Marmaduke Stone
Marmaduke Stone (28 November 1748 – 22 August 1834) was an English Jesuit, in a position of leadership when the Order was dissolved.
Contents
Life
Stone was born in Draycott and educated at St. Omers, sharing in its exodus to Bruges, 10–17 August 1762. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1767, later became a master at the Liège Academy. In 1790 he succeeded as president to Father William Strickland, who then became procurator at London; with his assistance Father Stone succeeded in peacefully guiding the English ex-Jesuits through more than a score of tempestuous years. Father Stone's confrères, though held together by a common vocation and their still uncancelled vows, were not allowed by the brief of suppression to reunite for purposes of government. He could therefore only rule by appealing to conscience. When dealing with the bishops, he could claim no rights, not even those essential to religious bodies. Fortunately, they were not hostile, though their views on Jesuit property and privileges caused Father Stone much trouble.
On 14 July 1794, the College at Liège was transferred to Stonyhurst College. In spite of the magnitude of the task, it was accomplished in good order; and schools reopened 22 October following. A rescript from Propaganda (14 February 1796) confirmed Stonyhurst in all the privileges of Liège. Though it was impossible to hope for a restoration of the Society during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, it was not impracticable to work for a reunion with the Russian Jesuits, whose corporate existence had lately been recognized at Rome. In this Father Stone was successful. On 19 May 1803, having made his profession, he was declared provincial, and admitted others to their vows, for England, Ireland, and Maryland; on 29 September a novitiate was opened at Hodder Place. Rome, however, gave no public recognition of the restored order, though the pope privately expressed his pleasure. When the Bull of Restoration finally came (7 August 1814), the interpretation was added (2 December 1816), that it was to apply only where the secular government wished; in England, therefore, the Jesuits were to be regarded as still in their old position. The college had grown enormously since its transfer to England and the Jesuit missions had prospered steadily. Father Stone, notwithstanding his years, continued to act as college minister till 1827, when he finally retired to St Helens. Here the good news reached him (1829) that the English Jesuits had at last been formally recognized. He died in St Helens in 1834 and was buried in nearby Windlesham Abbey.[1]
Though he might not look an ideal leader, Father Stone adapted to his circumstances. If he acted slowly, he made no mistakes; he was capable of undertaking great enterprises, and of carrying them through with strong tenacity of purpose.
Footnotes
- ↑ Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire for the year 1887 Windleshaw Chantry and Cemetery, Rev Austin Powell
References
- Correspondence at Stonyhurst and elsewhere;
- Gerard, Stonyhurst College (1894);
- Foley, Records S. J., vii, 741;
- Ward, The Dawn of the Catholic Revival (London, 1909);
- ____, The Eve of Catholic Emancipation (London, 1912).
External links
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