John Moore (June 27, 1835 – July 30, 1901) was an Irish-born prelate 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 ...

. He served as the second bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine in Florida from 1877 to 1901.

Biography

Early life

John Moore was born in Castletown, County Westmeath, in Ireland on June 27, 1835.Moore, John
in '' Who's Who in America'' (1901-1902 edition); via

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His family immigrated to

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

when he was age 14. Moore attended the seminary in Charleston. He was sent to Europe to study at the College of Cambrai in

Cambrai, France Cambrai (, ; pcd, Kimbré; nl, Kamerijk), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord department and in the Hauts-de-France region of France on the Scheldt river, which is known locally as the E ...

. Moore then studied theology at the College of Propaganda in Rome. Moore was ordained into the priesthood by Archbishop Antonio Ligi-Bussi in Rome on April 9, 1860, for the Diocese of Charleston. After his ordination, Moore returned to Charleston to assume assignments in parishes.

Bishop of St. Augustine

On February 16, 1877, Moore was appointed by

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

as bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine. He was consecrated on May 13, 1877, by Bishop Patrick Lynch at St John Baptist Pro-Cathedral in Charleston. At this time, the diocese covered the entire State of Florida. A contingent of

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 ...

monks arrived in San Antonio, Florida, in 1886 initially to serve German immigrants. In 1887, a

yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...

outbreak in Florida killed several priests in the diocese. That same year, a fire destroyed the Cathedral of St. Augustine. At Moore's request, a group of

Jesuit fathers The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

arrived in

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

, in 1888 to replace the priests lost to illness. In August 1888, the St. Mary's Home for Orphan Girls was opened in

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...

. That same year, yellow fever broke out again in Jacksonville. With the local priest William J. Kenny sidelined by the disease, Moore rushed there to run the parish and tend to the sick. In 1889, Moore asked the Benedictines to establish several mission churches on the Florida Gulf Coast from

Pasco County Pasco County is located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. According to the 2020 census, the population was 561,691. Its county seat is Dade City, and its largest city is Zephyrhills. The county is named after Samuel Pasco ...

northward. He requested that the Jesuits cover Hillsborough County southward to

Key West Key West ( es, Cayo Hueso) is an island in the Straits of Florida, within the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it cons ...

Death and legacy

During the late 1890s, Moore suffered a stroke that left him debilitated. John Moore died at his home in St. Augustine on July 30, 1901.

Bishop Moore High School Bishop Moore Catholic High School is a private Roman Catholic high school in the College Park neighborhood of Orlando, Florida. The school is located within the Diocese of Orlando, and remains the only Catholic high school in Greater Orlando. Th ...

in Orlando, Florida, is named for him.

References

External links

''St. Augustine Bishops''

Episcopal succession

1835 births 1901 deaths People from County Westmeath Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923) Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston Roman Catholic bishops of Saint Augustine 19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Religious leaders from South Carolina {{US-RC-bishop-stub