Francis Neale (1756–1837) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit in Washington, D.C., and Maryland. He played a substantial role in the Jesuit order's restoration in the US. Born in Maryland, Neale was educated and ordained a priest at the Colleges of Bruges and Liège. When he returned to the US in 1788, he became the pastor at St. Thomas Manor, where he opposed Bishop John Carroll's founding of Georgetown College. In 1790, Neale oversaw the establishment of Holy Trinity, the first Catholic church in Washington, D.C. He established the Church of St. Mary in Alexandria, Virginia, and became the president of Georgetown College in 1809. The number of students declined dramatically due to his implementation of strict monastic discipline. Neale joined the Jesuit order when it was restored in 1806. He became the novice master at Georgetown and treasurer of the Jesuits' Maryland mission. He spent his later years as the spiritual director to the nuns at the Georgetown Visitation Monastery.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Neale

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1814:

The United Kingdom and the United States signed a peace treaty in Ghent, present-day Belgium, ending the War of 1812. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Ghent

1846:

The Sultanate of Brunei ceded the island of Labuan to the British Empire. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Colony_of_Labuan

1968:

Piloted by Jim Lovell, Apollo 8 became the first human spaceflight to reach and orbit the moon (Earthrise pictured). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Lovell

1973:

The U.S. Congress granted home rule to Washington, D.C., allowing the residents to elect their own mayor and a city council. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia_home_rule

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

like turkeys voting for Christmas: (Britain, simile, humorous) Of an action: self-defeating or serving to bring about a situation detrimental to the person performing the action. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/like_turkeys_voting_for_Christmas

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Greatness is a spiritual condition worthy to excite love, interest, and admiration; and the outward proof of possessing greatness is that we excite love, interest, and admiration.   --Matthew Arnold https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Matthew_Arnold