William Henry Elder | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Cincinnati | |
 Archbishop Elder (1903) | |
| Archdiocese | Cincinnati |
| In office | 1883–1904 |
| Predecessor | John Baptist Purcell |
| Successor | Henry K. Moeller |
| Previous post | Bishop of Natchez (1857–1878)Coadjutor Archbishop of Cincinnati (1880–1883) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | March 29, 1846 by Giovanni Brunelli |
| Consecration | May 3, 1857 by Francis Kenrick |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1819-03-22)March 22, 1819 |
| Died | October 31, 1904(1904-10-31) (aged 85) Cincinnati, Ohio, US |
| Buried | St. Joseph New Cemetery, Cincinnati |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Education | Mount St. Mary's University Pontifical Urban College |
| Motto | Vincit mundum fides (Faith conquers the world) |
| Signature | .png) |
Ordination history of William Henry Elder | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source(s):https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/belder.html | |||||||||||||||||||||
William Henry Elder (March 22, 1819 – October 31, 1904) was anAmerican Catholic prelate who served asbishop of Natchez in Mississippi from 1857 to 1880 and asarchbishop of Cincinnati in Ohio from 1883 until his death in 1904.
William Elder was born inBaltimore, Maryland, on March 22, 1819.[1] His father, Basil Elder, was a descendant of William Elder, a Catholic immigrant fromEngland to theProvince of Maryland incolonial times. His grandfather was Thomas Elder, husband of Elizabeth Spalding, thus making William a first cousin once removed ofCatherine Spalding, co-founder of theSisters of Charity of Nazareth. His mother was Elisabeth Miles (née Snowden) Elder.[2]
In 1831, Elder enteredMount St. Mary's College, in Emmitsburg, Maryland. He graduated in 1837 and entered the seminary. In 1842, he was sent to thePontifical Urban College in Rome, where he received the degree ofDoctor of Divinity.[2]
Elder was ordained a priest for theArchdiocese of Baltimore inRome on March 29, 1846 by Cardinal Giovanni Brunelli.[1] After his ordination, the archdiocese assigned Elder to teach atMount St. Mary's.
Elder was appointed bishop of Natchez on January 9, 1857, byPope Pius IX. Elder was consecrated in theCathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Mary in Baltimore by ArchbishopFrancis Kenrick on May 3, 1857. At that time, the diocese comprised the entire state ofMississippi.[2]
In 1861, Mississippi seceded from the United States as part of theConfederate States of America. On the eve of theAmerican Civil War, Elder wrote to his father:
It is hard to tell what is to be the fate of the country. I have not enough of political sagacity to see what will be the course of events, nor what would be the fruit of the remedies proposed. . . . We can all unite in praying to God to guide and protect us.[3]
During the war, Elder celebrated mass for wounded soldiers and ministered to soldiers andfreedmen gathered in Natchez. He sent priests to serve as chaplains in theConfederate States Army and Sisters of Mercy to nurse their sick and wounded He gave his blessing to a volunteer company of soldiers from Natchez..[4]
In July 1863, theUnion Army took control of Natchez. On June 18, 1864, Colonel B.G. Farrar, the Union Army commander at Natchez and former schoolmate of Elder's at Mount St. Mary's, ordered the clergy in Natchez to include prayers for US PresidentAbraham Lincoln in their services. Farrar termed it as a "public recognition of allegiance under which they live, and to which they are indebted for protection..."[5]
Elder refused to comply, saying that it had nothing to due with politics, but the "Liberty of the Church to discharge her divine functions, without interference form other persons."[5] Brigadier GeneralJames Tuttle issued an order for enforcement, which he then stayed at Elder's request, pending input from the USWar Department. Elder wrote to Lincoln, explaining that his refusal was based on the authority of the church to regulate church services. SenatorFrancis Kernan wrote back to Elder, saying he had met with Secretary of WarEdwin M. Stanton and Stanton would ask Tuttle not to interfere with Elder. Elder subsequently wrote thanking Stanton for protect to religious freedom, and asking that the ruling be made known to other commanders.[6]
GeneralMason Brayman, the next commander, took a harder stance, saying "military orders are to be followed, not discussed..." and issued an order for Elder to be sent to jail inVidalia, Louisiana. Elder was incarcerated in Vidalia several weeks. AfterWashington intervened, Brayman ordered Elder's release on August 12, 1864.[6]
In 1878, ayellow fever epidemic broke out in Natchez. Ministering to the sick, Elder caught the disease. He survived but lost six diocesan priests.[3] At the time he arrived in Natchez the diocese had eleven missions (churches), nine priests and 10,000 Catholics. When he left, there were forty-one churches, 25 priests, six religious houses for men, five convents, thirteen parish schools and 12,500 Catholics.
On January 30, 1880, Pope Leo XIII appointed Elder ascoadjutor archbishop of Cincinnati with the right of succession, to assist ArchbishopJohn Purcell.[1]
After Purcell died on July 4, 1883, Elder automatically succeeded him archbishop. He became archbishop at a time of great financial difficulty in the archdiocese. Elder systematically organized the administration of the diocese. He reopenedMount Saint Mary Seminary in Cincinnati in 1887, which had been closed since 1879.[7] He instituted the office of chancellor and insisted on annual financial reports from clergy and parishes in order to reduced the archdiocesan debt.
Elder died in Cincinnati on October 31, 1904, frominfluenza.Elder High School, a Cincinnatiparochial school, was named for Elder.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "William Henry Elder".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
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| Preceded by | Bishop of Natchez 1857–1880 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Archbishop of Cincinnati 1883–1903 | Succeeded by |
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