Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 4.djvu/870

 DIEPENBEECK

786

DIERINGER

ferred to the Abbey Church of St. Peter. Some hagi- ologists style her "Blessed," though she has never re- ceived public veneration and was never formally beat- ified.

Hefner. Veber die Nonne Diemud von Wessdbrunn itnd ihr literarischrs \Vnk>rn. with a fai^simile of her handwriting, in Oberbivi,. • ' 1^ I"'" Mni,;<li 1 ^:;in, I, 355-373; Leutner, Historm 1/ ' 1! \ugsburg and Freiburg,

17531. If.'. !, -, ' .</ (/le Tl^'es< (London and

St.Liiui-, r,iii;i, iri"i..|; l;i:\i -.mi \A.i^v.a.'m Kirchcnlex.

Michael Ott.

Diepenbeeck, Abr.^h.ui v.\n, an erudite and ac- complished painter of the Flemi.sh School, b. at Bois- le-Duc in the Netherlands, 1599; d. at Antwerp, 1675. After having received a classical education he became one of Ruben's best pupils and assistants. He handled mj'thological and historical subjects, as well as portraits, with great skill and vigour and was a good, sound colourist. He went to Antwerp about 1629 and made his first successes in painting on glass, among his productions being windows in the cathe- dral there representing the "Acts of Mercy". Simi- lar work at the church of the Dominicans shows scenes from the "Life of Saint Paul". Van Diepenbeeck was admitted to the guild of painters in 1638, and be- came director of the academy in 1641. It was after a visit to Italy that the artist began to paint chiefly in oil and to illustrate. Among his illustrations are fifty-eight designs engraved by Cornelis Bloemaert for the Abb<; dc Marolles' "Tableaux du Temple des Muses". During the reign of Charles I, van Diepen- beeck was in England where, besides painting por- traits of the Duke of Newcastle and his family, the artist illustrated that nobleman's book on "Hor.se- manship".

At the church of the Carmelites in Antwerp is one of the painter's masterworks, " The Virgin in the Clouds with Saint Ely". In the cathedral is his "St. Nor- bert ", while the saint appears with the first Abbot of St. Michel in a chvnch at Dcurne. In the galleries are: Louvre, "The Flight of Cloelia" and "Portraits of a Man and a Woman"; Vienna, a "Descent from the Cross" and "Allegory of Mortality"; Munich, "Abraham and the Angels" and " Feeding the Poor"; Dresden, "Neptune and Amphitrite"; Berlin, "The Marriage of gt. Catherine" and the "Flight of Cloe- lia"; Brussels, "St. Francis Adoring the Holy Sacra- ment"; Antwerp, "The Ecstasy of St. Bonaventure"; Brunswick, "The Entombment" and "Children's Bacchanal"; Frankfort, "Portraits of a Young Man and a Young Woman"; Bordeaux, "The Rape of Ganymede".

Bryan, Dictionary of Painters and Engravers (London and New York, 1903-05); Champlin and Perkins, Cyclopedia of Painters and Paintings (New York, 1SS6).

Augustus van Cleef.

Diepenbrock, Melchior, B.\ron (Freiherr) von, Cardinal and Prince-Bishop of Breslau, b. 6 January, 1798, at Bcicliiilt in Westphalia; d. at the castle of Johannisberg in Ujjper Silesia, 20 January, 1853. He attended the military academy at Bonn and took part in the campaign against France in 1815 as an officer of the militia. Upon his return he was much at- tracted by the personality of Joharm Michael Sailer, a friend of the family, at that time professor at the University of Landshut in Bavaria, and studied public finance at that institution. Wlien Sailer was made Bishop of Ratisbon, Diepenbrock followed him thither, took up the study of theology, and was ordained priest 27 December, 1823. In 1835 he was made dean of the cathedral and vicar-general by the successor of Bishop Sailer. His knowledge of modern languages and his administrative ability, together with his profound understanding of the interior life and his ascetical character, pavetl the wa.y for his elevation to the episcopal See of Breslau, to which he was elected 15 January, 1845. Ho at first declined

the honour, but finally accepted out of filial obedience to the mandate of Pope Gregory XVI.

From the beginning of his reign he was called to face difficult problems and momentous political events. Sectarian propagandism was especially ag- gressive in his diocese and was furthered by state oiEcials as well as by the traditional enemies of the Church. The famine in Upper Silesia appealed to his sympathetic and generous nature. The Revolution of 1848 showed him one of the firmest and most loyal supporters of government, law, and order. The pas- toral letter which he issued on this occasion was, by order of the king, read in all the Protestant churches of the realm. He devoted his be.st energies to the training of the clergy, opened a preparatory seminary, and improved the conditions of the higher seminary. He was a watchful guardian of ecclesiastical discipline and, when necessary, employed severe measures to enforce it. He reintroduced, with great success, re- treats for the priests and missions for the people.

In 1849 he was appointed Apostolic delegate for the Prussian army and relieved, to a great extent, the sore needs of the Catholic soldiers. He was created cardinal in the consistory of 20 September, 1850, and received the purple 4 November. This event gave occasion to one of the most magnificent public demonstrations ever witnessed in Germany. It was soon followed by another demonstration, equally striking, but sorrowful in character, on the occasion of the cardinal's death from a disease which had long afflicted him. His will bequeathed his estate to his diocese. Cardinal Diepenbrock's episcopate was fruitful in blessings for Upper SUesia, he was a cham- pion of Catholicity for the whole of Germany and an ornament to the entire Church. In personal appear- ance he was of dignified presence, but pleasant and affable to all. The cardinal was a noted preacher and poet, and his writings bear evidence to his talents. His principal publications are: "Spiritual Bouquet, Gathered in Spanish and German Gardens of Poesy" (Sulzbach, 1826); "Life and Writings of Heinrich Su.so" (Ratisbon, 1829); "Sermons" (Ratisbon, 1841); "Pastoral Letters" (Munster, 1853); "Per- sonal Letters" (Frankfort, 1860).

CiioWANETZ. Life of Cardinal von Diepenbrock (Csnabruck, 1853): FoRsTER, Life of Cardinal von Diepenbrock (Ratisbon. 18.59); Cardinal von Dieperthrock (Bonn, 1878); Karker in Kirchenlex., s. v.

B. Luebber.mann.

Dieringer, Franz Xaver, Catholic theologian, b. 22 August, 1811, at Rangeningen (Hohenzollern- Hechingen); d. 8 September, 1876, at Veringendorf. He studied theology at Tubingen, was ordained at Frei- burg, 19 Sept., 1835, and appointed instructor at the archiepiscopal seminary there. In the autumn of 1840 he became professor of dogma at the ecclesiastical sem- inary of Speier, and at Easter, 1841, was also made professor of philosophy in the lyceum of the same city. In the spring of 1843 he was appointed professor in ordinary of dogma and homiletics at the University of Bonn, and provisional inspector of the preparatory seminary. When at his instance a homiletic-catechet- ical seminary was established in 1844, he took charge of the homiletic section. The prestige of the faculty of Bonn had suffered sadly because of the inroads of Hermesianism, and this learned theologian, who was eminently qualified for the work of academic teaching, set about to restore its fallen glory. His lirilliant and zealous activity, especially during the first two de- cades of his office, placed him in the first rank among the shining lights of the university. Besides perform- ing the duties of his professoi-ship, he published the "Katholische Zcitschrift fur Wissen.schaft und Kimst," a p('ri(li<'al devoted to .science and church interests, which he had foiuided in 1844 in opposition to the periodical of the Hermesians, and conducted in a truly Catholic spirit. From 1847 to 1849 it appeared