Sylvester Horton Rosecrans
Encyclopedia
Sylvester Horton Rosecrans (February 5, 1827—October 21, 1878) was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Columbus
from 1868 until his death in 1878.
, Ohio
, to Crandell and Jane (née Hopkins) Rosecrans. His father's family originally came from Amsterdam
in the Netherlands
, and settled near Wilkes-Barre
, Pennsylvania
before moving to Kingston Township
, Ohio
. His mother was the granddaughter of Stephen Hopkins
, the Colonial Governor of Rhode Island
and a signer of the Declaration of Independence
, and grandniece of Esek Hopkins
, the Commander-in-Chief
of the Continental Navy
during the Revolutionary War
. Sylvester was the youngest of four sons, who included William Rosecrans
, who would later become a famed Union
general of the Civil War
.
Raised in a Methodist
family, Rosecrans was raised in Licking County
and attended Kenyon College
, an Episcopalian
institution. While attending Kenyon, he received a letter from his brother William in 1845, announcing his conversion
to Catholicism
. Sylvester was received into the Catholic Church that same year and, leaving Kenyon, enrolled at St. John's College
in Fordham, New York
. After graduating from St. John's in 1846 with high honors, he decided to enter the priesthood
and was sent by Archbishop John Baptist Purcell
to study at the College of the Propaganda
in Rome
. He there earned his doctorate in theology
and was ordained
priest by Cardinal Costantino Patrizi
June 5, 1852.
After touring through Italy
, France
, England
, and Ireland
, Rosecrans returned to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
and was appointed pastor
of St. Thomas Church in Cincinnati
. He was then assigned as a curate
at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral
and a professor
at Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West
. In 1859 Archbishop Purcell opened a college
for Catholic youth in connection with the seminary
and named Rosecrans as its President. However, the college was later closed with the outbreak of the Civil War.
On December 23, 1861, Rosecrans was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of Cincinnati and Titular Bishop
of Pompeiopolis
by Pope Pius IX
. He received his episcopal consecration
on March 25, 1862 from Archbishop Purcell, with Bishops Martin John Spalding
and John Henry Luers
serving as co-consecrators
, at St. Peter's Cathedral. Following the consecration of Edward Fitzgerald
as Bishop of Little Rock
, Arkansas
, in February 1867, Rosecrans replaced him as pastor of St. Patrick Church in Columbus
.
He was named the first Bishop
of the newly-erected Diocese of Columbus
on March 3, 1868. The new diocese included Central, South Central, and Southeastern Ohio, roughly running from the Scioto River
on the west across to the Ohio River
along the east, and comprised 32 parishes
and about 41,000 Catholics. No railroad had as yet penetrated some of the counties, and Rosecrans was forced to make many of the journeys on his visitations by stagecoach
, wagon
, or steamboat
. He was excused from participating in the First Vatican Council
(1869–1870) in order to attend to the needs of his new diocese.
During his 10-year-long tenure, Rosecrans founded St. Aloysius Seminary for young men in 1871, solemnly dedicated the diocese to the Sacred Heart
in December 1873, and established the diocesan newspaper
, The Catholic Columbian, in 1875. He also founded St. Mary's of the Springs Academy
for Young Ladies, St. Joseph's Academy, St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum
, and Sacred Heart Convent
. But his greatest achievement was the construction of St. Joseph's Cathedral, which cost $220,000 and was consecrated on October 20, 1878. He died the next day, aged 51.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
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 Columbus
Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus is a Roman Catholic diocese in the Ecclesiastical Province of Cincinnati covering 23 counties in Ohio. The episcopal see of the diocese is situated at Columbus, Ohio. The diocese was erected on March 3, 1868 by Pope Pius IX out of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati...
from 1868 until his death in 1878.
Biography
Sylvester Rosecrans was born in HomerHomer, Ohio
Homer is an unincorporated community in northern Burlington Township, Licking County, Ohio, United States. Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 43027. It lies along State Route 661 between Granville and Mount Vernon....
, 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...
, to Crandell and Jane (née Hopkins) Rosecrans. His father's family originally came from Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and settled near Wilkes-Barre
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
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...
before moving to Kingston Township
Kingston Township, Delaware County, Ohio
Kingston Township is one of the eighteen townships of Delaware County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,603 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the northeastern part of the county, it borders the following townships:...
, 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...
. His mother was the granddaughter of Stephen Hopkins
Stephen Hopkins (politician)
Stephen Hopkins was an American political leader from Rhode Island who signed the Declaration of Independence. He served as the Chief Justice and Governor of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and was a Delegate to the Colonial Congress in Albany in 1754 and to the...
, the Colonial Governor of Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
and a signer of the Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
, and grandniece of Esek Hopkins
Esek Hopkins
Commodore Esek Hopkins was the first and only Commander in Chief of the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. He was also an accomplished merchant captain and privateer.-Early life and career:...
, the Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the Continental Navy
Continental Navy
The Continental Navy was the navy of the United States during the American Revolutionary War, and was formed in 1775. Through the efforts of the Continental Navy's patron, John Adams and vigorous Congressional support in the face of stiff opposition, the fleet cumulatively became relatively...
during 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...
. Sylvester was the youngest of four sons, who included William Rosecrans
William Rosecrans
William Starke Rosecrans was an inventor, coal-oil company executive, diplomat, politician, and United States Army officer. He gained fame for his role as a Union general during the American Civil War...
, who would later become a famed Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
general of 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...
.
Raised in a Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
family, Rosecrans was raised in Licking County
Licking County, Ohio
Licking County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 166,492. Its county seat is Newark and is named for the salt licks that were in the area....
and attended Kenyon College
Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
, an Episcopalian
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
institution. While attending Kenyon, he received a letter from his brother William in 1845, announcing his conversion
Religious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
to Catholicism
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...
. Sylvester was received into the Catholic Church that same year and, leaving Kenyon, enrolled at St. John's College
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
in Fordham, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. After graduating from St. John's in 1846 with high honors, he decided 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....
and was sent 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:...
to study at the College of the 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:...
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...
. He there earned his doctorate in theology
Doctor of Sacred Theology
The Doctor of Sacred Theology is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church....
and 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....
priest by Cardinal Costantino Patrizi
Costantino Patrizi Naro
Costantino Patrizi Naro JUD was a long-serving Italian Cardinal who became Dean of the College of Cardinals. Cardinal Benedetto Naro was his great-uncle.-Biography:...
June 5, 1852.
After touring through Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, 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...
, and 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...
, Rosecrans returned to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati covers the southwest region of the U.S. state of Ohio, including the greater Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan areas. The Archbishop of Cincinnati is Most Rev...
and was 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 St. Thomas Church in Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. He was then assigned 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. Peter in Chains Cathedral
Saint Peter in Chains Cathedral
Saint Peter in Chains Cathedral is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It is a Greek revival structure located at 8th and Plum Streets in downtown Cincinnati...
and 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...
at Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West
Athenaeum of Ohio
The Athenaeum of Ohio – Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West, originally St. Francis Xavier Seminary, is the third-oldest Roman Catholic seminary in the United States and is currently located at 6616 Beechmont Avenue in the Cincinnati, Ohio neighborhood of Mt. Washington, in the former Saint...
. In 1859 Archbishop Purcell opened a college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
for Catholic youth in connection with the seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
and named Rosecrans as its President. However, the college was later closed with the outbreak of the Civil War.
On December 23, 1861, Rosecrans 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 Cincinnati 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 Pompeiopolis
Pompeiopolis
Pompeiopolis was a Roman city-state in ancient Paphlagonia, situated today in the Taşköprü district, Kastamonu, Turkey. The exact location is 45 km north of Kastamonu, to the north of Taşköprü, in the valley of the Gökırmak...
by Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
. He received his episcopal consecration
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....
on March 25, 1862 from Archbishop Purcell, with Bishops Martin John Spalding
Martin John Spalding
Martin John Spalding was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Louisville and Archbishop of Baltimore .-Early life and education:...
and John Henry Luers
John Henry Luers
John Henry Luers was nominated first bishop of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and consecrated in Cincinnati, Ohio, 10 January 1858....
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. Peter's Cathedral. Following the consecration of Edward Fitzgerald
Edward Fitzgerald (bishop)
Edward Mary Fitzgerald was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Little Rock from 1867 until his death in 1907.-Biography:...
as Bishop of Little Rock
Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Little Rock is a Roman Catholic diocese in Arkansas. It was founded on November 28, 1843.-History:A dozen Catholic priests accompanied Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto down the Mississippi River in 1541 to a Quapaw Indian village near present-day Helena-West Helena,...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, in February 1867, Rosecrans replaced him as pastor of St. Patrick Church in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
.
He was named the 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...
of the newly-erected Diocese of Columbus
Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus is a Roman Catholic diocese in the Ecclesiastical Province of Cincinnati covering 23 counties in Ohio. The episcopal see of the diocese is situated at Columbus, Ohio. The diocese was erected on March 3, 1868 by Pope Pius IX out of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati...
on March 3, 1868. The new diocese included Central, South Central, and Southeastern Ohio, roughly running from the Scioto River
Scioto River
The Scioto River is a river in central and southern Ohio more than 231 miles in length. It rises in Auglaize County in west central Ohio, flows through Columbus, Ohio, where it collects its largest tributary, the Olentangy River, and meets the Ohio River at Portsmouth...
on the west across to 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...
along the east, and comprised 32 parishes
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
and about 41,000 Catholics. No railroad had as yet penetrated some of the counties, and Rosecrans was forced to make many of the journeys on his visitations by stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
, wagon
Wagon
A wagon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals; it was formerly often called a wain, and if low and sideless may be called a dray, trolley or float....
, or steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
. He was excused from participating in the First Vatican Council
First Vatican Council
The First Vatican Council was convoked by Pope Pius IX on 29 June 1868, after a period of planning and preparation that began on 6 December 1864. This twentieth ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, held three centuries after the Council of Trent, opened on 8 December 1869 and adjourned...
(1869–1870) in order to attend to the needs of his new diocese.
During his 10-year-long tenure, Rosecrans founded St. Aloysius Seminary for young men in 1871, solemnly dedicated the diocese to the Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
in December 1873, and established the diocesan newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, The Catholic Columbian, in 1875. He also founded St. Mary's of the Springs Academy
Academy
An academy is an institution of higher learning, research, or honorary membership.The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 385 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and skill, north of Athens, Greece. In the western world academia is the...
for Young Ladies, St. Joseph's Academy, St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
, and Sacred Heart Convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
. But his greatest achievement was the construction of St. Joseph's Cathedral, which cost $220,000 and was consecrated on October 20, 1878. He died the next day, aged 51.