A statue in homage to Charles Carroll

A new statue has appeared in the Audomarois landscape. It represents Charles Carroll, a famous former student of the Jesuit College who went on to forge a glorious destiny in the very young United States of America. The statue was inaugurated on Saturday, October 9, 2021.

If you have walked along the path leading to the inter-municipal library from rue du Lycée, you may already have noticed a new statue at the foot of the Jesuit Chapel, at the entrance to the media library.

Explanation:
The former Jesuit College of Saint-Omer, now the Alexandre-Ribot High School, welcomed eminent students within its walls. Charles Carroll (1737–1832) and his cousins John and Daniel were among them. The first has now been honored with the unveiling of his statue. He is depicted as a young man, since Saint-Omer knew him in the form of an adolescent when he was studying at the Catholic institution. The city decided to immortalize him on a pedestal. The bronze statue is the work of Marine de Soos, a French sculptor.

A descendant unveils his ancestor
The veil was removed by one of his own descendants, James Burdick, an American student at Queen Mary University of London: “I am honored and grateful to be here today. Thank you very much for what you have done. I am having a wonderful experience here,” he said in English, which L’Indépendant took care to translate. The young man comes from distant Texas and is returning to London to continue his university studies abroad. It seems that studying far from home runs in the Carroll family!

The Carrolls are originally from Ireland: Charles Carroll’s grandfather emigrated in the 17th century to the east coast of North America. This region, made up of British colonies, would become the United States following the Declaration of Independence in 1776. One of its signatories was a certain… Charles Carroll.

“Fundamental values unite us.” — E. de Lencquesaing

Between the Carrolls and Europe, the bridges are not, at first glance, really broken. It must be said that Europe and the United States share the same civilization for historical reasons—what may be called the West. This is a foundation that the Saint-Omer Transatlantic Values Foundation, behind the installation, seeks to highlight. The event is an opportunity to recall it: “Fundamental values unite us. The question is how, all together, we translate these values to find solutions to the great challenges of our time,” says Édouard-François de Lencquesaing, president of the foundation.

Local pride
For several years, the Transatlantic Values Foundation and the city of Saint-Omer have relied on the Carroll brothers to highlight the links between our territory and our Anglo-Saxon friends. “They are fabulous student destinies. How could one not be proud of this chapter of local history?” testifies Joël Duquenoy, president of the Capso.
Founded in the 16th century, the Jesuit College welcomed up to 700 students in the following century. Will a student from today’s Lycée Ribot one day leave behind a statue in Saint-Omer, in addition to Minister Alexandre Ribot himself? Predictions are open. That will not prevent Charles Carroll from reigning in his place.

Alexandre Gournay

Brief biography of the Carrolls
Charles Carroll (1737–1822):
He was among the Thirteen Colonies that revolted against Great Britain and became one of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence of the United States. He briefly served as a senator for Maryland, then as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates.

John Carroll (1735–1815):
He became the first Catholic bishop of the United States in Baltimore. He founded Georgetown University in 1789.