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A Further Perspective
America’s Forgotten Newman?
Blessed John Henry Newman had some special American counterparts.
(Page 2 of 2)
More details about Levi Ives’s life after 1852 are in an article, “Once We Knew How to Rescue Poor Kids,” by William J. Stern, in City Journal, Autumn 1998. Until his death in 1867, Ives devoted himself to scholarship and charity. Encouraged by Archbishop John Hughes of New York, he became a professor of rhetoric at what is now Fordham University and taught at other Catholic institutions. But more significant, according to Stern, was Ives’s creation and leadership of a highly effective charitable institution, the New York Catholic Protectory for delinquent boys.
Read Stern’s article in full for an appreciation of Ives’s remarkable work:
Stern quotes Ives’ own memoir about his agonizing decision at the age of 55 to leave his Tar Heel bishopric and become an unemployed layman, recalling a feeling of “horror… enhanced by the self-humiliation with which I saw such a step must cover me, the absolute deprivation of all mere temporal support which it must occasion, not only to myself, but to one whom I was bound ‘to love and cherish until death.’”
Stern writes: “Ives indeed stood to lose the considerable worldly honor and eminence he had attained within the Episcopal Church. And Ives was right: what would it do to his wife? Her life had not been easy after she married him. The Iveses had lost both their young children to illness, a crushing blow. Rebecca Ives was frequently ill herself. She found the harshness of North Carolina and the distance from her family in New York hard to endure. And her father — Ives’s great, almost fatherly, benefactor — was before his death … the very embodiment of American Episcopalianism.”
A certain amount of fame, together with reputations for what Saint Augustine of Hippo called “heroic virtue,” began the Vatican processes making Elizabeth Seton a canonized saint and John Henry Newman a “blessed.”
Would more awareness of the heroic and prophetic lives of Levi and Rebecca Ives put them on the path toward canonization?
Letter to the Editor View all comments (19) | Leave a comment
More Articles by Joseph P. Duggan
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Bob| 9.27.10 @ 9:53AM
Rome is out of touch. Rome lives in the past refusing to face the truth. Just look at the lazy weak church in Latin America mainly Brazil where the church is doing nothing in regard to educating the poor as opposed to the US Church where educating those in poverty is a great concern!
In regards to Levi being an American Newman and forgotten by Rome does not surprise me. American Catholic have always been looked upon with suspicion by Rome.
It seems to me the American RC church is considered a backwoods church. Which surprises me considering much of the Vatican's money comes from the US Catholic Church.
WinstonS| 9.27.10 @ 11:11AM
Bob makes some very bold and unsupported statements. What truth does Rome refuse to face? The Catholic Church is made up of a vast number of cultures and individuals, with both good and bad examples never in shortage. As for “facing the truth”: the Catholic Church, through the good and bad that individual Catholics have done, has preserved the deposit of faith entrusted to her keeping. It has been the "out of touch Rome" (and I assume you mean the Papacy) that has embodied that. There is no need for a long list of examples, save one: the defense of the sanctity of life. Pope PAUL VI's HUMANAE VITAE stands vindicated for the truth it proclaimed 42 years ago when other Christian voices where either silent or hateful and accusing Rome of living in the past. Amazing how some things haven't changed.
Alan Brooks| 9.27.10 @ 9:17PM
I'm all in favor of religion, as long as we all secretly know it is rightwing socialism.
However if some of you want to be chumps, what is anyone going to do about that?
Alan Brooks| 9.27.10 @ 9:26PM
that is to sat, tantamount to rightwing socialism- far be it from me to be imprecise.
BTW (to put on the Groucho hat) the famous Newman marketed some fine salad dressing and other foods. On the side he was in some good flicks, too; such as Cool Hand Luke, who ate 50 eggs in one sitting.
Boy, Newman sure liked food!
wbheff| 9.28.10 @ 8:04AM
Buffoon!
PMG| 9.28.10 @ 12:35PM
As Bugs Bunny would say, ...what a maroon!
Alan Brooks| 9.28.10 @ 2:36PM
well then!, run Bugs for president in 2016.
Alan Brooks| 9.28.10 @ 2:37PM
Bugs could only do better than Dole and McCain.
Purple Lips| 9.27.10 @ 10:37AM
Bob,
You need to update your talking points a bit. Since the Vatican II document Lumen Gentium, individual Catholic dioceses are basically autonomous as far as administration and finances are concerned. Very little of the Vatican's money comes from the collection plate. Bishops who administer dioceses are free to pretty much do as they please without having a Vatican cleric breathing down thier necks -as long as they do not stray from the Church's dogmas and teachings. This has been the reality since the late 1960s. If Brazil is doing such a poor job, it is the Brazilians' fault, not the Pope's.
And Rome historically has had plenty of reason to look on the US with reservation. The Congregationlist Movement of the mid 19th Century had a very strong following amongst American Catholics, and for a time there was push by both US clergy and laity alike to "democratize" the Church in the US. However, that is not to say European Bishops as well as the Pope didn't look after American Catholics. Thousands of European priests, brothers and sisters were assigned to urban and rural parishes alike. Pope Pious X, however rightly feared that American materialism would over time weaken the faith of Catholics. But this was hardly a Catholic concern. Protestants of every denomination used to preach about the wages of greed and avarice.
And despite your thinking to the contrary, over 120,000 new adult Catholics get initiated into the Church every Easter.
Vern Crisler| 9.27.10 @ 1:04PM
Unfortunately, despite romantic views of Catholicism in America, the so-called mainline churches have swallowed the social gospel, neoorthodoxy, and liberalism since the late 19th century. Catholicism in America is hardly any different from these mainline "churches" -- Oxford movement or no.
JP| 9.27.10 @ 2:17PM
"Catholicism in America is hardly any different from these mainline "churches" -- Oxford movement or no."
I wouldn't go that far. Most Protestant Churches offer a wide variety of after service pot-lucks in thier basements (oodles and oodles of baked pasta, tuna casseroles, deep fried chicken fried steaks, etc...). All us Catholics get if we're lucky are dougnuts and coffee.
PJ| 9.27.10 @ 1:38PM
"Would more awareness of the heroic and prophetic lives of Levi and Rebecca Ives put them on the path toward canonization?"
Unfortunately, Mr Duggan it takes a champion & lots of money to "put someone on the path towards canonization". Not only is the money to be spent on PR but also an in depth analysis of the person's life. This includes interviews if witnesses are still alive, scientific examination for any associated miracles, & the usual bureaucratic paperwork that large institutions are noted for.
Of course, just because an individual is not officially recognized by the Catholic Church as a saint, doesn't mean he/she is not a saint. The Church has to play it safe using all these expensive vetting procedures so as to not lead any of its followers astray.
BTW, great article!
billadams | 9.27.10 @ 8:19PM
Once we understand that God can program in three dimensions, we realize that He can program particles, compile them into systems and beings, and do it very quickly. To give us free will, The Creation Program was downloaded so that it could appear to be very old, or recently downloaded.
Thus, Catholicism continues to separate itself from the world. The greater the faith, the greater the separation.
Anthony| 9.27.10 @ 9:16PM
The real shame is the fact that the Episcopalian church in the USA is no longer Christian. Any church that accepts homosexuality is by definition no longer Christian, I'm no theologian, but I've read the New Testament and even I can see that you can't be a practicing Christian and a practicing homosexual at the same time, let alone a bishop.
Yosemeti Sam| 9.28.10 @ 1:08AM
Succinct!