Joseph Henry Conroy
Encyclopedia
Joseph Henry Conroy was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Ogdensburg
from 1921 until his death in 1939.
, New York
, and completed his preparatory studies in Canada
at the Sulpician College
in Montreal
, Quebec
, and at St. Michael's College
in Toronto
, Ontario
. Returning to New York, he studied theology
at St. Joseph's Seminary
in Troy
. Conroy was ordained
to the priesthood
on June 11, 1881. He was first assigned to the mission
at Churubusco
, and then served as pastor
in Rouses Point
. In April 1883 he was named rector
of St. Mary's Cathedral
in Ogdensburg
. He became vicar general
of the Diocese of Ogdensburg
in March 1901, and later a Domestic Prelate of His Holiness
in October 1905.
On March 11, 1912, Conroy was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of Ogdensburg and Titular Bishop
of Arindela
by Pope Pius X
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following May 1 from Cardinal John Murphy Farley, with Bishops Henry Gabriels
and Charles H. Colton
serving as co-consecrators
, at St. Mary's Cathedral. Following the death of Bishop Gabriels in April 1921, Conroy was named the third Bishop of Ogdensburg
by Pope Benedict XV
on November 21, 1921. He was installed
by Cardinal Patrick Joseph Hayes on January 18, 1922. In 1935 he allowed Rev. Cyril Stevens to become president
of Ticonderoga
National Bank
, despite canon law
forbidding a priest to engage in business.
Conroy later died at age 80.
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 Ogdensburg
Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg is a Roman Catholic diocese in New York. It was founded on February 15, 1872.On February 23, 2010, the Most Reverend Terry R...
from 1921 until his death in 1939.
Biography
Joseph Conroy was born in WatertownWatertown (city), New York
Watertown is a city in the state of New York and the county seat of Jefferson County. It is situated approximately south of the Thousand Islands. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 27,023, an increase of 1.2% since 2000. The U.S...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and completed his preparatory studies in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
at the Sulpician College
Grand séminaire de Montréal
The Grand séminaire de Montréal is the sacerdotal school of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal. The institution was founded by the sulpicians in 1840 on the demands of Ignace Bourget. A branch of Université Laval's faculty of theology was installed in the seminar in 1878...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, and at St. Michael's College
University of St. Michael's College
The University of St. Michael's College is a college of the University of Toronto, founded in 1852 by the Congregation of St. Basil of Annonay, France. While mainly an undergraduate college for liberal arts and sciences, St. Michael's retains its Roman Catholic affiliation through its postgraduate...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. Returning to New York, he studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
at St. Joseph's Seminary
St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie
St. Joseph's Seminary and College, sometimes referred to as Dunwoodie, after the Yonkers, New York neighborhood it is located in, is the major seminary of the Archdiocese of New York. Its primary mission is to form men for the priesthood in the Catholic Church...
in Troy
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
. Conroy 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....
on June 11, 1881. He was first assigned to the mission
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
at Churubusco
Churubusco, New York
Churubusco is a hamlet in the Town of Clinton, in Clinton County, New York, United States.The community is located on New York State Route 189 north of U.S. Route 11 near the Quebec border....
, and then served 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"....
in Rouses Point
Rouses Point, New York
Rouses Point is a village in Clinton County, New York, United States, along the 45th parallel. The population was 2,209 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Jacques Rouse, an early settler....
. In April 1883 he was named rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of St. Mary's Cathedral
St. Mary's Cathedral
St. Mary's Cathedral, or St. Mary Cathedral or Cathedral of St. Mary the Virgin, or other variations on the name, may refer to:-Canada:* St. Mary's Cathedral, Calgary* St. Mary's Cathedral, Kingston* St. Mary's Cathedral, Winnipeg-Ireland:...
in Ogdensburg
Ogdensburg, New York
Ogdensburg is a city in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 11,128 at the 2010 census. In the late 18th century, European-American settlers named the community after American land owner and developer Samuel Ogden....
. He became 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 Diocese of Ogdensburg
Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg is a Roman Catholic diocese in New York. It was founded on February 15, 1872.On February 23, 2010, the Most Reverend Terry R...
in March 1901, and later 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 October 1905.
On March 11, 1912, Conroy 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 Ogdensburg 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 Arindela
Arindela
Arindela is a Catholic titular see. The original diocese was in Palestine. Arindela of the Roman and Byzantine periods is identified as modern Gharandal, in the region of Tafilah, south Jordan.An episcopal list is given in Gams ....
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...
. 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 the following May 1 from Cardinal John Murphy Farley, with Bishops Henry Gabriels
Henry Gabriels
Henry Gabriels was a Belgian-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Ogdensburg from 1892 until his death in 1921.-Biography:...
and Charles H. Colton
Charles H. Colton
Charles Henry Colton was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Buffalo from 1903 until his death in 1915.-Early life and education:...
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...
, at St. Mary's Cathedral. Following the death of Bishop Gabriels in April 1921, Conroy was named the third Bishop of Ogdensburg
Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg is a Roman Catholic diocese in New York. It was founded on February 15, 1872.On February 23, 2010, the Most Reverend Terry R...
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...
on November 21, 1921. He was installed
Enthronement
An enthronement is a ceremony of inauguration, involving a person—usually a monarch or religious leader—being formally seated for the first time upon their throne. This ritual is generally distinguished from a coronation because there is no crown or other regalia that is physically...
by Cardinal Patrick Joseph Hayes on January 18, 1922. In 1935 he allowed Rev. Cyril Stevens to become president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of Ticonderoga
Ticonderoga, New York
Ticonderoga is a town in Essex County, New York, USA. The population was 5,167 at the 2000 census. The name comes from the Mohawk tekontaró:ken, meaning "it is at the junction of two waterways"....
National Bank
National bank
In banking, the term national bank carries several meanings:* especially in developing countries, a bank owned by the state* an ordinary private bank which operates nationally...
, despite canon law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
forbidding a priest to engage in business.
Conroy later died at age 80.