William Thomas Russell
Encyclopedia
William Thomas Russell was an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Charleston
from 1917 until his death in 1927.
, Maryland
, to William and Rose Russell. He received his early education at the parochial school
of St. Patrick's Church in his native city. At the age of fourteen, he entered St. Charles College
in Ellicott City
. Five years later, on account of failing health, he went to Loyola College, where he spent a year under the care of a physician. He then re-entered St. Charles, where he remained for four years before continuing his studies at the Pontifical North American College
in Rome
. His health again failing, he returned to the United States
and resumed his theological studies at St. Mary's Seminary
in Baltimore.
to the priesthood
by Cardinal James Gibbons. His first assignment was as pastor
of St. James Church in Hyattsville
. In addition to his pastoral duties, he studied at the Catholic University of America
in Washington, D.C.
, where he earned a Licentiate of Sacred Theology
. He remained at St. James until 1894, when he became private secretary
to Cardinal Gibbons and curate at the Cathedral of the Assumption
.
In 1908, Russell was named pastor of St. Patrick's Church in Washington, D.C. He there earned a reputation as an eminent preacher. In 1909, he inaugurated the Pan-American Mass, an annual liturgical celebration held at Patrick's on Thanksgiving
. Before being discontinued in 1914, the Mass was attended President William Howard Taft
and representatives of 21 American
republics. He was raised to the rank of Domestic Prelate
by Pope Pius X
in 1911, and named an honorary member of the Veterans of the Spanish War for his service as chaplain
at Camp Chickamauga
. He published Maryland, the Land of Sanctuary in 1907, and authored the article on the Archdiocese of Baltimore
in the Catholic Encyclopedia
.
, South Carolina
, by Pope Benedict XV
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on March 15, 1917 from Cardinal Gibbons, with Bishops John Monaghan
and Owen Corrigan
serving as co-consecrators
. He selected as his episcopal motto
: Allas Oves Habeo (Latin
: "I Have Other Sheep"). In addition to his episcopal duties, he served on the executive committee of the National Catholic War Council, and was head of the press department of the National Catholic Welfare Council
. Russell served as head of the Diocese of Charleston for ten years, until his death at the age of sixty-three. His relative John Joyce Russell
later served as Bishop of Charleston before becoming Bishop of Richmond.
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 Charleston
Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States and comprises the entire state of South Carolina, with Charleston as its see city. Currently, the diocese consists of 92 parishes and 24 missions...
from 1917 until his death in 1927.
Early life and education
William Russell was born in BaltimoreBaltimore
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...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, to William and Rose Russell. 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 St. Patrick's Church in his native city. At the age of fourteen, he entered St. Charles College
St. Charles College, Maryland
St. Charles College was a seminary college in Catonsville, Maryland, originally from Ellicott City, Maryland.- 1776:Charles Carroll of Carrollton signs the Declaration of Independence for Maryland. One of the wealthiest men in the Americas, Carroll staked his fortune on the American Revolution...
in Ellicott City
Ellicott City, Maryland
Ellicott City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland, United States. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. The population was 65,834 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Howard County...
. Five years later, on account of failing health, he went to Loyola College, where he spent a year under the care of a physician. He then re-entered St. Charles, where he remained for four years before continuing his studies at 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...
. His health again failing, he returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and resumed his theological studies at St. Mary's Seminary
St. Mary's Seminary and University
St. Mary's Seminary and University is a Roman Catholic seminary in Baltimore, Maryland; it was the first seminary founded in the United States of America.-History:...
in Baltimore.
Priesthood
On June 21, 1889, Russell was ordainedHoly 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 James Gibbons. His first assignment was as 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. James Church in Hyattsville
Hyattsville, Maryland
Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 17,557 at the 2000 census.- History :The city was named for its founder, Christopher Clark Hyatt. He purchased his first parcel of land in the area in March 1845...
. In addition to his pastoral duties, he studied at the Catholic University of America
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....
, where he earned a Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate of Sacred Theology is the title of the second cycle of studies of a Faculty of Theology offered by a pontifical universities or ecclesiastical faculties of sacred theology. An Ecclesiastical Faculty offers three cycles of study: Baccalaureate or fundamentals, Licentiate or specialized,...
. He remained at St. James until 1894, when he became private secretary
Personal assistant
A personal assistant or personal aide is someone who assists in daily business or personal tasks. It is common in design to have a PDA, or personal design assistant....
to Cardinal Gibbons and curate at the Cathedral of the Assumption
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also called the Baltimore Basilica, was the first Roman Catholic cathedral built in the United States, and was the first major religious building constructed in the nation after the adoption of the U.S. Constitution...
.
In 1908, Russell was named pastor of St. Patrick's Church in Washington, D.C. He there earned a reputation as an eminent preacher. In 1909, he inaugurated the Pan-American Mass, an annual liturgical celebration held at Patrick's on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
. Before being discontinued in 1914, the Mass was attended President William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
and representatives of 21 American
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
republics. He was raised to the rank of Domestic Prelate
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"...
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...
in 1911, and named an honorary member of the Veterans of the Spanish War for his service as chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
at Camp Chickamauga
Chickamauga, Georgia
Chickamauga is a city in Walker County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,245 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. He published Maryland, the Land of Sanctuary in 1907, and authored the article on the Archdiocese of Baltimore
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Baltimore is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. The archdiocese comprises the City of Baltimore as well as Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, and Washington Counties in Maryland...
in the Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Encyclopedia
The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
.
Episcopacy
On December 7, 1916, Russell was appointed the fifth Bishop of CharlestonRoman Catholic Diocese of Charleston
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States and comprises the entire state of South Carolina, with Charleston as its see city. Currently, the diocese consists of 92 parishes and 24 missions...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, 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 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 March 15, 1917 from Cardinal Gibbons, with Bishops John Monaghan
John James Joseph Monaghan
John James Joseph Monaghan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Wilmington from 1897 to 1925.-Biography:...
and Owen Corrigan
Owen Patrick Bernard Corrigan
Owen Patrick Bernard Corrigan was an American Roman Catholic clergyman.Owen Corrigan was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to John and Rosanna Corrigan. After graduating from high school, he attended St. Charles College in Catonsville and St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore...
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...
. 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...
: Allas Oves Habeo (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...
: "I Have Other Sheep"). In addition to his episcopal duties, he served on the executive committee of the National Catholic War Council, and was head of the press department 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....
. Russell served as head of the Diocese of Charleston for ten years, until his death at the age of sixty-three. His relative John Joyce Russell
John Joyce Russell
John Joyce Russell was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, serving as Bishop of Richmond from 1958 to 1973....
later served as Bishop of Charleston before becoming Bishop of Richmond.