| Description | Logic and Philosophy Notes taught by Ludovic Blin, at the University of Douai, taken by Andrew Carruthers. Douai, 1790.
Philosophia Aquiconta, Omni Barbarie, Caligine et Quostiunculis, Quibus tum Veterum, tum Recentiorum, plerorumque Philosophorum horrent codices, Expurgata, Traditaque a Ludovico Blin, in Universitate Duacena, Philosophia Professore, Chartis autem mandata ab Andrea Carruthers, Scoto ejusdemque Professoris auditore. Logica. Quidquid procipies, esto brevis, ut cito dicta. Percipiant animi dociles teneantque fideles. Duaci MDCCXC |
| Admin_History | Born in New Abbey, Kirkcudbrightshire in 1870. Trained for the priesthood in the Scots College, Douai and in Scalan. Ordained in 1795 and served in various missions in the south-west of Scotland for more than thirty years. Consecrated Vicar Apostolic for the Eastern Vicariate of the Scottish Mission with the title of Bishop of Ceramis in 1833. Died at Dundee in 1852.
Andrew Carruthers was born in Kirkcudbrightshire in the remote south west of Scotland where the Catholic faith had survived for many generations. This survival was largely due to the support of landowners, especially the various branches of the Maxwell family. Carruthers was sent to study for the priesthood at Douai in France but his studies were cut short when students and professors were forced to flee from the 1792 Reign of Terror in that country. Having completed his studies in the north, he was ordained in 1795.
He was appointed to be the resident Chaplain to the Maxwell family at Munches, his secondary responsibility being to minister to the increasing number of Catholics in the surrounding area. Priests often found their dependence on “all these great folks” irksome and in 1814 Carruthers elected to transfer his congregation to the nearby settlement at Dalbeattie. For many years he gave devoted and conscientious service to a widely-scattered flock but also found time for learned pursuits, keeping up his life-long study of Philosophy and Chemistry and becoming famous in the area for his botanical expertise and fine garden. He was little known outside his own area and never attended the regular Clergy Meetings.
But in 1827, this changed. He went to Huntly for the Clergy Meeting and took part in the heated discussions about the projected re-structuring of the Scottish Mission which would lead in 1829 to the tripartite division into Northern, Eastern and Western Vicariates and the centralisation of seminary training at Blairs College in Aberdeenshire. His contributions to the debate made a big impression on his colleagues. The sudden death of Bishop Paterson (who had no Coadjutor) in 1831 led to a dangerous interregnum after which Carruthers found himself chosen as Vicar Apostolic for the Eastern District.
He had to deal with that interregnum, with the fall-out from the arguments about the new structure, with the expectation which many had that Gillis would have taken over from Paterson, and with severe financial problems. Congregations were increasing daily and new churches were needed. Travelling constantly round his District, he saw the financial problems faced by many of the small Missions. With financial help from Menzies of Pitfodels and from the recently founded Association for the Propagation of the Faith, he nearly doubled the number of churches. He also saw the importance of setting up schools for the poor.
He died suddenly in 1852 and was succeeded by his Coadjutor, Bp. Gillis. |