The Right Reverend Anthony O'Regan | |
|---|---|
| Bishop-Emeritus of Chicago Titular Bishop of Dora | |
 | |
| Church | Catholic |
| Archdiocese | Chicago |
| Appointed | 9 December 1853 |
| Predecessor | James Oliver Van de Velde,S.J. |
| Successor | James Duggan |
| Previous post | Apostolic Administrator ofQuincy (1853-1857) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 29 November 1834 by John MacHale |
| Consecration | 25 July 1854 by Peter Kenrick |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1809-07-27)27 July 1809 Lavalleyroe,County Mayo, Ireland |
| Died | 13 November 1866(1866-11-13) (aged 57) London, England |
| Alma mater | Maynooth College |
Anthony O'Regan (27 July 1809 – 13 November 1866) was anIrish Catholic prelate who served asBishop of Chicago from 1854 to 1858.
Anthony O'Regan was born in Lavalleyroe,County Mayo,[1] and studied atMaynooth College in Maynooth, Ireland.
O'Regan was ordained to the priesthood on 29 November 1834 for theArchdiocese of Tuam in Tuam, Ireland, by ArchbishopJohn MacHale.[2] Following hisordination, MacHale appointed O'Regan as professor ofscripture, Hebrew language anddogmatic theology atSt. Jarlath's College in Tuam. He was named president of the college in 1844.[3]
In 1849, ArchbishopPeter Kenrick of the Archdiocese of St. Louis recruited O'Regan to head the newly establishedtheologicalseminary inCardondelet, then a village nearSt. Louis, Missouri.[3]
On 9 December 1853, O'Regan was appointed the third bishop of Chicago byPope Pius IX. Feeling that he lacked the pastoral experience to run a diocese, O'Regan refused the appointment. However, when Pius IX told him to accept it, O'Regan acquiesced.[4] He received hisepiscopal consecration on 25 July 1854, from Kenrick, with BishopsJames Oliver Van de Velde andJohn Henni serving asco-consecrators, at theCathedral of St. Louis.[1] While still in St. Louis, O'Regan suffered a nervous illness.[4]
After recovering from his illness, O'Regan arrived inChicago; he wasinstalled as bishop on 3 September 1853.[2][5] He soon began construction on a new episcopal residence, completed in 1856.[4] O'Regan purchased property for several churches and Calvary Cemetery.[4]
An able administrator and strong disciplinarian, O'Regan alienated many clergy with his management style.[5] The French-Canadian community also came into conflict with him, stating that he stole a plot of land from a parish that was planning to build a church. They also accused him of stealing priestly vestments from a parish. In return, O'Regan castigated the French-Canadian community several times in the Chicago press.[4][6][7] A crash in the Chicago real estate market in 1857 was another stressor for O'Regan.
Unable to cope with the diocese and in declining health, O'Regan traveled to Rome in 1857 to submit his resignation as bishop of Chicago; Pius IX accepted on 25 June 1858, and named himtitular bishop ofDora.[2][1]
O'Regan retired to London, England, where he befriended CardinalsNicholas Wiseman andHenry Edward Manning. O'Regan died fromliver disease on 13 November 1866 at age 57.[4] Hisfuneral mass was celebrated by Archbishop MacHale atTuam Cathedral, and his remains were buried inCloonfad, Ireland.[4]
