Thomas Francis Maloney (April 17, 1903 – September 10, 1962) was a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
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 particu ...
and subsequently
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 ...
who served as the sixth rector of the
American College of the Immaculate Conception
The American College of the Immaculate Conception, or the American College of Louvain is a former Roman Catholic seminary in Leuven, Belgium. Founded in 1857, it was operated by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to prepare Europ ...
in
Louvain
Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic c ...
,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, and later as an
auxiliary bishop of the
diocese of Providence
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence ( la, Dioecesis Providentiensis) is a diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. The diocese was erected by Pope Pius IX on February 17, 1872 and originally comprised the entire state of Rhode ...
.
Early years and education
Maloney was born on 17 April 1903 in
Providence
Providence often refers to:
* Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion
* Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity
* Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...
,
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
.
As a seminarian for the
diocese of Providence
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence ( la, Dioecesis Providentiensis) is a diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. The diocese was erected by Pope Pius IX on February 17, 1872 and originally comprised the entire state of Rhode ...
, he studied at the
American College of the Immaculate Conception
The American College of the Immaculate Conception, or the American College of Louvain is a former Roman Catholic seminary in Leuven, Belgium. Founded in 1857, it was operated by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to prepare Europ ...
in
Louvain
Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic c ...
, completing his studies in Louvain in 1930 and being ordained a
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 particu ...
the same year.
[Codd, Kevin, and Brian Dick: ''The American College of Louvain: America's Seminary in the Heart of Europe'', page 68. Peeters, nv, 2007.]
Rector of the American College
Maloney's ''alma mater'', the
American College at Louvain
The American College of the Immaculate Conception, or the American College of Louvain is a former Roman Catholic seminary in Leuven, Belgium. Founded in 1857, it was operated by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to prepare Europ ...
, was shuttered in 1939 because of the imminent
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. It remained closed through the years of the war, and it was only in 1949 that the possibility of reopening the college began to be discussed again by the American bishops.
[Codd, Kevin, and Brian Dick: ''The American College of Louvain: America's Seminary in the Heart of Europe'', page 67. Peeters, nv, 2007.]
Maloney's bishop, Most Reverend
Russell McVinney of the diocese of Providence, was keen to reopen the college. When McVinney became chair of the American College's new board of bishops in 1951, he appointed Maloney as the new rector. Maloney, as the first American to serve as rector of the college, faced the difficult challenge of rebuilding a seminary that had been dormant for more than a decade. The Naamsestraat property of the college was returned officially to the American bishops by the
university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
in 1952, with the blessing of the university's rector,
Honoré van Waeyenbergh. Maloney arrived again in Louvain in spring of 1952, and made way for the arrival of the first 54 seminarians that autumn.
Maloney strove to connect his students with the traditions of the college, again celebrating patronal feasts, singing the college's characteristic hymn
O Sodales on feast days, and placing a portrait of the fourth rector of the college,
Jules de Becker, in the dining room. Those first years were challenging ones for the students, due to physical deprivations, but the newly republished ''
American College Bulletin'' nevertheless speaks to the spirit of fraternity that existed in the college in those years.
In 1955, Maloney began renovations of the American College building, leading up the
centennial
{{other uses, Centennial (disambiguation), Centenary (disambiguation)
A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years.
Notable events
Notable centennial events at a ...
celebrations of the College in 1957. By 1957, the college had been significantly renovated, and the number of seminarians had risen to over one hundred as a result of the 1950s
vocation
A vocation () is an occupation to which a person is especially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. People can be given information about a new occupation through student orientation. Though now often used in non-religious co ...
s boom in the United States. Maloney and van Waeyenbergh welcomed Maloney's ordinary, Bishop
Russell McVinney; and Bishop
Fulton J. Sheen
Fulton John Sheen (born Peter John Sheen, May 8, 1895 – December 9, 1979) was an American bishop of the Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio. Ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria in ...
to the college for the celebration, both of whom received
honorary doctorates
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
from the university. Maloney remained as rector of the American College for three more years thereafter, caring for the thriving institution that he had rebuilt.
Auxiliary Bishop of Providence
On 2 January 1960, Maloney was appointed the auxiliary bishop of Providence by
Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...
.
As a result, he left his position as rector of the American College, and was consecrated as
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 an ...
of
Andropolis on the 11 May 1960.
He died in 1962 at the age of 59, only two years after his consecration as bishop.
See also
References
External links
American College at Louvain
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maloney, Thomas Francis
1903 births
1962 deaths
Catholic University of Leuven (1834–1968) alumni
American College of the Immaculate Conception alumni
Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence
20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States
Religious leaders from Rhode Island