John McCloskey (March 10, 1810—October 10, 1885) was an
Irish AmericanIrish Americans are citizens of the United States who trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,495,800 Americans reported Irish ancestry in the 2006 American Community Survey. The only self-reported ancestral group larger than Irish Americans are German Americans...
prelateA prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who either is an ordinary or ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, literally, "carry before," or "to be set above, or over," or "to prefer," hence a prelate is one set over...
of the
Roman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
. He was
Archbishop of New YorkThe 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...
from 1864 until his death in 1885, having previously served as
Bishop of AlbanyThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany covers all or part of 14 counties in Eastern New York...
(1847-1864). He was created the first American
cardinalA cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually a bishop, of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and making themselves available...
by
Pope Pius IXPope Blessed Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest reigning Pope in Church history, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed Papal infallibility...
in 1875.
Early life and education
John McCloskey was born in
BrooklynBrooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located southwest of Queens on the western tip of Long Island. An independent city until its consolidation with New York in 1898, Brooklyn is New York City's most populous borough, with 2.5 million residents, and second largest in area...
,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, to Patrick and Elizabeth (née Harron) McCloskey, who had immigrated to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from
County LondonderryCounty Londonderry or County Derry is one of the traditional counties of Ireland. It is located within the province of Ulster and is part of Northern Ireland. It was named after its main town – and later city and administrative centre – Derry , which lies in the north-western corner of...
,
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
, shortly after their marriage in 1808. He was
baptizedIn Christianity, baptism is the ritual act, with the use of water, by which one is admitted to membership of the Christian Church and, in the view of some, as a member of the particular Church in which the baptism is administered.The usual form of baptism among the earliest Christians was for the...
by Rev.
Benedict Joseph FenwickBishop Benedict Joseph Fenwick was the second Roman Catholic Bishop of Boston, Massachusetts.Fenwick was born in Maryland, and on June 11, 1808 was ordained a priest in the Society of Jesus....
,
S.J.The Society of Jesus is a Catholic religious order of clerks regular whose members are called Jesuits.Jesuits are the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church, with 18,815 members—13,305 priests, 2,295 scholastic students, 1,758 brothers and 827 novices—as of January 2008, although the...
, on May 6, 1810, at
St. Peter's ChurchSt Peter's Church is the oldest Roman Catholic parish in New York City. Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, first United States citizen to be canonized, converted to Catholicism here. The current church was built in 1840, and the present pastor is Fr. Kevin Madigan...
in
ManhattanManhattan is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River.New York County, which has the same boundaries as the Borough of Manhattan , is the most densely populated county in the United States, with a 2008 population of 1,634,795...
. At that time Brooklyn did not yet have a Catholic church, so the family would row across the
East RiverThe East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
to Manhattan to attend
MassThe Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church. The term is used also of similar celebrations in Old Catholic Churches, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, in many Lutheran Churches, and in a small amount of High Church Methodist parishes...
. At age 5, he was enrolled at a
boarding schoolA boarding school is a school where some or all pupils not only study, but also live during term time, with their fellow students and possibly teachers. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board", that is, food and lodging...
for boys in Brooklyn; even in his advanced years, he attributed his distinct enunciation to his training there. He moved with his family to Manhattan in 1817, and then entered the
latin schoolLatin School may refer to:* Boston Latin School* Latin School of Chicago* Latin school...
run by Thomas Brady, father of Judge
John R. BradyJohn R. Brady was a justice of the New York Supreme Court, best know for administering the presidential oath of office to Chester A. Arthur .President James A. Garfield died over two months after he was shot by an assassin, Charles Guiteau. Arthur, then Vice President, became his successor...
. Following his father's death in 1820, the family moved to a farm in
BedfordBedford is a town in Westchester County, New York, USA. The population was 18,133 at the 2000 census.The Town of Bedford, located in the northeastern part of the county, has three unincorporated hamlets: Bedford Hills, Bedford Village, and Katonah....
,
Westchester CountyWestchester County is a primarily suburban county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of 450 square miles and has a diverse population of approximately 950,000, residing in 45 municipalities...
, adjoining to the estate of statesman
John JayJohn Jay was an American politician, statesman, revolutionary, diplomat, a Founding Father of the United States, President of the Continental Congress from 1778 to 1779 and, from 1789 to 1795, the first Chief Justice of the United States...
. He also became the ward of
Cornelius HeeneyCornelius Heeney was an Irish-American merchant and politician.He was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1818 to 1822. He was a partner with the Astor family and founder of the Brooklyn Benevolent Society.-References:...
, a wealthy merchant and family friend.
The 11-year-old McCloskey, after a brief visit with Rev.
John DuboisBishop John DuBois was the third bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of New York. He was the first presiding bishop to reside in the diocese....
, entered Mount St. Mary's College in
EmmitsburgEmmitsburg was founded in 1785 and is in Frederick County, Maryland, United States, just south of the Mason-Dixon line separating Maryland from Pennsylvania.Emmitsburg's population was 2,290 at the 2000 census. It is the home of Mount St. Mary's University...
,
MarylandMaryland is a state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia to the south and west, Pennsylvania to the north, and Delaware to the east. It is comparable in size to the European country of Belgium. According to the U.S...
, in September 1821. As a student at Mount St. Mary's, he was described as having "won the admiration and esteem of his teachers and the respect and love of his college-mates by the piety and modesty of his character, his gentleness, and sweet disposition, the enthusiasm with which he threw himself into his studies, and his prominent standing in class." In his graduating year, he delivered a speech on
patriotismPatriotism is love of and/or devotion to one's country. The word comes from the Greek patris, meaning fatherland. However, patriotism has had different meanings over time, and its meaning is highly dependent upon context, geography and philosophy....
that doubled as a defense of
HoraceThis article is about the Roman poet Horace. For other uses, see Horace .Quintus Horatius Flaccus, , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:Born in the small town of Venusia in the border region between Apulia and Lucania...
's phrase,
"It is sweet and fitting to die for one's countryDulce et decorum est pro patria mori is a line from the Roman lyrical poet Horace's Odes . The line can be roughly translated into English as: "It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country.", "It is noble and glorious to die for your fatherland." or "It is beautiful and honorable to die for...
." Following his graduation in 1826, he returned to his mother's farm in Bedford.
Priesthood
In a dramatic event during the spring of 1827, McCloskey was attempting to drive a team of
oxAn ox is a bovine animal trained as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly adult, castrated male cattle, but cows or bulls may also be used in some areas...
en drawing a heavy load of logs when the wagon overturned and he was buried under the logs for several hours. After being discovered and taken to the house, he was completely
blindBlindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
and unconscious for several days. Although he regained his eyesight he tired easily and was generally in poor health throughout the rest of his life. During his convalescence, however, McCloskey decided upon a vocation to the
priesthoodThe ministerial orders of the Catholic Church includes the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
and later returned to Mount St. Mary's in September 1827 for his
seminaryA seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of higher education for instructing students , sometimes at the postgraduate level, in philosophy, theology, spirituality and the religious life, to prepare students for ordination as clergy or other ministry...
training. In addition to his studies, he became a
professorThe meaning of the word professor varies. In some English-speaking countries, it refers to a senior academic who holds a departmental chair, especially as head of the department, or a personal chair awarded specifically to that individual...
of
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
in 1829 and a
prefectPrefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
of discipline in 1831. He received the
tonsureTonsure is the practice of some Christian churches, mystics, Buddhist novices and monks, and some Hindu temples of cutting the hair from the scalp of clerics, devotees, or holy people as a symbol of their renunciation of worldly fashion and esteem.-History:...
,
minor ordersThe minor orders are the lowest ranks in the Christian clergy. The most recognized minor orders are porter, lector, exorcist, cantor and acolyte. In the Latin rite Catholic Church, the minor orders were in most cases replaced by "instituted" ministries of lector and acolyte, though extraordinary...
, and
subdiaconate-Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern-Rite Catholicism:A subdeacon is the highest of the minor orders of clergy in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. This order is higher than the reader and lower than the deacon...
all from Bishop
Francis KenrickFrancis Patrick Kenrick was a Roman Catholic bishop during the time of Orestes Brownson. He headed the Diocese of Philadelphia from 1842 to 1851, then was elevated to Archbishop of Baltimore and served until his death....
.
On January 12, 1834, McCloskey was
ordainedThe term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to a group of individuals who are set apart for a special role or ministry....
a priest for the
Diocese of New YorkThe 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...
by Bishop Dubois, at
St. Patrick's CathedralSaint Patrick's Old Cathedral, or Old St. Patrick's, is located at 260-264 Mulberry Street between Prince and Houston Streets in Manhattan, in the City of New York...
. He thus became the first native New Yorker to enter the diocesan priesthood. He then served as a
parochial vicarFrom the Latin curatus , a curate is a person who is invested with the care, or cure , of souls of a parish. In this sense it correctly means a parish priest. In Anglican churches, however, the term is usually used for an assistant priest or deacon...
at St. Patrick's Cathedral and a
chaplainA chaplain is typically a priest, pastor, ordained deacon, rabbi, imam or other member of the clergy serving a group of people who are not organised as a mission or church, or who are unable to attend church for various reasons; such as health, confinement, or military or civil duties; lay...
at
Bellevue HospitalBellevue Hospital Center, founded on March 31,1736 and most often referenced just as "Bellevue", is the oldest public hospital in the United States. It is best known outside New York City from many literary, film, and television mentions as "Bellevue," most always in reference to its psychiatric...
until February 1834, when he became professor of
philosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing these questions by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on reasoned...
and
vice-presidentUniversity president is the title of the highest ranking officer within the academic administration of a university, within university systems that prefer that appellation over other variations such as chancellor or rector...
at the newly-established St. Joseph's Seminary in
NyackNyack is a village in the towns of Orangetown and Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York, United States, located north of South Nyack; east of Central Nyack; south of Upper Nyack and west of the Hudson River, approximately 19 miles north of the Manhattan boundary, it is an inner suburb of New...
. However, the seminary was destroyed by a fire in August of that same year.
McCloskey expressed his desire to minister to the victims of the
choleraCholera, sometimes known as Asiatic or epidemic cholera, is an infectious gastroenteritis caused by enterotoxin-producing strains of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. Transmission to humans occurs through eating food or drinking water contaminated with Vibrio cholerae from other cholera patients...
epidemicThe second cholera pandemic also known as the Asiatic Cholera Pandemic was a Cholera pandemic from 1829-1851 reached Europe, London and Paris in 1832....
in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, but Bishop Dubois instead sent him to
RomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated municipality , with over 2.7 million residents in , while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 3.46 million. The metropolitan area of Rome is estimated by OECD to have a population of 3.7 million...
to strengthen his health and to further his studies at the
Pontifical Gregorian UniversityPontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy. Heir of the Roman College founded by St Ignatius of Loyola over 450 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first Jesuit University...
and University of the Sapienza (1834-1837). While in Rome, he befriended the likes of
Père LacordaireJean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire, Father Henri-Dominique Lacordaire, born on the 12 May, 1802 at Recey-sur-Ource , died on the 21 November, 1861 at Sorèze , a French ecclesiastic, preacher, journalist and political activist...
and Cardinals
Thomas WeldThomas Weld was an English Roman Catholic and cardinal.-Life:Weld was born in London on 22 January 1773, was the eldest son of Thomas Weld of Lulworth Castle, Dorset, by his wife Mary, eldest daughter of Sir John Stanley Massey Stanley of Hooton, who belonged to the elder and Catholic branch of...
and
Joseph FeschJoseph Fesch was a French cardinal, closely associated with the family of Napoleon Bonaparte. He was also one of the most famous art collectors of his period.-Biography:Fesch was born at Ajaccio in Corsica...
. Declining to pursue a
Doctor of DivinityDoctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
and departing from Rome in February 1837, he visited
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
,
BelgiumThe Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO...
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, and
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
before returning to New York that summer. From August 1837 to March 1844, McCloskey served as
pastorThe term pastor usually refers to an ordained person within a Christian church. In some countries the term is more usually used in traditional Protestant churches but is also used in reference to priests and bishops within the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox churches. The...
of
St. Joseph's ChurchSt. Joseph's is a Roman Catholic church located at 371 Sixth Avenue, New York City, USA. Built in 1833, it is the oldest Roman Catholic church building in Manhattan. .-History :St. Joseph's Parish was founded by Bishop John Dubois in 1829...
in
Greenwich VillageGreenwich Village , often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families. Greenwich Village, however, was known in the late 19th – earlier to mid 20th...
. His tenure at the parish was initially a rather contentious one, with the
trusteesThe Roman Catholic Church may employ laymen in the administration of ecclesiastical property; when laymen are among the trustees the Church endeavours, to have her own laws and principles carried out, as its trustee system, under canon law....
refusing to pay him a salary or furnish his house; one of his younger parishioners was
Eugene CasserlyEugene Casserly was a journalist and lawyer who served in the United States Senate from California. Casserly is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Colma, California .
...
, later a
U.S. SenatorThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate and the House are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution . Each U.S state is represented by two senators,...
from
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
. He also showed concern for the needs of the homeless children living in Greenwich Village. In addition to his duties at St. Joseph's, McCloskey was the first
PresidentUniversity president is the title of the highest ranking officer within the academic administration of a university, within university systems that prefer that appellation over other variations such as chancellor or rector...
of
St. John's CollegeFordham University is a private university in the United States, with three campuses located in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
in
FordhamFordham is a neighborhood geographically located in the west Bronx in New York City, United States. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 5. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: Fordham Road to the north, Webster Avenue to the east, East 183rd Street to the...
from 1841 to 1842.
Coadjutor Bishop of New York
On November 21, 1843, McCloskey was appointed
Coadjutor BishopA 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...
of New York and
Titular BishopA titular bishop is a bishop of the Catholic Church who is not in charge of a diocese . Examples of bishops belonging to this category are coadjutor bishops, auxiliary bishops, bishops emeriti, vicars apostolic, nuncios, superiors of departments in the Roman Curia, and Cardinal Bishops of...
of
Axieri by
Pope Gregory XVIPope Gregory XVI , born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari, named Mauro as a member of the religious order of the Camaldolese, was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1831 to 1846...
. He received his
episcopal consecrationIn 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 10, 1844—his 34th birthday—from Bishop
John HughesArchbishop John Joseph Hughes was the fourth bishop and first Archbishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of New York. He was born in County Tyrone, Ireland and followed his parents to the United States in 1817. His family settled in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania where he lived until 1819 when he moved...
, with Bishops Benedict Fenwick (who had baptized him as a child) and
Richard Vincent WhelanRichard Vincent Whelan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Richmond, Virginia and Bishop of Wheeling, West Virginia ....
serving as
co-consecratorsConsecrator 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...
, at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Whereas Bishop Hughes was active and aggressive, his coadjutor was more meek and gentle. McCloskey busied himself primarily with a visitation of the entire diocese, and was also instrumental in the
conversionReligious conversion is the adoption of new religious beliefs that differ from the convert's previous beliefs. It involves a new religious identity, or a change from one religious identity to another. Conversion requires internalization of the new belief system...
of
Isaac HeckerIsaac Thomas Hecker was an American Roman Catholic Priest and founder of the Paulist Fathers, the North American religious society of men; he is named a Servant of God by the Catholic Church....
, founder of the
Paulist FathersThe Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle, better known as the Paulist Fathers, is a Roman Catholic religious society for men founded in New York City in 1858 by Servant of God Fr. Isaac Thomas Hecker in collaboration with Fr. George Deshon, Fr. Augustine Hewit, and Fr. Francis A. Baker....
, and of
James Roosevelt BayleyJames Roosevelt Bayley D.D. was the first Bishop of Newark, New Jersey, and the eighth Archbishop of Baltimore.-Early life:...
, later
Archbishop of BaltimoreThe 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...
.
Bishop of Albany
McCloskey was named the first
BishopIn 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. The term comes from the Latin word ordinarius...
of the newly-erected
Diocese of AlbanyThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany covers all or part of 14 counties in Eastern New York...
by
Pope Pius IXPope Blessed Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest reigning Pope in Church history, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed Papal infallibility...
on May 21, 1847. He was formally
installedAn enthronement is a ceremony of inauguration, involving a person--usually a monarch or a religious leader--formally sitting for the first time on a throne. The throne is seen as a symbol of authority, both secular and religious...
by Bishop Hughes on the following September 19. At the time of his arrival, the
Upstate New YorkUpstate New York is the region of New York State north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York, but the term "Upstate" is sometimes used to refer to the whole of the state besides New York City...
diocese covered 30,000 square miles, containing 60,000 Catholics, 25 churches, 34 priests, 2 orphanages, and 2 free schools. McCloskey first selected
St. Mary's ChurchSt. Mary's Church is a historic Catholic church on Lodge Street in downtown Albany, New York. It was built in 1867 in an Italian Romanesque Revival style. Its tower, completed in 1894, rises 175 feet and is topped with an angel of judgment....
as his
episcopal seeAn episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
but it soon proved unsuitable, leading him to construct the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, whose
cornerstoneThe cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
was laid in July 1848 and dedication took place in November 1852.
He attended the
First Plenary Council of BaltimoreThe Plenary Councils of Baltimore were three national meetings of Roman Catholic bishops in the 19th century in Baltimore, Maryland.During the early history of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States all of the dioceses were part of one ecclesiastical province under the Archbishop of Baltimore...
in 1852, convened the first diocesan
synodA synod is a council of a church, usually a Christian church, convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application...
in October 1855, and was named an
Assistant at the Pontifical ThroneAssistant at the Pontifical Throne is an ecclesiastical title in the Roman Catholic Church. It signifies a prelate belonging to the papal chapel, who stands near the throne of the Pope at solemn functions....
in 1862. During his tenure, he increased the number of parishes to 113 and the number of priests to 84, and established three academies for boys and one for girls, four orphanages, fifteen
parochial schoolsCatholic schools are education ministries of the Catholic Church. Currently, the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
, and St. Joseph's Provincial Seminary in
TroyTroy is a city in New York, U.S., and the county seat of Rensselaer County. As of the 2000 census, the population was 49,170. Troy's motto is Ilium fuit, Troja est, which means "Ilium was, Troy is."...
. He also introduced the Augustinians,
JesuitsThe Society of Jesus is a Catholic religious order of clerks regular whose members are called Jesuits.Jesuits are the largest male religious order in the Catholic Church, with 18,815 members—13,305 priests, 2,295 scholastic students, 1,758 brothers and 827 novices—as of January 2008, although the...
,
FranciscanThe term Franciscan is commonly used to refer to members of Catholic religious orders, also known as the Orders of Friars Minor, that follow a body of regulations known as "The rule of St. Francis", or a member of one of these orders. As well as Roman Catholic there are also small Old Catholic and...
s,
CapuchinsThe Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans...
,
Religious of the Sacred HeartThe Society of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic religious congregation established in France by St. Madeleine Sophie Barat in 1800. It has presence in 45 countries. Membership to the Society is restricted to women only. Its members do many works, but focus on education, particularly girls'...
,
Sisters of CharityMany 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....
,
Sisters of MercyThe Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy is an order of Catholic women founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland in 1831. , the order has about 10,000 members worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations....
,
Sisters of St. JosephThe Sisters of St. Joseph are a Roman Catholic order of women founded in Le Puy, France. The order has approximately 14,000 members worldwide: about 7,000 in the United States; 2,000 in France; and are active in fifty other countries....
, and
Christian BrothersThe Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
into the diocese.
Archbishop of New York
Following the death of Archbishop Hughes in January 1864, McCloskey was widely expected to be named his successor. Distressed by the rumors, he wrote to Cardinal
Karl von ReisachKarl-August von Reisach was a German Catholic theologian and Cardinal....
of the
Congregation for the Propaganda of the FaithThe Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples is the congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for missionary work and related activities. It is perhaps better known by its former title, the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith...
, objecting, "I possess neither the learning, nor prudence, nor energy, nor firmness, nor bodily health or strength." Nevertheless, he was appointed the second
Archbishop of New YorkThe 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 May 6, 1864 and installed on August 27. McCloskey, following the end of the
Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
in 1865, resumed the construction of the
new cathedralSaint Patrick's Cathedral is adecorated Neo-Gothic-style Catholic cathedral church in the United States. It is the seat of the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, and a parish church, located on the east side of Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets in midtown Manhattan,...
begun under his predecessor; he later dedicated it in May 1879. In 1866 he attended the
Second Plenary Council of BaltimoreThe Plenary Councils of Baltimore were three national meetings of Roman Catholic bishops in the 19th century in Baltimore, Maryland.During the early history of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States all of the dioceses were part of one ecclesiastical province under the Archbishop of Baltimore...
, where he preached the opening sermon with remarkable self-control and composure given the fact he had learned only moments before that St. Patrick's Cathedral had been gutted by a fire. He participated in the
First Vatican CouncilThe First Vatican Council was convoked by Pope Pius IX on 29 June 1868, after a period of planning and preparation that began on 6 December 1864. This twentieth ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, held three centuries after the Council of Trent, opened on 8 December 1869 and adjourned...
from 1869 to 1870, and voted in favor of
papal infallibilityPapal infallibility is the dogma in Catholic theology that, by action of the Holy Spirit, the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of error when he solemnly declares or promulgates to the universal Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals as being contained in divine revelation, or at...
despite his feelings that such a declaration was "untimely." In 1873, he solemnly dedicated the Archdiocese of New York to the
Sacred Heart of JesusThe Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus's physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
.
McCloskey was created
Cardinal PriestA cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually a bishop, of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and making themselves available...
of
S. Maria sopra MinervaThe Basilica of Saint Mary Above Minerva is a titular minor basilica and one of the most important churches of the Roman Catholic Dominican order in Rome, Italy. The church, located in the Piazza della Minerva in the Campus Martius region, is considered the only Gothic church in Rome. It houses...
by Pius IX in the
consistory-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
of March 15, 1875, thus becoming the first American cardinal. The news of his elevation was well-received by Catholics and non-Catholics alike, and was viewed as a sign of the growing prestige of the United States. He receveived the red
birettaThe biretta is a square cap with three or four ridges or peaks, sometimes surmounted by a tuft, traditionally worn by Roman Catholic clergy and some Anglican and Lutheran clergy...
from Archbishop Bayley in a ceremony at the new St. Patrick's Cathedral on the following April 27. The Cardinal declared, "Not to my poor merits but to those of the young and already vigorous and most flourishing
Catholic Church of AmericaRoman and Eastern Catholicism in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Christian Church in full communion with the Pope, currently Benedict XVI. Catholicism arrived in what is now Continental United States during the earliest days of the European colonization of the Americas...
has this honor been given by the
Supreme PontiffThe pope is the Bishop of Rome and, as such, is leader of the worldwide Catholic Church...
. Nor am I unaware that, when the Holy Father determined to confer me this honor he had regard to the dignity of the See of New York, to the merits and devotion of the venerable clergy and numerous laity, and that he had in mind even the eminent rank of this great city and the glorious American nation." Following the death of Pius IX in February 1878, McCloskey left for Rome but arrived too late to participate in the
papal conclaveThe Papal conclave of 1878 resulted from the death of Pope Pius IX in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on 7 February 1878. The conclave occurred in circumstances different from those of any previous conclave.-Unique circumstances:...
, which elected
Pope Leo XIIIPope Leo XIII , born Count Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci, was the 257th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903, succeeding Pope Pius IX. Reigning until the age of 93, he was the oldest pope, and had the third longest pontificate, behind Pius IX and John Paul II...
. The new Pope bestowed the red hat upon him on March 28, 1878.
When
Thomas Ewing ShermanFr. Thomas Ewing Sherman, S.J. was an American lawyer, educator, and Catholic priest. He was the fourth child and second son of Union Army General William Tecumseh Sherman and his wife Ellen Ewing Sherman....
, son of the famed Civil War general
William Tecumseh ShermanWilliam Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
, expressed his desire to become a Jesuit to his father, the elder Sherman wrote a letter to McCloskey in 1879 telling him to dissuade his son from such a course of action. However, the Cardinal encouraged the boy in his vocation after visiting with him. In response, the General condemned McCloskey in a
St. LouisSt. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. With an estimated population of 354,361 in 2008, it is the principal municipality of Greater St. Louis, population 2,866,517, the largest urban area in Missouri and sixteenth largest in the United States...
,
MissouriMissouri is a state in the Midwest region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Missouri is the 18th most populous state with a 2008 estimated population of 5,911,605. It comprises 114 counties and one independent city....
newspaper in offensive terms and accused him of robbing him of a son. When pressed for comment by the newspaper's editor, McCloskey simply replied: "General Sherman's letter was marked 'personal and confidential.'" In 1880, he received
Michael CorriganMichael Augustine Corrigan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, who served as the third archbishop of New York from 1885 to 1902.-Early life:...
,
Bishop of NewarkThe Archdiocese of Newark is an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in northern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jersey counties of Bergen, Union, Hudson and Essex...
, as his coadjutor. His last major public appearance was in January 1884 for the Golden Jubilee celebration of his priestly ordination, for which Leo XIII sent him a jeweled
chaliceA chalice is a goblet or footed cup intended to hold a drink. In general religious terms, it is intended for quaffing during a ceremony.-Christian:...
. In March 1884, with the help of
PresidentThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Chester A. ArthurChester Alan Arthur was an American politician who served as the 21st President of the United States. Arthur was a member of the Republican Party and worked as a lawyer before becoming the 20th Vice President under James Garfield. While Garfield was mortally wounded by Charles J...
and
Secretary of StateThe United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence. The current Secretary of...
Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, the Cardinal helped save the
Pontifical North American CollegeThe Pontifical North American College is a Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy. It was founded in 1859 by Blessed Pope Pius IX in a former Dominican and Visitation Convent, the Casa Santa Maria, located in the historic center of Rome near the Trevi Fountain...
from spoilation by the
Italian governmentThe politics of Italy take place in a framework of a parliamentary, democratic republic, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised collectively by the Council of Ministers, which is led by the President of the Council, in jargon referred to as "premier", "primo ministro" or "prime...
.
McCloskey's 19-year-long tenure as Archbishop of New York was a productive one. In response to the growing Catholic population in New York, he established 88 additional parishes (for a total of 229) in the Archdiocese, 25 of them in Manhattan, four in the
Bronx