John Tuohill Murphy
Encyclopedia
John Baptist Tuohill Murphy, C.S.Sp. (24 June 1854 – 16 April 1926) was an Irish
Roman Catholic priest
in the Congregation of the Holy Ghost
, who served from 1886 to 1899 as the president of the Pittsburgh Catholic College, which was later renamed Duquesne University
in 1911 when it gained university
status. Later, Murphy was consecrated as a bishop
and administered the Roman Catholic Diocese of Port-Louis
in Mauritius
until his death.
, in County Kerry
, Ireland
. He received a grounding in the Classics from his granduncle, Father James Tuohill, who was living at the time with the Murphy family. Murphy was introduced to the French College
at Blackrock at the age of fourteen, where he made a name for himself as a debater and a contributor to the college's literary journal. He also won first prize for Greek and Latin verse.
In 1872, Murphy volunteered to answer a call for help at St. Mary's College
in Trinidad
. As a prefect at the college, "John T", as he was known, was entrusted with the top classes preparing for the Cambridge Local Examination. His success was such that he was kept on in that position for five and a half years. During his time at St. Mary's, he made a thorough self-study of theology and philosophy.
Murphy was ordained to the priesthood in September 1878, and made his profession in the Congregation of the Holy Ghost in December of that year. He was afterwards sent to Rockwell College
, where he took charge of studies and discipline and remained for seven and a half years. During that time, his name was proposed for a Fellowship at the Royal University of Ireland
by Archbishop Thomas Croke
.
Murphy was installed on 19 August 1886, and found staff morale dangerously low. A great issue of dissatisfaction was related to the school's curriculum. Although Murphy had been educated under a philosophy that stressed classical studies
for the purpose of producing cultured gentlemen, he soon learned that the children of Pittsburgh's Catholic immigrants were not yet being admitted to the professions of law and medicine that merited this type of study. Rather, a college education was seen as upward mobility from manual labor to white-collar
office jobs: thus, the "commercial" course had always been the most popular.
In response to this atmosphere, one of Murphy's first acts upon arriving to Pittsburgh was to conduct a survey of the students at the College. He concluded that more courses in physics
and chemistry
were needed, and established a well-appointed laboratory. Murphy enlarged the Classics and Commercial departments, and added courses in dramatics, debating, and elocution; the College's first bachelor's degree
s were conferred in 1889. Murphy's great love of public speaking inspired him to personally direct a production of Euripides
' Alcestis
in the original Greek
in 1891. Though that sort of production was not well-suited to Pittsburgh's working-class population, the play was a success, and earned the College $1,000—most likely because Murphy had decided to provide verbal introductions in English before each act.
Murphy's accomplishments included the 1887 establishment of an Association of Past Students, which became the predecessor to the Duquesne University Alumni Association. Another shrewd decision was made when the South Fork Hunting and Fishing Club's dam broke on the Conemaugh River
in 1889, causing the Johnstown Flood
. As a result, Pittsburgh's drinking water became even more undrinkable than usual. Murphy had a 150 feet (45.7 m) well dug behind the Administration Building in response, and the pump became a gathering place for students until it was capped in 1938.
Perhaps the most enduring symbol of Murphy's administration is Duquesne University's chapel. The Gothic Revival
chapel was constructed in brick to match the adjoining the Administration Building; it was begun in 1893, but not finished until 1904. Murphy personally secured the relics of the martyred saint Romulus
for placement under the high altar
.
Murphy's term ended in 1899, but his presidency is credited with having laid the foundation for the successful administration of Father Martin Hehir
, C.S.Sp., which saw the Pittsburgh Catholic College elevated to university status and renamed Duquesne University of the Holy Ghost in 1911.
Murphy serving as the superior of the Holy Ghost Fathers's community in Pittsburgh from 1893 to 1899, during which time he was much in demand as a lecturer on education. He made the acquaintance of many influential Catholic leaders in America: he was asked by Cardinal James Gibbons to open a school in Baltimore
, and by Bishop Michael O'Connor
to found one in Philadelphia. He assisted at the foundation of Catholic University
in Washington, D.C.
Further associations included Archbishop John Ireland
of Saint Paul, Minnesota
, and Mother Katharine Drexel
, who was later to be canonized
in 2000. Murphy made an attempt to convert Margaret Anna Cusack
, called "the Nun of Kenmare", back to Catholicism in the last years of her life, but failed, to substantial public embarrassment. Overall, his last years in Pittsburgh were not peaceful, as the Spiritan community there was divided between the Irish and the Germans, and his "autocratic" approach did not mollify the tension.
The year 1899 saw Murphy return to Europe and accept an assignment as headmaster of his alma mater, Blackrock College. He attempted a foundation at Priors Park in Bath in 1904, but little came of this project. Nonetheless, he spent two years there, and was called on to lecture to the Catholic students at the University of Oxford
, where his talk on theological modernism
was well received.
Late in 1906, Murphy returned to America, as his confreres voted him their provincial. He subsequently founded the Holy Ghost Apostolic College—today known as Holy Ghost Preparatory School
—in Cornwells Heights
near Philadelphia, and constructed it in a style reminiscent of an Oxford college. During that time, Murphy renewed his acquaintance with Katharine Drexel and actively encouraged his congregation to take part in her parishes and projects.
Murphy was recalled once again to Ireland in 1910. In an effort to expand his activities there, he made a deal with the wealthy Mother Drexel—in return for money, he would send twenty Spiritan scholastics to help her in her ministry to America's African American
population. The First World War
, however, put obstacles in the way of his plans for expansion.
accorded Murphy the rare honor of a Doctorate of Theology "Autodidactic
" in 1916. In the same year, he was appointed the bishop of Port Louis, Mauritius. He was ordained to that bishopric in Dublin's pro-cathedral
. Upon arriving in Mauritius, one of Murphy's first acts was to introduce the cause of canonization
for Father Jacques-Désiré Laval
. In 1920, Murphy built a seminary at Quatre Bornes
, which later became a lay college. As bishop, Murphy was especially noted for his concern for the poor and sick—he regularly visited the infirm in their homes and hospitals, and put pressure on municipal authorities to provide water and roads in poor areas. When his health began to fail, he requested a coadjutor bishop
and was given Father James Leen, C.S.Sp. Murphy died in Port Louis on 16 April 1926, at the age of 71.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
Roman Catholic priest
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 the Congregation of the Holy Ghost
Holy Ghost Fathers
The Congregation of the Holy Spirit is a Roman Catholic congregation of priests, lay brothers, and since Vatican II, lay associates...
, who served from 1886 to 1899 as the president of the Pittsburgh Catholic College, which was later renamed Duquesne University
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
in 1911 when it gained university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
status. Later, Murphy was consecrated as a bishop
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....
and administered the Roman Catholic Diocese of Port-Louis
Roman Catholic Diocese of Port-Louis
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Port-Louis is a Roman Catholic diocese located in the city of Port Louis, the capital city of Mauritius.-History:...
in Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
until his death.
Early life
John Baptist Tuohill Murphy was born on 24 June 1854 in Meenbanivan, a village near CastleislandCastleisland
Castleisland is a town and commercial centre in County Kerry in south west Ireland. The town is renowned for the width of its main street. Castleisland has a population of 2,170....
, in County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
, 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 received a grounding in the Classics from his granduncle, Father James Tuohill, who was living at the time with the Murphy family. Murphy was introduced to the French College
Blackrock College
Blackrock College is a Catholic voluntary secondary school for boys aged 14–18, located in Williamstown, Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland. The College was founded by French missionaries in 1860, to act as a school and civil service training centre. Set in of grounds, it has an illustrious...
at Blackrock at the age of fourteen, where he made a name for himself as a debater and a contributor to the college's literary journal. He also won first prize for Greek and Latin verse.
In 1872, Murphy volunteered to answer a call for help at St. Mary's College
Saint Mary's College, Trinidad and Tobago
Saint Mary's College is a government-assisted Catholic secondary school situated on Frederick Street in the heart of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The school was established in 1863 with only a handful of students but enrollment today is close to 1200. The school's motto 'Virtus et Scientia'...
in Trinidad
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. As a prefect at the college, "John T", as he was known, was entrusted with the top classes preparing for the Cambridge Local Examination. His success was such that he was kept on in that position for five and a half years. During his time at St. Mary's, he made a thorough self-study of theology and philosophy.
Murphy was ordained to the priesthood in September 1878, and made his profession in the Congregation of the Holy Ghost in December of that year. He was afterwards sent to Rockwell College
Rockwell College
Rockwell College, founded in 1864, is a private Catholic secondary school near Cashel, South Tipperary in Ireland. It offers day as well as full boarding. Rockwell is run by the Holy Ghost Fathers.-Politics:...
, where he took charge of studies and discipline and remained for seven and a half years. During that time, his name was proposed for a Fellowship at the Royal University of Ireland
Royal University of Ireland
The Royal University of Ireland was founded in accordance with the University Education Act 1879 as an examining and degree-awarding university based on the model of the University of London. A Royal Charter was issued on April 27, 1880 and examinations were opened to candidates irrespective of...
by Archbishop Thomas Croke
Thomas Croke
Thomas William Croke D.D. was the second Catholic Bishop of Auckland, New Zealand and later Archbishop of Cashel and Emly in Ireland...
.
Rector of Pittsburgh Catholic College
The success Murphy enjoyed in education at Blackrock inspired his assignment in 1886 to Pittsburgh, where he was sent to help the struggling Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost. Murphy was to remain at the College for thirteen years in the role of Rector or President (the use of one title over the other was fairly contentious at the time).Murphy was installed on 19 August 1886, and found staff morale dangerously low. A great issue of dissatisfaction was related to the school's curriculum. Although Murphy had been educated under a philosophy that stressed classical studies
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
for the purpose of producing cultured gentlemen, he soon learned that the children of Pittsburgh's Catholic immigrants were not yet being admitted to the professions of law and medicine that merited this type of study. Rather, a college education was seen as upward mobility from manual labor to white-collar
White-collar worker
The term white-collar worker refers to a person who performs professional, managerial, or administrative work, in contrast with a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labor...
office jobs: thus, the "commercial" course had always been the most popular.
In response to this atmosphere, one of Murphy's first acts upon arriving to Pittsburgh was to conduct a survey of the students at the College. He concluded that more courses in physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
were needed, and established a well-appointed laboratory. Murphy enlarged the Classics and Commercial departments, and added courses in dramatics, debating, and elocution; the College's first bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
s were conferred in 1889. Murphy's great love of public speaking inspired him to personally direct a production of Euripides
Euripides
Euripides was one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to him but according to the Suda it was ninety-two at most...
' Alcestis
Alcestis (play)
Alcestis is an Athenian tragedy by the ancient Greek playwright Euripides. It was first produced at the City Dionysia festival in 438 BCE. Euripides presented it as the final part of a tetralogy of unconnected plays in the competition of tragedies, for which he won second prize; this arrangement...
in the original Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
in 1891. Though that sort of production was not well-suited to Pittsburgh's working-class population, the play was a success, and earned the College $1,000—most likely because Murphy had decided to provide verbal introductions in English before each act.
Murphy's accomplishments included the 1887 establishment of an Association of Past Students, which became the predecessor to the Duquesne University Alumni Association. Another shrewd decision was made when the South Fork Hunting and Fishing Club's dam broke on the Conemaugh River
Conemaugh River
The Conemaugh River is a long tributary of the Kiskiminetas River in Westmoreland, Indiana, and Cambria counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.- Course :...
in 1889, causing the Johnstown Flood
Johnstown Flood
The Johnstown Flood occurred on May 31, 1889. It was the result of the catastrophic failure of the South Fork Dam situated upstream of the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA, made worse by several days of extremely heavy rainfall...
. As a result, Pittsburgh's drinking water became even more undrinkable than usual. Murphy had a 150 feet (45.7 m) well dug behind the Administration Building in response, and the pump became a gathering place for students until it was capped in 1938.
Perhaps the most enduring symbol of Murphy's administration is Duquesne University's chapel. The Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
chapel was constructed in brick to match the adjoining the Administration Building; it was begun in 1893, but not finished until 1904. Murphy personally secured the relics of the martyred saint Romulus
Donatus, Romulus, Secundian, and 86 Companions
Donatus, Romulus, Secundian, and 86 Companions were a group of Christians who were martyred at Gruaro , near Venice, during the Diocletian persecution. Their feast day is celebrated on February 17....
for placement under the high altar
Altar (Catholicism)
In the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church, the altar is where the Sacrifice of the Mass is offered. Mass may sometimes be celebrated outside a sacred place, but never without an altar, or at least an altar stone.-Precedent:...
.
Murphy's term ended in 1899, but his presidency is credited with having laid the foundation for the successful administration of Father Martin Hehir
Martin Hehir
Martin A. Hehir , C.S.Sp. was a Roman Catholic priest and the fourth president of Pittsburgh Catholic College . Hehir served as president of the university from 1899 until 1930...
, C.S.Sp., which saw the Pittsburgh Catholic College elevated to university status and renamed Duquesne University of the Holy Ghost in 1911.
Activities in America and Ireland
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...
, and by Bishop Michael O'Connor
Michael O'Connor (bishop)
Michael O'Connor, S.J. was an Irish-born clergyman of Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Pittsburgh and Bishop of Erie .-Early life and education:...
to found one in Philadelphia. He assisted at the foundation of Catholic University
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Further associations included Archbishop John Ireland
John Ireland (archbishop)
John Ireland was the third bishop and first archbishop of Saint Paul, Minnesota . He became both a religious as well as civic leader in Saint Paul during the turn of the century...
of Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, and Mother Katharine Drexel
Katharine Drexel
Saint Katharine Drexel, S.B.S., was an American Religious Sister, heiress, philanthropist and educator, later canonized as a Roman Catholic saint.-Life and religious work:...
, who was later to be canonized
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
in 2000. Murphy made an attempt to convert Margaret Anna Cusack
Margaret Anna Cusack
Margaret Anna Cusack was in order, an Irish Anglican nun, then a Roman Catholic nun and, later, a Religious Sister, as well as being the foundress of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace.-Early life:...
, called "the Nun of Kenmare", back to Catholicism in the last years of her life, but failed, to substantial public embarrassment. Overall, his last years in Pittsburgh were not peaceful, as the Spiritan community there was divided between the Irish and the Germans, and his "autocratic" approach did not mollify the tension.
The year 1899 saw Murphy return to Europe and accept an assignment as headmaster of his alma mater, Blackrock College. He attempted a foundation at Priors Park in Bath in 1904, but little came of this project. Nonetheless, he spent two years there, and was called on to lecture to the Catholic students at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, where his talk on theological modernism
Modernism (Roman Catholicism)
Modernism refers to theological opinions expressed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but with influence reaching into the 21st century, which are characterized by a break with the past. Catholic modernists form an amorphous group. The term "modernist" appears in Pope Pius X's 1907...
was well received.
Late in 1906, Murphy returned to America, as his confreres voted him their provincial. He subsequently founded the Holy Ghost Apostolic College—today known as Holy Ghost Preparatory School
Holy Ghost Preparatory School
Holy Ghost Preparatory School is a private, college preparatory school for young men in Cornwells Heights, Bensalem, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1897 by the Spiritan missionaries, it is also a Catholic school....
—in Cornwells Heights
Cornwells Heights-Eddington, Pennsylvania
Cornwells Heights-Eddington is a census-designated place in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,406 at the 2000 census....
near Philadelphia, and constructed it in a style reminiscent of an Oxford college. During that time, Murphy renewed his acquaintance with Katharine Drexel and actively encouraged his congregation to take part in her parishes and projects.
Murphy was recalled once again to Ireland in 1910. In an effort to expand his activities there, he made a deal with the wealthy Mother Drexel—in return for money, he would send twenty Spiritan scholastics to help her in her ministry to America's African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
population. The First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, however, put obstacles in the way of his plans for expansion.
Bishop of Port Louis
Pope Benedict XVPope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV , born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, reigned as Pope from 3 September 1914 to 22 January 1922...
accorded Murphy the rare honor of a Doctorate of Theology "Autodidactic
Autodidacticism
Autodidacticism is self-education or self-directed learning. In a sense, autodidacticism is "learning on your own" or "by yourself", and an autodidact is a person who teaches him or herself something. The term has its roots in the Ancient Greek words αὐτός and διδακτικός...
" in 1916. In the same year, he was appointed the bishop of Port Louis, Mauritius. He was ordained to that bishopric in Dublin's pro-cathedral
St Mary's Pro-Cathedral
St Mary's Church , known also as St Mary's Pro-Cathedral or simply the Pro-Cathedral, is a pro-cathedral and is the episcopal seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland.-Status as "pro-cathedral":...
. Upon arriving in Mauritius, one of Murphy's first acts was to introduce the cause of canonization
Congregation for the Causes of Saints
The Congregation for the Causes of Saints is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the complex process that leads to the canonization of saints, passing through the steps of a declaration of "heroic virtues" and beatification...
for Father Jacques-Désiré Laval
Jacques-Désiré Laval
Jacques-Désiré Laval was a French Roman Catholic priest and missionary to Mauritius...
. In 1920, Murphy built a seminary at Quatre Bornes
Quatre Bornes
Quatre Bornes is a town in Mauritius, located in the Upper Plaines Wilhems District, between the towns of Rose Hill and Vacoas-Phoenix. Covering an area of over twenty thousand square kilometres, Quatre Bornes is linked by roads to the north, east, south and west of Mauritius...
, which later became a lay college. As bishop, Murphy was especially noted for his concern for the poor and sick—he regularly visited the infirm in their homes and hospitals, and put pressure on municipal authorities to provide water and roads in poor areas. When his health began to fail, he requested a 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...
and was given Father James Leen, C.S.Sp. Murphy died in Port Louis on 16 April 1926, at the age of 71.