John Shaw (archbishop)
Encyclopedia
John William Shaw was an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of San Antonio
(1911–1918) and Archbishop of New Orleans
(1918–1934).
, Alabama
, to Patrick and Elizabeth (née Smith) Shaw. He was a pupil at the parochial school of St. Vincent de Paul Church
and the academy of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart
in his native city. He later was sent, with one of his brothers, to St. Finian's Seminary at Navan
in County Meath
, Ireland
. He studied at the Urban College of Propaganda
and Pontifical North American College
in Rome
from 1882 to 1888. On May 26, 1888, he was ordained
to the priesthood
by Cardinal Lucido Parocchi
at the Basilica of St. John Lateran
.
Upon returning to the Diocese of Mobile
, Shaw served as a curate
at Immaculate Conception Cathedral until 1889, when he was transferred to St. Peter's Church in Montgomery
. In 1891, he returned to Immaculate Conception Cathedral as its rector
. He served as chancellor
of the diocese from 1898 to 1910.
On February 7, 1910, Shaw was appointed titular bishop
of Castabala
and coadjutor bishop
of the Diocese of San Antonio
in Texas
by Pope Pius X
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following April 14 from Archbishop James Blenk
, S.M.
, with Bishops Edward Patrick Allen
and Cornelius Van de Ven
serving as co-consecrators
. Due to the declining health of Bishop John Anthony Forest
, he was made apostolic administrator
of the diocese on May 18, 1910. Upon Forest's death on March 11, 1911, Shaw succeeded him as the fourth Bishop of San Antonio
. His efforts to provide relief to Mexican
refugees in Texas caused the Archbishop of Mexico City
to make Shaw an honorary canon
of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
. In 1915, he opened St. John's Seminary in his personal residence. While in San Antonio, he also restored and reopened several historic Spanish missions
.
On January 25, 1918, Shaw was appointed the eighth Archbishop of New Orleans
, Louisiana
, by Pope Benedict XV
. He was the first American-born head of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. He founded Notre Dame Seminary
in 1923. In response to a rise in anti-Catholicism
and growing presence of the Ku Klux Klan
, Shaw urged all Louisiana Catholics to support candidates who pledged to uphold the freedom of religion. Thirty-three new parishes were established and more than a score of new churches, many of them of substantial construction, were built.
Shaw died from a heart attack
at the age of 71. His heart attack was said to be caused partly by overworking and party by poison pen letter
s that leveled malicious charges against him and his priests.
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 served as Bishop of San Antonio
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio encompasses in Texas.The archdiocese includes the city of San Antonio and the following counties: Val Verde, Edwards, Kerr, Gillespie, Kendall, Comal, Guadalupe, Gonzales, Uvalde, Kinney, Medina, Bexar, Wilson, Karnes, Frio, Atascosa, and McMullen.On...
(1911–1918) and Archbishop of New Orleans
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, officially in Latin Archidioecesis Novae Aureliae, is an ecclesiastical division of the Roman Catholic Church administered from New Orleans, Louisiana...
(1918–1934).
Biography
One of six children, John Shaw was born in MobileMobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, to Patrick and Elizabeth (née Smith) Shaw. He was a pupil at the parochial school of St. Vincent de Paul Church
Saint Vincent de Paul (Mobile, Alabama)
Saint Vincent de Paul, now known as Prince of Peace Church is a historic Roman Catholic church building in Mobile, Alabama. It was designed by a local architect, James H. Hutchisson, in the Gothic Revival style. The current building was built in 1874 and dedicated on January 21, 1877...
and the academy of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart
Brothers of the Sacred Heart
The Brothers of the Sacred Heart are a Catholic religious congregation founded in 1821 by the Reverend André Coindre . Its Constitutions were modeled upon those of the Jesuits, while its Rule of Life was based upon the Rule of Saint Augustine. Its members bind themselves for life by simple vows of...
in his native city. He later was sent, with one of his brothers, to St. Finian's Seminary at Navan
Navan
-People:Navan was the childhood home of Pierce Brosnan, who appeared in the television series Remington Steele and was the fifth film actor to play James Bond. TV personality Hector Ó hEochagáin, and comedians Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan also hail from Navan....
in County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
, 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...
. He studied at the Urban College of Propaganda
Pontifical Urbaniana University
The Pontifical Urbaniana University or Pontifical Urban University is a pontifical university under the authority of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.-History:...
and Pontifical North American College
Pontifical North American College
The Pontifical North American College is a Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy educating seminarians for the dioceses in the United States and providing a residence for American priests studying in Rome. It was founded in 1859 by Blessed Pope Pius IX and was granted pontifical...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
from 1882 to 1888. On May 26, 1888, he was ordained
Holy 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....
by Cardinal Lucido Parocchi
Lucido Parocchi
Lucido Maria Parocchi S.T.D. was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Secretary of the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office.-Biography:...
at the Basilica of St. John Lateran
Basilica of St. John Lateran
The Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran , commonly known as St. John Lateran's Archbasilica and St. John Lateran's Basilica, is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope...
.
Upon returning to the Diocese of Mobile
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile
The Archdiocese of Mobile is a Roman Catholic archdiocese comprising the lower 28 counties of Alabama. It is the metropolitan seat of the Province of Mobile, which includes the suffragan bishopric sees of the Diocese of Biloxi, the Diocese of Jackson, and the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama...
, Shaw served 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 Immaculate Conception Cathedral until 1889, when he was transferred to St. Peter's Church in Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
. In 1891, he returned to Immaculate Conception Cathedral as its rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
. He served as chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
of the diocese from 1898 to 1910.
On February 7, 1910, Shaw was appointed titular bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Castabala
Castabala
Castabala is a genus of moth in the family Arctiidae.-References:*...
and coadjutor bishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
of the Diocese of San Antonio
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio encompasses in Texas.The archdiocese includes the city of San Antonio and the following counties: Val Verde, Edwards, Kerr, Gillespie, Kendall, Comal, Guadalupe, Gonzales, Uvalde, Kinney, Medina, Bexar, Wilson, Karnes, Frio, Atascosa, and McMullen.On...
in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
by Pope Pius X
Pope Pius X
Pope Saint Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 257th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914. He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X rejected modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox...
. He received his episcopal
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
consecration
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...
on the following April 14 from Archbishop James Blenk
James Blenk
James Hubert Herbert Blenk, S.M. was a German American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Puerto Rico and Archbishop of New Orleans .-Biography:...
, S.M.
Society of Mary (Marists)
The Society of Mary , is a Roman Catholic religious congregation or order, founded by Father Jean-Claude Colin and a group of other seminarians in France in 1816...
, with Bishops Edward Patrick Allen
Edward Patrick Allen
Edward Patrick Allen was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Mobile from 1897 until his death in 1926.-Biography:...
and Cornelius Van de Ven
Cornelius Van de Ven
Cornelius Van de Ven was the Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana, Louisiana....
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
. Due to the declining health of Bishop John Anthony Forest
John Anthony Forest
John Anthony Forest was a French-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of San Antonio from 1895 until his death in 1911.-Biography:...
, he was made apostolic administrator
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
of the diocese on May 18, 1910. Upon Forest's death on March 11, 1911, Shaw succeeded him as the fourth Bishop of San Antonio
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio encompasses in Texas.The archdiocese includes the city of San Antonio and the following counties: Val Verde, Edwards, Kerr, Gillespie, Kendall, Comal, Guadalupe, Gonzales, Uvalde, Kinney, Medina, Bexar, Wilson, Karnes, Frio, Atascosa, and McMullen.On...
. His efforts to provide relief to Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
refugees in Texas caused the Archbishop of Mexico City
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico is a metropolitan diocese, responsible for the suffragan Dioceses of Atlacomulco, Cuernavaca, Toluca and Tenancingo. It was elevated on February 12, 1546....
to make Shaw an honorary canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a Roman Catholic church, minor basilica and National Shrine of Mexico in the north of Mexico City. The shrine was built nearby the place where Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin...
. In 1915, he opened St. John's Seminary in his personal residence. While in San Antonio, he also restored and reopened several historic Spanish missions
Spanish missions in Texas
The Spanish Missions in Texas comprise a series of religious outposts established by Spanish Catholic Dominicans, Jesuits, and Franciscans to spread the Christian doctrine among the local Native Americans, but with the added benefit of giving Spain a toehold in the frontier land. The missions...
.
On January 25, 1918, Shaw was appointed the eighth Archbishop of New Orleans
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, officially in Latin Archidioecesis Novae Aureliae, is an ecclesiastical division of the Roman Catholic Church administered from New Orleans, Louisiana...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, by Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV , born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, reigned as Pope from 3 September 1914 to 22 January 1922...
. He was the first American-born head of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. He founded Notre Dame Seminary
Notre Dame Seminary
Notre Dame Seminary is a resident, accredited graduate theological school in New Orleans, Louisiana, founded in 1923 for the education of men to be priests of the Roman Catholic Church. The building, located at 2901 South Carrollton Avenue, was constructed between 1922-1923, and was designed by...
in 1923. In response to a rise in anti-Catholicism
Anti-Catholicism in the United States
Strong political and theological positions hostile to the Catholic Church and its followers was prominent among Protestants in Britain and Germany from the Protestant Reformation onwards. Immigrants brought them to the American colonies. Two types of anti-Catholic rhetoric existed in colonial society...
and growing presence of the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
, Shaw urged all Louisiana Catholics to support candidates who pledged to uphold the freedom of religion. Thirty-three new parishes were established and more than a score of new churches, many of them of substantial construction, were built.
Shaw died from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at the age of 71. His heart attack was said to be caused partly by overworking and party by poison pen letter
Poison pen letter
A poison pen letter is a letter or note containing unpleasant, abusive or malicious statements or accusations about the recipient or a third party. It is usually sent anonymously. Poison pen letters are usually composed and sent to upset the recipient...
s that leveled malicious charges against him and his priests.