Anthony O'Regan
The Right Reverend Anthony O'Regan | |
|---|---|
| Bishop-Emeritus of Chicago Titular Bishop of Dora | |
 | |
| Church | Catholic |
| Archdiocese | Chicago |
| Appointed | 9 December 1853 |
| Predecessor | James Oliver Van de Velde, S.J. |
| Successor | James Duggan |
| Previous post(s) | Apostolic Administrator of Quincy (1853-1857) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 29 November 1834 by John MacHale |
| Consecration | 25 July 1854 by Peter Kenrick |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 July 1809 Lavalleyroe, County Mayo, Ireland |
| Died | 13 November 1866 (aged 57) London, England |
| Alma mater | Maynooth College |
Anthony O'Regan (27 July 1809 – 13 November 1866) was an Irish prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Chicago in the United States from 1854 to 1858.
Biography
[edit]Anthony O'Regan was born in Lavalleyroe, County Mayo,[1] and studied at Maynooth College in Maynooth, Ireland.
O'Regan was ordained to the priesthood on 29 November 1834 for the Archdiocese of Tuam in Tuam, Ireland, by Archbishop John MacHale. [2]Following his 1834 ordination, MacHale appointed O'Regan as professor of Scripture, Hebrew and dogmatic theology at St. Jarlath's College in Tuam. He was named president of the college in 1844.[3]
In 1849, Archbishop Peter Kenrick of the Archdiocese of St. Louis recruited O'Regan to head the newly-established theological seminary in Cardondelet, then a village near St. Louis, Missouri.[3]
On 9 December 1853, O'Regan was appointed the third bishop of Chicago by Pope Pius IX. He initially refused the appointment, feeling that his quiet scholarly background made him unsuitable for such an office, but accepted after the Holy See sent him a mandate in June 1854.[4] He received his episcopal consecration on 25 July 1854, from Archbishop Kenrick, with Bishops James Oliver Van de Velde, S.J., and John Henni serving as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral of St. Louis.[1] After a severe spell of nervous debility,[5] he finally reached Chicago and was solemnly installed as Bishop on the following 3 September.[2] He soon began construction on a new episcopal residence, completed in 1856 but later destroyed by the Great Chicago Fire in 1871.[4]
During his tenure, O'Regan established the Jesuits and the Redemptorists, and purchased property for several churches and Calvary Cemetery. A systematic administrator and strong disciplinarian, however, he excited much dissatisfaction among his clergy.[5] He was also accused of discriminating against his French-speaking congregations.[4][6] Distressed by the frequent opposition his administration met, he submitted his resignation in 1857; the Holy See accepted on 25 June 1858,[1] and named him Titular Bishop of Dora.[2]
O'Regan retired to London, England, where he befriended the likes of Nicholas Wiseman and Henry Edward Manning, and later died from liver disease at age 57.[4] His funeral Mass was celebrated by Archbishop MacHale at Tuam Cathedral, and his remains were buried in Cloonfad.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Meet the previous leaders of the church in Chicago", Chicago Catholic, 27 November 2016
- ^ a b c "Bishop Anthony O'Regan". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
- ^ a b "Archdiocese of Chicago". Catholic Encyclopedia. New Advent. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Clarke, Richard Henry. Lives of the deceased bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States.
- ^ a b Garraghan, Gilbert Joseph. The Catholic Church in Chicago, 1673–1871.
- ^ "Founding Fathers". Hidden Truths: Catholic Cemetery.
