Antoon Stillemans
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Antoon Stillemans (10 December 1832,
Sint-Niklaas Sint-Niklaas (; , ) is a Belgium, Belgian City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality located in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Sin ...
– 5 November 1916,
Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...
) was for 26 years the twenty-fourth
bishop of Ghent The Diocese of Ghent (Latin: ''Dioecesis Gandavensis'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Belgium. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolis (religious jurisdiction), metropol ...
, in Belgium.


Education

Stillemans began studies at the
St. Joseph Minor Seminary St. Joseph Minor Seminary (Sint-Jozef Klein Seminarie or ''SJKS'') is a Catholic secondary school in Sint-Niklaas, Diocese of Ghent, Belgium. There were previously a Recollect monastery and a seminary on the site. History The first buildings ...
of Sint-Niklaas in 1846. In 1853 he enrolled at the major seminary in Ghent, earning a doctoral degree in philosophy at the University of Leuven in 1860. Stillemans' brother, , also became a priest.


Career

He was named in 1867
Superior Superior may refer to: *Superior (hierarchy), something which is higher in a hierarchical structure of any kind Places * Superior (proposed U.S. state), an unsuccessful proposal for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to form a separate state *Lak ...
of the
St. Joseph Minor Seminary St. Joseph Minor Seminary (Sint-Jozef Klein Seminarie or ''SJKS'') is a Catholic secondary school in Sint-Niklaas, Diocese of Ghent, Belgium. There were previously a Recollect monastery and a seminary on the site. History The first buildings ...
of Sint-Niklaas, for 21 years. He became president of the Major seminary in 1888 and canon of the cathedral chapter of Ghent and member of the episcopal council. He was canon elect after the sudden death of
Henri-Charles Lambrecht Henri-Charles-Camille Lambrecht (1848–1889) was 23rd bishop of Ghent between 1888 and 1889. Born in a small town near Oudenaarde, Lambrecht was educated in the local school. After his studies in St. Joseph Minor Seminary and the Major Seminar ...
. He promoted the
Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...
, and had the current Episcopal Palace in Ghent restyled as well building a new major seminary in Ghent. He named his brother Pierre-Louis Stillemans an honorary canon of St-Bavo. In 1899, under pressure from the royal court and Minister Woeste, he suspended
Adolf Daens Augustin Adolphe "Adolf" Daens (18 December 1839 – 14 June 1907) was a Flemish priest and politician who advocated for Human rights in Belgium, labor rights in Belgium. Daens was a Jesuit from 1859 to 1871, but is especially known for his soc ...
, a radical priest in Aalst. He promoted the social cultural movement of Flanders. In 1902 he consecrated the new church attached to Dendermonde Abbey. In 1906, he celebrated his golden jubilee as priest and, in 1914, his silver jubilee as bishop of Ghent. He was honored with the sacred
pallium The pallium (derived from the Roman ''pallium'' or ''palla'', a woolen cloak; : pallia) is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the pope, but for many centuries bestowed by the Holy See upon metropolitan bish ...
with papal permission at the end of his career. A street was named in his honor in Sint-Niklaas, as well as a stained-glass window inside the town hall, he gifted
Sint-Niklaas Sint-Niklaas (; , ) is a Belgium, Belgian City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality located in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Sin ...
with a large copy of his portrait. The colors of the city, blue and yellow are reflected in his heraldic episcopal crest. After his death he left his
crosier A crozier or crosier (also known as a paterissa, pastoral staff, or bishop's staff) is a stylized staff that is a symbol of the governing office of a bishop or abbot and is carried by high-ranking prelates of Roman Catholic, Eastern Catho ...
to the main church of Sint-Niklaas where he was baptized. He was succeeded by Mgr. Emilius Seghers.


Honours

* 7 October 1889: Honorary Doctorate from the Catholic University of Leuven. * 1895: Officer in the Order of Leopold. * 14 November 1901: Papal Domestic Prelate, and assistant of the pontifical throne. * 30 November 1911: pallium by pontifical dispensation.


References


External links


catholic-hierarchy.orglukasweb.be
Bishops of Ghent 19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Belgium 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Belgium Canons (priests) 1832 births 1916 deaths People from Sint-Niklaas Bishops appointed by Pope Leo XIII {{Belgium-RC-bishop-stub