Felix-Joseph Barbelin, (30 May 1808 – 9 June 1869)[1] called the "Apostle of Philadelphia", was a 19th-centuryJesuitpriest influential in the development of theCatholic community inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania, in the United States.
Barbelin was born atLunéville, (then in the Province ofMeurthe, nowMeurthe-et-Moselle), in theAlsatian region of France, the oldest of seven children born to Dominic and Elizabeth Louis Barbelin. His father was the Secretary to the Revenue Department of the district of Luneville. All but one of his siblings chose to enter religious life. His youngest brother, Ignace-Xavier, also became a Jesuit.[2]
Barbelin received his early training at the home of a reverend grand-uncle, and at the age of nineteen took up his philosophical and theological studies in a seminary inNancy where another grand-uncle was president.[3] He received minor orders in 1829 and was then Prefect of Studies at the minor seminary at Pont-à-Mousson.[2]
He sailed from Le Havre on December 21, 1830, just before being conscripted, and landed inNorfolk, Virginia. From there he went to Georgetown, and entered theSociety of Jesus on January 7,1831, at theirnovitiate atWhite Marsh Manor inMaryland.[1] Subsequent to that, for some years he was stationed atGeorgetown University, where he served as assistant prefect and professor of French.[3] He was ordained in September 1835.
In 1836, he became assistant pastor ofHoly Trinity Church in theGeorgetown section ofWashington, D.C. Given the tumultuous history of Irish factions inPhiladelphia, in 1838, church authorities decided to send the Frenchman as assistant toSt. Joseph's Church in Philadelphia.[1] In the spring of 1844,anti-Catholic riots swept Philadelphia. Barbelin was advised to disguise himself and remove to a place of safety. Although St. Michael's andSt. Augustine Church were burnt down, St. Joseph's was spared. When some rioters proposed to sack it, their leaders were heard to say, "Oh no, that little Frenchman won't hurt anybody".[2] Philadelphians held a partiality towards the French because of the assistance they had provided during the Revolution. Barbelin was named pastor of St. Joseph's in August of that year.[4]
For more than a quarter of a century he was pastor ofSt. Joseph's Church, Willing's Alley, which became, mainly during his term of office, the centre from which radiated Catholic influences throughout the city and diocese. He founded Saint Joseph's Hospital (closed 2015) in his adopted city, and was the first to establishsodalities for men and women and for the young. In 1852 he was appointed the firstPresident of Saint Joseph's College, which is now known asSaint Joseph's University.Barbelin Hall at that university is named in his honor.[3]
Around 1856, he andThomas Lilly founded of the first Catholic school in Philadelphia to serve the educational needs ofAfrican American students. It later became St. Peter Claver School.[5]
Barbelin died in Philadelphia on June 8, 1869.
Barbelin Hall at Old St. Joseph's was dedicated on March 18, 2005.[6] It hosts the parishes "Faith, Food & Friends" outreach program, serving over 200 meals a week to the homeless and hungry poor.[7] The hall has also been used to stage a production ofPope John Paul II's "The Jeweler’s Shop", put on by St. Joseph's eldership group.[8]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Felix-Joseph Barbelin".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| New office | 1stPresident of Saint Joseph's College 1852—1856 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | 4thPresident of Saint Joseph's College 1860—1868 | Succeeded by |
