Description
By: Pauline von Hugel (1858-1901)
“A Royal Son and Mother” by Pauline von Hugel is a captivating story that takes readers on a journey through the complex and often tumultuous relationship between a mother and her son. The author expertly weaves together themes of love, devotion, betrayal, and redemption in a way that keeps readers engaged from beginning to end.
The characters in the book are well-developed and relatable, making it easy for readers to become emotionally invested in their struggles and triumphs. The bond between the mother and son is particularly heart-wrenching and beautifully portrayed, with each of their actions and decisions carrying significant emotional weight.
Von Hugel’s writing is both elegant and evocative, drawing readers into the world of royalty and intrigue with vivid descriptions and richly detailed settings. The pacing of the story is spot-on, with just the right amount of tension and drama to keep readers turning pages late into the night.
Overall, “A Royal Son and Mother” is a must-read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction and intricate family dramas. Von Hugel has crafted a truly remarkable tale that will linger in the minds of readers long after they have finished the last page.
Book Description:
Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin (1770-1840) was an emigre Russian aristocrat and Catholic priest who is acclaimed as “The Apostle of the Alleghenies.” He is the son of Prince Dimitri Alexeievich, a Russian ambassador to the Netherlands, and the German Countess Adelheid Amalie von Schmettau. Demetrius was raised Russian Orthodox, but at age seventeen he converted to Catholicism, the faith of his mother, following her miraculous recovery from a serious illness. Although the ambassador had planned a military career for his son and had sent him to America for an education, he was shocked to learn that his son had renounced his inheritance and had entered a seminary instead. Demetrius was ordained a Catholic priest in 1795 and devoted his life to ministering to the pioneers of rural Maryland and Pennsylvania. In 1796 Bishop John Carroll stationed him in Taneytown, Maryland, and in 1799 Father Demetrius founded a church in Loretto, Pennsylvania, deep in the Allegheny Mountains. For the next 41 years, this untiring priest wended his way through rugged hills along a network of Indian trails to bring the sacraments and the Word of God to hardy pioneer families. Braving every sort of danger and forgoing personal comfort, he established numerous missions in remote settlements across the Allegheny frontier. During his years as pastor in Loretto, his spiritual children grew in number from a dozen to over ten thousand.
The author of this short work, Baroness Pauline von Hugel, is the daughter of Baron Charles Alexander Anselm von Hugel, Austrian Ambassador to Tuscany, and later, to Belgium. After the baron’s death, Pauline resided with her widowed mother in Bournemouth and Boscombe in southern England and was known for her numerous charitable activities, especially her great solicitude for the poor. (Adapted from Wikipedia)
