Edward Patrick Allen (March 17, 1853 – October 21, 1926) was an American
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 'pre ...
of the
Roman 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 ...
who served as
Bishop of Mobile from 1897 until his death in 1926.
Biography
Edward Allen was born in
Lowell,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, to John and Mary (née Egan) Allen.
His parents were both natives of
King's County,
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
.
He received his early education in the
public schools of his native city, and attended Lowell Commercial College before entering
Mount St. Mary's Seminary in
Emmitsburg,
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
.
[ He earned a ]Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...
degree with honors in 1878, and remained at Mount St. Mary's for his theological studies.[ On December 17, 1881, 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 ...
to the priesthood by Bishop Thomas A. Becker.
Allen then taught English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
and Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
at Mount St. Mary's until 1882, when he became a curate at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
.[ He was afterwards sent to ]Framingham
Framingham () is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. Incorporated in 1700, it is located in Middlesex County and the MetroWest subregion of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The city proper covers with a popul ...
, also serving as chaplain of the state reformatory in Sherborn.[ In 1884, he returned to Mount St. Mary's as its vice-]president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
and treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance.
Government
The treasury ...
.[ He was elected president of the same institution in June 1885.][ In 1889, he received a Doctor of Divinity degree from ]Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
.[
On April 19, 1897, Allen was appointed the fifth Bishop of Mobile, ]Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
, 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 consecration on the following May 16 from Cardinal ]James Gibbons
James Cardinal Gibbons (July 23, 1834 – March 24, 1921) was a senior-ranking American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Apostolic Vicar of North Carolina from 1868 to 1872, Bishop of Richmond from 1872 to 1877, and as ninth ...
, with Bishops Edward Fitzgerald and Matthew Harkins serving as co-consecrators, in the Cathedral of the Assumption in Baltimore.[
During Allen's administration, the Catholic population of the diocese increased from 18,000 to 48,000, and the number of priests more than doubled.][ He also established several new churches, hospitals, orphanages, and schools.][ The diocese was devastated by a major hurricane in September 1906; many churches were either totally or partially destroyed, but were rebuilt or repaired under Allen's direction.][ Deeply concerned for the ]African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
community, he invited the Josephite Fathers to direct the black missions in the diocese, founded St. Joseph's College in order to "educate young colored men to be catechists and teachers," and sanctioned the establishment of the Knights of Peter Claver
The Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary is an international Catholic fraternal service order. Founded in 1909 by the Josephites and parishioners from Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Mobile, Alabama, it is the largest and o ...
.[
Allen died at age 73, and was buried in the crypt of the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.
]
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Edward Patrick
1853 births
1926 deaths
19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States
20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States
People from Lowell, Massachusetts
Roman Catholic bishops of Mobile
Catholics from Massachusetts
Knights of Peter Claver & Ladies Auxiliary
American Roman Catholic bishops by contiguous area of the United States