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OORDIAN

Angers, which she had founded, seemed destined by God for grand designs. He would decide, by the voice of His pontiff. Like many of God's elect, she was treated by her adversaries as an innovator, an ambitious person, impatient of authority. Only after incessant labours and formidable opposition did her cause triumph. The Brief in approval of the mother- house at Angers was signed 3 April, 1835, and pub- lished by Gregory XVI. The official title of the in- stitute was henceforth "Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd of Angers". It is directljr subject to the Hoi}' See, and Cardinal Odescalchi was its first cardinal-protector. Angers is authorized to send its sisters to the extremities of the earth. Mother Euphrasia heartily devoted herself to the work en- trusted to her. She had Iseen accused of ambition, of innovation, and of disobedience. Her sole ambition was to extend God's kingdom, and to offer the benefits of her institute to the whole world. Her innovations, in harmony with the spirit of the Gospel, with the fourth vow of her order, were approved by the Church, and gave in thirty-three years one hundred and ten soul-saving institutions to the Church and to society. Her institutions were all founded in obedience to the requests of ecclesiastical authorities in every part of the world. Thirty-three years she was mother-general of the Good Shepherd, and at her death, 29 April, 1S6S, she left 2067 professed sisters, 384 novices, 309 Tour- iere sisters, 962 "magdalens", 6372 "penitents", and 8483 children of various classes. Angers had seen great changes since 1829, when Mother Euphrasia had come with five sisters to found the house. Within thirty-three years one hundred and ten convents had been'founded, sixteen provinces established, in France, Belgium, Holland, Rome, Italy, Germany, Austria, England, Scotland, Ireland, Asia, Africa, the United States and Chili. Under her successor, Mother_Mary St. Peter Coudenhove, in twenty-four years, eighty- five houses were founded, and thirteen new proviiices established, making eleven in Europe, two in Africa, nine in North America, five in South America and one in Oceania.

The cause of beatification of Mother Euphrasia was inscribed by the postulatorof the cause, 17 Nov., 1886. The preliminary examination terminated in 1890. Leo XIII received supplications from numerous car- dinals, archbishops, bishops, several cathedral chap- ters, rectors of colleges and universities, hundreds of priests, and many noble families, begging him to dis- pense from the ordinary ten years' mterval required before the continuation of the cause. On 11 Dec, 1897, Leo XIII declared her " Venerable", to the great joy of the whole world, and to the honour and glory of all the convents of the Good Shepherd.

The order is still increasing every year. In 1901, it counted 232 houses, 24 provinces, 7044 sisters, with 43,159 subjects under their care.

This order glories also in the name of Mother Mary of the Divine Heart, who has been compared to the Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque. The consecration of the universe to the Sacred Heart, 9 June, 1899, which Leo XIII referred to as the greatest act of his pontificate, was brought about by her suggestion. She died on the eve of the consecration (8 June, 1899), at Porto, Portugal, and already preparations are being made for her beatification.

BouLiT. Vie(tu PIreEudm (Paris, 1905); Ory, Les origines de Notre Dame de Charlie (Abbeville, 1S91); Paquier, La ven- f Table Mhe Marie de St. Euphrasie Pelletier (Angers, 1893); PoRTWB.Vie de la R. Mbre MariedeSI. Euphrasie Pelletier (Paris, 1S94)- Chasle, Saur Marie du Divin Cceur (Paiis, 1905; tr., New York).

Charles Lebrun.

Good Works. See Merit.

Goossens, Pierre-Lambert, Cardinal, Archbishop of Mechlin (Belgium), b. at Perck, near Vilvorde, 18 July, 1827; d. at Mechlin 25 January, 1906.

After teaching at Bruel College at Mechlin, he be-

came, in 1856, curate at the cathedral and secretary of the archbishop, and, in April, 1878, vicar-general of Cardinal Dechamps. Meanwhile he had been ap- pointed (1860) an honorary canon of the metropoli- tan chapter. In 1S80 he was made a Roman prelate, and 24 June, 1883, was consecrated at Mech- lin coadjutor-bishop to Mgr. Gravez, whom he suc- ceeded as Bishop of Namur 16 July following. Eight months later (24 March, 18S4) he became Archbishop of Mechlin, and on 24 May, 1889, he was created Car- dinal-Priest of the Title of Santa-C'roce in Gerusa- lemme. Succeeding to the See of Mechlin just when the Belgian Catholics were about to depose the Ma- sonic government which had oppressed them since 1879, he did much to perpetuate the strong hold on political power which the Catholic party has since pos- sessed. In order to promote thorough Christian sen- timents among the workmen of the great industrial centres of his diocese, also in distant country places, he provided for them greater church facilities, caused many new churches to be built, and created eighty-six parishes. In twenty-two years he founded in his diocese 840 primary schools, with an attendance of 120,000 children. He also multiplied high schools for girls and for boys, opened normal and professional schools, and founded ten colleges for the teaching of humanities. Tireless in promoting the economical interests of the working classes, he organized and presided over two general congresses and five dis- trict congresses in which the social question was the chief topic of discussion. On pulihc occasions his manner was noble and stately, yet in his deal- ings with priests and people he was always amiable and unaffected, and had the secret of enlisting sacri- fice and devotion. To kindness he joined prudence and discret ion and was thus able to avoiti conflicts with the State authorities. A talented writer, his style bore the impression of the masterpieces of French pulpit eloquence, of which he was an assiduous reader.

In his "Charges and Pastoral Letters" (five vol- umes) and his "Occasional Addresses" accuracy of ideas, delicacy of feeling, literary tact, and purity of diction are always predominant characteristics. Though not himself a savant, he was alive to scientific needs, and greatly encouraged scientific progress in the LTniversity of Louvain, of which he was the chief patron. He reorganized the archives of his archdiocese, and encouraged historical research among his clergy by requiring each parish priest to furnish him with an historical monograph on his parish.

His published works are: "Collectio Epistolarum pastoralium, decretorum, aliorumque documentorum" (5 vols., Mechlin, 18S9-1906); " Discours sur la ques- tion sociale" (Mechlin, 1894); " Choix de conferences, discours et allocutions" (Mechlin, 1906).

Mercier, Oraison funibre de Son Eminence,. P.-L. Goossens (Louvain, 1906); Laenen, Les archevemes de Malinrs qui fiirent revetus de la pourpre romaine in La Vie dioccsaine (1907), I, 193-202; Relationes Status Archidiac. Mcchlinensis annifi Chr. J&9;!, 1S9S, et 1903 in Goossens, Collectio Epistolarum; MuYLDERMANS, Lcvcnsschets van Z. E. Kardinaal Goossens iin preparation).

P. Ladeuze.

Gordian (Lat. Gordianits). — There were three Roman emperors of this name, who reigned between A. D. 237-44, and all of whom met with violent deaths. The first, Marcus Antonius Africanus Gordianus, de- scended on the father's sitle from the Gracchi and on the mother's from Trajan, was chosen emperor in Africa in opposition to the usurj^er Maximin, anil the choice was confirmed by the Senate. On account of his ad- vanced age, his son was associated with him in the purple. Their reign lasted only thirty-six days, the son being slain in battle by Maximin 's lieutenant, Capellianus, and the father putting an end to his own life (July, 237). M. Antonius Gordianus Pius, the grandson of the elder and nephew of the younger Gor-