Thomas Aloysius Boland (February 17, 1896 – March 16, 1979) was an American

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...

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 archbishop of the

Archdiocese of Newark The Archdiocese of Newark is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northeastern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and Catholic school, schools ...

in New Jersey from 1952 to 1974. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the same diocese from 1940 to 1947 and bishop of the

Diocese of Paterson The Diocese of Paterson is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States that encompasses Passaic, Morris, and Sussex counties in northern New Jersey. Most of this territory lies to the west of t ...

in New Jersey from 1947 to 1952.

Biography

Early life

Thomas Boland was born in Orange,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, to John Peter and Ellen Agnes (née O'Rourke) Boland. He received his early education at the St. John's School, the parish school of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Oranges He then attended

St. Francis Xavier High School A multitude of schools and universities have been named after St. Francis Xavier, a Spanish Roman Catholic saint and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. This page lists notable educational institutions named after St. Xavier, arranged by country a ...

in New York City. In 1915, Boland enrolled at

Seton Hall College Seton Hall University (SHU) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the ...

in South Orange, New Jersey. He graduated from Seton Hall in 1919 as

valedictorian Valedictorian is an academic title for the highest-performing student of a graduating class of an academic institution. The valedictorian is commonly determined by a numerical formula, generally an academic institution's grade point average (GPA ...

of his class. He then began his studies for the priesthood at the

Pontifical North American College The Pontifical North American College (NAC) is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy, that prepares seminarians to become priests in the United States and elsewhere. The NAC also provides a residence for Pri ...

in Rome. He earned a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree from the Pontifical Urbaniana University.

Priesthood

On December 23, 1922, Boland 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 va ...

a priest in Rome of what was then the Diocese of Newark at the

Basilica of St. John Lateran The Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran ( it, Arcibasilica del Santissimo Salvatore e dei Santi Giovanni Battista ed Evangelista in Laterano), also known as the Papa ...

. Following his return to New Jersey, he was first assigned as a

curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...

at St. Catherine's Parish in Hillside. He also served at St. Mary's Parish in Nutley. New Jersey. In addition to his pastoral duties, Boland taught Sacred Scripture and classical languages at Seton Hall Preparatory School and Seton Hall College. From 1926 to 1938, Boland served as professor of moral theology and

canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Darlington, New Jersey. In 1933, he became an official of the archdiocesan tribunal with the duty of adjudicating marriages of questionable validity. That same year, he was named moderator of priests' conferences. He was

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of the archdiocese from 1938 to 1940.

Auxiliary Bishop of Newark

On May 21, 1940, Boland was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark and Titular Bishop of ''

Hirina Hirina (Hirena) was a city and bishopric in southern Tunisia, known only through ecclesiastical records, which became a Latin titular bishopric. Nothing is known of the city, the name of which may have been Hirina, Hiren or Iren., except that it ...

'' by

Pope Pius XII Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...

. He received his

episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...

consecration Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

on July 25, 1940, from Archbishop Thomas Walsh, with Bishops William A. Griffin and

Bartholomew J. Eustace Bartholomew Joseph Eustace (October 9, 1887 – December 11, 1956) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Camden in New Jersey from 1938 until his death. Biography Early life Bartholo ...

serving as

co-consecrators 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, ...

. As an auxiliary bishop, Boland served as

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of Immaculate Conception Seminary from 1940 to 1947. In this capacity, he taught pastoral theology and liturgy and lectured on the archdiocesan statutes. He also served as director of the Newark branch of the

National Organization for Decent Literature The National Organization for Decent Literature was an American pressure group active in campaigning for the censorship of literature. A successor organization to the National Legion of Decency, it was largely led by Roman Catholic priests. The NOD ...

, and as promoter of the archdiocesan

synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...

held in 1941.

Bishop of Paterson

Following the death of Bishop Thomas H. McLaughlin, Boland was named the second bishop of the Diocese of Paterson on June 21, 1947, by Pius XII. His installation took place at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson on September 18, 1947.

Archbishop of Newark

Boland was appointed the second archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark on November 15, 1952. He was installed at Sacred Heart Church in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area. On October 19, 1954, he formally dedicated the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Newark. At the same ceremony, he received the

pallium The pallium (derived from the Roman ''pallium'' or ''palla'', a woolen cloak; : ''pallia'') is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the pope, but for many centuries bestowed by the Holy See upon metropolit ...

, a vestment worn by

metropolitan bishop In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan (alternative obsolete form: metropolite), pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis. Originally, the term referred to the b ...

s, from Archbishop

Amleto Cicognani Amleto Giovanni Cicognani (24 February 1883 – 17 December 1973) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Vatican Secretary of State from 1961 to 1969, and Dean of the College of Cardinals from 1972 until his death. C ...

, the apostolic delegate to the United States. Between 1962 and 1965, Boland attended all four sessions of the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...

in Rome, where he was elected to head the Bishops' Study Committee. In June 1965, he was named an assistant at the pontifical throne by

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...

for "establishing numerous

parishes 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 or m ...

, opening many parochial schools and admitting the

laity In religious organizations, the laity () consists of all members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non-ordained members of religious orders, e.g. a nun or a lay brother. In both religious and wider secular usage, a layperson ...

to active participation in the apostolate of the sacred ecclesiastical hierarchy." He was also a member of the Catholic Mission Board of the United States, chair of the Episcopal Committee, and liaison between women religious and the American Catholic bishops. Boland founded

St. Joseph Regional High School Saint Joseph Regional High School (known as SJR, St. Joe's or Joe's) is a private, Roman Catholic, college preparatory school for boys, located on a campus in Montvale, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The school operates under th ...

in Montvale, New Jersey,"History", St. Joseph Regional High School
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Immaculate Heart Academy Immaculate Heart Academy (IHA) is an all-girls college preparatory private Roman Catholic high school located in Washington Township, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The school colors are blue and white, and the school's athletes ...

in Washington Township, New Jersey and

Paramus Catholic High School Paramus Catholic High School is a co-educational Roman Catholic high school located in Paramus in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school, founded in 1965, under Archbishop Thomas A. Boland, and Superintendent of Schools, Mon ...

in Paramus, New Jersey, in the early/mid '60s. In January 1969, a group of 20 priests of the archdiocese accused Boland of adopting a "white racist attitude" toward

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

s and said he must be charged with

"...the bigotry of indolence and the prejudice of apathy." Along with these accusations of racism, the group of priests presented a list of demands, which called for the formation of an advisory committee of priests for inner-city affairs, an improved method of screening priests in African American areas, and the transfer of some pastors who have "not proven a predisposition for justice by their performance."

In response, Boland issued a seven-page report that outlined the programs the archdiocese had taken in regard to African-Americans. He declared,

"No one can truthfully say I have not made every effort to bring to reality those plans which I have felt could be of advantage, whether for spiritual or temporal goals, of the disadvantaged in our midst.

Retirement and legacy

Boland's resignation as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark was accepted by

on April 2, 1974, after twenty-one years of service. Thomas Boland died at St. Mary's Hospital in Orange on March 16, 1979, at age 83. He was buried in the

crypt A crypt (from Latin ''crypta'' "vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics. Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a chur ...

of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boland, Thomas Aloysius 1896 births 1979 deaths Roman Catholic archbishops of Newark 20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in the United States Participants in the Second Vatican Council Seton Hall University alumni American civil rights activists People from Orange, New Jersey Seton Hall University faculty Roman Catholic bishops of Paterson Roman Catholic bishops of Newark