Maurice Le Sage d'Hauteroche d'Hulst

A prelate, writer, orator; born at Paris, 10 Oct., 1841; died there, 6 Nov., 1896. After a distinguished course in the Collège Stanislas, he entered the seminary of Saint-Sulpice and later proceeded to Rome to finish his ecclesiastical studies. There he obtained the doctorate in divinity. On his return he was for some time employed on the mission as curate in the populous parish of St. Ambrose. During the war of 1870 he became a volunteer chaplain in the army. In 1873 Cardinal Guibert called him to take part in the administration of the diocese, but he was engaged principally in founding and organizing the free Catholic University, which the bishops opened at Paris after the passage of the law of 12 July, 1875, allowing liberty of higher education. He became its rector in 1880 and for fifteen years devoted himself to developing it in every branch of learning, and, while concerned for its orthodoxy, was no less anxious that it should meet the needs of scientific progress. In 1891 he succeeded Père Monsabré in the pulpit of Notre-Dame de Paris and preached the Lenten conferences there for six successive years, on the bases of Christian morality and the Decalogue. In 1892 he was elected deputy for Finistère on the death of Mgr Freppel. Although a royalist by family tradition, Mgr d'Hulst did not hesitate to give his loyal support to the republic when Pope Leo XIII requested the French Catholics to do so. In addition to all these labours, he was busily engaged as a spiritual director. He was able to undertake so much on account of his wonderful energy and capacity for work. He died while still active, after a short illness, and his death was a cause of sorrow to the whole French Church.

He was very intellectual and broad-minded, and was naturally inclined to philosophical studies. His word and pen were ever at the service of religion, education, and charity; but his chief efforts were directed towards encouraging higher studies, especially the study of the sacred sciences, among the French clergy. In connexion with this we must recall the great work he did in organizing and carrying out the International Scientific Congresses of Catholics. As an orator, his words were somewhat cold and didactic, but very clear, precise, and pregnant with sense. Besides two biographies, the "Vie de la Mère Marie-Thérèse" (Paris, 1872) and the "Vie de Just de Bretenières" (Paris, 1892), he wrote "L'éducation supérieure" (Paris, 1886); "Le Droit chrétien et le Droit moderne", a commentary on the Encyclical "Immortale" of Leo XIII (Paris, 1886), a volume of "Mélanges philosophiques" (2nd ed., 1903); and also published two volumes "Mélanges oratoires" (Paris, 1891 and 1892) and the six volumes of his "Conférenees de Notre-Dame", enriched with notes and appendixes (Paris, 1891-96). It is impossible to mention the many articles he contributed to the current reviews, but among the more important ones we may cite the "Examen de conscience de Renan"; "Une Ame royale et chrétienne" (a touching necrology of the Comte de Paris), and "La Question biblique". Most of his occasional discourses were collected and published by the Abbé Odelin in the four volumes entitled "Nouveaux Mélanges oratoires" (Paris, 1900-07). Mgr Baudrillart, his successor at the head of the Catholic University, after the rectorship of Mgr Péchenard, published a collection of "Lettres de Direction" of Mgr d'Hulst.

Under the title Recueil de souvenirs à la mémoire de Mgr Le Sage d'Hauteroche d'Hulst the principal discourses and articles on Mgr d'Hulst after his death have been issued in one volume (Paris, 1898).

A. BOUDINHON