Theodore Ryken: A Tragic Hero

Theodore Ryken was a great man. He did great things for people. He was seen and considered a hero to many. He is a hero because of his actions, background, and life that follows the heroic archetype. Theodore Ryken is from an obscure and mysterious origin. Theodore Ryken was born in “Elshout, North Brabant, Holland in August 30, 1797”. He was born in a middle class family who passionate and devoted catholics parents. Theodore Ryken shortly at a young age faced loneliness. Theodore Ryken parents both died and he was left as an orphan. He was all alone for a short time until his uncle took him in and cared for him. Theodore Ryken also had friends or family in this case. His friend and family was his uncle who saved him from being an orphan and
raised him to be a great man. Theodore Ryken also had a guide. His guide when he was younger was his uncle. He help him become the man he became. His other guide was God. God help him have the idea to start the institution. When he retired he felt that he was a tool that God used to help others. Theodore Ryken also went on a journey to America for 3 years to volunteer his services as a catechist at missionaries to the Native Americans. Theodore Ryken had a goal. He had a goal which he got during his journey to America. His goal was to start a congregation of brothers to work alongside the missionary priest. Theodore Ryken did not always know where he was going. Theodore Ryken returned to Europe so that he could get approval and blessing from Pope Gregory XVI and Monsignor François Boussen. He then decide to do a community residence to start off his missionary institute. On June 15, 1839, he went to live in a rented house on Ezelstraat in Bruges, Belgium. He had two artisans come help him start the religious institute. Theodore Ryken so realized that they didn’t have or share his views fully.
It took him a year to find better followers and he also faced poverty and hardships. At this time he didn’t know if institution was going to fail or succeed. He didn’t know what direction it was going to take but he kept at it even though he no idea where he was going. Theodore Ryken had a weakness. His weakness was his incapacity to administer his congregation. His congregation had issues because he had not paid the Het Walletje debt. The Het Walletje was a large property that Theodore Ryken purchase from a banker. The debt of the estate was too great and he hadn’t paid it off. This cause internal conflicts and hardships in the congregation. Theodore Ryken was changed by the ordeal. Since Theodore Ryken congregation was struggling, he willingly retired his position to a younger man. He then spent the next 11 years of his life as a commoner in his order that he created and established. After this he realized that he was “an instrument in the hands of God, and when He saw fit to put him aside for other tools, he was content”. He realize that God needed him to start the congregation but when it was time to hand it off to the other successor, he was willing
too. He knew that he completed his task for God to help others and it was his time to help in a different way. Theodore Ryken goal turns out to be a symbol for a higher state of being attained by him. Before Theodore Ryken died in 1871, he was able to see his order expand from 58 brothers to 133 brother in 1869. The debt that he caused was also paid off and the order had nine established communities in the poor areas in the cities of Belgium, England and the United States. His goal to start a congregation of brothers to help educate the poor turned out to be a symbol for Xaverian Education in the United States. His dream to help others is embedded in Xaverian communities all around the United States. His idea, goal, and congregation helped make hundreds of schools in the United States possible to give opportunity to students for higher prestigious education.