Austin Dowling
Encyclopedia
Austin Dowling was the second Archbishop
and fourth bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul
and Minneapolis. He was appointed on January 31, 1919 and held the office to his death. He was known for his contributions to education and love of Church history
on April 6, 1868, to Daniel and Mary Teresa Santry Dowling. On April 19 was baptized
, and given his Christian name Daniel Austin. Not long after, his family moved to Newport, Rhode Island
. At Newport, he was a student at the Academy of the Sisters of Mercy. Dowling attended Manhattan College
in New York City
, and graduated with his A.B. degree with high honors in 1887.
Dowling made his theological studies at St. John's Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts, and at the Catholic University. He was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood on June 24, 1891. Afterwards, he worked on his graduate studies in theology and church history at the Catholic University.
After serving as a pastor in Warren, Rhode Island
for a year, Dowling went to the Brighton Seminary where, for two and a half years he taught Church History. History was always a passion of Dowling. Marvin O'Connell stated that he was "a man who was by taste, habit and profession an historian; he could not set about finding solutions to problems facing him until he examined those problems in the light of the past." Even his sermons as Bishop of Des Moines and as Archbishop of St. Paul were mainly of an historical character. He was one of the first to welcome the creation of the Catholic Historical Review, and one of the first life members of the American Catholic Historical Association.
Later, in 1896, Dowling spent two years as editor of the Providence Visitor, and became one of the better known Catholic editors in the United States. Afterwards, he was assistant at St. Joseph's, Providence, then pastor of St. Mary's, Warren and then rector of the Providence Cathedral. In 1912, the Holy See
elevated Dowling to the See of Des Moines, Iowa as Bishop. His peers saw the action as recognition of his talents, while Dowling felt as if he were being sent into "exile" in the West.
Dowling had a fine intellect and excellent organizational skills. As Bishop of Des Moines, Dowling was appreciated for his courage, simplicity, kindness, and especially his commitment to education. He founded a Catholic college in Des Moines.
In 1919, Dowling was appointed to be Archbishop of Saint Paul, Minnesota
. In his address at his installation on March 25, 1919, Dowling described himself as "the unknown, the unexpected, [and] the undistinguished successor of the great Archbishop Ireland." In the decade that followed, Dowling had many accomplishments, including: The establishment of the Archbishop Ireland's Education Fund. The improvement of St. Paul Seminary. Being on the board of Education of the Catholic National Welfare Conference.
During the last years of his life Archbishop Dowling's health was seriously impaired because his heart was not functioning normally, and the resultant circulatory disorders gave rise to complications that were life threatening on several occasions. During the summer of 1929 he collapsed while on a confirmation tour and a critical illness resulted. For a time he recovered to the point that he was able to walk on his own, but pneumonia
developed. Dowling lapsed into unconsciousness four hours before his peaceful death in the late morning of Saturday, November 29, 1930, at his residence on Summit Avenue, directly across from the St. Paul Cathedral.
The challenge for American Catholics during the 1920s was that immigrants came to America poor and disadvantaged and they associated the catholic religion with their old countries. As immigrants improved their quality of life and became more "American," culture and religion was lost and forgotten. Dowling summarized it best saying, "as they progress in wealth and station they frequently strive to hide their origins, to change their names and affect manners that do not belong to them. Even when they keep up the practice of their religion, they are frequently ashamed of it."
Dowling argued that the solution would be to convince people that "foreignism" and Catholicism were not intimately linked. World War I provided opportunity for Catholics to prove their patriotism. The National Catholic War Council was established to coordinate programs for Chaplains and refugees, and develop ecumenical and interfaith relations.
The Council also fostered Catholic unity across the United States, leading to the postwar organization of the National Catholic Welfare Conference in 1919. Five departments were organized: Education, Social Work, Press and Literature, Lay Societies, and Home and Foreign Missions. Dowling was named treasurer and chairman of the Department of Education. He served in those positions for a decade until his condition of health required that he give up the duties. Presently, the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system.
for his predecessor, Dowling commemorated Archbishop John Ireland's
contributions to education and mandated the establishment the Archbishop Ireland Educational Fund. He said that the present needs for education were "to develop, coordinate and consolidate the education system to provide for greater efficiency." To accomplish this he announced a campaign to raise $5,000,000.
After 5 years, in September 1925, 45,551 people had pledged a total of $4,392,872.50, but 21,898 had made no payments. Unpaid pledges amounted to $1700,000. Efforts were made to collect delinquent pledges, and before the end of the year the number was reduced, leaving 5,375 delinquent pledges in St. Paul; 6,303 in Minneapolis; and 9,042 in the country. The average individual pledge was around $100.
The largest allocation of the fund was $1,280,000 for the "construction and partial endowment of the preparatory seminary known as Nazareth Hall." Other major allocations include: $200,00 to the endowment fund of the College of St. Catherine. $150,000 to St. Thomas College.
The preparatory seminary was built on property on the shore of Lake Johanna, outside the corporate limits of the Twin Cities
. Rearden describes Dowling's relationship with the school:
The establishment of Nazareth Hall had a large impact on the St. Paul Seminary. Thereafter, the majority of the students would be prepared in a cloistered environment, which Dowling believed was more appropriate than a college campus. Dowling believed that the priest of the future "should be armed before to overcome the temptations of the times," and that the best was to do that was to ground them on the firm foundation of interior life and school them in the practice of priestly virtues.
Dowling also believed in the rigors of academic challenge, from his years at the Brighton college. To create the strong theological factory he desired, Dowling appointed Humphrey Moynihan as rector of the Saint Paul Seminary. Moynihan emphasized culture and refinement in his teaching.
Dowling had a personal interest in the seminarians attending the school. It was said that the Archbishop had "a keen eye for every candidate for the priesthood." In fact, he knew many of the boys at Nazareth Hall as well as their teachers knew them. Many felt that his influence on their lives continued on after their leaving Saint Paul Seminary, to ordination and beyond.
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
and fourth bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
and Minneapolis. He was appointed on January 31, 1919 and held the office to his death. He was known for his contributions to education and love of Church history
Life
Dowling 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...
on April 6, 1868, to Daniel and Mary Teresa Santry Dowling. On April 19 was baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
, and given his Christian name Daniel Austin. Not long after, his family moved to Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
. At Newport, he was a student at the Academy of the Sisters of Mercy. Dowling attended Manhattan College
Manhattan College
Manhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City, United States. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 10 miles north of Midtown. Manhattan College offers...
in New York City
New 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...
, and graduated with his A.B. degree with high honors in 1887.
Dowling made his theological studies at St. John's Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts, and at the Catholic University. He was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood on June 24, 1891. Afterwards, he worked on his graduate studies in theology and church history at the Catholic University.
After serving as a pastor in Warren, Rhode Island
Warren, Rhode Island
Warren is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 10,611 at the 2010 census.-History:Warren was the site of the Indian village of Sowams on the peninsula called Pokanoket , and was first explored by Europeans in 1621, by Edward Winslow and Stephen Hopkins...
for a year, Dowling went to the Brighton Seminary where, for two and a half years he taught Church History. History was always a passion of Dowling. Marvin O'Connell stated that he was "a man who was by taste, habit and profession an historian; he could not set about finding solutions to problems facing him until he examined those problems in the light of the past." Even his sermons as Bishop of Des Moines and as Archbishop of St. Paul were mainly of an historical character. He was one of the first to welcome the creation of the Catholic Historical Review, and one of the first life members of the American Catholic Historical Association.
Later, in 1896, Dowling spent two years as editor of the Providence Visitor, and became one of the better known Catholic editors in the United States. Afterwards, he was assistant at St. Joseph's, Providence, then pastor of St. Mary's, Warren and then rector of the Providence Cathedral. In 1912, the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
elevated Dowling to the See of Des Moines, Iowa as Bishop. His peers saw the action as recognition of his talents, while Dowling felt as if he were being sent into "exile" in the West.
Dowling had a fine intellect and excellent organizational skills. As Bishop of Des Moines, Dowling was appreciated for his courage, simplicity, kindness, and especially his commitment to education. He founded a Catholic college in Des Moines.
In 1919, Dowling was appointed to be Archbishop of Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. In his address at his installation on March 25, 1919, Dowling described himself as "the unknown, the unexpected, [and] the undistinguished successor of the great Archbishop Ireland." In the decade that followed, Dowling had many accomplishments, including: The establishment of the Archbishop Ireland's Education Fund. The improvement of St. Paul Seminary. Being on the board of Education of the Catholic National Welfare Conference.
During the last years of his life Archbishop Dowling's health was seriously impaired because his heart was not functioning normally, and the resultant circulatory disorders gave rise to complications that were life threatening on several occasions. During the summer of 1929 he collapsed while on a confirmation tour and a critical illness resulted. For a time he recovered to the point that he was able to walk on his own, but pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
developed. Dowling lapsed into unconsciousness four hours before his peaceful death in the late morning of Saturday, November 29, 1930, at his residence on Summit Avenue, directly across from the St. Paul Cathedral.
The Church in America
In the first decade of the 20th century, immigration jumped from a low of 3.5 million in that decade to a high of 9 million due to the depression of the 1890s. "After 1914, immigration dropped off because of the war, and later because of immigration restrictions imposed in the 1920s." Lack of immigration cause certain difficulties in the Catholic Church in America, who relied heavily on its head in Europe. Dowling described the challenge for Catholics in the post-World War I era as follows:The challenge for American Catholics during the 1920s was that immigrants came to America poor and disadvantaged and they associated the catholic religion with their old countries. As immigrants improved their quality of life and became more "American," culture and religion was lost and forgotten. Dowling summarized it best saying, "as they progress in wealth and station they frequently strive to hide their origins, to change their names and affect manners that do not belong to them. Even when they keep up the practice of their religion, they are frequently ashamed of it."
Dowling argued that the solution would be to convince people that "foreignism" and Catholicism were not intimately linked. World War I provided opportunity for Catholics to prove their patriotism. The National Catholic War Council was established to coordinate programs for Chaplains and refugees, and develop ecumenical and interfaith relations.
The Council also fostered Catholic unity across the United States, leading to the postwar organization of the National Catholic Welfare Conference in 1919. Five departments were organized: Education, Social Work, Press and Literature, Lay Societies, and Home and Foreign Missions. Dowling was named treasurer and chairman of the Department of Education. He served in those positions for a decade until his condition of health required that he give up the duties. Presently, the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system.
Archbishop Ireland Educational Fund
At the first anniversary requiemRequiem
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 his predecessor, Dowling commemorated Archbishop John Ireland's
John Ireland (archbishop)
John Ireland was the third bishop and first archbishop of Saint Paul, Minnesota . He became both a religious as well as civic leader in Saint Paul during the turn of the century...
contributions to education and mandated the establishment the Archbishop Ireland Educational Fund. He said that the present needs for education were "to develop, coordinate and consolidate the education system to provide for greater efficiency." To accomplish this he announced a campaign to raise $5,000,000.
After 5 years, in September 1925, 45,551 people had pledged a total of $4,392,872.50, but 21,898 had made no payments. Unpaid pledges amounted to $1700,000. Efforts were made to collect delinquent pledges, and before the end of the year the number was reduced, leaving 5,375 delinquent pledges in St. Paul; 6,303 in Minneapolis; and 9,042 in the country. The average individual pledge was around $100.
The largest allocation of the fund was $1,280,000 for the "construction and partial endowment of the preparatory seminary known as Nazareth Hall." Other major allocations include: $200,00 to the endowment fund of the College of St. Catherine. $150,000 to St. Thomas College.
The preparatory seminary was built on property on the shore of Lake Johanna, outside the corporate limits of the Twin Cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
. Rearden describes Dowling's relationship with the school:
St. Paul Seminary
Dowling also believed in the rigors of academic challenge, from his years at the Brighton college. To create the strong theological factory he desired, Dowling appointed Humphrey Moynihan as rector of the Saint Paul Seminary. Moynihan emphasized culture and refinement in his teaching.
Dowling had a personal interest in the seminarians attending the school. It was said that the Archbishop had "a keen eye for every candidate for the priesthood." In fact, he knew many of the boys at Nazareth Hall as well as their teachers knew them. Many felt that his influence on their lives continued on after their leaving Saint Paul Seminary, to ordination and beyond.