HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Thomas James Conaty (August 1, 1847 – September 18, 1915) was an American prelate of the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
. He served as rector of the
Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...
(1896-1903) and Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles (1903-1915).


Early life and education

Thomas Conaty was born on August 1, 1847 in
Kilnaleck Kilnaleck or Kilnalec () is a small village in County Cavan, Ireland on the R154 regional road. Kilnaleck was once the centre of a mining boom when in 1879 some local businessmen and a school headmaster decided to develop the coal that existed ...
,
County Cavan County Cavan ( ; gle, Contae an Chabháin) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Ulster and is part of the Border Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is based on the historic Gaelic territory of East Breffny (''Bréifn ...
, the eldest of eight children of Patrick and Alice (née Lynch) Conaty. The family came to the United States in May 1850 and settled in
Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...
,
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, where Conaty's father had lived from 1831 to 1839 before returning to Ireland. After receiving his early education in the public schools of Taunton, Conaty entered the Collège de Montréal in December 1863. He remained there for three years and enrolled at the
College of the Holy Cross The College of the Holy Cross is a private, Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, about 40 miles (64 km) west of Boston. Founded in 1843, Holy Cross is the oldest Catholic college in New England and one of the oldest in ...
in
Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...
in September 1867, graduating two years later. He then returned to Montreal to study theology at the Grand Séminaire.


Priesthood

While in Montreal, Conaty was ordained a priest on December 21, 1872 by Bishop
Ignace Bourget Ignace Bourget (October 30, 1799 – June 8, 1885) was a Canadian Roman Catholic priest who held the title of Bishop of Montreal from 1840 to 1876. Born in Lévis, Quebec, in 1799, Bourget entered the clergy at an early age, undertook several cou ...
. He was ordained for the
Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts The Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts ( la, Diœcesis Campifontis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States comprising the counties of Berkshire, Franklin, H ...
, where Bishop Patrick Thomas O'Reilly (a fellow native of County Cavan whose mother was named Mary Conaty) was a relative. Conaty's younger brother Bernard would also become a priest in 1882. Following his return from Montreal, Conaty was appointed by Bishop O'Reilly to serve as his assistant at
St. John's Church St. John's Church, Church of St. John, or variants, thereof, (Saint John or St. John usually refers to John the Baptist, but also, sometimes, to John the Apostle or John the Evangelist) may refer to the following churches, former churches or other ...
, Worcester, in January 1873. That same year, Conaty was first elected to the Worcester school board, serving for the next 14 years. He was also elected to two six-year terms on the board of the
Worcester Public Library Worcester Public Library (formerly known as the "Worcester Free Public Library") is a public library in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1859 when local resident John Green donated his personal library to the city for public ...
. Over a century later,
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
would forbid priests from holding public office. When St. John's was divided and Sacred Heart parish was established in January 1880, Conaty was named pastor of the new parish. A church was dedicated in September 1884, and Conaty also built a school, rectory, convent, and gymnasium. When his tenure at Sacred Heart ended in 1897, Conaty was succeeded as pastor by his brother Bernard, who had previously been rector of St. Michael's Cathedral. In addition to his pastoral duties, Conaty was active in the
temperance movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders emph ...
. He organized a diocesan chapter of the Catholic Total Abstinence Union of America in Springfield and became its first president in 1877. He eventually rose to become national president of the Total Abstinence Union, serving from 1888 to 1889. Conaty was also involved in the causes of
Irish nationalism Irish nationalism is a nationalist political movement which, in its broadest sense, asserts that the people of Ireland should govern Ireland as a sovereign state. Since the mid-19th century, Irish nationalism has largely taken the form of c ...
, serving as an officer in the
Irish National Land League The Irish National Land League (Irish: ''Conradh na Talún'') was an Irish political organisation of the late 19th century which sought to help poor tenant farmers. Its primary aim was to abolish landlordism in Ireland and enable tenant farmer ...
in the United States and state treasurer of the
Irish National League The Irish National League (INL) was a nationalist political party in Ireland. It was founded on 17 October 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell as the successor to the Irish National Land League after this was suppressed. Whereas the Land League ...
of Massachusetts. His growing national profile led him to receive an honorary doctorate from
Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private research university in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll in 1789 as Georgetown College, the university has grown to comprise eleven undergraduate and graduate ...
during its centennial year in 1889. Conaty became best known, however, for his work in Catholic education. In 1892, he became the first president of the Catholic Summer School of America. Meeting first at
New London New London may refer to: Places United States *New London, Alabama *New London, Connecticut *New London, Indiana *New London, Iowa *New London, Maryland *New London, Minnesota *New London, Missouri *New London, New Hampshire, a New England town ** ...
,
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the ...
, and then at Plattsburgh,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, the summer school provided an educational and social atmosphere that became a nationally known destination for Catholic families, high-ranking clergy, distinguished lecturers, and prominent politicians. In 1896, Conaty established dormitories, a dining hall, and an administration building while registering thousands of individuals from the United States and Canada.


Rector and bishop

In September 1896, Bishop John J. Keane was removed as rector of the
Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...
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-ol ...
due to his liberal-leaning policies. The situation caused significant controversy, even leading to rumors that Cardinal
James Gibbons James Cardinal Gibbons (July 23, 1834 – March 24, 1921) was a senior-ranking American prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Apostolic Vicar of North Carolina from 1868 to 1872, Bishop of Richmond from 1872 to 1877, and as ninth ...
, the university's chancellor, and Archbishop
John Ireland John Benjamin Ireland (January 30, 1914 – March 21, 1992) was a Canadian actor. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in ''All the King's Men'' (1949), making him the first Vancouver-born actor to receive an Oscar nomin ...
, a trustee, would be removed from their positions as well. At a meeting on October 21, 1896, the
Board of Trustees A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit org ...
selected three names for rector to send to Rome: Conaty; Rev. Daniel J. Riordan of Chicago, brother of Archbishop Patrick William Riordan; and Rev. Joseph F. Mooney,
vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop ...
of the
Archdiocese of New York The Archdiocese of New York ( la, Archidiœcesis Neo-Eboracensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in the State of New York. It encompasses the boroug ...
. The papal documents appointing Conaty as the university's rector were dated November 23, 1896 and arrived in Washington, D.C. on the following December 8. Conaty was installed by Cardinal Gibbons on January 19, 1897. In light of the ideological infighting at the university, the biggest advantage in Conaty's favor was that he was neither an outspoken liberal nor conservative and was acceptable to both sides. During the
Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...
, Conaty provided academic accommodations for students who volunteered for military service, allowing them an additional year to complete their degrees after their service. In 1900, the university became a charter member of the
Association of American Universities The Association of American Universities (AAU) is an organization of American research universities devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education. Founded in 1900, it consists of 63 universities in the United States ( ...
. In June that year, Conaty welcomed a visit from President
William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in t ...
; noting the university's acceptance of Black students, he told McKinley that the university, "like the Catholic Church...knows no race line and no color line." However, Conaty's administration was plagued by personnel issues and financial difficulties. Some of the faculty and trustees demanded the dismissal of the conservative-minded professor of dogmatic theology, Rev. Joseph Schroeder, who they believed had a role in Bishop Keane's removal. In October 1897, Conaty asked the Board of Trustees to remove Schroeder in order to restore peace among the faculty; after a heated discussion between liberal and conservative members, the board decided to directly refer the issue to the pope but still recommended that Schroeder be removed. Leo XIII ultimately settled the case by transferring Schroeder to the
University of Münster The University of Münster (german: Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, WWU) is a public research university located in the city of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. With more than 43,000 students and over 120 fields of stud ...
in December 1897. Meanwhile, financial issues arose after the 1897-1898 school year left the university with a balance of only $3,000. In November 1901, the Board of Trustees appointed a special committee to investigate the university's finances, concluding in April 1902 that "in the management of the university funds there has been not only a lack of business method and of competency, but an almost culpable negligence."


Episcopal consecration

At the time of Conaty's appointment as rector, Cardinal
Mariano Rampolla Mariano Rampolla del Tindaro (17 August 1843 – 16 December 1913) was an Italian Cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church, and the last man to have his candidacy for papal election vetoed through ''jus exclusivae'' by a Catholic monarch. Early li ...
wrote to Cardinal Gibbons to say the pope was agreeable to bestowing an ecclesiastical honor upon Conaty "in order to add dignity to the office." In April 1897, Gibbons suggested making Conaty a bishop but Rampolla replied that it was too soon to elevate him to that rank. Instead, Conaty was named a
domestic prelate Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ...
with the title of
Monsignor Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ...
in June 1897. Four years later, while still serving as rector, Conaty was given the honorary position of
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 a ...
of
Samos Samos (, also ; el, Σάμος ) is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off the coast of western Turkey, from which it is separated by the -wide Mycale Strait. It is also a sepa ...
by Leo XIII on October 5, 1901. He received his episcopal consecration on the following November 24 from Cardinal Gibbons, with Bishops Camillus Paul Maes and Thomas Daniel Beaven serving as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral of the Assumption in Baltimore.


Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles

As discontent grew with the university's management among faculty and trustees, talk turned toward replacing Conaty once his term expired. Rev. Denis J. O'Connell, the former rector of the
Pontifical North American College The Pontifical North American College (NAC) is a 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 priests who are pur ...
in Rome, soon emerged as the leading candidate to succeed Conaty. To find a suitable provision for Conaty before O'Connell's appointment, Archbishop Patrick William Riordan of San Francisco (a university trustee) suggested Conaty for the vacant Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles in
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
. Despite opposition from some California priests to having an East Coast bishop, Conaty was appointed Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles on March 27, 1903. Conaty formally took charge of the diocese on June 18, 1903, when he was installed at the Cathedral of Saint Vibiana. His 12 years as bishop was a period of growth for the diocese. At the beginning of his tenure in 1903, the diocese contained 101 priests, 121 churches, and 19 parochial schools to serve a Catholic population of 58,000. In his final year as bishop in 1915, there were 260 priests, 266 churches, 40 parochial schools, and 139,480 Catholics. True to his background in education, Conaty established a Board of Examiners in 1903 to inspect the diocese's schools, and he also developed the diocese's first educational plan to provide Catholic schooling from kindergarten through college. To accommodate the growing Catholic population and replace St. Vibiana's Cathedral, Conaty purchased land for a new cathedral but an economic downturn in 1907 forced an end to the project. Two weeks before his death, Conaty went to Coronado in the hope that the change would improve his failing health. While there he was visited by former President
William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...
. Conaty died in Coronado on September 18, 1915, at age 68.


References


Sources

* 1847 births 1915 deaths 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States American Roman Catholic clergy of Irish descent People from County Cavan Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923) Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles Roman Catholic Diocese of Monterey in California Presidents of the Catholic University of America Burials at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels {{US-RC-bishop-stub