Thomas Joseph Brown OSB (called Joseph;Belmont Abbey Association – A Brief History
accessed 2 March 2014. 2 May 1796 – 12 April 1880) was a

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 c ...

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 for two ecclesiastical jurisdictions, first as the

Vicar Apostolic A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

of the Welsh District from 1840 to 1850, then as Bishop of Newport and Menevia from 1850 to 1880.

Life

Born in Bath, Somerset on 2 May 1796, Brown 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 ...

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

of the

Order of Saint Benedict , 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 ...

on 12 March 1823. Through reorganisation of the Catholic Church in England and Wales in 1840, the Welsh District was created out of the Western District. Brown was appointed the

of the Welsh District and

Titular Bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox ...

of '' Apollonia'' on 5 June 1840. He was consecrated to the

Episcopate 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 ...

on 28 October 1840, the principal

consecrator A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches ...

was Bishop Thomas Griffiths (

Vicar Apostolic of the London District The Apostolic Vicariate of the London District was an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales. It was led by a vicar apostolic who was a titular bishop. The apostolic vicariate was created in 1688 and was dis ...

), and the principal co-consecrators were Bishop

William Wareing Bishop William Wareing (14 February 1791 – 26 December 1865) was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Northampton. Born at Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, and after studying at Oscott College, William Wareing was ordained as a Cat ...

( Vicar Apostolic of the Eastern District ) and Bishop Bernard Collier ( Vicar Apostolic of the Cape of Good Hope.) On the erection of the Catholic Hierarchy in England and Wales, the Welsh District was divided between the dioceses of Shrewsbury and Newport and Menevia. Brown was appointed the first Bishop of Newport and Menevia on 29 September 1850. He died in office on 12 April 1880, aged 83 and is buried at the Benedectine Belmont Abbey.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Joseph 1796 births 1880 deaths Burials at Belmont Abbey, Herefordshire Apostolic vicars of England and Wales People from Bath, Somerset English Benedictines Benedictine bishops 19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Wales English bishops