User:Dr Gangrene/Jesuits in Luxembourg

The Jesuits established themselves in Luxembourg in 1594. A short while later, they founded a secondary school (college), that soon attracted several hundred students from the whole Duchy. The first clear and well-sourced efforts to bring about an establishment of the Jesuits in Luxembourg were from 1577. In other Dutch provinces, the Jesuits had already established themselves in many places since the permission for settlement granted by Philip II in 1556. Additionally, there was a Jesuit college in nearby Trier since 1560. Thus, the Luxembourg efforts were part of a broader process of Catholic reform and confessionalisation in the Spanish Netherlands and the Archdiocese of Trier.

As in other cities, in Luxembourg the Jesuits worked hard to bring about the realisation of the Tridentine reforms among the clergy and the general population.

The Jesuits saw their mission as a restoration of the Catholic religion. What they found in Luxembourg in the 1590s, which had remained entirely Catholic, apparently did not meet their ideas of Catholicism. Initially, they focused on instructing the population in moral and faith-related matters.

The various activities of the Jesuits were to be crowned by the expansion of their existing branch into a Jesuit college. The Jesuits had finally been able to secure the buildings for this in 1597 and 1602, to which the new Governor-General of the Spanish Netherlands Archduke Albrecht and his wife Isabella had contributed. The college was able to open its doors to the first pupils on 1 October 1603, in the Eltz house under the Franciscan cloister. It initially welcomed 200 students, divided over three year groups. In the two following years, one year group was added per year, so that a regular Jesuit college existed from 1605, by which time the number of students stood at 400. In parallel, the number of Jesuits active in Luxembourg had risen to 15. Five years after its opening, the first, west wing of the college building was completed, in a then sparsely populated quarter of the fortress city, in front of the southern bastions. The second, south wing was completed 1606-1611.

The college church, the current Cathedral, was constructed from 1613 to 1621 according to plans by Jesuit brother Jean du Blocq. The church was consecrated to the title of Mary's Immaculate Conception in 1621.In 1625, just after the introduction of the veneration of Mary, Comforter of the Afflicted, by the students of the college, work was begun with construction of the future pilgrimage chapel on the Glacis field in front of the city gates.

The birthdate of the pilgrimage of Mary the Comforter of the Afflicted was 8 December 1624. On that Advent celebration of Mary, the priest Jacques Brocquart led a procession of students from the Jesuit College outside the fortress walls.

Suppression
By the late 18th century, through acquisitions, donations, and public subsidies, the Jesuit order had become one of the largest land-owners in the city and Duchy of Luxembourg. Maintaining a prestigious college, whose reputation was known throughout the Austrian Netherlands, it was also active in science, art and literature, while indoctrinating the people and organising, advising and leading the city's youth and the young students; through these activities, the Jesuit order represented a cultural and social force that exercised real spiritual and temporal power in the city and Duchy.

As a result of a papal decision, Empress Maria Theresa, in 1773, issued an order for the dissolution of the Jesuit order within the territories under her rule. The secular authorities aimed to acquire the order's property and eradicate the Jesuits' influence in society.

On 21 September 1773, the Jesuit college and its affiliated church were shut down. Initially detained, the Jesuits remained in custody until the appointed imperial commissioner assessed the possessions and wealth of the Luxembourg establishment. Their release occurred towards the end of October 1773, though they were not entirely free. Despite concerns about the former Jesuits' material well-being, the authorities endeavored to keep them away from any pastoral activities.

Subsequently, a public school was established within the former Jesuit college, and the Jesuit church underwent transformation into a parish church dedicated to St. Nicholas and St. Theresa.

Difficult return
In 1814, Pope Pius VII reinstated the Jesuit order through a papal bull. In 1832, the Belgian Jesuit province was reinstated, to which Luxembourg belonged; however, nothing changed for Luxembourg: the Jesuits did not return there. On the part of the Belgian province, it seemed there was little interest in Luxembourg. It was not until the years after World War I and later at the end of World War II that they showed a desire to settle in Luxembourg. In the 19th century, it was more the Jesuits from Champagne and from the Low German province that showed interest in setting up a presence in Luxembourg.

It appears that Luxembourg was seen as a kind of "no man's land"; there was little interest in rebuilding a Jesuit presence there as it was assumed that, as a small Catholic country, its faith was not in any danger, but also as the Jesuits were aware of the hostile attitude of the dominant political circles in the country. It is also likely that the disapproval towards militant Catholicism in the circles around King-Grand Duke William I as a consequence of the Belgian Revolution was significant.

The Apostolic Vicar Jean-Théodore Laurent wished to bring the Jesuits back to Luxembourg, but this wish came up against "insurmountable obstacles". These were also to be found among the Luxembourgish clergy, which did not solely contain supporters of bringing in "foreign" orders such as the Jesuits. In general, the Jesuits' reputation among the Luxembourg clergy had not always been the best.

In 1881, plans for a Jesuit university in Luxembourg failed. Nevertheless, the question of establishing a Jesuit branch in Luxembourg came up again and again. Bishop Koppes (in office 1883-1918), similarly, was interested in bringing back the Jesuits, but was reluctant to address this publicly, fearing a negative reaction of the Luxembourgish government.

Notable Luxembourgish Jesuits
Numerous Jesuits from Luxembourg have worked as missionaries abroad, in many different countries. Young Luxembourgish men were active in various European Jesuit provinces to go on mission in territories of their choosing. Rome entrusted the mission of Bengal to the French-speaking Belgian province of the Jesuits, explaining the presence of Luxembourgers in that country. Jean-Pierre Léonard, from Dudelange, was bishop of Tiruchirappalli, and later bishop, then archbishop of Madurai. Other Luxembourgers were active in the Dutch-speaking Belgian Jesuit province, which was in charge of missions to part of the Belgian Congo.

The current Archbishop of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Hollerich, is a Jesuit; he was made a Cardinal in 2019.