George Aloysius Carrell
Encyclopedia
George Aloysius Carrell, S.J.
(June 13, 1803—September 25, 1868) was an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He was the first Bishop of Covington
, serving between 1853 and his death in 1868.
, on June 13, 1803. His grandfather, Timothy Carrell, was a native of Ireland
and came to the United States
before the Revolutionary War
, establishing himself as a grocer
on Water Street in Philadelphia. His father, John Carrell, was a native of Philadelphia, and his mother, Mary Julia Moore, was a native of Lancaster
. The seventh of eight children, he was born and raised in the former mansion of William Penn
, at the corner of Market Street
and Letitia Court. Having received elementary instruction in the schools of his native city, he was sent in 1813, when only ten years old, to Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg
, Maryland
, where he spent three years. In 1816 he entered Georgetown College
, where he pursued his collegiate course for four years.
He next entered the novitiate
of the Society of Jesus
at White Marsh
, and was remarkably earnest and sedulous in the study and practice of a spiritual life. At the end of two years thus spent, he returned to his family, with whom, however, he spent but a short time. He did not lose sight of his chosen vocation, and soon afterward entered the Theological Seminary of St. Mary's
in Baltimore
. Here he was a schoolmate of several who afterwards became distinguished in ecclesiastical history, including Samuel Eccleston
. He again entered Mount St. Mary's College, where he continued his theological studies under Dr. Simon Bruté
.
to the priesthood
in 1829, at St. Augustine's Church
in Philadelphia by Bishop Henry Conwell
. For six years he labored on the mission
, serving as a curate
at St. Augustine's and attending to a mission in New Jersey
. He was next appointed pastor
of Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia. His next mission was in Wilmington
, Delaware
, from which place he also attended West Chester
and New Castle
. In all these positions he proved himself a laborious priest and a good pastor, winning for himself not only the high esteem and friendship of Bishop Francis Patrick Kenrick, but also the kind regard of the entire population, including great numbers of other denominations, especially of the Religious Society of Friends
at Philadelphia. At Wilmington his ministry was especially useful. Here he established two schools—one a boarding and day school for young ladies in charge of the Sisters of Charity
, and the other a school for boys.
After these six years' experience of missionary life, he felt a renewal of his early desire for the life of a religious order, and resolved to join the Society of Jesus, in which he had spent two years of noviceship in his youth. Before doing so, however, he spent some weeks assisting the pastors of St. Augustine's in Philadelphia and of St. Paul's Church
in Pittsburgh. He applied for and received admission into the Society of Jesus in their Province of St. Louis
, Missouri
—first as a novice at Florissant
, and two years afterwards as a scholastic at St. Louis. He was soon appointed a professor
in Saint Louis University
, and afterwards pastor of the College Church of St. Francis Xavier in 1837, rector
of Saint Louis University from 1845 to 1848, and President of Purcell Mansion College for young boys near Cincinnati, Ohio
, from 1851 to 1853.
, which opened on May 9, 1852, recommended the erection of the Diocese of Covington
, embracing the eastern portion of Kentucky
—until then forming part of the Diocese of Louisville
—and proposed Carrell as its first Bishop
. The Holy See
, by apostolic letter of July 29, 1853, approved these recommendations and decreed accordingly. On November 1, 1853, Carrell was consecrated
in Cincinnati by Archbishop John Baptist Purcell
, assisted by Bishops Bishop Peter Paul Lefevere
and John Henni
.
The new diocese was an extensive one, bounded on the north by the Ohio River
, on the south by Tennessee
, on the east by Virginia
, and on the west by the Kentucky River
. It contained, at the time of Bishop Carrell's consecration, only ten churches and seven priests. The Bishop immediately commenced the erection of the Cathedral Church of St. Mary's
, which in a year was ready for service. Churches and schools began to spring up in various parts of his diocese, and strides were rapidly made by religion and education during his administration. He introduced into the diocese the Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis, the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
, the monks and nuns of the Order of Saint Benedict
, the Sisters of the Visitation
, and the Ursuline Nuns
.
The news of battle, carnage, and death during the Civil War
deeply affected him, and he invariably requested his friends to spare him the pain of listening to them. His health, for some time before his death, began to fail. He was several times in danger of death from a complication of diseases under which he suffered. He died on September 25, 1868, at the age of 65.
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
(June 13, 1803—September 25, 1868) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He was the first Bishop of Covington
Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington is a Roman Catholic diocese in Northern Kentucky, covering that includes the city of Covington and the following Kentucky counties: Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Gallatin, Carroll, Grant, Owen, Pendleton, Harrison, Bracken, Robertson, Mason, Fleming, and Lewis. ...
, serving between 1853 and his death in 1868.
Early life and education
George Carrell was born in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, on June 13, 1803. His grandfather, Timothy Carrell, was a native of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and came to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
before the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, establishing himself as a grocer
Grocer
A grocer is a bulk seller of food. Beginning as early as the 14th century, a grocer was a dealer in comestible dry goods such as spices, pepper, sugar, and cocoa, tea and coffee...
on Water Street in Philadelphia. His father, John Carrell, was a native of Philadelphia, and his mother, Mary Julia Moore, was a native of Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
. The seventh of eight children, he was born and raised in the former mansion of William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
, at the corner of Market Street
Market Street (Philadelphia)
Market Street, originally known as High Street, is a major east–west street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For the majority of its length, it serves as Pennsylvania Route 3....
and Letitia Court. Having received elementary instruction in the schools of his native city, he was sent in 1813, when only ten years old, to Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg
Emmitsburg, Maryland
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,290 people, 811 households, and 553 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,992.9 people per square mile . There were 862 housing units at an average density of 750.2 per square mile...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, where he spent three years. In 1816 he entered Georgetown College
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, where he pursued his collegiate course for four years.
He next entered the novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
at White Marsh
White Marsh, Maryland
White Marsh is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 8,485 at the 2000 census.- History :...
, and was remarkably earnest and sedulous in the study and practice of a spiritual life. At the end of two years thus spent, he returned to his family, with whom, however, he spent but a short time. He did not lose sight of his chosen vocation, and soon afterward entered the Theological Seminary of St. Mary's
St. Mary's Seminary and University
St. Mary's Seminary and University is a Roman Catholic seminary in Baltimore, Maryland; it was the first seminary founded in the United States of America.-History:...
in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
. Here he was a schoolmate of several who afterwards became distinguished in ecclesiastical history, including Samuel Eccleston
Samuel Eccleston
Samuel Eccleston, P.S.S. was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the fifth Archbishop of Baltimore from 1834 until his death in 1851.-Early life:...
. He again entered Mount St. Mary's College, where he continued his theological studies under Dr. Simon Bruté
Simon Bruté
Simon William Gabriel Bruté de Rémur, the first bishop of the Diocese of Vincennes, Indiana, was born on March 20, 1779, at Rennes, France. His father was Simon-Guillaume-Gabriel Bruté de Remur, Superintendent of the Royal Domains in Brittany; and his mother, Jeanne-Renee Le Saulnier de Vauhelle...
.
Priesthood
Having completed his studies, Carrell was ordainedHoly Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
in 1829, at St. Augustine's Church
St. Augustine Church, Philadelphia
St. Augustine Catholic Church, also called Olde St. Augustine's, is a historic Catholic church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Consecrated in 1848, the Palladian-style church was designed by Napoleon LeBrun. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.The church was...
in Philadelphia by Bishop Henry Conwell
Henry Conwell
Henry Conwell was a Roman Catholic clergyman. A priest in Ireland for over forty years, he served as Bishop of Philadelphia between Henry Conwell was born in Moneymore, County Londonderry, and studied at the Irish College in Paris, where his family had founded a burse. He was ordained to the...
. For six years he labored on the mission
Catholic missions
As the church normally organizes itself along territorial lines, and because they had the human and material resources, religious orders—some even specializing in it—undertook most missionary work, especially in the early phases...
, serving as a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at St. Augustine's and attending to a mission in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. He was next appointed pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia. His next mission was in Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, from which place he also attended West Chester
West Chester, Pennsylvania
The Borough of West Chester is the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,461 at the 2010 census.Valley Forge, the Brandywine Battlefield, Longwood Gardens, Marsh Creek State Park, and other historical attractions are near West Chester...
and New Castle
New Castle, Delaware
New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, six miles south of Wilmington, situated on the Delaware River. In 1900, 3,380 people lived here; in 1910, 3,351...
. In all these positions he proved himself a laborious priest and a good pastor, winning for himself not only the high esteem and friendship of Bishop Francis Patrick Kenrick, but also the kind regard of the entire population, including great numbers of other denominations, especially of the Religious Society of Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
at Philadelphia. At Wilmington his ministry was especially useful. Here he established two schools—one a boarding and day school for young ladies in charge of the Sisters of Charity
Sisters of Charity
Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity as part of their name. The rule of Saint Vincent for the Daughters of Charity has been adopted and adapted by at least sixty founders of religious orders around the world in the subsequent centuries....
, and the other a school for boys.
After these six years' experience of missionary life, he felt a renewal of his early desire for the life of a religious order, and resolved to join the Society of Jesus, in which he had spent two years of noviceship in his youth. Before doing so, however, he spent some weeks assisting the pastors of St. Augustine's in Philadelphia and of St. Paul's Church
Cathedral of Saint Paul in Pittsburgh
The Cathedral of Saint Paul is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States...
in Pittsburgh. He applied for and received admission into the Society of Jesus in their Province of St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
—first as a novice at Florissant
Florissant, Missouri
Florissant is a second-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in northern St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The city has a total population of 52,158 in 2010 census.-History:...
, and two years afterwards as a scholastic at St. Louis. He was soon appointed a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
in Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
, and afterwards pastor of the College Church of St. Francis Xavier in 1837, rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of Saint Louis University from 1845 to 1848, and President of Purcell Mansion College for young boys near Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, from 1851 to 1853.
Episcopacy
The First Plenary Council of BaltimorePlenary Councils of Baltimore
The Plenary Councils of Baltimore were three national meetings of Roman Catholic bishops in the 19th century in Baltimore, Maryland.During the early history of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States all of the dioceses were part of one ecclesiastical province under the Archbishop of Baltimore...
, which opened on May 9, 1852, recommended the erection of the Diocese of Covington
Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington is a Roman Catholic diocese in Northern Kentucky, covering that includes the city of Covington and the following Kentucky counties: Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Gallatin, Carroll, Grant, Owen, Pendleton, Harrison, Bracken, Robertson, Mason, Fleming, and Lewis. ...
, embracing the eastern portion of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
—until then forming part of the Diocese of Louisville
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville consists of twenty-four counties in Central Kentucky, USA, covering . It is the seat of the Metropolitan Province of Louisville, which comprises the states of Kentucky and Tennessee...
—and proposed Carrell as its first Bishop
Ordinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
. The Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
, by apostolic letter of July 29, 1853, approved these recommendations and decreed accordingly. On November 1, 1853, Carrell was consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
in Cincinnati by Archbishop John Baptist Purcell
John Baptist Purcell
John Baptist Purcell was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Cincinnati from 1833 until his death in 1883, and was elevated to the rank of Archbishop in 1850.-Biography:...
, assisted by Bishops Bishop Peter Paul Lefevere
Peter Paul Lefevere
Peter Paul Lefevere, or Lefebre, born as Pierre-Paul Lefevere , was a 19th century Belgian born bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States...
and John Henni
John Henni
John Martin Henni was a Swiss-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the first Archbishop of Milwaukee, serving from 1843 until his death in 1881.-Early life and education:...
.
The new diocese was an extensive one, bounded on the north by the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
, on the south by Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, on the east by Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and on the west by the Kentucky River
Kentucky River
The Kentucky River is a tributary of the Ohio River, long, in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The river and its tributaries drain much of the central region of the state, with its upper course passing through the coal-mining regions of the Cumberland Mountains, and its lower course passing through the...
. It contained, at the time of Bishop Carrell's consecration, only ten churches and seven priests. The Bishop immediately commenced the erection of the Cathedral Church of St. Mary's
Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington
The Roman Catholic Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Kentucky, is a minor basilica in the United States. The cathedral was started by the Diocese of Covington's third bishop, Camillus Paul Maes, in 1894. The cathedral project was terminated in 1915, though it is incomplete, even...
, which in a year was ready for service. Churches and schools began to spring up in various parts of his diocese, and strides were rapidly made by religion and education during his administration. He introduced into the diocese the Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis, the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
The Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth was founded in 1812 near Bardstown, Kentucky when three young women responded to Bishop John Baptist Mary David's call for assistance in ministering to the needs of the people of the area. Nineteen year old Catherine Spalding was elected its...
, the monks and nuns of the Order of Saint Benedict
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
, the Sisters of the Visitation
Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary
The Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary or the Visitation Order is a Roman Catholic religious order for women. Members of the order are also known as Filles de Sainte-Marie, Visitandines, Salesian Sisters and, more commonly, Visitationists.- History of the order :The Order was founded in 1610 by...
, and the Ursuline Nuns
Ursulines
The Ursulines are a Roman Catholic religious order for women founded at Brescia, Italy, by Saint Angela de Merici in November 1535, primarily for the education of girls and the care of the sick and needy. Their patron saint is Saint Ursula.-History:St Angela de Merici spent 17 years leading a...
.
The news of battle, carnage, and death during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
deeply affected him, and he invariably requested his friends to spare him the pain of listening to them. His health, for some time before his death, began to fail. He was several times in danger of death from a complication of diseases under which he suffered. He died on September 25, 1868, at the age of 65.