Skip to main content

Peter Gandolphy

(Or Gandolphi.)

Jesuit preacher; b. in London, 26 July, 1779; d. at East Sheen, Surrey, 9 July, 1821; son of John Vincent Gandolphi of East Sheen, and grandson of Count Pietro Gandolphi, of the ancient nobility of Genoa. Father Gandolphy's brother, John Vincent, married Teresa, eldest daughter of Thomas Hornyold, of Blackmore and Hanley. His only son succeeded to the Blackmore estates and assumed the name of Hornyold by Royal license in 1859. Hornyold was an ancient Catholic family in Worcestershire, and Blackmore Park (recent pulled down) was a fine example of an old English manor house, with numerous priests' hiding places. The present representative of the family, Alphonso Otto Gandolfi Hornyold, bears the title of Duke Gandolfi (a papal creation of 1899) as well as the old Genoese titles.

Father Gandolphi was educated in the Jesuit College at Liège, and also at Stonyhurst, where he was appointed as teacher of humanities in 1801. He was ordained priest about 1804, and his first charge was at Newport, Isle of Wight. He was then transferred to the Spanish chapel at Manchester Square, London (now known as St. James's, Spanish Place) where he soon attained great fame as a preacher; and as a worker among Protestants he made many converts. His methods, however, were somewhat infelicitous, and speedily incurred the censure of his ordinary, Bishop Poynter. It appears he wrote too speedily to be theologically exact, but there were certainly no heretical principles in his mind. Nevertheless it seems strange to read of a Catholic manual entitled the " Boo of Common Prayer . . . . for the use of all Christians in the United Kingdom" which he brought out in 1812. On account of this, and of his "Sermons in defense of the Ancient Faith ", Bishop Popynter felt it his duty to suspend him, and to denounce the offending works. Gandolphy went to Rome in person to defend himself, and in 1816 he obtained official approbation for the two censured works from S. P. Damiani, master of theology and Apostolic pentitentiary at St. Peter's, and F.J. O'Finan, prior of the Dominican convent of St. Sixtus and St. Clement. The Congregation of Propaganda, being anxious for a peaceable settlement of this unfortunate affair, required (1 March, 1817) that Gandolphy should be restored on his apologizing to Bishop Poynter for any unintentional disrespect which might have occurred in his address to the public, of which address also the bishop had complained. On 15 April Gandolphi accordingly wrote an apology, but the bishop in a pastoral letter on 24 April stated that the apology was inadequate, so at last on 8 July, Gandolphy made an unreserved apology; but this long drawn out public humiliation was too much for him. He resigned his post in 1818 and retired to his family home at East Sheen, where he died in a year or two. His principal works were: "A Defense of the Ancient Faith" (London, 1813-14); "Liturgy, or a Boo of Common Prayer, and Administration of Sacraments, with other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church. For the use of all Christians in the United Kingdom" (London, 1812, Birmingham, 1815); "Lessons of Morality and Piety, extracted from the Sapiential Books" (London, 1822); and a number of controversial letters and sermons.

More Catholic Encyclopedia

Search the Catholic Encyclopedia:

Browse Encyclopedia by Alphabet


Catholic EncyclopediaThe Catholic Encyclopedia is the most comprehensive resource on Catholic teaching, history, and information ever gathered in all of human history. This easy-to-search online version was originally printed in fifteen hardcopy volumes.

Designed to present its readers with the full body of Catholic teaching, the Encyclopedia contains not only precise statements of what the Church has defined, but also an impartial record of different views of acknowledged authority on all disputed questions, national, political or factional. In the determination of the truth the most recent and acknowledged scientific methods are employed, and the results of the latest research in theology, philosophy, history, apologetics, archaeology, and other sciences are given careful consideration.

No one who is interested in human history, past and present, can ignore the Catholic Church, either as an institution which has been the central figure in the civilized world for nearly two thousand years, decisively affecting its destinies, religious, literary, scientific, social and political, or as an existing power whose influence and activity extend to every part of the globe. In the past century the Church has grown both extensively and intensively among English-speaking peoples. Their living interests demand that they should have the means of informing themselves about this vast institution, which, whether they are Catholics or not, affects their fortunes and their destiny.

Browse the Catholic Encyclopedia by Topic

Copyright © Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company New York, NY. Volume 1: 1907; Volume 2: 1907; Volume 3: 1908; Volume 4: 1908; Volume 5: 1909; Volume 6: 1909; Volume 7: 1910; Volume 8: 1910; Volume 9: 1910; Volume 10: 1911; Volume 11: - 1911; Volume 12: - 1911; Volume 13: - 1912; Volume 14: 1912; Volume 15: 1912

Catholic Online Catholic Encyclopedia Digital version Compiled and Copyright © Catholic Online


Newsletter Sign Up

Daily Readings

Reading 1, Proverbs 8:22-31
'Yahweh created me, first-fruits of his fashioning, before the ... Read More

Psalm, Psalms 8:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
what are human beings that you spare a thought for them, or the ... Read More

Gospel, John 16:12-15
I still have many things to say to you but they would be too ... Read More

Reading 2, Romans 5:1-5
So then, now that we have been justified by faith, we are at ... Read More

Saint of the Day

May 26 Saint of the Day

St. Philip Neri
May 26: If one had to choose one saint who showed the humorous side of ... Read More




Marketplace

Click Here

The Medjugorje Fasting
The Medjugorje Fasting Book attempts to answer these and other ... Read More


Click Here

Pope Francis Bronze Canvas Print
Pope Francis Bronze (Made in USA) - printed on truly museum quality ... Read More