Francis Lavalin Nugent facts for kids

Francis Nugent (born 1569, died 1635 in Charleville, France) was an Irish priest. He belonged to the Capuchin Order, which is a branch of the Franciscan religious family. Francis Nugent was very important because he started the Capuchin Order in both Ireland and the Rhenish region (an area in Germany).

Early Life and Education

Francis Nugent was born in a place called Walshestown, near Mullingar in County Westmeath, Ireland. His family was important, and his mother was the daughter of a powerful leader. When he was about 13 years old, in 1582, he was sent to France for his education. This was because of strict rules in Ireland called the Penal Laws. These laws made it very hard for Catholics like Francis to get an education in their own country.

Francis was a very bright student. Before he turned 20, he earned a special degree called a "doctorate" from famous universities in Paris and Louvain. He even taught at these universities before he became a priest. He learned many languages, including Greek and Hebrew, and could speak several European languages very well, like Flemish.

Joining the Capuchin Order

In 1589, Francis joined the Capuchin Order in a region called Flandro-Belgium. He took the name "Francis" when he became a Capuchin. In 1592, he made his final promises to the Order. The next year, he was sent to live at a friary (a home for friars) in Lille.

Around 1594 or 1595, he moved to France. There, he helped set up new Capuchin communities in places like Metz and Charleville. Even while doing this, he continued to teach philosophy and theology in Paris. In 1595, he became a priest in Mons. He was then put in charge of the friary in Béthune.

In 1596, he traveled to Rome for a big meeting of the Capuchins. He was chosen to be a special leader for the Capuchins in Venice. Three years later, back in Rome, he took part in a public debate about theology. Pope Clement VIII himself was there! Father Francis argued his points very well and won the debate.

Spreading the Capuchin Mission

In 1598, Francis returned to Belgium and became the leader of the friary in Alençon. He continued to teach theology in different cities, including Chartres in 1603 and Angers later. By 1604, he was a professor of theology at the main Capuchin study house in Paris.

In 1605, he went back to the Low Countries (modern-day Belgium and Netherlands). There, he held many important jobs. He worked hard to start a Capuchin mission in Ireland. In May 1608, he received special permission from the Pope to begin missions in England, Scotland, and Ireland. In 1610, he also helped set up an Irish College in Lille, which was a school for Irish students.

Founding Provinces in Germany

In 1610, a powerful leader named Johann Schweikhard von Kronberg, who was the Archbishop of Mainz, asked for Capuchin friars to come to the Rhine region of Germany. Seven friars were sent, and Francis Nugent was put in charge of this mission.

He started a new monastery in Paderborn in 1612. Two years later, new communities were set up in Essen, Münster, and Aachen. He also started a religious group called the "Confraternity of the Passion" in Cologne. Two of his friends, a church official and a prince, were among its first supporters.

Establishing the Irish Province

In 1615, Francis began a monastery in Mainz. Pope Paul V then gave him special authority to establish the Capuchin Order in Ireland. Meanwhile, in 1618, the monastery in Charleville, France, became a training center for friars who would go to Ireland.

Soon, a new group of friars was sent to Ireland. This allowed Father Nugent to open the very first Capuchin house in Dublin in 1625. After this, he returned to Charleville and attended another important Capuchin meeting in Rome.

In 1629, Thomas Fleming, who was the Archbishop of Dublin, wrote a letter praising the Capuchin Fathers. He specifically mentioned their "learning, prudence, and earnestness." Two years later, Francis Nugent founded another monastery in Slane, Ireland.

Later Life and Legacy

Because his health was failing, Francis Nugent retired in 1631 to Charleville. He is often given credit for helping to found the Irish College in Lille. This college, which he started with his cousin Father Christopher Cusack, provided free education for poor young men from Leinster and Meath who wanted to become priests in Ireland.

Francis Nugent passed away in Charleville on a special church holiday called the Feast of the Ascension in 1635. A church leader named Giovanni Battista Rinuccini described him as "a man of most ardent zeal and most exemplary piety." The historians of the Capuchin Order also say that he turned down the offer to become the Archbishopric of Armagh from Pope Pius V. The Pope even called him "the support of the Church and the light of the orthodox faith."

Writings

Francis Nugent wrote several important books and papers, including:

• "Tractatus De Hibernia" (A paper about Ireland)
• "Cursus philosophicus et theologicus" (A course in philosophy and theology)
• "De Meditatione et Conscientiæ examine" (About meditation and examining one's conscience)
• "Paradisus contemplantium" (Paradise for those who contemplate)
• "Super regula Minorum, Expositio Copiosa" (A detailed explanation of the rule for Franciscans)