Irish College in Rome
| Irish Coláiste Pontaifiúil na nGael | |
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Latin: Pontificum Collegium Hibernorum Italian: Pontifico Collegio Irlandese |
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| Motto | Ut Christiani Ita et Romani Sitis |
|---|---|
| Type | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1628 |
| Rector | Msgr Ciaran O'Carroll |
| Students | 60 |
| Location | Rome |
| Nickname | Irish College Rome |
| Affiliations | Jesuits (1635–1772) |
| Website | http://www.irishcollege.org/ |
The Pontifical Irish College is a Roman Catholic seminary for the training and education of priests, in Rome.
Towards the close of the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory XIII had sanctioned the foundation of an Irish college in Rome, and had assigned a large sum of money as the nucleus of an endowment. But the pressing needs of the Irish chieftains made him think that, under the circumstances, the money might as well be used for religion by supplying the Irish Catholics with the sinews of war in Ireland as by founding a college for them at Rome.
The project was revived in 1625 by the Irish bishops, in an address to Pope Urban VIII. Cardinal Ludovisi, who was Cardinal Protector of Ireland, resolved to realize at his own expense the desire expressed to the pope by the Irish bishops. A house was rented opposite Sant' Isodoro and six students went into residence 1 January 1628. Eugene Callanan, archdeacon of Cashel, was the first rector, Father Luke Wadding, OFM being a sort of supervisor. Cardinal Ludovisi died in 1632; he was of a princely family with a large patrimony, and he made provision in his will for the college; it was to have an income of one thousand crowns a year; a house was to be purchased for it; and he left a vineyard as Castel Gandolfo where the students might pass their villeggiatura. The cardinal's will directed that the college should be placed under the charge of the Jesuits. Both the heirs and Wadding suspected that provision and disputed it; a protracted lawsuit was finally decided in 1635 in favour of the Jesuits.
On 8 February 1635, the Jesuits took charge of the college, and governed it until 1772. A permanent residence was secured, which became the home of the Irish students until 1798, and is still the property of the college; it has given its name to the street in which it stands. The Jesuits found eight students before them; one of these, Philip Cleary, after a brilliant academic course, left for the mission in Ireland in 1640, and suffered death for his faith ten years later. The first Jesuit rector became general of the Society; he was succeeded by Father James Forde who was succeeded in 1637 by Father William Malone, a combatant in controversy with Archbishop Usher.
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Wikipedia