Father Lockhart – Rosminian Archives

Ancestry: Father William Lockhart was of Scotch descent, though his family had not lived in Scotland for several generations. There was also a distant Irish connection through the O’Neill family, which he cherished.
Parents: His father was the Rev. Alexander Lockhart, an Anglican rector described as more of a “squire than a parson.” His mother was Martha Jacob, the daughter of a well-known traveller and Member of Parliament, William Jacob.
Birth and Upbringing: William Lockhart was born on August 22, 1819. He was raised in an Anglican clerical household, spending his childhood in Buckinghamshire and London. He described himself as an “idle little vagabond” as a boy, more interested in his pony and dogs than his studies.

There was a series of profound, quasi-mystical experiences that Lockhart himself recounted, which shaped his spiritual life:

The Awakening of Consciousness (age 7-8): While looking out a window, he was suddenly struck with the overwhelming realization of existence: “I am, things are, God is.” He considered this the moment his consciousness and conscience were born.
The Rhine Journey (age 19): On a tour before Oxford, he witnessed Catholic worship for the first time in Baden-Baden. The sight of intense adoration, the rising incense, and the dead silence during the Mass led to a powerful, intuitive feeling of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. He described it as a “supernatural, not to say miraculous” event that left an indelible mark.
The Vision at Littlemore: While studying near Oxford, he had a realization that the ancient church spires across England were built as “tabernacles of the Blessed Sacrament” because their builders believed Christ was the Incarnate God, present in the Eucharist. This completed the impression made on him at Baden-Baden.

Influence of Newman: After an initial period of idleness at Exeter College, Oxford, Lockhart began attending John Henry Newman’s sermons at St. Mary’s, which he called the “turning point in my moral and intellectual life.”
The Littlemore Community: In 1842, he joined Newman’s semi-monastic community at Littlemore, living a life of prayer, fasting, and study.
Growing Doubts: His doubts about the Church of England grew, particularly concerning its authority to grant absolution. When he questioned Newman on this, he was told to “ask Pusey.”
The Break with Newman: Feeling he could not remain an Anglican, he met Father Gentili, a priest of the Rosminian Order (the Institute of Charity). After a three-day retreat with Gentili, he was received into the Catholic Church on August 26, 1843. This act broke a promise he had made to Newman to wait three years before converting and prompted Newman’s famous sermon “The Parting of Friends.”

Joining the Order: Immediately upon his conversion, Lockhart joined the Institute of Charity as a postulant and was ordained a priest on December 10, 1846.
Missionary Work in Ireland (c. 1851-1853): A significant part of his early priestly career was spent preaching missions across Ireland (Dublin, Belfast, Galway, etc.). These missions were immensely successful, drawing huge crowds that often required services to be held outdoors.
Founding the London Mission: In 1854, he was tasked with establishing a presence for his Order in London. This began with a small chapel in a private home in Kingsland and grew into the Church of Our Lady and St. Joseph.
St. Etheldreda’s, Ely Place: His most prominent achievement in London was the purchase and restoration of St. Etheldreda’s Church in 1873. This ancient, pre-Reformation Catholic chapel was put up for sale, and he secured it as a central house for the Institute in London, a move strongly supported by Cardinal Manning.

Temperance Movement: Father Lockhart was a leading and highly visible figure in the Catholic temperance movement, particularly Cardinal Manning’s “League of the Cross.” He was a teetotaler for much of his life and gave thousands of temperance pledges at large public meetings.
The Catholic Press: He was an active journalist, editing the periodical Catholic Opinion and later taking over The Lamp. He used these platforms to advocate for Catholic doctrine and social issues, including Irish Home Rule.
Social Charity: He established a home for young Catholic men working in London at his presbytery and was instrumental in founding “St. Scholastica’s Retreat,” a home for elderly Catholics of modest means.
Author and Translator: He was a prolific writer of books and pamphlets, including The Old Religion, and spent his later years translating the philosophical works of Antonio Rosmini, the founder of his order.

Deep Piety and Humility: The biography portrays him as an exemplary religious man, devoted to prayer, meditation, and his vows. Despite his noble ancestry, he was deeply humble and self-effacing.
Charity Personified: His most defining virtue was charity. He was described as kind, gentle, generous to the poor, and “charitable almost to a fault,” always thinking the best of others.
Influential but Not a Leader: While he was a cultured, eloquent, and dignified speaker who influenced many, he naturally shrank from responsibility and distrusted his own judgment, preferring to follow the lead of men like Newman, Manning, and Rosmini.

Continued Service: In his later years, he served as the Procurator General of his Order in Rome during the winters, while continuing to preach missions and retreats in England, Scotland, and Ireland.
Sudden Death: He died unexpectedly on May 15, 1892, at St. Etheldreda’s from heart failure. He had been hearing confessions until late the previous evening and was found deceased in his room the next morning.
Legacy: He was buried at Ratcliffe College beside his mother. The biography concludes by remembering him as a great-souled, noble-minded man whose gentleness and generosity won the hearts of all who knew him.