Dominic Manucy (December 20, 1823 – December 7, 1885) was an American prelate of the
Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. He served as the first
Vicar Apostolic of Brownsville (later the Diocese of Corpus Christi) from 1874 until his death in 1885, and also served as the third
Bishop of Mobile for a few months in 1884.
Biography
Early life and ministry
Manucy was born on December 20, 1823 in
St. Augustine,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, the son of Pedro Manucy and Maria Lorenzo.
His grandfather, Josef Manucy, came to Florida from the island of
Menorca
Menorca or Minorca (from la, Insula Minor, , smaller island, later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Majorca. Its capi ...
as an indentured servant at
Andrew Turnbull's settlement in
New Smyrna. Conditions were so abysmal at New Smyrna that the settlers rebelled against Turnbull and moved to St. Augustine.
One of Josef's other descendants was historian
Albert Manucy (1910-1997).
Manucy was raised with his second cousin,
Anthony Dominic Pellicer,
and he and Pellicer studied for the priesthood together at
Spring Hill College
Spring Hill College is a private, Jesuit college in Mobile, Alabama. It was founded in 1830 by Michael Portier, Bishop of Mobile. Along with being the oldest college or university in the state of Alabama, it was the first Catholic college in the ...
in
Mobile
Mobile may refer to:
Places
* Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city
* Mobile County, Alabama
* Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S.
* Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels
* Mobile ( ...
,
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
. They were both ordained by Bishop
Michael Portier
Bishop Michael Portier (September 7, 1795, Montbrison, France – May 14, 1859, Mobile, Alabama) was a Roman Catholic bishop in the United States and the first Bishop of Mobile. He immigrated to the US in 1817, being ordained there. He lat ...
on August 15, 1850.
After his ordination, he worked at the Florida missions in
Warrington
Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...
and
Apalachicola.
He then returned to Mobile, being appointed assistant pastor of
Immaculate Conception Cathedral (1855) and later pastor of
St. Vincent's Church (1861).
[ In 1865 he succeeded Pellicer as pastor of St. Peter's Church in Montgomery.
]
Bishop
On September 18, 1874, Manucy was appointed the first Vicar Apostolic
A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...
of Brownsville, Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, and titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.
By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...
of ''Dulma'' by Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...
.[ At the same time, Pellicer was also assigned to Texas as the first Bishop of San Antonio. Just as they were ordained priests together, Manucy and his cousin both received their episcopal consecration on December 8, 1874 from Archbishop Napoléon-Joseph Perché at the cathedral in Mobile.][
Manucy was formally installed in Brownsville on February 11, 1875.][ The new vicariate covered the territory between the ]Nueces River
The Nueces River is a river in the U.S. state of Texas, about long. It drains a region in central and southern Texas southeastward into the Gulf of Mexico. It is the southernmost major river in Texas northeast of the Rio Grande. ''Nueces'' ...
and the Rio Grande
The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico.
The length of the Rio G ...
, and contained a Catholic population of about 40,000 people being served by the Oblate Fathers. Manucy set up his residence in Corpus Christi, where he oversaw the construction of a new building for St. Patrick's Church. During his tenure, he ordained five priests for the vicariate; established three convents and recruited religious orders like the Sisters of the Incarnate Word; and built nine churches, with three more under construction by the end of his tenure.
On January 18, 1884,[ Manucy was named Bishop of Mobile by ]Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...
, while remaining in charge of the vicariate until the appointment of a successor. He returned to Mobile, where he had been ordained a priest and bishop, and was installed on March 30, 1884.[ However, only a few months later, his health began to decline. He submitted his resignation to the Vatican in the summer of 1884 but was rejected by Cardinal Giovanni Simeoni; he asked again and this time his resignation was accepted on September 27, 1884.][ He attended the third Plenary Council of Baltimore from November to December that year.
Manucy was re-appointed Vicar Apostolic of Brownsville on February 7, 1885, with the titular see of ''Maronea''.][ His illness prevented him from returning to Texas and he remained in Mobile, where he died on December 4, 1885 at age 61.][ He is buried in the crypt of Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Mobile.
]
Episcopal succession
References
External links
Catholic Encyclopedia bio
*
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile
Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi bio
Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi Home Page
1828 births
1885 deaths
People from Corpus Christi, Texas
People from St. Augustine, Florida
Catholics from Texas
Catholics from Florida
Bishops of Duvno
Roman Catholic bishops of Mobile
Bishops appointed by Pope Pius IX
Bishops appointed by Pope Leo XIII
19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States
{{US-RC-bishop-stub