James McGolrick (May 1, 1841 – January 23, 1918) was an Irish-born 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 was the first bishop of the Diocese of Duluth in Minnesota, serving from 1889 until his death.

Biography

Early life

James McGolrick was born on May 1, 1841, in

Borrisokane Borrisokane () is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It is situated at the junction of the N52 and N65 national secondary roads. At the 2016 census, it had a population of 942. The Ballyfinboy River flows through the town on its way to Lough ...

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 ...

, to Felix and Bridget (née Henry) McGolrick. Two brothers, William and Henry, also became priests, while two sisters, Bridget and Elizabeth, joined the

Sisters of St. Joseph The Sisters of St. Joseph, also known as the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, abbreviated CSJ or SSJ, is a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, in 1650. This congregation, named for S ...

. He began his studies for the priesthood at the seminary of the Diocese of Achonry in

Ballaghaderreen Ballaghaderreen () is a town in County Roscommon, Ireland. It was part of County Mayo prior to 1898. It is located just off the N5 National primary road. The population was 1,808 in the 2016 census. History As of 1837, the town was recorde ...

. In 1860, the American bishop

Thomas Grace Thomas Grace may refer to: * Thomas Grace (Archdeacon of Ardfert) (1770–1848), Irish priest * Thomas Grace (Archdeacon of Marlborough) (fl. 1873–1890), Anglican priest in New Zealand, son of the above * Thomas Grace (bishop of Sacramento) (1846 ...

wrote to

All Hallows College All Hallows College was a college of higher education in Dublin. It was founded in 1842 and was run by the Vincentians from 1892 until 2016. On 23 May 2014, it was announced that it was closing down, due to decreasing student numbers. The sale o ...

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, to recruit seminarians for the Diocese of Saint Paul in Minnesota. McGolrick entered All Hallows in September 1860. His education paid by Bishop Grace. McGolrick was ordained a priest in Ireland on June 11, 1867, by Bishop

David Moriarty David Moriarty (18 August 1814 – 1 October 1877) was an Irish Roman Catholic bishop and pulpit orator. Biography Background Moriarty was born in Ardfert, in County Kerry on 18 August 1814, the son of David Moriarty, and Bridget Stokes. He re ...

Priesthood

McGolrick arrived in

Saint Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

in August 1867, and his first assignment was as an assistant pastor to Father

John Ireland John Benjamin Ireland (January 30, 1914 – March 21, 1992) was a Canadian actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in ''All the King's Men'' (1949), making him the first Vancouver-born actor to receive an Oscar nomin ...

(later Archbishop of Saint Paul) at the Cathedral of Saint Paul. In October 1868, McGolrick was charged by Bishop Grace to organize a new parish in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

for Catholics west of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

. He opened the Immaculate Conception Parish that year and served as pastor there until 1889. The original wood-frame building was later replaced by a stone church, with the cornerstone laid in July 1871 followed by a solemn dedication in January 1873. During his pastorate at Immaculate Conception, McGolrick founded several societies, including a chapter of the Total Abstinence Society that was credited with reforming many people in Minneapolis. He also established the Minneapolis Catholic Orphan Asylum in 1878 and was a trustee of the Minnesota Academy of Science.

Bishop of Duluth

On November 29, 1889, McGolrick was appointed the first bishop of the newly-erected Diocese of Duluth 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 December 27, 1869, from Archbishop Ireland, with Bishops Grace and

Martin Marty Martin Emil Marty (born on February 5, 1928) is an American Lutheran religious scholar who has written extensively on religion in the United States. Early life and education Marty was born on February 5, 1928, in West Point The United Sta ...

serving as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral of Saint Paul. At the time of McGolrick's arrival in Duluth in January 1890, the young diocese contained 22 priests, 32 churches, 10 stations, 5 parochial schools, and a Catholic population of a little over 20,000. By the time of his death in 1918, there were 59 priests, 42 churches with resident pastors, 46 missions with churches, 35 stations, 11 parochial schools, and a Catholic population of almost 60,000. After a fire destroyed the cathedral in 1892, McGolrick laid the cornerstone for the new Sacred Heart Cathedral in 1894 and dedicated it two years later. He also founded St. Mary’s Hospital in 1898 and St. James Orphanage in 1910. McGolrick celebrated his silver jubilee as a bishop in 1914 and his golden jubilee as priest in 1917. In civic affairs, he served on Duluth’s library board and park board.

Death and legacy

He died from what was termed acute

indigestion Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia or upset stomach, is a condition of impaired digestion. Symptoms may include upper abdominal fullness, heartburn, nausea, belching, or upper abdominal pain. People may also experience feeling full earlier t ...

in Duluth on January 23, 1918, aged 76.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McGolrick, James 1841 births 1918 deaths Irish emigrants to the United States Christian clergy from County Tipperary Alumni of All Hallows College, Dublin Roman Catholic bishops of Duluth 19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis People from Borrisokane