28 Facts About Francis Neale

Francis Ignatius Neale, known as Francis Xavier Neale, was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who led several academic and religious institutions in Washington, DC, and Maryland.

Francis Neale played a substantial role in the Jesuit order's resurgence in the United States.

When Francis Neale returned to the United States in 1788, he became the pastor of the church at St Thomas Manor, where he aligned himself with the rural clergy in opposing Bishop John Carroll's founding of Georgetown College, believing it would draw resources away from the Jesuits' rural manors.

In 1790, Francis Neale oversaw the establishment of the first Catholic church in Washington, DC, Holy Trinity Church, of which he was pastor for 27 years.

Francis Neale established the Church of St Mary in Alexandria, Virginia, and was its visiting pastor.

Francis Neale was briefly the acting president of Georgetown College, and later became its president in 1809.

Francis Neale's tenure was considered unsuccessful, as the number of students declined dramatically due to his implementation of strict monastic discipline.

Francis Neale was made treasurer of the Jesuits' Maryland mission.

Francis Neale spent his later years as the spiritual director to the nuns at the Georgetown Visitation Monastery and the pastor at St Thomas Manor.

Francis Neale was born into a prominent Maryland family; among his ancestors was Captain James Neale, one of the settlers of the Maryland Colony, who arrived in 1637 upon receiving a royal grant of 2,000 acres in what would become Port Tobacco.

Two of Francis Neale's brothers died during their studies, and four of the surviving five became Catholic priests.

Francis Neale intended Neale, in particular, to play a significant role in the college's early years.

Francis Neale enjoyed the rural life, and aligned with those Jesuits stationed at the Jesuits' rural Maryland manors who opposed Carroll's establishment of a college.

Francis Neale frequently expressed in correspondence with Carroll his belief that the Jesuits should direct their efforts to ministering to rural congregations in Southern Maryland, rather than on higher education.

Francis Neale proved to be a successful pastor of the church.

Francis Neale succeeded in raising considerable funds from Catholics in Montgomery, Prince George's, Charles, and St Mary's counties in Maryland during the first several months of his tenure.

Francis Neale ministered to this church, but its location was considered too remote, so he purchased a former Methodist meeting house more centrally located in Alexandria, and named it the Church of St Mary.

Francis Neale was made the legal agent of the corporation in 1798.

Francis Neale would hold the position of vice president for ten years.

Francis Neale instituted the same severe monastic discipline that his brother, Leonard, had previously implemented at the college during his presidency.

At the college, Francis Neale established the first Sodality of the Blessed Virgin in the United States.

Francis Neale purchased 40 acres to expand the campus for student recreation.

Francis Neale had little interest in managing the academic affairs of the college, and upon assuming the presidency, transferred responsibility for the school's academics to the vice president.

Francis Neale was wary that such an arrangement would contravene the pope's order and might draw the attention of political enemies of the Jesuits.

Francis Neale's selection drew some criticism from the European Jesuits sent at Carroll's request to aid the re-establishment of the Jesuits in the United States, on the grounds that Neale had never been trained in a Jesuit novitiate, and that he would simultaneously be a novice himself.

Francis Neale returned to St Thomas Manor, where he became pastor of its church, later known as St Ignatius Church.

Francis Neale served in this office from 1819 until 1837.

Francis Neale died on December 20,1837, and he was buried in the cemetery at St Thomas Manor.