Hugh L. Lamb
Encyclopedia
Hugh Louis Lamb was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Greensburg
from 1952 until his death in 1959.
, Pennsylvania
, Hugh Lamb graduated from Coatesville High School
in 1907 and then enrolled in St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
in Overbrook. He also studied in Rome
at the Pontifical North American College
and Pontifical Urbaniana University
, from where he obtained a doctorate in sacred theology
in 1915. While in Rome, he was ordained
to the priesthood
by Cardinal Basilio Pompilj
on May 29, 1915 at the Lateran Basilica
.
His early assignments included parishes
in Philadelphia
and Coatesville
and he served a professor
at St. Charles Seminary through 1921. From then until 1923, he was secretary
to Cardinal Dennis Dougherty
and superintendent
of archdiocesan schools until 1926. He was named a Domestic Prelate of His Holiness
in 1927 and served as chancellor
of the Archdiocese until 1936. He once described then-U.S. Ambassador to Mexico
Josephus Daniels
as "a consummate jackass" who "easily succumbed to the flattery of Plutarco Calles
, the power in Mexico
, who is known as the God-hater...[and] publicly expressed approval of the Socialistic
and Communistic
educational program." In 1929, he became a protonotary apostolic
.
On December 15, 1935, Lamb was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of Philadelphia
and Titular Bishop
of Elo by Pope Pius XI
. He received his episcopal consecration
on March 19, 1936 from Cardinal Dougherty, with Bishops Gerald O'Hara
and George L. Leech
serving as co-consecrators
. As an auxiliary bishop, he also served as vicar general
of the Philadelphia Archdiocese until 1951.
On May 28, 1951, Pope Pius XII
named him the first Bishop
of the newly-erected Diocese of Greensburg
in Western Pennsylvania
. However, due to the unexpected death of Cardinal Dougherty on May 31, Lamb remained in Philadelphia as apostolic administrator
of the Archdiocese until John Francis O'Hara
, C.S.C.
, was named as Dougherty's successor in November of that year. During his tenure, he brought a vision for schools
, hospitals and institutions to care for the elderly. Under his direction, nearly $6.5 million was spent on construction or additions to existing facilities. Eight new schools, including Greensburg Central Catholic High School, were created and 10 new parishes were established.
Lamb was also instrumental in the founding of Jeannette District Memorial Hospital (now Westmoreland Hospital), donating over $300,000 for its construction and securing the Sisters of Charity
of Seton Hill
to staff it. He later died at the hospital after suffering a heart attack
, aged 69.
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 Greensburg
Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg
The Diocese of Greensburg is a Roman Catholic diocese centered in Greensburg, Pennsylvania that has 85 parishes in Armstrong, Fayette, Indiana, and Westmoreland counties in Western Pennsylvania. The diocese was founded on March 10, 1951, and is currently in the process of reorganization...
from 1952 until his death in 1959.
Biography
Born in ModenaModena, Pennsylvania
Modena is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 535 at the 2010 census. It was originally called Modeville, after the local Mode family.-Geography:Modena is located at ....
, 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...
, Hugh Lamb graduated from Coatesville High School
Coatesville Area High School
The Coatesville Area High School is part of the Coatesville Area School District, a school district based in the city of Coatesville, in central Chester County, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
in 1907 and then enrolled in St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary is the seminary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Named for Charles Borromeo, it is located in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania,...
in Overbrook. He also studied 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...
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...
and Pontifical Urbaniana University
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:...
, from where he obtained a doctorate in sacred theology
Doctor of Sacred Theology
The Doctor of Sacred Theology is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church....
in 1915. While in Rome, he 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....
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 Basilio Pompilj
Basilio Pompilj
Basilio Pompilj was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Vicar General of Rome from 1913 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1911.-Biography:...
on May 29, 1915 at the Lateran Basilica
Basilica of St. John Lateran
The Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran , commonly known as St. John Lateran's Archbasilica and St. John Lateran's Basilica, is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope...
.
His early assignments included 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...
in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
and Coatesville
Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Coatesville is the only city in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,100 at the 2010 census. Coatesville is approximately 39 miles west of Philadelphia....
and he served 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 St. Charles Seminary through 1921. From then until 1923, he was secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
to Cardinal Dennis Dougherty
Dennis Joseph Dougherty
Dennis Joseph Dougherty was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1918 until his death in 1951, and was created a cardinal in 1921.-Early life and education:...
and superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
of archdiocesan schools until 1926. He was named a Domestic Prelate of His Holiness
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"...
in 1927 and served as chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
of the Archdiocese until 1936. He once described then-U.S. Ambassador to Mexico
United States Ambassador to Mexico
The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with Mexico since 1823, when Andrew Jackson was appointed Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to that country. Jackson declined the appointment, however, and Joel R. Poinsett became the first U.S. envoy to Mexico in 1825. The rank...
Josephus Daniels
Josephus Daniels
Josephus Daniels was a newspaper editor and publisher from North Carolina who was appointed by United States President Woodrow Wilson to serve as Secretary of the Navy during World War I...
as "a consummate jackass" who "easily succumbed to the flattery of Plutarco Calles
Plutarco Elías Calles
Plutarco Elías Calles was a Mexican general and politician. He was president of Mexico from 1924 to 1928, but he continued to be the de facto ruler from 1928–1935, a period known as the maximato...
, the power in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, who is known as the God-hater...[and] publicly expressed approval of the Socialistic
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
and Communistic
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
educational program." In 1929, he became a protonotary apostolic
Protonotary apostolic
In the Roman Catholic Church, protonotary apostolic is the title for a member of the highest non-episcopal college of prelates in the Roman Curia or, outside of Rome, an honorary prelate on whom the pope has conferred this title and its special privileges.-History:In later antiquity there were in...
.
On December 15, 1935, Lamb 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 Philadelphia
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. The diocese was...
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 Elo by Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
. 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 19, 1936 from Cardinal Dougherty, with Bishops Gerald O'Hara
Gerald Patrick Aloysius O'Hara
Gerald Patrick Aloysius O'Hara was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Savannah , Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland , and Apostolic Delegate to Great Britain ....
and George L. Leech
George L. Leech
George Leo Leech was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Harrisburg from 1935 to 1971.-Biography:...
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...
. As an auxiliary bishop, he also served as vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the Philadelphia Archdiocese until 1951.
On May 28, 1951, Pope Pius XII
Pope 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....
named him 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 Greensburg
Roman Catholic Diocese of Greensburg
The Diocese of Greensburg is a Roman Catholic diocese centered in Greensburg, Pennsylvania that has 85 parishes in Armstrong, Fayette, Indiana, and Westmoreland counties in Western Pennsylvania. The diocese was founded on March 10, 1951, and is currently in the process of reorganization...
in Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania
Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...
. However, due to the unexpected death of Cardinal Dougherty on May 31, Lamb remained in Philadelphia as apostolic administrator
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
of the Archdiocese until John Francis O'Hara
John Francis O'Hara
John Francis O'Hara, CSC was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1951 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1958.-Early life and education:...
, C.S.C.
Congregation of Holy Cross
The Congregation of Holy Cross or Congregatio a Sancta Cruce is a Catholic congregation of priests and brothers founded in 1837 by Blessed Father Basil Anthony-Marie Moreau, CSC, in Le Mans, France....
, was named as Dougherty's successor in November of that year. During his tenure, he brought a vision for schools
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
, hospitals and institutions to care for the elderly. Under his direction, nearly $6.5 million was spent on construction or additions to existing facilities. Eight new schools, including Greensburg Central Catholic High School, were created and 10 new parishes were established.
Lamb was also instrumental in the founding of Jeannette District Memorial Hospital (now Westmoreland Hospital), donating over $300,000 for its construction and securing the Sisters of Charity
Sisters of Charity
Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity as part of their name. The rule of Saint Vincent for the Daughters of Charity has been adopted and adapted by at least sixty founders of religious orders around the world in the subsequent centuries....
of Seton Hill
Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
to staff it. He later died at the hospital after suffering a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
, aged 69.