Thomas Heslin (April 17, 1847 – February 22, 1911) was an
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
-born
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 ...
who served as bishop of the
Diocese of Natchez in Mississippi from 1889 until his death in 1911.
Biography
Early life
One of seven children, Thomas Heslin was born on April 17, 1847, in
Killoe
Killoe () is a rural community and parish in County Longford, Ireland, located approximately 6 miles north of Longford Town. It is home to Cairn Hill (locally called Corn Hill) or Carn Clonhugh - the highest peak in County Longford.
It is bor ...
,
County Longford
County Longford ( gle, Contae an Longfoirt) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford. Longford County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county was 46,6 ...
, to Patrick and Catherine (née Hughes) Heslin.
Upon the completion of his
classical studies in
Granard, Ireland, he came to the United States at the invitation of Archbishop
Jean-Marie Odin
Jean-Marie Odin, C.M., (February 25, 1800 – May 25, 1870) was a French-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the second archbishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans from 1861 to 1870.
Odin previously served as the first ...
in 1863.
Heslin then studied
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
and
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
under the
Lazarists
, logo =
, image = Vincentians.png
, abbreviation = CM
, nickname = Vincentians, Paules, Lazarites, Lazarists, Lazarians
, established =
, founder = Vincent de Paul
, fou ...
at
diocesan seminary of
.
Too young to receive
ordination
Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorization, authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominational ...
, he taught at Jefferson College for several years.
Priesthood
Heslin was ordained to the
priesthood for the Diocese of St. Louis by Bishop
John Quinlan on September 8, 1869.
He then served 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 the
Cathedral of St. Louis for a month, when he was transferred to St. Vincent de Paul Church and later to St. Patrick's Church.
From 1874 to 1889, he was
pastor
A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...
of St. Michael's Church in
.
Bishop of Natchez
On March 29, 1889, Heslin was appointed the fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Natchez by
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...
.
He received his
episcopal 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 June 18, 1889, from Archbishop
Francis Janssens
Francis August Anthony Joseph Janssens (October 17, 1843 – June 9, 1897) was a Dutch-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Natchez in Mississippi (1881–1888) and as archbishop of the Archdiocese o ...
, with Bishops
Edward Fitzgerald and
Anthony Durier 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, ...
.
Thomas Heslin died in
Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez ( ) is the county seat of and only city in Adams County, Mississippi, United States. Natchez has a total population of 14,520 (as of the 2020 census). Located on the Mississippi River across from Vidalia in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, N ...
, on February 22, 1911, at age 65.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heslin, Thomas
1847 births
1911 deaths
19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States
Irish emigrants to the United States
Irish expatriate Catholic bishops
Jefferson College (Mississippi) faculty
People from County Longford
Roman Catholic bishops of Jackson
Roman Catholic bishops in Mississippi
20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States