Henry Wharton, a Marylander, an ex-Jesuit, and distant relative of Father Carroll, attacked the Church, and was an- swered by Carroll in " An Address to the Roman Cath- olics of the United States of North America". Its aim and spirit may be gauged from one of its passages wherein Carroll said: "General and equal toleration, by giving a free circulation to fair argument, is a most effectual method to bring all denominations of Chris- tians to an unity of faith." The work was published at Annapolis in 17S4, and is the first Catholic work written by an American Catholic published in the United States. Father Carroll was, all the while, dis- tracted, personally wishing the rehabilitation of the Society of Jesus and to remain himself a Jesuit. But officially seeing the need of a bishop, and that too an American, he decided to accept the pope's appoint- ment of himself, and forthwith as Prefect Apostolic sent (Feb., 1785), to Cardinal Ant onelli. his acceptance of that office, but urged that some method of appoint- ing Church authorities be adopted by Rome that would not make it appear as if they were receiving their appointment from a foreign power. A report of the status of Catholics in Man-land was appended to his letter, where he stated that 9000 were freemen. 3000 children, and 3000 negro slaves; that some of the more prominent families, despite the dearth of priests (there being then only nineteen in Maryland) were still Catholics in faith, sufficiently religious, though prone to dancing and novel-reading. The pope was SO pleased with Father Carroll's report thai he granted his request "that the priests in Maryland

be allowed to suggest two or three names from which

the I'ope could choose their bishop". In the mean- while Father Carroll took up his residence in Haiti- more (1786 7), where even Protestants were charmed

by bis sermons delivered in old St. Peter's church.

He took an active part in municipal affairs, especially

in establishing schools, Catholic and non-Cat liolic. being president of I lie Female Humane Charity

School of the City of Baltimore, one of three trustees for St. John's College at Annapolis, founder of ' leorge town College (1791), head of the Library Company,