Stephen Joseph Donahue
Encyclopedia
Stephen Joseph Donahue was an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as an auxiliary bishop
of the Archdiocese of New York
from 1934 to 1972.
, the fifth of ten children of Thomas P. and Dorothy (née Rentz) Donahue. His father was born in England
to Irish
parents, and his mother was born in Germany
. He received his early education at the parochial school
of Holy Name Church, run by the Christian Brothers
. He was encouraged by one of his teachers to enter the priesthood
. After graduating from Holy Name School in 1906, he attended Cathedral College
. He received the Cardinal's Medal for general excellence upon his graduation; the award was presented to him by the college's president, Father Patrick Joseph Hayes (who later became Archbishop of New York
in 1919).
He entered St. Joseph's Seminary
in Yonkers
in 1912. A year later, he won a scholarship to the Pontifical North American College
in Rome
, where he studied for five years. While in Rome, Donahue was ordained
a priest by Cardinal Basilio Pompilj
on May 22, 1918.
Following his return to New York, his first assignment was as an instructor of Sacred Scripture
and Latin
at Cathedral College, where he also served for a time as prefect of discipline. He was a curate
at the Church of the Blessed Sacrament and at St. Gregory's Church. In 1920, he became assistant secretary to Cardinal Hayes. He was advanced to secretary in 1922, and remained in that position until 1934. In his capacity as the Cardinal's secretary, he traveled extensively with Hayes, including several trips to Rome. He was named a Monsignor
in 1924.
On March 5, 1934, Donahue was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of New York and Titular Bishop
of Medea by Pope Pius XI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following May 1 from Cardinal Hayes, with Bishop Edward Mooney and Archbishop John Joseph Mitty
serving as co-consecrators
, at St. Patrick's Cathedral
. He selected as his episcopal motto
: Monstra te esse matrem (Latin
: "Show thyself a mother"). After his consecration, he was made pastor
of his childhood parish of Holy Name Church, and frequently represented Cardinal Hayes at religious conventions and other events. When Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli
, then-Vatican Secretary of State
and future Pope Pius XII, visited New York in 1936, Donahue took a leading role in greeting him. He also took a special interest in the Legion of Decency
, and served as a member of the motion picture committee of the National Catholic Welfare Council
.
Donahue served as Apostolic Administrator
of New York between the death of Cardinal Hayes and the appointment of Bishop Francis Spellman. Celebrated Requiem Mass
for Hayes. After thirty-eight years as a bishop, he resigned on May 3, 1972. He later died at the Mary Manning Walsh Home in Manhattan, aged 88.
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 an auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of the Archdiocese of New York
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York covers New York, Bronx, and Richmond counties in New York City , as well as Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties in New York state. There are 480 parishes...
from 1934 to 1972.
Biography
Stephen Donahue was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the fifth of ten children of Thomas P. and Dorothy (née Rentz) Donahue. His father was born in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to Irish
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...
parents, and his mother was born in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He received his early education at the parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
of Holy Name Church, run by the Christian Brothers
Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools
The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools is a Roman Catholic religious teaching congregation, founded in France by Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle and now based in Rome...
. He was encouraged by one of his teachers to enter 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....
. After graduating from Holy Name School in 1906, he attended Cathedral College
Cathedral Preparatory Seminary (Queens)
Cathedral Preparatory Seminary is a private, Roman Catholic high school and seminary in Elmhurst, Queens, New York. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn...
. He received the Cardinal's Medal for general excellence upon his graduation; the award was presented to him by the college's president, Father Patrick Joseph Hayes (who later became Archbishop of New York
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York covers New York, Bronx, and Richmond counties in New York City , as well as Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties in New York state. There are 480 parishes...
in 1919).
He entered St. Joseph's Seminary
St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie
St. Joseph's Seminary and College, sometimes referred to as Dunwoodie, after the Yonkers, New York neighborhood it is located in, is the major seminary of the Archdiocese of New York. Its primary mission is to form men for the priesthood in the Catholic Church...
in Yonkers
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
in 1912. A year later, he won a scholarship to the 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...
, where he studied for five years. While in Rome, Donahue 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....
a priest by Cardinal Basilio Pompilj
Basilio Pompilj
Basilio Pompilj was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Vicar General of Rome from 1913 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1911.-Biography:...
on May 22, 1918.
Following his return to New York, his first assignment was as an instructor of Sacred Scripture
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
at Cathedral College, where he also served for a time as prefect of discipline. He was 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 the Church of the Blessed Sacrament and at St. Gregory's Church. In 1920, he became assistant secretary to Cardinal Hayes. He was advanced to secretary in 1922, and remained in that position until 1934. In his capacity as the Cardinal's secretary, he traveled extensively with Hayes, including several trips to Rome. He was named a Monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
in 1924.
On March 5, 1934, Donahue was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of New York and 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 Medea by Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
. 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 May 1 from Cardinal Hayes, with Bishop Edward Mooney and Archbishop John Joseph Mitty
John Joseph Mitty
John Joseph Mitty was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the third Bishop of Salt Lake City and the fourth Archbishop of San Francisco .-Early life and education:...
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...
, at St. Patrick's Cathedral
St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
The Cathedral of St. Patrick is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral church in the United States...
. He selected as his episcopal motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
: Monstra te esse matrem (Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
: "Show thyself a mother"). After his consecration, he was made 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 his childhood parish of Holy Name Church, and frequently represented Cardinal Hayes at religious conventions and other events. When Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
, then-Vatican Secretary of State
Cardinal Secretary of State
The Cardinal Secretary of State—officially Secretary of State of His Holiness The Pope—presides over the Holy See, usually known as the "Vatican", Secretariat of State, which is the oldest and most important dicastery of the Roman Curia...
and future Pope Pius XII, visited New York in 1936, Donahue took a leading role in greeting him. He also took a special interest in the Legion of Decency
National Legion of Decency
The National Legion of Decency was an organization dedicated to identifying and combating objectionable content, from the point of view of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, in motion pictures...
, and served as a member of the motion picture committee of the National Catholic Welfare Council
National Catholic Welfare Council
The National Catholic Welfare Council was the annual meeting of the American Catholic hierarchy and its standing secretariat; it was established in 1919 as the successor to the emergency organization, the National Catholic War Council....
.
Donahue served as 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 New York between the death of Cardinal Hayes and the appointment of Bishop Francis Spellman. Celebrated Requiem Mass
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
for Hayes. After thirty-eight years as a bishop, he resigned on May 3, 1972. He later died at the Mary Manning Walsh Home in Manhattan, aged 88.