Thomas John McDonnell
Encyclopedia
Thomas John McDonnell, D.D., (August 18, 1894–February 25, 1961) was the Roman Catholic coadjutor bishop
, cum jure successionis, of what is now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
, West Virginia
.
. He was ordained to the priesthood
for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
on September 20, 1919. McDonnell was admitted as an affiliated member, number 87, to Marist College
in 1944.
appointed
McDonnell auxiliary bishop
of the New York Archdiocese. He was ordained on September 15, 1947, by Cardinal Francis Spellman who was his principal consecrator. His principal co-consecrators were Cardinals Richard James Cushing and James Francis Aloysius McIntyre. On March 15, 1951, Pope Pius XII, appointed McDonnell to the Wheeling Diocese with the right to succeed Bishop John Joseph Swint
.
in honor of St. Patrick with Spellman presiding. This high mass was said for St. Patrick's Cathedral
's patron saint
with 3,000 parishioners in attendance and was covered in the New York Times' sports section.
On June 6, 1948, McDonnell presided at a solemn Pontifical Mass celebrating the golden jubilee
of Monsignor
John J. E. O'Brien who was the pastor of St. Agnes Church in New York, New York.
s of two martyr
s, Saints Urban
and Felician
, in Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel.
On May 16, 1954, All Saints Catholic Church was dedicated by McDonnell in Bridgeport, West Virginia
.
On December 15, 1957, McDonnell dedicated Sacred Heart Catholic Church's school after saying the 11:00 a.m. mass. He had previously dedicated its church on May 27, 1951.
McDonnell was the principal consecrator of Bishop Patrick Joseph Byrne. He was the principal co-consecrator of Bishops Stephen Anthony Appelhans, John Joseph Boardman
, Richard Henry Ackerman
and Archbishop Leo Clement Andrew Arkfeld.
.
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...
, cum jure successionis, of what is now the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States comprising the state of West Virginia. It is a conjoined diocese with two centers of worship, one day expected to be split into two separate...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
.
Education and pastoral assignment
Thomas John McDonnell 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...
. He was ordained 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....
for the Roman Catholic 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...
on September 20, 1919. McDonnell was admitted as an affiliated member, number 87, to Marist College
Marist College
Marist College is a private liberal arts college on the east bank of the Hudson River near Poughkeepsie, New York. The site was established in 1905 by Marist Brothers, and the college was chartered in 1929...
in 1944.
Episcopacy
On July 2, 1947, Pope Pius XIIPope 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....
appointed
Appointment of Catholic bishops
The appointment of bishops in the Catholic Church is a complicated process. Outgoing bishops, neighbouring bishops, the faithful, the apostolic nuncio, various members of the Roman Curia, and the pope all have a role in the selection...
McDonnell 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 New York Archdiocese. He was ordained on September 15, 1947, by Cardinal Francis Spellman who was his principal consecrator. His principal co-consecrators were Cardinals Richard James Cushing and James Francis Aloysius McIntyre. On March 15, 1951, Pope Pius XII, appointed McDonnell to the Wheeling Diocese with the right to succeed Bishop John Joseph Swint
John Joseph Swint
John Joseph Swint was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Wheeling from 1922 until his death in 1962.-Biography:...
.
Tridentine Masses
On March 17, 1948, McDonnell celebrated a Pontifical High MassPontifical High Mass
In the context of the Tridentine Mass of the Roman Catholic Church, a Pontifical High Mass, also called Solemn Pontifical Mass, is a Solemn or High Mass celebrated by a bishop using certain prescribed ceremonies. The term is also used among Anglo-Catholic Anglicans.-Origins:In the early Church,...
in honor of St. Patrick with Spellman presiding. This high mass was said for 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...
's patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
with 3,000 parishioners in attendance and was covered in the New York Times' sports section.
On June 6, 1948, McDonnell presided at a solemn Pontifical Mass celebrating the golden jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
of 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"...
John J. E. O'Brien who was the pastor of St. Agnes Church in New York, New York.
Consecrations and dedications
On October 24, 1953, McDonnell consecrated Marist College's altar with the relicRelic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
s of two martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s, Saints Urban
Pope Urban I
Pope Saint Urban I was Pope from 14 October 222 to 230. He was born in Rome, Roman Empire and succeeded St. Callixtus I who had been martyred. For centuries it was believed that Urban too was martyred...
and Felician
Primus and Felician
Saints Primus and Felician were brothers who suffered martyrdom about the year 297 during the Diocletian persecution. The "Martyrologium Hieronymianum" Saints Primus and Felician (Felicianus) were brothers who suffered martyrdom about the year 297 during the Diocletian persecution. The...
, in Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Chapel.
On May 16, 1954, All Saints Catholic Church was dedicated by McDonnell in Bridgeport, West Virginia
Bridgeport, West Virginia
Bridgeport is a city in Harrison County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 7,306 at the 2000 census.The town of Bridgeport had its beginning in pre-Revolutionary War times. In 1764, John Simpson entered the area and gave his name to Simpson Creek. Bridgeport was chartered in 1816....
.
On December 15, 1957, McDonnell dedicated Sacred Heart Catholic Church's school after saying the 11:00 a.m. mass. He had previously dedicated its church on May 27, 1951.
McDonnell was the principal consecrator of Bishop Patrick Joseph Byrne. He was the principal co-consecrator of Bishops Stephen Anthony Appelhans, John Joseph Boardman
John Joseph Boardman
John Joseph Boardman was Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Brooklyn, New York and Titular Bishop of Gunela.He was born on November 7, 1893 in Brooklyn and ordained a parish priest on May 21, 1921, aged 27. The Principal Consecrator was Archbishop Thomas Molloy....
, Richard Henry Ackerman
Richard Henry Ackerman
Richard Henry Ackerman, C.S.Sp. was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. A member of the Holy Ghost Fathers, he served as Bishop of Covington from 1960 to 1978.-Biography:...
and Archbishop Leo Clement Andrew Arkfeld.
Death
McDonnell died on February 25, 1961, before he was able to succeed Swint to become bishop of Wheeling. He had been a priest for 41 years and a bishop for 13 years. Swint died on November 23, 1962, one year later.Legacy
On February 25, 2010, McDonnell was remembered during a mass celebrating the 49th anniversary of his death at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph of WheelingCathedral of Saint Joseph of Wheeling
The Cathedral of Saint Joseph of Wheeling or Saint Joseph's Cathedral is the seat of the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. In addition to being the seat of the bishop, the cathedral is home to the oldest congregation in the city of Wheeling, West Virginia.-History:The...
.
Sources
- http://www.dwc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=685&Itemid=814Former Bishops dwc.orgRoman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-CharlestonThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States comprising the state of West Virginia. It is a conjoined diocese with two centers of worship, one day expected to be split into two separate...
Retrieved: 2010-05-07.] - http://www.dwc.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston dwc.orgRoman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-CharlestonThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States comprising the state of West Virginia. It is a conjoined diocese with two centers of worship, one day expected to be split into two separate...
Retrieved: 2010-05-07.]