Bishop John England: “If We Had It Not, Who This Day Would Serve Our Missions?”
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Thursday, July 21, 2005 FEATURE Southern Cross, Page 3 Bishop John England: “If we had it not, who this day would serve our missions?” s soon as he set down his bags and took a look around, John England, first bishop of the new Diocese of Athe newly-appointed bishop of Charleston, must have seen “the writing Little Rock, Arkansas. Bishop on the wall.” The diocese he was sent to serve in 1820 included Georgia, Byrne’s diocese included the entire South and North Carolina and, as of 1823, would include East Florida. state of Arkansas and all of the The number of Catholics seemed sparse and the number of priests avail- Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). able for England’s far-flung diocese was even sparser. His tenure as bishop saw a signifi- cant increase in the number of Known as an innova- The other half of Bishop Eng- Catholics, priests, and church facil- , 1850–2000. tor in his native land’s vision, the creation of a ities in his diocese. Ireland, John En- priesthood schooled in his diocese, AVANNAH Bishop John Barry S gland soon be- survived to give him the satisfac- Bishop John Barry, second Bi- came one in the tion of producing some 60 clergy- IOCESE OF shop of Savannah, was a native of D United States as men who became the missionary County Wexford, Ireland, and an HE :T well. nucleus of his diocese and provided ecclesiastical student of Bishop AMILY A quick learn- leadership for several other dioce- England. He was ordained at F er, Bishop England ses as well. American prelates who NE Charleston in 1825. Father Barry at …O realized almost completed their studies at Bishop AITH Rita H. DeLorme first ministered in Georgia. He F from the start England’s Saint John the Baptist became vicar general of the Char- NE the importance of educating clergy Seminary were Bishops Patrick leston Diocese and superior of the within his diocese. “Our whole Lynch, Andrew Byrne, John Barry seminary in 1844 while still acting reliance must be upon the educa- and John Moore. as pastor of Saint Patrick’s Church, Artwork O from tion in our own diocese of our own Bishop Patrick Lynch Augusta. Appointed vicar general clergy,” he wrote. “We stand in Bishop Patrick Lynch was born in of the Diocese of Savannah in Bishop Moore died in 1901. need of a ministry fitted to our Clones, Ireland. The third bishop of 1854, he was named its administra- Pioneering Priests local circumstances which are very Charleston, Lynch had attended tor upon the death of Bishop Less prominent than these bish- different from the state of the Saint John the Baptist Seminary Francis X. Gartland from yellow ops, but integral to the growth of ancient churches in Europe.” and the College of the Propaganda fever. Father Barry was consecrated the Dioceses of Charleston and Establishing a seminary in Rome where he was an outstand- bishop of Savannah in 1857 and is Savannah were other students of By establishing the Ecclesiastical ing student. Following ordination, remembered for his zeal and for his Saint John the Baptist Seminary. Seminary of Saint John the Baptist he served in Charleston and is list- great charity in caring for yellow The ranks of these pioneer priests in tandem with a Classical and ed as president of the Charleston fever victims. He visited Europe in include (among many others): Philosophical Institute in Charles- seminary in 1847. Father Lynch 1858 in an effort to restore his Fathers Jeremiah F. O’Neill, Sr., ton in 1822, Bishop England was was consecrated Bishop of Char- declining health, but died in 1859 Jeremiah F. O’Neill, Jr., Gregory laying down vigorous missionary leston on March 14, 1858. Bishop at the house of the Brothers of Duggan, John F. Kirby, V.G., Patrick roots. The Classical and Philosoph- Lynch was thoroughly committed Saint John of God in Paris. Bishop Kirby, J. J. O’Connell, P. J. Coffey, ical Institute—completely devoid to the Confederacy during the Civil Barry is entombed beneath C. J. Croghan, John Francis Shan- of religious instruction—flourished War. After the war, he campaigned Augusta’s Church of the Most Holy nahan, Thomas Quigley, L. P. briefly, but was undercut by a diligently throughout the United Trinity. O’Connell; Augustine Francis whispering campaign that hinted States to free his diocese from debt, Bishop John Moore Hewitt (second Superior General of that its students were being recruit- eradicating all but $17,000 of the Bishop John Moore, second bish- the Institute of Saint Paul the ed as Catholics. What Bishop Eng- debt before his death. Earlier in his op of Saint Augustine, Florida, was Apostle), James Corcoran (theolo- land hoped to do, as he later noted, priesthood, Father Lynch ran a hos- born in County Westmeath, Ireland gian and advisor to the Baltimore was “to create for the South a liter- pital during an 1848 yellow fever in 1834. Moore came to the United Provincial Council and Baltimore ary and classical institution of a epidemic and nursed fever victims States with his parents as a young Plenary Council) and James T. higher grade than any which it has even after contracting the disease boy and settled in Charleston. He O’Neill, who became a missionary yet possessed.” Through sheer de- himself. Recognized as a classical studied at Saint John the Baptist in Florida. termination, he kept the classical scholar, Bishop Lynch—though a Seminary and was ordained in Though the Seminary of Saint school open until 1836. controversial figure at times—was Rome for the Charleston Diocese John the Baptist closed in 1851, a dedicated, multi-talented prelate. in 1860. Biographers note Moore’s years after Bishop England’s death, Bishop Andrew Byrne heroism in ministering to soldiers priests educated there continued to Bishop Andrew Byrne, first bish- during the Civil War. Appointed man missions throughout the south TV Mass op of Little Rock, Arkansas, was Bishop of Saint Augustine in 1877, for decades. Bishop England wrote already an ecclesiastical student Bishop Moore headed efforts to concerning the caliber of the clergy Schedule when he accompanied Bishop Eng- repair Saint Augustine’s Cathedral schooled at Saint John the Baptist land to the United States in 1820. when fire gutted it in 1887. Among Seminary: “I have far more cause After completing his studies at those of all faiths who contributed for congratulation than for regret or Saint John the Baptist Seminary, to the old church’s restoration was complaint when I review the zeal- AUGUSTA Byrne was ordained in 1827. Father railroad magnate and developer ous exertions of the young clergy- Byrne served in mission territories Sunday, 10:00 a.m. WAGT-TV Henry Flagler of Florida. Bishop men whom I have sent upon the in North and South Carolina and Moore saw the number of priests in Missions from our Seminary.” was vicar-general of the Charleston the Diocese of Saint Augustine Columnist RITA H. DELORME SAVANNAH Diocese for several years. From increase from 13 to 32 during his is a volunteer in the Diocesan Saturday, 6:00 p.m. Cable 7 1836, his ministry continued in episcopacy, a reflection in part of Archives. She can be reached Sunday, 5:30 a.m. WTOC-TV churches in New York City. While the Jesuit and Benedictine presence at [email protected]. pastor of Saint Andrew’s Church in he encouraged in his diocese. New York, he was designated the.