James Anthony Walsh (February 24, 1867 – April 14, 1936) was the co-founder of
Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers.
Background
The son of James Walsh and Hanna Shea, James Anthony was born in
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...
,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
. After completing his
elementary education
Primary education or elementary education is typically the first stage of formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary school. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or fir ...
in the public schools, he attended
Boston College High School
, motto_translation = ''So they may know You.''
, address = 150 Morrissey Boulevard
, city = Boston
, state = Massachusetts
, zipcode = 02125
, country ...
where, in extracurricular activities, his skills in
debating
Debate is a process that involves formal discourse on a particular topic, often including a moderator and audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for often opposing viewpoints. Debates have historically occurred in public meetings, a ...
and
journalism
Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the " news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (pro ...
were first recognized and developed. He began his college program at Boston College, interrupted it to study
bookkeeping, transferred to
Harvard College
Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...
as a "special student," and completed his studies at
St. John's Seminary in
Brighton, Boston
Brighton is a former town and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, located in the northwestern corner of the city. It is named after the English city of Brighton. Initially Brighton was part of Cambridge, and known as "L ...
. 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 ...
on May 20, 1892, at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston.
After ordination, Walsh was appointed
curate at St. Patrick's Church in
Roxbury, where he directed sodalities and organizations for both the young men and women of the
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...
. In 1903, he was appointed
Diocesan Director of the
Society for the Propagation of the Faith
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith (Latin: ''Propagandum Fidei'') is an international association coordinating assistance for Catholic missionary priests, brothers, and nuns in mission areas. The society was founded in Lyon, France, in ...
and in 1907 founded The Field Afar magazine, a monthly publication about the foreign missions 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 ...
.
Walsh's interest in the foreign missions led to his founding, together with
Rev. Thomas Frederick Price, the
Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America (C.F.M.S.A.) (commonly referred to as the
Maryknoll
Maryknoll is a name shared by a number of related Catholic organizations, including the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers (also known as the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America or the Maryknoll Society), the Maryknoll Sisters, and the Mary ...
Fathers and Brothers) in 1911. He acted as spiritual father and co-founder, with
Mother Mary Joseph Rogers, of the Foreign Mission Sisters of St. Dominic (now called
Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic
__NOTOC__
The Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic, or simply Maryknoll Sisters, are a group of Roman Catholic religious women founded in the village of Ossining, Westchester County, New York, in 1912, six months after the 1911 creation of the Mar ...
). He served as
Superior General of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers until he died in 1936. During the founding process and in his service as Superior General, Walsh made trips across the United States, Rome, and other places throughout the world.
In 1933, Walsh was named to the
episcopacy
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
as Titular Bishop of Seine. He was
consecrated in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
on June 29, 1933, in the
College of ''Propaganda Fide'' by
Cardinal Fumasoni-Biondi. He died at
Maryknoll
Maryknoll is a name shared by a number of related Catholic organizations, including the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers (also known as the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America or the Maryknoll Society), the Maryknoll Sisters, and the Mary ...
New York, on April 14, 1936. His teachings as a priest gave students strong encouragement to follow their dreams in life.
Bibliography
Writings
* ''Choral Sodality Handbook'' (1898,1955)
* ''A Modern Martyr'' (1907)
* ''Thoughts from Modern Martyrs'' (1908)
*
* ''In the Homes of Martyrs'' (1922)
Biography
* ''All the Day Long'', Daniel Sargent (1941)
Longmans, Green & Company
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walsh, James Anthony
1867 births
1936 deaths
20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States
American Servants of God
Boston College alumni
Boston College High School alumni
Catholics from Massachusetts
Founders of Catholic religious communities
Harvard College alumni
Maryknoll bishops
Writers from Cambridge, Massachusetts