Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 5.djvu/429

 ELDER

373

ELEAZAR

County. Dr. Reynolds was transferred in 1830 to pastoral work, and Father Elder again became presi- dent, a position which he held until his death. He frequently did duty in the cathedral and was one of the editors of the Louisville " Catholic Advocate " news- paper (founded in 1S36), to which he contributed a series of well-written articles on the education of chil- dren and the obligations of parents in such matters. "Letters to Brother Jonathan", half satirical, half controversial, were also the product of his pen. His sense of justice forced him, in spite of his characteris- tic amiability, to prosecute a bigoted preacher, Nathan L. Rice, for libelling, after the manner of _" Maria Monk ", a worthy Kentucky priest, then absent in Europe. Father Elder's last illness was brought on by over-exertion and fatigue at the burning down (25 Jan., 1838) of the main college building.

Spalding, Sketches of Early Cath. Missions in Kentucky (Louisville. 1844); Webb, The Centenary of Catholicili/ in Ken- tucky (Louisville, 1884): Shea, History of the Catholic'Church in U. S. (New York, 1890); J. L. Spaldin-g, Life of Archbishop Spalding (New York, 1873); Catholic Advocate (Louisville, 1836- 7-8), files.

P. M. J. Rock.

Elder, Williaii Henry, third Bishop of Nat- chez, Mississippi, V. S. A., and second Archbishop of Cincinnati, b. in Baltimore, Maryland, 22 March, 1819; d. in Cincinnati, 31 Oct., 1904. His father, Basil Elder, was a descend- ant of William Elder, who had emigrated from England to Amer- ica, in colonial times: his mother, Elisabeth Miles (Snowden) Elder. In 1831 he entered Mt. St. Mary's Col- lege, Emmitsburg, Marjdand, then presided over by the Rev. John Baptist Purcell, who afterwards becanie the second Bishop, and later the first Archbish- op, of Cincinnati. In 1842 he went to Rome, to complete his theological studies at the College of the Propaganda, where he received the degree of Doctor of Divinity. He was ordained priest in Rome, 29 March, 1846. Returning to Mary- land, he became professor at Emmitsburg, which posi- tion he held until he was appointed Bishop of Natchez, for which he was consecrated in the cathedral of Balti- more, by .\rchbishop Kenrick, 3 May, 1857. In 1864 he was brought into prominence by his refusal to obey the order of the Federal troops at Natchez, tohave cer- tain prayers for the President of the United States recited publicly in the churches of his diocese. He was arrested, tried, and convicted; but the decision of the military court was reversed at Washington. His de- votion to his people during the yellow-fever epidemic of 1878 won universal commendation. On 30 Janu- ary, 1880, he was made titular Bishop of Avara and transferred to Cincinnati, as coadjutor with the right of succession to Archbishop Purcell, whom he suc- ceeded 4 July, 1883. Great financial difficulties clouded the last years of Archbishop Purcell's life and made the task of his successor a trying one. But the reopening of the theological seminary, Mt. St. Mary's of the West, the founding of St. Gregory's Preparatory Seminary, the enlarging of St. Joseph's Orphan Asy-

William Hen

lum, besides the building of numerous other religious institutions, show how well Archbishop Elder over- came these diffiulties. (See Cincin.nati.)

Archbishop Elder's Jubilee Album (Cincinnati, 1896); REnss, Biog. Cycl. Cath. Hierarchy U. S. (Milwaukee, 1898); Catholic Telegraph ((3incinnati), Oct., 1904 and files.

TiMOTHT J. DeAST.

Eleazar (Heb. -jTvSn*, God's help).— I. Elizabeth, daughter of Aminadab and sister of Nahason, bore to Aaron four sons, Nadab, Abiu, Eleazar, and Ithamar (E.X., \i, 23), all of whom, with their father, "were anointed . . . and consecrated, to do the functions of priesthood" (Num., iii, 2-3; Lev., viii, 1-13). As Nadab and Abiu died without children, punished for offering strange fire before the Lord (Lev., x, 1-7; I Par., xxiv, 1-2), " Eleazar and Ithamar performed the priestly office in the presence of Aaron" (Num., iii, 4). Thus entitled to succeed his father in the office of high- priest, " Eleazar . . . took a wife of the daughters of Phutiel", and so became the father of Phinees (Ex., vi, 25). Prince of the princes of the Levites "that watch for the guard of the sanctuary" (Num., iii, .32), directing the sons of Caath when wrapping up "the sanctuary and the vessels thereof at the removing of the camp" (Num., iv, 15-16), Eleazar was selected as the suitable official, "to whose charge pertaineth the oil to dress the lamps, and the sweet incense, and the sacrifice . . . and the oil of unction, and whatsoever pertaineth to the service of the tabernacle, and of all the vessels that are in the sanctuary" (Num., iv, 16). At the very moment when his brothers were punished "by fire coming out from the Lord", Eleazar, though deeply affected by mental anguish, obeyed the order of Moses, and completed their unfinished sacrifice (Lev., X, 1-20). After the terrible punishment in- flicted on the daring usurpers. Core, Dathan, and Abiron, as if to make more evident his right to become the high-priest, Eleazar, complying with orders, beat into plates the still smoking censers used by these un- fortunate rebels, and for a sign and a memorial, fas- tened this metal to the altar (Num., xvi, 1-40). Ap- pointed to preside over the immolation of the red cow (Num., xix, 1-10), Eleazar next appears, clothed with the vesture of Aaron, and exercising the office of high- prie.st (Num., xx, 22-29). Hence it is that we find Eleazar associated with Moses, in numbering the chil- dren of Israel after the slaughter of the twenty-four thousand (Num., xxvi, 1-4), in settling the inheritance case presented by the daughters of Salphaad (Num., xxvii, 1-3), in distributing the spoils taken from the Madianites (Num., xx,xi, 1-54), and, finally, in con- sidering the request of Ruben and Gad for land east of the Jordan (Num., xxxii, 1-5). To Eleazar, Josue, the successor of Moses, is presented by the Jewish law- giver himself (Num., xxvii, 12-23). On the list of those appointed to divide among the Israelites the lands west of the Jordan, the very first name is that of Eleazar (Num., xxxiv, 16-19; Jos., xiv, 1-2; xix, 51), who was buried "in Gabaath, that belonged to Phinees his son, which was given him in mount Ephraim" (Jos., xxiv, 33). If we except the period from Heli to Solomon, during which the descendants of Ithamar exercised the office of high-priest (I Kings, ii, 30-36; III Kings, ii, 26-27), those holding this most sacred calling, down to the time of the Maehabees, be- longed to the family of Eleazar (Ex., \'i, 25).

II. Eleazar, surnamed Abaron, was the fourth son of Mathathias(IMach.,ii, 1-5). With some probability, he is identified with the Esdras who before the battle with Nicanor read the Holy Book to the Jewish warriors (II Mach., viii, 22-24). In the engagement at Bethzacharam, he displayed marvellous courage in attacking and killing the elephant, on which "it seemed to him that the king [.\ntiochus Eupator] was". Crushed to death beneath the dying ele- phant, Eleazar "exposed himself to deliver his people