Richard Phelan (bishop)
| His Excellency, The Right Reverend Richard Phelan | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Pittsburgh Titular Bishop of Cibyra | |
| File:Richard Phelan.jpg | |
| Church | Catholic |
| Diocese | Pittsburgh |
| Appointed | 12 May 1885 |
| Predecessor | John Tuigg |
| Successor | Regis Canevin |
| Previous posts | Apostolic Administrator of Pittsburgh (1881 to 1885) Coadjutor Bishop of Pittsburgh (1885 to 1889) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 4, 1854 by Michael O'Connor |
| Consecration | August 2, 1885 by Patrick John Ryan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 1, 1828 Ballyragget, Ireland |
| Died | December 20, 1904 (aged 76) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US |
| Education | Seminary of St. Michael St. Mary's Theological Seminary |
| Motto | Recolimus tuam passionem (We remember your passion) |
Richard Phelan, D.D. (January 1, 1828 – December 20, 1904) was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, in the United States from 1889 to 1904.
Biography
Early years
Richard Phelan was born on January 1, 1828, in Sralee, County Kilkenny, in Ireland, then part of the United Kingdom. His parents were Michael and Mary Keoghan Phelan. Of their nine children, four entered religious life. Richard was educated by private tutors and at St Kieran's College in Kilkenny in County Kilkenny, Ireland.[1]
In 1850, while at St. Kieran's, Phelan was recruited by Bishop Michael O'Connor of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, to finish his studies in the United States. After arriving in Pittsburgh, Phelan continued his studies at the Seminary of St. Michael. After two years there, he traveled to Baltimore, Maryland, to study at St. Mary's Theological Seminary.
Priesthood
Phelan was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Pittsburgh by Bishop Michael O'Connor in Pittsburgh on May 4, 1854.[2][3] After his ordination, the diocese assigned Phelan to a mission in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. However, after cholera broke out in Pittsburgh, he was recalled there to assist. He served in the Pittsburgh area based out of Saint Paul Cathedral. During this period, he visited St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania.[4]
After three years, the diocese assigned Phelan to a parish in Freeport, Pennsylvania. In 1868, he was appointed pastor of St. Peter's Parish in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania. He built a new church there for over $150,000.[5]
In 1876, the Vatican erected the new Diocese of Allegheny with the new St. Peter Church in Allegheny City designated as the pro-cathedral of the new diocese. Phelan was now transferred into the new diocese.[5]
In 1881, Bishop John Tuigg of Pittsburgh suffered a stroke and was force to take a leave of absence. Phelan was appointed apostolic administrator of Pittsburgh and was subsequently made vicar-general.[5]
Coadjutor Bishop and Bishop of Pittsburgh
After Tuigg suffered more strokes, Pope Leo XIII on May 12, 1885, appointed Phelan as coadjutor bishop of Pittsburgh and titular bishop of Cibyra.[3] On August 2, 1885, he was consecrated at Saint Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh by Archbishop Patrick John Ryan.[6] At that point, he handled the actual administration of the diocese, but continued to reside in Allegheny City. On July 1, 1889, the Vatican suppressed the Diocese of Allegheny and folded it into the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Phelan automatically became bishop of Pittsburgh when Tuigg died on December 7, 1889.[3] The waves of immigrants into Western Pennsylvania soon forced the Vatican to create a new diocese. In May, 1901, Leo XIII erected the Diocese of Altoona, taking several counties from Pittsburgh and the Diocese of Harrisburg.
Death and legacy
Richard Phelan died on December 20, 1904, at age 76, at St. Paul's Orphan Asylum in Pittsburgh. He was buried in St. Mary Cemetery in the city's Lawrenceville neighborhood.
References
- Back to citation Judge, Thomas E. (October 5, 1902). "Lives of American Prelates; Or, Illustrated Biographies of the Catholic Bishops of the United States". Wm. J. McAssey. Retrieved October 5, 2024 – via Google Books.
- Back to citation "San Francisco Call 21 December 1904 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- Back to citation occurrence 3.0 Back to citation occurrence 3.1 Back to citation occurrence 3.2 "Bishop Richard Phelan [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2022-11-19.
- Back to citation ""The Beginning". St. Michael Parish, Elizabeth, Pennsylvania". Archived from the original on 2019-09-02. Retrieved 2019-09-02.
- Back to citation occurrence 5.0 Back to citation occurrence 5.1 Back to citation occurrence 5.2 Shea, John Gilmary (October 5, 1886). "The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church in the United States: Embracing Sketches of All the Archbishops and Bishops from the Establishment of the See of Baltimore to the Present Time. Also, an Account of the Plenary Councils of Baltimore, and a Brief History of the Church in the United States". Office of Catholic Publications. Retrieved October 5, 2024 – via Google Books.
- Back to citation Clarke, Richard Henry (October 5, 1890). "History of the Catholic Church in the United States from the Earliest Period to the Present Time: With Biographical Sketches of the Living Bishops. Embellished with 85 Photogravure Portraits of the American Hierarchy, Steel Plates, and Typogravure Views of All the Cathedral Churches, Besides Numerous Other Illustrations". Gebbie & Company. Retrieved October 5, 2024 – via Google Books.
Bibliography
- Glenn, Francis A. (1993). Shepherds of the Faith 1843-1993: A Brief History of the Bishops of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh: Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. ISBN none.
External links
Media related to Richard Phelan at Wikimedia Commons