Born inBaltimore,Maryland, Foley's parents were Irish immigrants. He attended local schools, and at the age of eighteen was graduated fromSt. Mary's College, Baltimore with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then attended St. Mary's Seminary and was ordained a priest of theArchdiocese of Baltimore on August 16, 1846.[2] Foley served as pastor at Baltimore Cathedral for 20 years and, in turn,Chancellor, Vicar-General, and Administrator of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
On November 19, 1869, Foley was appointed Coadjutor Bishop and Administrator ofChicago for the incapacitated BishopJames Duggan. On February 27, 1870, Foley was consecratedtitular bishop of Pergamum at theBaltimore Cathedral. The principal consecrator was BishopWilliam G. McCloskey of Louisville. He was installed as coadjutor bishop at St. Mary's Cathedral on March 10.[3]
Foley was in Champaign, Illinois, to administer confirmation when, in October 1871, the diocese lost nearly a million dollars in church property in theGreat Chicago Fire.[4] He quickly set about rebuilding. On November 21. 1875, Foley dedicated the new Cathedral of the Holy Name, designed byPatrick Keely.[5]
Bishop Foley invited the Franciscans, Vincentians, Servites, Viatorians, and Resurrectionists to establish parishes and schools. In 1876, disagreements withMother Mary Alfred Moes of the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate ofJoliet led to her relocating to Minnesota, where she founded St. Mary's Hospital, which later led to the establishment of the Mayo Clinic.[6]
At his request, the Diocese of Peoria was established in 1877. Also in 1877, Foley namedJohn McMullen as hisvicar general. McMullen would manage the diocese as administrator upon Foley's death, and later became the first bishop of theDiocese of Davenport.
After nine years as Bishop and administrator of Chicago, Foley died in office on February 19,1879 before he could succeed as Bishop of Chicago. Bishop Duggan resigned the following year.
