C. C. Martindale
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Cyril Charlie Martindale (1879–1963) was a
Roman Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers only ...
, scholar, and writer. Along with Martin D'Arcy, he was one of England's foremost Catholics of the first half of the 20th century, and was a correspondent of figures including
Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...
,
Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires '' Decl ...
, and
Ronald Knox Ronald Arbuthnott Knox (17 February 1888 – 24 August 1957) was an English Catholic The Catholic Church in England and Wales ( la, Ecclesia Catholica in Anglia et Cambria; cy, Yr Eglwys Gatholig yng Nghymru a Lloegr) is part of the worl ...
.


Background and education

Cyril Martindale was born on 25 May 1879 in Bayswater, London to Arthur Martindale and Marion McKenzie. As a boy at
Harrow School Harrow School () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent boarding school for boys) in Harrow on the Hill, Greater London, England. The school was founded in 1572 by John Lyon (sc ...
, he converted to Roman Catholicism from the Church of England. He entered the
Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
on 7 September 1897, beginning his novitiate at Manresa House in Roehampton before transferring to Aix-en-Provence, France due to ill health (a recurring theme throughout his career). After his novitiate he began Philosophy studies at St Mary's Hall, Stonyhurst and later moved on to Pope's Hall (later
Campion Hall Campion Hall is one of the five permanent private halls of the University of Oxford in England. It is run by the Society of Jesus and named after Edmund Campion, a martyr and fellow of St John's College, Oxford. The hall is located on Brewe ...
) Oxford where he won multiple academic prizes, among them the Gaisford Prize (Greek verse) and the Chancellor's Prize (Latin verse).


Career and legacy

After spending his regency teaching for three years at Stonyhurst and Roehampton, Martindale undertook his theological studies at St Beuno's but was moved at the end of his second year to Ore Place, Hastings (home of the exiled French Jesuits), being there ordained in 1911. Following his ordination Martindale returned to Oxford University for a position in the sub-faculty of Litterae Humaniores. According to Evelyn Waugh, he "dazzled and stimulated the most various undergraduates by his restless zeal, incisive diction, and by his modernity... ewas loaded with academic distinctions, but he held aloof from High Tables." He was likewise notable for his contributions as a champion of the Faith in debates in the
Oxford Union The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford England, whose membership is drawn primarily from the University of Oxford. Founded in 1823, it is one of Britain's oldest ...
. In 1926, he was appointed by the Jesuit Provincial to organise the English Province's celebrations for the bi-centenary of Saints Aloysius and Stanislaus' canonisations. In 1927, he departed Oxford to take a position at
Farm Street Church The Church of the Immaculate Conception, Farm Street, also known as Farm Street Church, is a Roman Catholic parish church run by the Society of Jesus in Mayfair, central London. Its main entrance is in Farm Street, though it can also be accessed ...
, but continued a busy career of travel and writing. In 1928 he made a trip to Australia and New Zealand to participate in the International Eucharistic Congress at Sydney, in the course of which he was involved car accident thereafter suffering from persistent headaches throughout his life. During the inter-war period and after, he was a member of the committee supervising Ronald Knox's translation of the Bible from the Latin Vulgate. Martindale was in Denmark at the outbreak of the Second World War, and was held as a German detainee in Copenhagen until its end, during which he "had the happiness of receiving a certain number of people into the Church." In the years following the Second World War, Martindale made two visits to Portugal, during which he conducted extensive research into the Miracle of Fátima, and published ''The Message of Fatima'' in 1950. He died in London on 18 March 1963. A collection of Martindale's papers is online via the Catholic Heritage website.


References


External links


Cyril Charlie Martindale
in the
National Portrait Gallery (London) The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London housing a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. It was arguably the first national public gallery dedicated to portraits in the world when it ...
. {{DEFAULTSORT:Martindale, Cyril 1879 births 1963 deaths 19th-century English people 20th-century English Jesuits 20th-century English Roman Catholic priests English Roman Catholic writers Contributors to the Catholic Encyclopedia