Thursday, February 15, 2007

Franciscan Gets Stamp of Approval & Appreciation (ÉIRE)

Special stamps to mark important Irish Franciscan anniversaries were issued last Monday.

The 75c stamps celebrate the 400th anniversary of the foundation of St Anthony's College in Louvain, one of the most renowned Irish Colleges in continental Europe and the 350th anniversary of the death of Fr Luke Wadding, one of history's most illustrious Irish Franciscans.

The Louvain stamp, based on an original illustration by Thomas Ryan, marks the foundation of the college in Belgium, in what was then the Spanish Netherlands in 1607.

The college, founded under the patronage of the King of Spain and the Papacy, became a key link between Ireland and continental Europe for centuries, giving countless young Irish men a top class education. It is now run by the Irish Institute for European Affairs.

The second stamp was based on Ryan's specially-commissioned drawing of Fr Luke Wadding, one of the most influential Irish clerics ever.

Born in Waterford in 1588 to wealthy parents, he studied in Portugal before entering the Franciscan Order. He became president of the Irish College, Salamanca in 1617, and the following year went to Rome as theologian to the Spanish mission where he remained for the rest of his life. He collected funds for the establishment of the Irish College of St Isidore in Rome, for the education of Irish priests, opened 1625, and for fifteen years he was the rector.

Under Fr Wadding's influence, Irish Franciscan Colleges were established in Prague in 1629; Vielun, Poland, in 1645; Paris in 1653 and Capranica, Italy, in 1656.

He published 31 books as well as eight volumes of the history of the Franciscan Order which won him an international reputation. He was hugely influential in Rome, in particular with regard to Irish affairs.

Wadding wished to remain a priest despite petitions to the Pope to make him a cardinal. He died in Rome in 1657.

It is believed by some scholars that, despite the fact that he never became a cardinal, he received votes for the papacy in at least one of the conclaves of 1644 or 1645.

In 2000 the Waterford Institute of Technology dedicated a new library building to his name.


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