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Francis Neale (1756–1837) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit in Washington, D.C., and Maryland. He played a substantial role in the Jesuit order's restoration in the US. Born in Maryland, Neale was educated and ordained a priest at the Colleges of Bruges and Liège. When he returned to the US in 1788, he became the pastor at St. Thomas Manor, where he opposed Bishop John Carroll's founding of Georgetown College. In 1790, Neale oversaw the establishment of Holy Trinity, the first Catholic church in Washington, D.C. He established the Church of St. Mary in Alexandria, Virginia, and became the president of Georgetown College in 1809. The number of students declined dramatically due to his implementation of strict monastic discipline. Neale joined the Jesuit order when it was restored in 1806. He became the novice master at Georgetown and treasurer of the Jesuits' Maryland mission. He spent his later years as the spiritual director to the nuns at the Georgetown Visitation Monastery. (Full article...)

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In the news

HTMS Sukhothai

HTMS Sukhothai (pictured), a corvette of the Royal Thai Navy, capsizes and sinks, leaving 6 crew members dead and 23 others missing.
In the Fijian general election, FijiFirst wins the most seats, but fails to gain a parliamentary majority.
In association football, the FIFA World Cup concludes with Argentina defeating France in the final.
At least 24 people are killed in a landslide near Batang Kali, Malaysia.

On this day

December 24

Earthrise as seen by the crew of Apollo 8

759 – The Tang-dynasty poet Du Fu departed for Chengdu, where he lived for the next five years and composed poems about life in his thatched cottage.
1814 – The United Kingdom and the United States signed a peace treaty in Ghent, present-day Belgium, ending the War of 1812.
1846 – The Sultanate of Brunei ceded the island of Labuan to the British Empire.
1968 – Piloted by Jim Lovell, Apollo 8 became the first human spaceflight to reach and orbit the Moon (Earthrise pictured).
1973 – The U.S. Congress granted home rule to Washington, D.C., allowing the residents to elect their own mayor and a city council.

Leonaert Bramer (b. 1596)
William Warburton (b. 1698)
Pernilla Wahlgren (b. 1967)

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Today's featured picture

The Three Brothers was a piece of jewellery created in the late 14th century that consisted of three rectangular red spinels arranged around a central diamond. It was known for having been owned by a number of important historical figures. After its commission by John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy, the Three Brothers was part of the Burgundian crown jewels for almost 100 years before passing into the possession of the German banker Jakob Fugger. The jewel was eventually sold to King Edward VI and became part of the Crown Jewels of England from 1551 to 1643. It was worn prominently by Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. In the early 1640s, Henrietta Maria, the wife of King Charles I, attempted to sell the jewel to raise funds for the English Civil War, but it is unclear if she succeeded. Its whereabouts after 1645 remain unknown. This miniature painting of the Three Brothers, drawn at a scale of 1:1, was commissioned by the city of Basel to serve as an inventory but also as an advertisement to potential buyers around 1500.

Painting credit: unknown; photographed by Peter Portner

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