Record

RepositoryJesuits in Britain Archives
Ref NoABSI/SJ/21
TitleFr Martin Cyril D'Arcy SJ (1888-1976)
DateLate 19th Century-Late 20th Century
LevelSub fonds
DescriptionThis subfonds contains the personal papers of Fr Martin Cyril D'Arcy SJ and includes autobiographical and biographical material as well as notes on the D'Arcy family. There are also diaries, certificates, photographs and newspaper clippings in the collection as well as articles and sermons written by D'Arcy or sent to him.
Admin_HistoryMartin Cyril D'Arcy was born in Bath on 15 June 1888, the fourth and youngest son of a barrister, Martin Valentine D'Arcy and Madoline Mary Keegan. He attended school at Stonyhurst and went from there to the noviceship in Roehampton on 7 September 1906. From there he moved to St Mary's Hall, Stonyhurst, for philosophy in 1909 and in 1912 joined some scholastics at Pope's Hall (later Campion Hall) in Oxford, where he read the classical course Literae Humaniores. He gained a First in his final examination in Ancient History and Philosophy, after having received a Second in Classical Moderations. He also won several prizes: the Charles Oldham Prize (while still at Oxford University), John Locke Scholarship (1918) and the Green Moral Philosophy Prize (1923).

After leaving Oxford in 1916 he went to teach at Stonyhurst.

He began his theological studies with the exiled French Jesuits at Hastings in 1919 and completed the training at St Beuno's, where he was ordained in 1921. From 1923-4 he was teaching at Stonyhurst. Following which he did his tertianship at Tullamore, Ireland 1924-5. In 1925 he was sent to the Gregorian University, Rome, to do doctoral work in philosophy in preparation to teach this subject to Jesuit students at Heythrop. In 1926 he continued his studies at Mount Street, London.

He was solemnly professed on 2 February 1926.

In 1927, he returned to Oxford and began lecturing in philosophy as a member of the Faculty of Literae Humaniores. In the 1930s, he taught 'the Philosophy of Religion' in the Catholic Workers College (later known as Plater College).

In 1933, he succeeded Fr Vignaux as Master of the Hall and persuaded Edwin Lutyens to draw up plans for a new site in Brewer Street, which opened in 1935. He contributed to the artistic beauty of the hall by his collection of works of sacred art (the famous objets D'Arcy).

In 1936, he went on the first of many visits to USA, to which he made almost annual trips subsequently. During these he lectured at various universities there including Fordham, Princeton, Columbia, Georgetown, Boston College and Loyola University, Chicago (where the Art gallery is named after him), and he received several honorary doctorates.

In 1945, he took up the post of Provincial of the English Province and attended the General Congregation of 1946. His Provincial term ended in 1950 and he was succeeded by Fr Edward Helsham on 14 February 1950.

In 1953, he made a trip to Japan.

D'Arcy celebrated his golden jubilee of priesthood on 25 September 1971.

He died in the hospital of SS John and Elizabeth in London on 20 November 1976 having gone in on 20 September for the third time that year. His requiem was celebrated in Farm St Church on 29 November and he was buried at Kensal Green. A second requiem was celebrated later in Oxford at the University Chaplaincy.
Related MaterialABSI/SJ/73 Fr E Conyers D'Arcy SJ personal papers contains correspondence 1912-1967 and undated includes letters from Martin Cyril D'Arcy SJ as well as D'Arcy family papers

40/2/7 New Campion Hall

44/3/4/1 File of correspondence Fr R Copeland SJ as Superior at 114 Mount Street received on D'Arcy's death as well as a typescript description of his last days in hospital by Copeland

UC/9 St Andrews Training College 1945-50 (Letters written to D'Arcy as Father Provincial 1947/48 from Archbishop Andrew Thomas McDonald OSB, J S Cammack SJ, Francis Aylward (The Newman Association), letter from D'Arcy)

SA Manresa Training College (Correspondence during his Provincialate)

100/966/4 Recorded Sermon at 7th Hopkins Service 1975, Farm Street (cassette tape)

48/2/6 Booklet of 7th Annual Hopkins Sermon, 1975

Articles in The Month on Fr Martin D'Arcy:
- 'Fr Martin D'Arcy is 80: Fr D'Arcy at Oxford' by Robert Speaight, pp.338-340
- 'Fr Martin D'Arcy is 80: Fr D'Arcy and the Ages of Man' by Paul Horgan, pp.341-343
- About 1968, check the Month for full reference details

Photograph with Fr Wilfrid Banham SJ see SJ/PH/31

For correspondence with Alfred Thomas SJ see SJ/57/-

Photograph by Philippe Halsman c1955 see CM/1/16
FormatAudio tape
Drawing
Glass negative
Manuscript
Photocopy
Photograph
Printed document
Publication
Typescript
AccessConditionsThe papers are available subject to the usual conditions of access to archive material in the Jesuits in Britain Archives.
LanguageEnglish
French
Greek
Italian
Latin
Portuguese
Spanish
PublnNoteAmong his publications are:
- The Spirit of Charity (1929)
- The Nature of Belief (1931)
- Belief and reason (1944)
- The Mind and Heart of Love (1945)
- Communism and Christianity (1956)
- The Meeting of love and knowledge (1957)
- The sense of history: secular and sacred (1959)
- The meaning and matter of history (1959)
- Of God and man (1964)
- Dialogue with myself (1966)
- Facing the Truth (Oct 1969)
- Humanism & Christianity (1969)
- Revelation and love's architecture (1976)
- Nature of Belief (Dec 1976)
Persons
CodePersonNameDates
DS/UK/965D'Arcy; Martin Cyril (1888-1976); Jesuit Priest1888-1976

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