Marmaduke Stone

The Very Reverend Marmaduke Stone SJ
Elected	Provincial of England, Scotland and Ireland
Installed	1803
Term ended	1812
Predecessor	vacant
Orders
Ordination	1775
Personal details
Born	Marmaduke Stone 28 November 1748 Draycott in the Moors, Staffordshire, England
Died	22 August 1834 (aged 85) Lowe House, St Helen's
Buried	Wendelsham Abbey
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Occupation	priest, teacher, administrator
Education	College of St Omer
Alma mater	English Academy at Liège

Marmaduke Stone (28 November 1748 – 22 August 1834) was an English Jesuit, who brought to an end the two hundred year exile of English Jesuits in Europe. He achieved this not only while war had broken out between France and England, but also at a time when the Society of Jesus was suppressed in most of Europe and its colonies.

Early life

Marmaduke Stone was born in Draycott near Painsley, Staffordshire into a recusant family and educated at St. Omer in northern France. At that time, Catholic education was not permitted in Britain. His education was interrupted when the entire school was forced to decamp to Bruges Austrian Netherlands on 10–17 August 1762, due to sudden French restrictions put on the order. Stone entered the Society of Jesus in 1767 in Ghent, and studied at the Liège Academy.

Career

In 1774, he was appointed Master of Elements at the recently established English Academy at Liège. In 1775, he was ordained priest and remained on the staff of the Academy. In 1790 he succeeded William Strickland SJ who had become procurator in London, as president of the Academy. With his assistance Stone led the English "ex-Jesuits" through more than twenty testing years. Stone's brethren, though bound together by a common vocation and their still un-cancelled Jesuit vows, were not allowed by the papal brief of suppression to reunite for purposes of governance in their province. Stone could therefore only rule by appealing to conscience. When dealing with bishops, he could claim no rights, especially those essential to religious bodies. Fortunately, they were not hostile, although their views on Jesuit property and privileges caused Stone much trouble.

Owing to the great generosity of Thomas Weld of Lulworth, on 14 July 1794, the college at Liège was transferred to his estate at Stonyhurst in Lancashire. Despite the challenges involved, the upper and lower schools and the Academy reopened on 22 October 1794. A Rescript from the Roman Propaganda on 14 February 1796 confirmed Stonyhurst in all the ecclesiastical privileges of the Academy at Liège. Since a restoration of the Society during the French Revolutionary Wars was unlikely, it was resolved to work for an affiliation with the Russian province of the Jesuits, whom the 1773 suppression did not affect and whose corporate existence had been recognised in Rome. The approach was successful. On 19 May 1803, allied to the Russian province of the Society and having repeated his profession, Marmaduke Stone was declared provincial, and admitted the other Liège Jesuits to their vows, for England, Ireland, and Maryland. On 29 September a novitiate was opened at Hodder Place. While The Holy See gave no public recognition of the restored order, Pope Pius VII did privately express his pleasure. The Bull of Restoration of the entire Society finally came on 7 August 1814. On 2 December 1816 an interpretation was added stating it was to apply only where the secular government concurred. in England, therefore, the Jesuits retained their status quo.

Since its transfer to England the college had grown enormously and the Jesuit missions had prospered. In spite of his advancing years, Stone continued to act as college minister till 1827, when he finally retired to St Helens. The news that the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829 had come into force giving the English Jesuits formal recognition, reached him there in 1829. He died in St Helens in 1834 and was buried in nearby Windleshaw Abbey.

From the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia

Marmaduke Stone — Jesuit, b. at Draycot, 28 Nov., 1748; d. at St. Helens, 22 Aug., 1834. He was educated at St. Omers, shared in its historic exodus to Bruges, 10-17 August, 1762 (see ), 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 (see; ). 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; no easy task when one remembers the exterior difficulties, the adventuresome ardour that animated the young men of his college staff, and the peculiar ways into which the middle-aged missionaries were prone to subside. 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. 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 Feb., 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. 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 Dec., 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 (see ). 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. Though he might not look an ideal leader, Father Stone was wonderfully adapted to his circumstances; his unfailing kindness, simplicity, sincerity, patience, and self-devotion were irresistible. 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.

Correspondence at Stonyhurst and elsewhere; GERARD, Stonyhurst College (1894); FOLEY, Records S. J., vii, 741; WARD, The Dawn of the Catholic Revival (London, 1909); IDEM, The Eve of Catholic Emancipation (London, 1912).

Bibliography

• Correspondence at Stonyhurst and elsewhere;
• Gerard, Stonyhurst College (1894);
• Henry Foley, Records of the English Province of the Society of Jesus, vii, 741;
• Ward, The Dawn of the Catholic Revival (London, 1909);
• ____, The Eve of Catholic Emancipation (London, 1912).