Richard Challoner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Right Reverend Richard Challoner |
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|---|---|
| Vicar Apostolic of the London District | |
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| Appointed | 12 September 1739 (co-adjutor) |
| Enthroned | 22 September 1758 |
| Reign ended | 12 January 1781 |
| Predecessor | Benjamin Petre |
| Successor | James Robert Talbot |
| Other posts | Titular Bishop of Doberus |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 28 March 1716 |
| Consecration | 29 January 1741 by Benjamin Petre |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 September 1691 Lewes, England |
| Died | 12 January 1781 (aged 89) Gloucester Street, off Queen Square, London, England |
| Buried | (1) Milton, Berkshire (2) Westminster Cathedral |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Richard Challoner (born September 29, 1691 – died January 12, 1781) was a very important leader for English Catholics in the 1700s. He was also a bishop, meaning a high-ranking church official, for a place called Doberus (this was a special title, as he didn't live there). In 1738, he updated the Douay–Rheims version of the Bible, making it easier to read.
Contents
Early Life
Challoner was born in Lewes, Sussex, England, on September 29, 1691. His father, also named Richard Challoner, was a wine-barrel maker. After his father died, his mother, Grace, became a housekeeper for the Catholic Gage family in Firle, Sussex.
It's not fully known if his mother was Catholic from the start. But Richard grew up in a Catholic home. He was baptized as a Roman Catholic when he was about 13 years old. This happened at Warkworth, Northamptonshire, where the Holman family lived. They were a Catholic family who kept their faith even when it was difficult.
Education in France
In 1705, young Richard went to the English College in Douai, France. He stayed there for 25 years. First, he was a student, then a teacher, and later the vice-president of the college. When he was 21, he taught classes like public speaking and poetry.
He earned a degree in divinity in 1719. Then he became a professor of philosophy for eight years. He was known by his mother's last name, Willard, and his nickname was "Book." He became a priest in 1716. In 1720, he became the college's vice-president. This meant he looked after both teachers and students. He also taught theology and managed all the studies.
In 1727, he earned his doctorate in divinity. Challoner was known for working very hard and being dedicated to teaching. People described him as gentle, cheerful, and kind to the poor. He was also good at making others feel confident.
Returning to England
In 1730, Challoner returned to London, England. He had promised to work as a priest in England when needed. Life for Catholic priests was still hard then, even though laws against Catholics were not as strict.
Challoner often dressed like a regular person to avoid trouble. He held secret church services in hidden places like ale-houses or small rooms. He worked tirelessly, especially helping poor people and those in prison. He also spent his free time studying and writing. This led to many important books.
His first book, Think Well On't, was published in 1728. He also wrote Catholic Christian Instructed (1737). This book answered criticisms against Catholicism. Over the years, he wrote many books about faith and defending Catholic beliefs. These books were printed many times and translated into other languages. In 1740, he created a new prayer book called the Garden of the Soul. This book was very popular for a long time.
One of his most important historical books was Memoirs of Missionary Priests (1741). This book was a Catholic answer to a Protestant book called Foxe's Book of Martyrs. Challoner's book told the stories of Catholic priests and others who were killed or imprisoned in England for their faith. It is still an important source of information about these people.
In 1745, he wrote Britannia Sancta, which was about the lives of British, English, Scottish, and Irish saints. This book was later replaced by other works. In 1739, Challoner was chosen to become a bishop. He was appointed to lead the London District, which covered ten counties, the Channel Islands, and British lands in America like Maryland and Pennsylvania.
He became a bishop on January 29, 1741, in Hammersmith, London. His first job was to visit all the Catholic communities in his large district. This was the first time such a detailed visit had been done. He couldn't visit the places across the sea, but the visits in England took almost three years. His followers included both rich Catholic families and poor Irish workers who had recently arrived.
As a leader, he made sure his people had good prayer books, Bibles, and books for learning about Christian beliefs. He also helped open two schools for boys and one for poor girls. It was hard to get money and follow the laws, as Catholics were not allowed to buy land or run schools easily. So, they had to find clever ways to work around the rules. He also started meetings for priests in London and helped create a charity group for the elderly and sick poor. Challoner lived a very simple and disciplined life and gave a lot of money to charity.
Updating the English Bible
Challoner spent a lot of time and effort updating the English Catholic Bible. He saw that the language in the old Douay–Rheims Bible (from 1582–1610) was old-fashioned and hard to understand. His goal was not to make a brand new translation. Instead, he wanted to remove old words and phrases so that regular people could read and understand the Bible more easily.
His most important work on the Bible came out between 1749 and 1752. A new edition of the New Testament was published in 1749. Then, in 1750, a new Old Testament came out with another New Testament. The 1752 edition had many changes. All of Challoner's Bible updates were published without his name on them.
In these updates, he removed confusing and very literal translations from Latin. He also changed old words and spellings. Sometimes, his changes made the Catholic Bible sound more like the Protestant Authorised Version (King James Bible). For example, he changed "our Lord" to "the Lord." He also printed each verse separately, which made it easier to read.
Other Important Works
In 1753, Challoner published another famous book, Meditations for every Day of the Year. This book has been printed many times and translated into French and Italian. Challoner wanted to make classic Catholic spiritual writings available to English-speaking Catholics.
To do this, he translated De Imitatione Christi (called "The Following of Christ") in 1737. He also translated Augustine’s Confessions in 1739. In 1757, he wrote The Life of the Holy Mother, St. Teresa, which was a biography of Teresa of Avila.
Protestants often criticized Catholics for having practices that seemed different from the early Church. Challoner wanted to show that Catholicism was connected to the very first Christian Church. His book Britannia Sancta (1745) helped Catholics feel proud of their history. It showed them that their struggles were not as hard as those faced by martyrs and saints in the past.
Besides these, he wrote many other books and short writings, including:
- Think Well On't, or, Reflections on the great truths of the Christian Religion (1801)
- Grounds of Catholic Doctrine (1732)
- Short History of the Protestant Religion (1733)
- The Catholic Christian Instructed (1737)
- The Ground of the Old Religion (1742)
- The Wonders of God in the Wilderness: Lives of the Fathers of the Desert (1755)
- Manual of Prayers (1758)
- The Lord's prayer and the Angelic salutation (1781)
Later Life and Challenges
In 1753, Pope Benedict XIV helped settle a long disagreement between different groups of Catholic clergy. Challoner played a big part in this.
In 1758, Bishop Petre died, and Challoner became the new leader of the London District. He was almost 70 years old and not well. So, he asked for help, and James Talbot was appointed to assist him. With Talbot's help, Challoner's health improved a bit. From then on, Challoner mostly stayed in London, while Talbot did most of the visits to communities. Challoner kept writing, often translating or summarizing books. One important original work from this time was his British Martyrology (1761).
Final Years
As a bishop, Challoner usually lived in London. But sometimes, like during the "No Popery" riots of 1780, he had to hide in the countryside. Challoner's busy life was even more amazing because he often had to hide due to the laws against Catholics. He frequently changed where he lived to escape people who would report priests to the government for a reward.
Eventually, the harassment stopped with the Catholic Relief Act of 1778. This law meant priests were no longer jailed for life. However, this change caused anger among some Protestants. Two years later, the Gordon Riots broke out. Mobs attacked buildings linked to Catholics in London.
From his hiding place, the almost 90-year-old bishop could hear the mob looking for him. They wanted to drag him through the streets. But they didn't find him. The next day, he escaped to Finchley and stayed there until the riots ended.
Challoner never fully recovered from the shock of the riots. Six months later, he became paralyzed and died on January 12, 1781, at the age of 89. He was first buried in Milton, Berkshire. In 1946, his body was moved and reburied in Westminster Cathedral.
Legacy
Several schools are named after Richard Challoner, including those in Shortlands, Basingstoke, and Richard Challoner School in New Malden Kingston. Also, St Edmund's College, Ware, an old Catholic school in England that Challoner helped move from France, named one of its houses after him. The Challoner Choir of Westminster Cathedral is also named in his honor.
