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Lisbon College—The Final Years
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 September 2015
Extract
A previous article gave an account of the difficulties besetting Lisbon College at the beginning of the twentieth century. These were due both to the unsettled state of Portugal where the new Republic was hostile to the Church and to the failure of Mgr James Warwick to win the support of his staff in revitalising the college after the long and rather monochrome presidency of William Hilton. Warwick’s failure led to an unfortunate difference of opinion among the staff of the college and in the absence of an Apostolic Nuncio in Lisbon, the traditional Protector of the College and the court of appeal, Cardinal Bourne sent Mgr Bernard Ward of Old Hall, Ware, to make an official visitation and report on the state of affairs in Lisbon.
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References
1 Williams, Michael E. ‘Lisbon College: The Penultimate chapter’, R.H.25, (2000), pp. 74–95.Google Scholar
2 Strictly speaking it was the Consistorial Congregation in Rome that instructed Bourne to make a visitation in loco Nuntii Apostolici Ulyssiponensis. Bourne delegated Bernard Ward, President of St. Edmund’s, Old Hall, Ware to carry out the task. Ward was at the College in Lisbon from July 12 to 15 1915 and subsequently made his report. It is to be found in W.A.A. Further documentation is to be found in the Brentwood Diocesan Archives among Ward’s papers. There are some photocopies of these in L.C. I am grateful to Fr Stuart Foster for this and other references to the Brentwood Archives.
3 Williams, Michael E. Oscott College in the Twentieth Century (2001), pp. 7–20.Google Scholar
4 L.C. Annals. The source for most of what follows is Cullen’s own account in the Annals (Book Archive 113), the Minutes of the Council of Superiors (Book Archive 133) and Correspondence.
5 ‘By the Constitutions of the College the responsibility which in many similar establishments is borne ultimately by the President—is at Lisbon deliberately spread over the body of superiors, that is the priests. They form a Council which meets from time to time, and to which everything of importance has to be referred. In this Council, the President with a third of the votes (including his own) forms a majority, but if there are two thirds of the votes against him, he is over-ruled. In the present unfortunate position of affairs, this leads practically to an endeavour to rule the College over the President’s head, for all the superiors are opposed to him.’ Ward’s Report W.A.A.
6 This is to be found in ‘Lisbon File 1900–1950’ S.A.A. Writing later, John Winder in a personal memoir of Cullen says that Warwick planned to wipe out all records of his presidency; even the list of college investments could not be found. Cullen gathered details from the Bank of England and Fr. Atherton a former procurator. L.C. 623.
7 It was at this time that the events at Fatima were reported as taking place.
8 The political situation in Portugal was noted and commented upon in The Tablet, July 13 and July 27 1918.
9 Sullivan, J. ‘Before Memory Fails’ Venerabile Magazine 1983 pp. 55–64.Google Scholar
10 The oar standing for St Peter, the sword for St Paul, the two patrons of Lisbon College.
11 May 22 1922. L.C. Book Archive 132.
12 R.H. 25 (2000) pp. 82–84, 94.
13 Richard Russell. Procurator at Lisbon College 1655. Served in the Portuguese Embassy, London, acted as Parish Priest at Catherine of Braganza’s wedding. Bishop of Portalegre 1671, promoted to Bishop of Viseu 1682, Died 1693. Sharratt pp. 164–167.
14 The Tablet, September 16, 1922.
15 Cullen to Hinsley, April 7 1941, L.C.
16 Congregation of Studies File L.C. 579.
17 Holmes to Bishop Doubleday, October 18, 1939. Brentwood Diocesan Archives.
18 Winder’s memoir L.C. 623. See footnote 6 above.
19 Cullen to Hinsley April 7 1941. L.C.
20 For Better and for Worse. Memoirs of Thomas Holland (1989) pp. 82–84, 92–94.
21 Cullen’s death at such a time caused anxiety in Valladolid. Henson the Rector wrote to Hinsley on July 5 1942:
Who is to carry on that work? I know of no one more capable than the procurator, Fr Crowley. He is the most all-round capable man I have ever met. He is above the average in learning and thoroughly pious, speaks Portuguese like a native. He was trained from the beginning by Mgr. Cullen and has a thorough knowledge of the working of the college both from the educational and financial point of view. He has done extraordinary apostolic work amongst the abandoned Portuguese at the other side of the river and is a Persona grata to the Patriarch. The actual Vice President Fr Holmes is an excellent man in many ways but lacks knowledge of the Portuguese language and is far from being so widely informed as Fr Crowley in the affairs of the college and of Portugal. E.C.V. Hinsley File.
22 Roman Letters. 1935–1942 (Lisbon) W.A.A.
23 Pietro Cirìaci was Nuncio in Lisbon 1934 to 1953 when he was created Cardinal.
24 Godfrey knew Pizzardo, the Cardinal in charge of Seminaries from the time Godfrey was Rector of the English College in Rome in the 1930s.
25 This was said to be Monsignor Mozzoni. Winder to Sullivan, July 1, 1943. L.C. Winder correspondence.
26 Winder to the Nuncio, September 28, 1944. L.C. Winder Correspondence.
27 Winder to Sullivan, September 6, 1944. L.C. Sullivan Correspondence.
28 Murphy became Coadjutor Bishop of Shrewsbury in 1948 and in 1949 he succeeded to the See. He was transferred to Cardiff in 1961, retired 1983 and died 1995. He provided the college with many students when Bishop of Shrewsbury and later as Archbishop of Cardiff.
29 Bishop Poskitt is reported as saying ‘It would be sad but not bad if the college closed’. L.C. Sullivan Correspondence.
30 Winder to Pizzardo. September 24, 1945. L.C. Winder Correspondence.
31 This refers to the employment of Miss Norton.
32 Winder to Amigo. October 21, 1945. L.C. Winder Correspondence.
33 Sullivan to Poskitt. July 1, 1945; Poskitt to Sullivan, July 2, 1945; Sullivan to Poskitt, July 8, 1945. L.C. Sullivan Correspondence.
34 Winder to Pizzardo, January 27, 1947. L.C. Winder Correspondence.
35 Henson to Winder, February 17 1947. L.C. Winder Correspondence.
36 Ciriaci to Winder, February 19, 1947. L.C. Winder Correspondence.
37 Griffin’s Circular to Bishops, December 16, 1946. L.C. Sullivan Correspondence.
38 Griffin to Sullivan, November 13, 1947; Sullivan to Poskitt, November 19, 1947. L.C. Sullivan Correspondence.
39 O’Hara, called on May 28. College Diary, Lisbonian Magazine vol XXVI (1956), p. 17.Google Scholar
40 O’Hara to Sullivan February 18 1957 and 23 June 1959 L.C. Sullivan Correspondence.
41 Sullivan makes mention of the help and kindness he received from Nuncio Furstenberg in ‘memoirs’, L.C. Sullivan papers.
42 The Lisbonian Magazine appeared regularly from 1949 to 1971 L.C. contains many unsorted Sullivan papers.
43 When in Rome in 1988 Sullivan wrote to Gerard Hetherington, Secretary to the Lisbonian Society, describing his take over of the presidency from Winder.
44 See Lisbonian Magazine vol XXVI, pp. 46–47, (1956) for Obituary notice of John Winder.
45 Correspondence on this matter can be found in L.C. Sullivan Correspondence, 1952–1961.
46 Holland’s Report to be found in both W.A.A. and L.C.
47 This text appeared in Heenan’s Circular to all the Bishops June 8 1971 L.C.
48 This is referred to in Sullivan’s letter to Hetherington and Lisbonian Society. See note 43 above.