Edmond Francis Prendergast (May 3, 1843 – February 26, 1918) was an

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

-born

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...

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 third

Archbishop of Philadelphia The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Philadelphia is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well a ...

from 1911 until his death in 1918.

Biography

Edmond Prendergast was born in

Clonmel Clonmel () is the county town and largest settlement of County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, Cromwellian army which sacked the towns of Dro ...

County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after th ...

, Ireland, to Lawrence and Joanna (née Carew) Prendergast. Three of his uncles and two brothers were also

priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in p ...

, and two sisters entered

religious life Consecrated life (also known as religious life) is a state of life in the Catholic Church lived by those faithful who are called to follow Jesus Christ in a more exacting way. It includes those in institutes of consecrated life (religious and se ...

. While a

theological Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

student in his native country, he accepted an invitation from one of his uncles to come to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

in 1859. He then enrolled at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

,"E.F. Prendergast, Prelate, Dies at 74", ''The New York Times'', February 27, 1918
/ref> where he proved to be a talented student. He was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...

to the priesthood by Bishop

James Frederick Wood James Frederick Bryan Wood (April 27, 1813 – June 20, 1883) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the fifth Ordinary (Catholic Church), Bishop and first Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Archbishop of Philadelp ...

on November 17, 1865. 1910 - Roman Catholic Church of the Immaculate Conception

Prendergast then served as a

curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...

at St. Paul's Church in Philadelphia until May 1866, when he was transferred to the

mission Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

in Susquehanna Depot on account of his health. He was

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

of St. Mark's Church in

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

from 1867 to 1871. He then served at Immaculate Conception Church in

Allentown Allentown may refer to several places in the United States and topics related to them: * Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California * Allentown, Georgia, a town in Wilkinson County * Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in T ...

until February 1874, when he returned to Philadelphia as rector of St. Malachy's Church. In addition to his duties at St. Malachy's, he was named

vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...

of the

Archdiocese of Philadelphia The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Philadelphia is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well a ...

in 1895. He also served as director of the

St. Vincent de Paul Society The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP or SVdP or SSVP) is an international voluntary organization in the Catholic Church, founded in 1833 for the sanctification of its members by personal service of the poor. Innumerable Catholic parishes have ...

.Watson, William E. and Halus Jr.,Eugene J., ''Irish Americans: The History and Culture of a People'', ABC-CLIO, 2014, p. 223
/ref> On November 27, 1895, Prendergast was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia 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 ''Scilium'' 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 ...

. He received his

episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...

consecration Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

on February 24, 1897 from Archbishop

Patrick John Ryan Patrick John Ryan (February 20, 1831 – February 11, 1911) was an Irish-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the second Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1884 until his death in 1911. Early life and education Patrick Ryan was born in T ...

, with Bishops

Ignatius Frederick Horstmann Ignatius Frederick Horstmann (December 16, 1840 – May 13, 1908) was an Americans, American prelate of the Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, Diocese of Cleveland in Ohio fr ...

and

Michael John Hoban Michael John Hoban (June 6, 1853 – November 13, 1926) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Scranton in Pennsylvania from 1899 until his death in 1926. While Hoban was coadjutor bishop o ...

serving as

co-consecrators A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, ...

, at the

Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul The Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul is the main church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Faisalabad, 250 kilometers south of Islamabad, Pakistan. The cathedral has played a significant role in promoting harmony and understanding between the nat ...

. For 15 years he continued his work as vicar general and pastor of St. Malachy's, and assisted Archbishop Ryan in ordaining priests, administering

Confirmation In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an affirmation of belief. It involves laying on ...

, dedicating churches,

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

s and

schools A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compulsor ...

, officiating at the reception of

novice A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession A profession is a field of work that has ...

s and at the solemn profession of numerous

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

s in the archdiocese. He also served as

chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

of the Archdiocesan Building Committee; under his leadership, the Catholic Protectory for Boys, Archbishop Ryan Memorial Library, Catholic Home for Girls, and Catholic Girls' High School were erected. Following the death of Archbishop Ryan in February 1911, he was named

Apostolic Administrator An Apostolic administration in the Catholic Church is administrated by a prelate appointed by the pope to serve as the ordinary for a specific area. Either the area is not yet a diocese (a stable 'pre-diocesan', usually missionary apostolic admi ...

Archbishop

Prendergast was named the third

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X ( it, Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of C ...

on May 27, 1911. He was later installed at the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul on July 26, 1911. In attendance at his installation was the likes of Mayor

John E. Reyburn John Edgar Reyburn (February 7, 1845 – January 4, 1914) was an American politician from Ohio who served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Pennsylvania's 4th congressional district from 1890 to 1897, Pennsylvania' ...

and Judge

Mayer Sulzberger Mayer Sulzberger (June 22, 1843 – April 20, 1923) was an American judge and Jewish communal leader. Biography Mayer Sulzberger was born at Heidelsheim, Bruchsal, Baden on June 22, 1843. He went to Philadelphia with his parents in 1848, and wa ...

. Due to his own advanced age (68), he received

John Joseph McCort John Joseph McCort (February 16, 1860 – April 21, 1936) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Altoona from 1920 until his death in 1936. Biography Early life and education John McCort was born on February 16 ...

as an auxiliary in 1912. During his episcopate, he was known as a master builder and a real-estate genius. He increased the number of parishes and parochial schools for the great number of Italian and Eastern European immigrants in Philadelphia. In 1913 he opened the Archbishop Memorial Institute for the Deaf. He founded Saint Francis Country Home for Convalescents and in 1916 established Saint Edmond's Home to meet the needs of children affected by the polio epidemic. In 1917 he founded St. Vincent's Orphanage, which would later become Archbishop Prendergast High School. Archbishop Prendergast was esteemed by priests and laity as a friend and solicitous father. He died at the episcopal residence on February 26, 1918. In 2005

Archbishop Prendergast High School Archbishop Prendergast High School was an all-girl Catholic high school in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It has been merged with Monsignor Bonner High School and renamed. It is located in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. The school is ...

for Young Women in

Drexel Hill Drexel Hill is a neighborhood and census-designated place (CDP) located in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. The population was 29,181 at the 2020 census, up from 28,043 at the 2010 census, and accounting for over a third of Upper Darby's population. G ...

, merged with Monsignor Bonner High School for Young Men to create Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School."School History", Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School
/ref>

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Prendergast, Edmond Francis 1843 births 1918 deaths 19th-century Irish people 20th-century Irish people 20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in the United States Roman Catholic archbishops of Philadelphia American Roman Catholic clergy of Irish descent Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923) People from County Tipperary Clergy from Philadelphia Burials at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul (Philadelphia)