Michael Joseph O'Farrell (December 2, 1832 – April 2, 1894) was an Irish-born

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Minister (Christianity), Christian clergy who is an Ordinary (church officer), ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which me ...

of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Trenton in New Jersey from 1881 until his death in 1894.

Biography

Early life

Michael O'Farrell was born on December 2, 1832, in

Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...

, Ireland. He studied the

classics Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...

and philosophy at

All Hallows College All Hallows College was a college of higher education in Dublin. It was founded in 1842 and was run by the Vincentians from 1892 until 2016. On 23 May 2014, it was announced that it was closing because of declining student enrollment. The sale ...

in Dublin. He then went to France to study

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

at the Seminary of Saint-Sulpice in Paris. O'Farrell was ordained into the priesthood by Bishop John Ryan in Ireland on August 18, 1855. He then returned to Paris, where he joined the

Society of Saint-Sulpice The Society of Priests of Saint-Sulpice (; PSS), also known as the Sulpicians, is a society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men, named after the Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris, where it was founded. The members of the Society add the ...

. After completing his novitiate, he was made professor of

dogmatic theology Dogmatic theology, also called dogmatics, is the part of theology dealing with the theoretical truths of faith concerning God and God's works, especially the official theology recognized by an organized Church body, such as the Roman Catholic Chu ...

. O'Farrell was sent by his superiors to teach at the Grand Seminary of Montreal in Montreal, Quebec.Powers, James. "Trenton." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 24 July 2019 He also served as pastor of St. Patrick's Basilica in Montreal O'Farrell eventually left the Sulpicians and moved to New York City, where he was

incardinated Incardination is the formal term in the Catholic Church for a clergyman being under a bishop or other ecclesiastical superior. It is also sometimes used to refer to laity who may transfer to another part of the church. Examples include transfers ...

, or transferred, into the Diocese of New York. He served as a

curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' () 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 who are as ...

at St. Peter's Parish in Manhattan until 1872, when he became pastor of St. Mary's Parish in Rondout, New York. After a brief tenure at St. Mary's, O'Farrell returned to St. Peter's in 1873 as its pastor.

Bishop of Trenton

On August 11, 1881, O'Farrell was appointed the first

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

of the newly erected Diocese of Trenton by

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...

. 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 States ...

consecration Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...

on November 1, 1881, from Cardinal

John McCloskey John McCloskey (March 10, 1810 – October 10, 1885) was an Catholic Church in the United States, American Catholic prelate who served as the first American-born Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, Archbishop of New York from 1864 until his ...

, with Archbishop

Michael Corrigan Michael Augustine Corrigan (August 13, 1839May 5, 1902) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the third archbishop of New York from 1885 to 1902. Early life Michael Augustine Corrigan was born August 13, 1839, in N ...

and Bishop John Loughlin 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 Churche ...

. O'Farrell designated

St. Mary's Church St. Mary's Church, St. Mary the Virgin's Church, St. Mary Church, Saint Mary Church, or other variations on the name, is a commonly used name for specific churches of various Christian denominations. Notable uses of the term may refer to: Albania ...

in Trenton as his cathedral. According to historian

John Gilmary Shea John Dawson Gilmary Shea (July 22, 1824 – February 22, 1892) was a writer, editor, and historian of United States, American history in general and American Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic history specifically. He was also a leading auth ...

, O'Farrell's efforts to establish institutions to develop religion in the southern part of New Jersey "...did not fail to excite hostility".Shea, John Gilmary. ''The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church in the United States'', Office of Catholic Publications, 1886, p. 382
/ref> St. John's Church, the oldest Catholic church in the diocese, burned down in 1883. During his tenure, O'Farrell erected several new

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 ...

and missions, and established an

orphanage An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abusi ...

New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Beverly, New Jersey Beverly is a City (New Jersey), city in Burlington County, New Jersey, Burlington County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 2,499, a decrease of 78 (−3.0%) from the 2010 United Stat ...

. O'Farrell also attended the

Third Plenary Council of Baltimore The Plenary Councils of Baltimore were three meetings of American Catholic bishops, archbishops and superiors of religious orders in the United States. The councils were held in 1852, 1866 and 1884 in Baltimore, Maryland. These three conferenc ...

in 1884. At the beginning of his tenure, the diocese contained 51 priests, 60 churches, and 24 parochial schools; by the time of his death, there were 92 priests, 101 churches, and 82 parochial schools. Michael O'Farrell died in Trenton on April 2, 1894, at age 61.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ofarrell, Michael J. 1832 births 1894 deaths Christian clergy from Limerick (city) Irish emigrants to the United States Seminary of Saint-Sulpice (France) alumni Alumni of All Hallows College, Dublin Irish expatriate Roman Catholic bishops 19th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Roman Catholic bishops of Trenton