Description
Book SynopsisCornelius Michael Buckley, S.J. delves into Stephen Larigaudelle Dubuissonâs life, using him as the point of departure to describe the tensions among Jesuits in Maryland after the restoration of the order in 1814. Dubuisson is recognized as âœthe chief pillar of the Jesuit mission in the United States.â
Trade ReviewIn this deeply research and engaging biography, Cornelius Michael Buckley offers a richly contextualized portrait of Stephen Dubuisson (1786–1864). . . .Buckley’s research is rich and deep; his bibliography alone, detailing archival and secondary sources in several languages, is an education. In addition to offering a remarkably complete portrait of an individual, the biography also adds significantly to our knowledge of subjects ranging from conflict among clergy and faculty in the early national church, to the tragic causes and consequences of Jesuit slaveholding, to controversy over mesmerism. . . .[Readers will] find that Buckley’s research and writing also offers the rigor and rewards of secular scholarship. Over the course of this delightful and impressive book, the reader is left with the feeling of having spent time in the company of fascinating Jesuits of both the past and the present. * Journal of Jesuit Studies *
Fr. Buckley's book . . . is much more than a mere recounting of the life of a little-known Jesuit. It is, in fact, a consideration of what it means to be a Jesuit in America. . . .Buckley gives a detailed account of Dubuisson's life, telling his colorful and unpredictable story with care, insight, and more than occasional dry humor. . . .Buckley has done the Church, the Society of Jesus, his country, and his friends a great service by writing this book and revealing the character of this until now obscure Jesuit. * Fellowship of Catholic Scholars Quarterly *
Buckley’s deeply researched biography of Dubuisson provides a fascinating perspective on the international reach of the Catholic Church and the Jesuits in a period marked by revolution, rapid social change, and religious renewal. Buckley draws on Dubuisson’s correspondence and writings to reveal a sensitive, observant, and critical mind. . . . This book illuminates a compelling chapter in the history of Catholicism. -- Thomas Kselman, University of Notre Dame
An informative and readable biography of a transnational Jesuit priest who helped shape the role of the Society of Jesus in the early US Catholic Church. -- Nancy Lusignan Schultz, Salem State University
Father Buckley has shed much light on nineteenth-century Catholicism through his insightful investigation of the career of a strategically placed Jesuit of the time. -- James Hitchcock
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Introduction xi Abbreviations xvii Chapter One 1786-1791: A Cauldron of Horrors 1 Chapter Two 1791-1812: La Congrégation and the Tuileries 13 Chapter Three 1812-1815: Marie Louise to Parma, Napoleon to St. Helena and Dubuisson to America 37 Chapter Four 1815-1817: Maryland the Mise-en-scène 57 Chapter Five 1817-1821: Bleak Times 81 Chapter Six 1821-1826: The Mattingly Miracle and the Jesuit Crisis 103 Chapter Seven 1826-1830: Rome to the Rescue 131 Chapter Eight 1830-1834: The Slave Problem 149 Chapter Nine 1834-1835: Northeastern Pennsylvania 173 Chapter Ten 1835-1836: Mrs. Mattingly: The Passe-partout 187 Chapter Eleven 1836-1838: The Royal Courts of Europe 213 Chapter Twelve 1838-1852: Housed with a Duke and Duchess 235 Chapter Thirteen 1853-1864: The Priest, the Scholar, the Writer 261 Bibliography 277 Index 291 About the Author 305
