OALLA
348
GALLA
teenth century Humanists were allowed to take away
some of the rarest of the classical MSS. and in the
sixteenth the abbey was raided by the Calvinists, who
scattered many of the most valuable books. In 1530
Abbot Diethelra inaugurated a restoration with such
success that he has been called the third founder of
8t. Gall. The library was one of his chief cares and
his successors zealously followed his good example.
Through their efforts the monastic spirit, the schools
and the studies all revived and attained to something
of their former greatness. In 1602, when the Swiss
congregation of the Order of St. Benedict was formed,
the Abbey of St. Gall took precedence as the first
house of the congregation, and many of its abbots
subsequently held the office of president.
A printing-press was started under Pius (1630- 1674), which soon became one of the most important in Switzerland. In 1712 a great change came over the fortunes of the monastery. It was pillaged by the Swiss, who spared nothing. Most of the books and MSS. were carried off to Zurich, Berne and other places, and only a portion of them were afterwards restored to St. Gall. The abbot of the time, Leodegar by name, was obliged for security to place his monas- tery under the protection of the townspeople whose ancestors had been serfs of the abbey, but who had, since the Reformation, thrown off the yoke of sub- jection. When these disturbances were over, a final attempt was made to revive the glories of the abbey. The monastery was rebuilt for the last time under Abbots Celestine II and Bede, but the resuscitation was short-lived. In 1798 the Swiss directory sup- pressed the ecclesiastical principality and secularized the abbey, and in 1805 its revenues were sequestrated. The monks took refuge in other houses of the congre- gation, the last abbot, Pancras Forster, dying in 1829 at Muri. When the Diocese of Constance was sup- pressed in 1821, that portion of it in which St. Gall was situated was united to the Diocese of Coire, but in 1846 a rearrangement made St. Gall a separate see, with the abbey church as its cathedral and a portion of the monastic buildings being assigned for the bishop's residence. The church, rebuilt 1755-65 in the rococo style, contains some finely-carved choir- stalls and a beautiful wrought iron screen. The conventual buildings, besides the bishop's palace, now accommodate also the cantonal offices and what re- mains of the library — about thirty thousand volumes and MSS. The town of St. Gall has a population of over 30,000 and is one of the principal manufacturing centres in Switzerland, muslin and cotton being its chief industries.
Mabillon, Annates O.S.B. (Paris, 1703-39); Idem, Acta SS. O.S.B. (Venice. 1733), II; Ste-Mahthe, Gallia Christiana (Paris, 1731), V; Ziegelbauer, Hist. Lit. O.S.B. (Augsburg. 1754); Pbrtz, Mm. Germ. Hist.: Scriptores (Hanover, 1826). I; Yepes, Corinica General, O.S.B. (Valladolid, 1609-21), II, III; Weidmann, Geschichle der Bibliolhek von S. Galten (St. Gall, 1841); Schdbiger, Die SOngerschule S. Gallens (Einsie- deln, 1858); von Arx, Geschichiedes Cantons S. Gallen: Wart- MANN, Urkundenbuch der Abtei S. Gallen, a.d. 700-1350 (Zurich, 1863-82); Migne, Dic(. rfes A6fca!/es (Paris, 1856); Paleographie Musicale (Solesmes, 1889), I; David, Les Grandes Abbayes d'Occident (Bruges, 1908); Hogan, The Monastery andLibrary of St. Gall in Irish Eccl. Rec, XV (1894).
G. Cypeian Alston.
Galla, Saint, a Roman widow of the sixth century; feast, 5 October. According to St. Gregory the Great (Dial. IV, ch. xiii) she was the daughter of the younger Symraachus, a learned and virtuous patrician of Rome, whom Theodoric had unjustly condemned to death (525). Becoming a widow before the end of the first year of her married life, she, still very young, founded a convent and hospital near St. Peter's, there spent the remainder of her days in austerities and works of mercy, antl ended her life with an edifying death. The letter of St. Fulgontius of Ruspe, "De statu vidu- arum", is supposed to have been addressed to her. Her church in Rome, near the Piazza Montanara, once
held a picture of Our Lady, which accordmg to tradi-
tion represents a vision vouchsafed to St. Galla. It is
considered miraculous and was carried in procession in
times of pestilence. It is now over the high altar of
Santa Maria in Campitelli.
Messenger (New York), XXXIX. 279; Ddnbar in Diet. Christ. Biog., s. v.; Acta SS., Oct., Ill, 147.
Francis Mershman.
Galla, Vicariate Apostolic op, embraces the territory of the Galla or Oromo tribes in Abyssinia. In its widest extent the vicariate lies between 34° and 44° long. E. of Greenwich, and 4° and 10° N. lat. The Oromo or Galla, doubtless slightly European in descent, came originally from the region of Hcalal, lying between the jimction of the two Niles and the River Baro. Eventually, about the fifteenth century, they began to invade Abyssinia, where they soon be- came so powerful that they shared the power with the Negus of Ethiopia. The Galla are divided into two principal branches, the Borana or Western Galla, and the Barentoimia or Eastern Galla, both of them sub- divided into niniierous tribes. There exist among the Galla other important tribes, also genuine negro tribes and tribes of Mussulman origin. The vicariate dates from 4 May, 1840. The Capiichin, Right Rev. Gugli- elmo Massaia, was the first vicar Apostolic. He was born at Piovi, province of Asti, Piedmont, 9 June, 1809, and had been a member of the aforesaid order twenty-one years when he was consecrated Bishop of Cassia, 24 May, 1846, and sent to the Galla tribes. It was then very difficult to gain access into the interior of Africa; only after five years of incessantly renewed attempts and at the cost of great hardships and many perils was he able to reach the region of Galla Assan- dabo, 20 November, 1852. Having evangelized the districts of Goudrou, Lagamara, Limmou, Nonna, and Guera, this valiant apostle entered, 4 Oct., 1859, the Kingdom of Kaffa, where conversions were abun- dant. With apostolic foresight he provided the con- verted tribes with priests, so that when persecution obliged him to flee, Christianity did not disappear.
In 1868 he was at Choa, where he laboured with suc- cess until 1879, and enjoyed the confidence of King Menelik, who made him his confidential counsellor and paid him great respect. In the interval the missions of Kaffa and Guera were administered by his coadjutor Bishop Felicissimo Coccino, who died 26 February, 1878. In 1879 Negus John of Abyssinia compelled his vassal Menelik to order Bishop Massaia to return to Europe. The venerable prelate, who had already been banished seven times, and was now more broken by labour and sufferings than by age, handed over the government of the vicariate to his coadjutor Bishop Taurin Cahagne, since 14 Feb., 1875, titular Bishop of Adraraittiura. Bishop Massaia was created cardinal by Leo XIII, 10 Nov., 1884; he died 6 Aug., 1889. He left valuable memoirs (see below), the publication of which was rewarded by the Italian government with the nomination to a high civil order, not accepted, however, by the venerable missionary. The mission of Harar was founded by Bishop Taurin, who from 1880 to 1899 sustained a glorious combat in this hot-bed of Islam and opened the way to the present quite prosperous mission. He has written a catechism and valuable works of Christian instruction in the Galla language. His name is held in veneration throughout these regions. The vicariate now in- cludes the three great districts of Choa, Kaffa and Harar. There are 15 principal stations and an equal number of secondary ones. The Christians number more than 18,000. The mission possesses a seminary for priests and a preparatory seminary. It maintains 3 principal and 12 secondary schools, 3 dispensaries, 1 Iciier-hospital, 1 printing house, and important agri- cultural wcirks. The vicar Apostcilic has under his jurisdiction 125 European Capuchin missionaries from the province of Toulouse, France. There are also 8
