Francis Neale | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 6th & 8th President of Georgetown College | |
| In office 1808–1809 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Molyneux |
| Succeeded by | William Matthews |
| In office 1809–1812 | |
| Preceded by | William Matthews |
| Succeeded by | Giovanni Antonio Grassi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Francis Ignatius Neale June 3, 1756 Port Tobacco, Province of Maryland, British America |
| Died | December 20, 1837 (aged 81) St. Thomas Manor, Maryland, U.S. |
| Resting place | St. Thomas Manor |
| Relations |
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| Alma mater | Colleges of Bruges and Liège |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | April 3, 1788 |
Francis Ignatius Neale SJ (June 3, 1756 – December 20, 1837), also known as Francis Xavier Neale, was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit who led several academic and religious institutions in Washington, D.C., and Maryland. He played a substantial role in the Jesuit order's resurgence in the United States.
Born to a prominent Maryland family, Neale was educated at the Colleges of Bruges and Liège, where he was ordained a priest. When 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. He would conflict with Carroll over various issues for much of his life.
In 1790, Neale oversaw the establishment of the first Catholic church in Washington, D.C., Holy Trinity Church, of which he was pastor for 27 years. He also established the Church of St. Mary in Alexandria, Virginia, and was its visiting pastor. Neale was briefly the acting president of Georgetown College, and later became its president in 1809. His tenure was considered unsuccessful, as the number of students declined dramatically due to his implementation of strict monastic discipline.
When the Jesuit order was restored in the United States in 1806, Neale joined the Society and became the master of novices at Georgetown. He was also made treasurer of the Jesuits' Maryland mission. He spent his later years as the spiritual director to the nuns at the Georgetown Visitation Monastery and the pastor at St. Thomas Manor.