John Cuthbert Hedley (15 April 1837 – 11 November 1915) was a British

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

and writer who held high offices in the

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. Born in

Morpeth, Northumberland Morpeth is a historic market town in Northumberland, North East England, lying on the River Wansbeck. Nearby towns include Ashington, Northumberland, Ashington and Bedlington, Northumberland, Bedlington. In the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 ...

, he was the son of Dr. Edward Astley Hedley and Mary Ann ( Davison) Hedley. He was educated at Mr Gibson's Grammar School and then at

Ampleforth College Ampleforth College is a co-educational independent day and boarding school in the English public school tradition located in the village of Ampleforth, North Yorkshire, England. It opened in 1802 as a boys' school, it is situated in the groun ...

. He was

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a member of the

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in 1855 and

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of the order on 9 October 1862. He was appointed an auxiliary bishop of Newport and Menevia and

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of '' Caesaropolis'' on 22 July 1873. His

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to the

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took place on 29 September 1873, the principal

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was Archbishop (later Cardinal)

Henry Edward Manning Henry Edward Manning (15 July 1808 – 14 January 1892) was an English prelate of the Catholic church, and the second Archbishop of Westminster from 1865 until his death in 1892. He was ordained in the Church of England as a young man, but con ...

of Westminster, with bishops

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and Chadwick as co-consecrators. Hedley acted as editor of the '' Dublin Review'' in the late 1870s. Prior to assuming the editorship, he had taught philosophy and theology for eleven years at

Belmont Abbey, Herefordshire Belmont Abbey, in Herefordshire, England, is a Catholic Benedictine monastery that forms part of the English Benedictine Congregation. It stands on a small hill overlooking the city of Hereford to the east, with views across to the Black Mountai ...

. As editor sought Headley to provide a forum for leading minds to infuse the spirit of Catholicism into literature, history, politics, and art..." Hedley was appointed the

Bishop 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 ...

of the

Diocese of Newport and Menevia The Roman Catholic Diocese of Newport (and Menevia) was the Latin Catholic precursor (1840-1916) in Wales and southwest England of the present Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff, with see in Newport, Wales, and was revived as Latin titular see. ...

on 18 February 1881. His episcopal title was changed to Bishop of Newport in 1895. He had served the people well, not least within the field of Catholic Education. He published a number of works: *''The Christian Inheritance: Set Forth in Sermons'' *''Lex Levitarum: Or, Preparation for the cure of souls'' *''Lex Levitarum with the Regula Pastoralis'' *''The Light of Life: Set Forth in Sermons'' *''Our Divine Saviour and other Discourses'' *''A Retreat 33 Discourses with meditation for the Use of the Clergy, Religious, and Others'' Bishop Hedley died in office on 11 November 1915, aged 78. After his death, the

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of Newport was elevated to an

archdiocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

and changed its name to

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

in 1916.

Legacy

* Bishop Hedley Catholic High School,

Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil (; cy, Merthyr Tudful ) is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydf ...

Bishop Hedley Catholic High School website
Accessed 28 April 2022.

References

External links

* 1838 births 1915 deaths British Benedictines People educated at Ampleforth College People from Morpeth, Northumberland 19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Wales 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Wales Benedictine bishops English bishops {{UK-RC-bishop-stub