Thomas James Conaty | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles Titular Bishop of Samos | |
 | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| Diocese | Monterey-Los Angeles |
| Appointed | March 27, 1903 |
| Term ended | September 18, 1915 (his death) |
| Predecessor | George Thomas Montgomery |
| Successor | John Joseph Cantwell |
| Other post | Rector of the Catholic University of America (1896-1903) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | December 21, 1872 by Ignace Bourget |
| Consecration | November 24, 1901 by James Gibbons |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1847-08-01)August 1, 1847 Kilnaleck,County Cavan, Ireland |
| Died | September 18, 1915(1915-09-18) (aged 68) Coronado,California, U.S. |
| Education | College of the Holy Cross (BA) Grand Séminaire de Montréal |
| Signature | .png) |
Thomas James Conaty (August 1, 1847 – September 18, 1915) was an American prelate of theCatholic Church. He served as rector of theCatholic University of America (CUA) in Washington D.C. (1896-1903) andbishop of Monterey-Los Angeles in California(1903-1915).
Thomas Conaty was born on August 1, 1847, inKilnaleck, County Cavan, the eldest of eight children of Patrick and Alice (née Lynch) Conaty.[1] The family immigrated to the United States in May 1850 and settled inTaunton, Massachusetts, his father's former residence.[2]
After receiving his early education in the public schools of Taunton, Conaty entered theCollège de Montréal in Montreal, Quebec, in 1863.[1] He remained there for three years, then enrolled at theCollege of the Holy Cross inWorcester, Massachusetts, in 1867, graduating two years later.[2] Conaty finished his preparation for the priesthood studying theology at theGrand Séminaire in Montreal.[3]
While in Montreal, Conaty was ordained a priest on December 21, 1872, by BishopIgnace Bourget.[4] He was ordained for theDiocese of Springfield in Massachusetts, where BishopPatrick Thomas O'Reilly was a relative.[5]Conaty's younger brother Bernard would also become a priest in 1882.[6]
Following his return from Montreal in 1873, O'Reilly assigned Conaty as an assistant pastor atSt. John's Parish in Worcester.[2] That same year, Conaty was first elected to theWorcester school board, serving for the next 14 years.[3] He was also elected to two six-year terms on the board of theWorcester Public Library.[1] Over a century later,Pope John Paul II would forbid priests from holding public office.[7]
When the diocese divided St. John's Parish to created Sacred Heart Parish in 1880, Conaty was named as its first pastor.[1] He build a church, which was dedicated in 1884, along with a school, rectory, convent, and gymnasium.[1][8]
In addition to his pastoral duties, Conaty was active in thetemperance movement. He organized a diocesan chapter of theCatholic Total Abstinence Union of America in Springfield and became its first president in 1877.[9] He eventually rose to become national president of the Total Abstinence Union, serving from 1888 to 1889.[2] Conaty was also involved in the causes ofIrish nationalism, serving as an officer in the American chapter ofIrish National Land League, an organization seeking to end tenant farming in Ireland. He was also the treasurer of theIrish National League of Massachusetts, the successor to the Irish National Land League.[10] Conaty received an honorary doctorate fromGeorgetown University in Washington D.C. in 1889.[2]
In 1892, Conaty became the first president of theCatholic Summer School of America.[11] Meeting first atNew London, Connecticut, and then atPlattsburgh, New York, the summer school became a destination for Catholic families, high-ranking clergy, distinguished lecturers, and prominent politicians seeking lectures and university courses.[12] In 1896, Conaty established dormitories, a dining hall, and an administration building while registering thousands of individuals from the United States and Canada.[13]
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In September 1896,Pope Leo XIII removed BishopJohn J. Keane as rector of CUA. This was allegedly due to Keane's liberal-leaning policies.[14]This happened during a national conflict between traditional members of the American hierarchy who favored more control by the Vatican and liberals who want American bishops to wield more power. The Keane removal led to rumors that the board of trustees would also remove CardinalJames Gibbons, the CUA chancellor, and ArchbishopJohn Ireland, a trustee, from their positions.[15] At a meeting in October 1896, the board selected three candidates for rector to send to the pope: Conaty; ReverendDaniel J. Riordan of Chicago and Reverend Joseph F. Mooney,vicar general of theArchdiocese of New York.[14]Conaty was neither an outspoken liberal nor conservative, making him acceptable to both sides.[16]In November 1896, the pope selected Conaty as the new rector.[17] He was installed by Gibbons on January 19, 1897.[14]
At the time of Conaty's appointment as rector, CardinalMariano Rampolla wrote to Gibbons to say that Leo XIII wanted to bestow ecclesiastical honor upon Conaty "in order to add dignity to the office."[18] Gibbons suggested appointing Conaty a bishop but Rampolla replied that it was too soon to elevate him to that rank.[14] Instead, Leo XIII elevated Conaty to the rank ofdomestic prelate in June 1897.[19]
Soon after Conaty entered office, a group of faculty and trustees demanded that his dismiss the conservative professor ofdogmatic theology, Reverend Joseph Schroeder, whom they believed played a role in Keane's removal.[14] Conaty then asked the CUA trustees to remove Schroeder to restore peace among the faculty. After a heated discussion between liberal and conservative members, the board recommended Schroeder's dismissal, but left the decision to the pope.[20] Leo XIII ultimately settled the case by transferring Schroeder to theUniversity of Münster in theGerman Empire later in 1897.[14]
During theSpanish–American War of 1898, Conaty allowed CUA students who volunteered for military service an additional year to complete their degrees after their discharged from the military.[21] In 1900, CUA became a charter member of theAssociation of American Universities. That same year, Conaty welcomed a visit from US PresidentWilliam McKinley. Noting the university's acceptance of African-American students, Conaty told McKinley that the university, "like the Catholic Church...knows no race line and no color line."[22]
Financial issues arose after the 1897-1898 school year left CUA with a balance of only $3,000.[23] In 1901, the board appointed a special committee to investigate the university's finances It concluded in 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."[24]
Leo XIII appointed Conaty astitular bishop ofSamos, an honorary position, on October 5, 1901.[4] He received his episcopal consecration on November 24, 1901, from Gibbons, with BishopsCamillus Paul Maes andThomas Daniel Beaven serving as co-consecrators, at theCathedral of the Assumption inBaltimore, Maryland.[4]
As discontent grew with Conaty management of CUA among faculty and trustees, discussion began on replacing him once his term expired.[14] ReverendDenis J. O'Connell, the former rector of thePontifical North American College in Rome, soon emerged as the leading candidate.[14] ArchbishopPatrick William Riordan of San Francisco, a CUA trustee, suggested that Leo XIII name Conaty as bishop of the vacant Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles in California.[25]
Despite opposition from some California priests to having a bishop from the East Coast, Leo XIII appointed Conaty as bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles on March 27, 1903.[4][25]He was installed on June 18, 1903, at theCathedral of Saint Vibiana in Los Angeles California.[26]
Conaty's 12 years as bishop was a period of explosive growth for the diocese. At the beginning of his tenure in 1903, it contained 101 priests, 121 churches, and 19 parochial schools to serve a Catholic population of 58,000.[27] In his final year as bishop in 1915, there were 260 priests, 266 churches, 40 parochial schools, and 139,480 Catholics.[28]
Conaty established a board of examiners in 1903 to inspect the diocese's schools. He also developed the diocese's first educational plan to provide Catholic schooling from kindergarten through college.[29] To accommodate the growing Catholic population and replace St. Vibiana's Cathedral, Conaty purchased property in Los Angeles for a new cathedral. However an economic downturn in 1907 forced an end to the project.[30]
Two weeks before his death, Conaty went toCoronado, California, hoping to improve his failing health.[30] While there, he was visited by former US PresidentWilliam Howard Taft.[5] Conaty died in Coronado on September 18, 1915, at age 68.[30]
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| Preceded by |  Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles 1903–1915 | Succeeded by |
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| Preceded by |  Rector of The Catholic University of America 1896–1903 | Succeeded by |
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