Father Andrew White
Apostle of Maryland
Michael Humphries, MA
“..He best of any of the rest
understands and speaks
their language…”
The
selection of Father Andrew White, S. J. as a participant in the planning
for the new colony was a fortunate choice. Father White’s distinguished
guidelines for the colony in his Declaratio Coloniae stated the
purposes and governing of Mary’s Land. Realizing that recruiting
colonists would be a difficult task, he included many of the advantages
for potential Catholic and Protestant settlers stating the conditions
they would receive and the characteristics of the country when they
reached Maryland. But his contributions to the settlement of the new
colony came after many personal trials and his unwavering devotion to
his faith and order. The planning for the new colony consisted of
gathering needed supplies, the leasing of a large king-built vessel, the
purchase of a support vessel, and the hiring of captains and crews. The
work load before the second Lord Baltimore, Cecil Calvert, his two
commissioners, Jerome Hawley and Thomas Cornwallis, and Father White
occupied their thoughts and time. It was clear from the beginning that
the first Proprietor Cecil would be unable to join his colonists on
their epic journey to Maryland. When King Charles I finally granted the
Charter of Maryland in 1632 it did not take into consideration that the
territory
of Maryland had been granted previously to Virginia. Protests from the
Virginia colony and combined with an anti-Catholic stance placed the
colony of Maryland
in jeopardy of having the charter revoked. Cecil Calvert was determined
that this would not happen and by doing so, he elected to remain behind
in London to protect his interests.
The original
enthusiasm by dissident Catholics in establishing a religious haven for
their co-religious waned as persecutions diminished whenever Parliament
was not in session. King James I, and his son Charles I, although not
Catholics exhibited some sympathies for the Catholics as a result of
their marriages to Catholic wives. In the beginning, the first Lord
Baltimore, George Calvert, realized that Catholicism would never occupy
the position it held before the English Reformation. His keen business
sense made him aware that an industrial
England
would soon replace the old agrarian economy with its system of
feudalism. Many of the old-line Catholic families remained faithful to
their religious beliefs on their large estates far from the intrigues of
the English court. Although they were fined for not joining the Church
of England, many, like the Calverts, were not persecuted for their
beliefs. As the economy began to become industrialized the lifestyles
of these recusant Catholics would soon fade into the past. The rise of
the merchant class along with bankers and investors were to change the
social status of
England. The ascent of yeomen who were becoming free of
an economy centered on farms and manors would change of population
centers to the cities and towns of England. The thoughts of the
Catholics focused around the idea of creating a sanctuary for Catholics
and preserve feudalism by granting large land grants to the gentry whom
owed their allegiance to the proprietor.
This was not
to be. When Parliament was not in session the pressure on Catholics was
reduced. A result of lessened tensions and persecutions diminished
Catholic financial support for Maryland. Their place was soon taken by
middle class Protestant investors who filled the void by providing
funding for the settlement. By supplying financial backing in exchange
for large grants of land supporters, Catholic and Protestants alike saw
the opportunity to increase their personal wealth and gain freedom of
conscience. The labor supply to work these new lands was to be provided
through the work of indentured servants who agreed to relocate in
exchange for passage and a land grant of their own with the completion
of their terms of servitude. Another source of financial support for
the colony came from the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits hoping to extend
their missions in the New World. England was never a priority for the
missionary zeal of the Jesuits and their interests were focused on
saving the souls of the Indians by founding missions, schools, and
churches. Later, their work would result in the establishing of
Catholic universities throughout America.
It was into
this world of uncertainty and persecution that Andrew White was born in
1579 to a recusant 1 Catholic family. The outlawed Catholic
faith throughout England was held together by secretive communications
among the dissidents and the White family was no exception to this
network. Young Andrew’s education at home included preparation for his
entry into the priesthood. As he entered his teen-aged years he was
prepared to leave England for the continent to further his vocational
calling. Finally, when he reached sixteen his dream of becoming a
priest was realized when he set sail for Spain. After remaining in
Spain
for four years he returned to
England as an ordained priest. In 1605 a small group of Catholic
terrorists entered into a plot to assassinate King James I and the
members of Parliament as they assembled in the Palace of Westminster.
The plan called for the placement of thirty-six barrels of gunpowder
under the palace and ignite it when the king arrived to open
Parliament. Discovered by a government source, the plot was soon
exposed and the remaining Catholic priests soon fled to the continent to
escape persecution.
Father White
was able to escape from England to Spain where he was admitted as a
novitiate in the Jesuit Order. Once again, Father Andrew White, now a
Jesuit, made the voyage to his homeland as part of the Church’s efforts
to rejuvenate the faith. While in England Father White2
became interested in Calvert’s colony for persecuted Catholics and soon
established contact offering his services. Recalled to Spain he was
appointed a professor of Scripture. His strict interpretation of the
early Church’s teachings soon placed him in intellectual conflict with
his more liberal colleagues. Unrelenting in his conservative views, he
was soon released from his academic position and reassigned as a
missionary. He was then sent back to
England
as a Jesuit priest in Devenshire and
Suffolk. Once again his
interest in renewing his acquaintance with the Calverts allowed him to
pursue the idea of a Catholic colony.
After the
Maryland Charter was granted, planning for the new colony began in
earnest. Father Andrew White and Cecil Calvert’s strong ideas on
religious toleration were first recorded in Cecil Calvert’s Instructions
to his colonists. The first paragraph warned the Catholics, who were in
a minority on the voyage to Maryland, to use discretion in practicing
their religion and to refrain from engaging in conversations concerning
religion in order not to offend the Protestant passengers.
The major
literary contribution of Father Andrew White was a series of letters
written to his superiors describing the odyssey of the founding of
Maryland. In his correspondence he related
the
many adventures facing the colonists on their voyage. Father White
wrote of the fear of the captain, as the threat of Turkish pirates
became a reality as they left the coast of
England
behind. When they were not looking for pirates and Spanish warships,
the crew was busy monitoring the unpredictable weather and its
terrifying Atlantic storms. They were not to be disappointed as they
encountered several hurricane like storms on their voyage. Father White
recorded that they were in horror of these sudden and violent tempests
and that “…all the witches and water sprites of
Maryland were in battle
array against us…”
Father
White’s recording of the landing on St. Clement’s Island is unique among
the colonies. His detailed account of the gathering of the colonists on
March 25, 16343 as Governor Leonard Calvert possession “…for
Savior and Sovereign…” related the emotions of those present as they
established the birthplace of Maryland. Prior to the civil ceremonies,
Father White and Father John Altham led their fellow Catholics in a Mass
of thanksgiving4. This was the first Roman Catholic Mass
celebrated in the English colonies and with it the foundation of the
American Catholic Church was established.
Although
Father White realized his goal of establishing missions among the
Indians, his tenure in Maryland was about to end. With the outbreak of
the English civil war, Maryland remained loyal to King Charles I in his
war with Parliament. In 1644, the Puritan Richard Ingle in his ship the
Reformation anchored off St. Clement’s Island preparing for a
daring raid on St. Mary’s City. Moving quickly, Ingle was able to
surprise the small settlement destroying all in his path and taking
prisoners. Father Andrew White was taken prisoner in this raid and sent
to England in chains. Tried before a parliamentary court and faced with
death, Father White protested his innocence by stating he was brought to
England against his will5. Found not guilty by the judges,
Father White was banished from
England
and at age 65, he gladly left the shores of his homeland for Belgium. By 1655, his yearning for England
prevailed and he secretly returned in order to spend his final days at
home. Regretting that he could no longer return to
Maryland, Father White
spent the remainder of his life in Hampshire where he became chaplain to
a wealthy recusant Catholic family until his death at age 76.
The
legacy of Father Andrew White has not been forgotten. As an early
founder of
Maryland he
was instrumental in introducing religious toleration to the New World.
As the apostle of Maryland he was
instrumental in founding missions that brought education to the
Indians. His mastering of the Indian’s dialect resulted in a grammar
dictionary, and catechism in the Algonquian language. His efforts on
behalf of the Maryland colony among the Indians greatly reduced tensions
between the settlers and Indians. The General of the Society of Jesus
in Rome wrote to Father Andrew White stating:
“Your zeal in seeking souls has cheered me up with
the hope of the best success yet to attend you…”
1
Catholics who declined to join the Church of England
2 It is possible that Father White was a friend of the
Calvert family before the Maryland colony was planned
3 New Year’s Day by the old calendar and the Feast of the
Annunciation
4 Some accounts, written by Father White, mention taking
possession of the colony following the celebration of the Mass.
5 Being a Catholic priest in England was considered to be
treason.
