Matthew Francis Brady
Encyclopedia
Matthew Francis Brady was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Burlington
(1938–1944) and Bishop of Manchester
(1944–1959).
, Connecticut
, to John and Catherine (née Caffrey) Brady. After attending St. Thomas Seminary
in Hartford
, he studied at the American College of the Immaculate Conception in Leuven
, Belgium
and at St. Bernard's Seminary
in Rochester
, New York
. Brady was ordained
to the priesthood
by Bishop John Joseph Nilan
on June 10, 1916. During World War I
, he served as a chaplain
in the United States Army
from 1916 to 1918. He then did pastoral work in the Diocese of Hartford
, and served as a professor
at St. Thomas Seminary
from 1922 to 1932.
On July 30, 1938, Brady was appointed the fourth Bishop of Burlington
, Vermont
, by Pope Pius XI
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following October 26 from Archbishop Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, with Bishops Maurice F. McAuliffe
and Joseph Edward McCarthy
serving as co-consecrators
, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. He organized branches of the Boy Scout
s and the Catholic Youth
, and erected about a dozen new parishes
in such places as Fairfax
, Gilman, North Troy
, Orleans
, and South Burlington
.
Brady was named the fifth Bishop of Manchester
, New Hampshire
, by Pope Pius XII
on November 11, 1944. He presided over a period of unprecedented growth in the Manchester Diocese, founding 27 parishes in 11 years and authorizing the construction of nearly 50 churches and numerous schools
, convent
s, and other facilities. He also increased the number of Catholics by 50,000, and the number of priests and religious
from around 650 to over 1,600. For all these accomplishments he was nicknamed "Brady the Builder."
Brady later died at age 66. Bishop Brady High School
in Concord
as well as Brady Hall, a residential dormitory on the campus of Saint Anselm College
are named in his honor.
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 Burlington
Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States, comprising the entire state of Vermont...
(1938–1944) and Bishop of Manchester
Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the region of New England in the United States comprising the entire state of New Hampshire...
(1944–1959).
Biography
Matthew Brady was born in WaterburyWaterbury, Connecticut
Waterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, to John and Catherine (née Caffrey) Brady. After attending St. Thomas Seminary
St. Thomas Seminary
St. Thomas Seminary, located in Bloomfield, Connecticut, was a minor seminary for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford. The current rector is the Rev. Msgr. Gerard G. Schmitz.-History:...
in Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, he studied at the American College of the Immaculate Conception in Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and at St. Bernard's Seminary
St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry
St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry is a Roman Catholic theological school in Rochester, New York. It was founded in 1893 as a seminary, and was one of the first US seminaries to accept laity. It is the official repository for the writings and papers of the noted evangelist and author,...
in Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, 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...
. Brady 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 Bishop John Joseph Nilan
John Joseph Nilan
John Joseph Nilan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Hartford from 1910 until his death in 1934.-Biography:...
on June 10, 1916. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he served as a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
from 1916 to 1918. He then did pastoral work in the Diocese of Hartford
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford is a particular church of the Latin Rite in Hartford, Litchfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut. The archdiocese includes about 700,000 Catholics, more than 500 priests, 216 parishes and almost 300 deacons. This is roughly one-half the population of...
, and served as 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. Thomas Seminary
St. Thomas Seminary
St. Thomas Seminary, located in Bloomfield, Connecticut, was a minor seminary for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford. The current rector is the Rev. Msgr. Gerard G. Schmitz.-History:...
from 1922 to 1932.
On July 30, 1938, Brady was appointed the fourth Bishop of Burlington
Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States, comprising the entire state of Vermont...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, 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 the following October 26 from Archbishop Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, with Bishops Maurice F. McAuliffe
Maurice F. McAuliffe
Maurice Francis McAuliffe was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Hartford from 1934 until his death in 1944.-Biography:...
and Joseph Edward McCarthy
Joseph Edward McCarthy
Joseph Edward McCarthy was the sixth Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland .McCarthy was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, and was a childhood friend of Bishop John Murray. After attending Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts, he was ordained to the priesthood on July 4, 1903. He then taught...
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 the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. He organized branches of the Boy Scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
s and the Catholic Youth
Catholic Youth Organization
A Catholic Youth Organization is an organization for young Catholics. Usually each group uses the church for meeting and gathering, although some have their own premises. It was initiated by Bishop Bernard J...
, and erected about a dozen new 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 such places as Fairfax
Fairfax, Vermont
Fairfax is a town in Franklin County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,765 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 40.5 square miles , of which, 40.2 square miles of it is land and 0.3 square miles of it ...
, Gilman, North Troy
North Troy, Vermont
North Troy is a village in Troy, Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 593 at the 2000 census.-History:There were Winter Carnivals from 1940 to 1942. In 1942, 4,000 people attended...
, Orleans
Orleans, Vermont
Orleans is a village in the northwestern corner of Barton, Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 826 at the 2000 census, making it the largest village in Orleans County.-Government:...
, and South Burlington
South Burlington, Vermont
-Economy:CommutAir, a regional airline, is headquartered in the city, by the airport. The Magic Hat Brewing Company, one of the United States's larger craft breweries, is located here.One measure of economic activity is retail sales...
.
Brady was named the fifth Bishop of Manchester
Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the region of New England in the United States comprising the entire state of New Hampshire...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, by 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....
on November 11, 1944. He presided over a period of unprecedented growth in the Manchester Diocese, founding 27 parishes in 11 years and authorizing the construction of nearly 50 churches and numerous 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...
, convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
s, and other facilities. He also increased the number of Catholics by 50,000, and the number of priests and religious
Consecrated life (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, the term "consecrated life" denotes a stable form of Christian living by those faithful who feel called to follow Jesus Christ in a more exacting way recognized by the Church...
from around 650 to over 1,600. For all these accomplishments he was nicknamed "Brady the Builder."
Brady later died at age 66. Bishop Brady High School
Bishop Brady High School
Bishop Brady High School is a small, private, Catholic co-educational school in Concord, New Hampshire. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester. The official enrollment is 425 students attending. "A Catholic school, a caring community" is the slogan that adorns their sign and is...
in Concord
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
as well as Brady Hall, a residential dormitory on the campus of Saint Anselm College
Saint Anselm College
Saint Anselm College is a nationally ranked, private, Benedictine, Catholic liberal arts college in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Founded in 1889 by Abbot Hilary Pfrängle, O.S.B. of Saint Mary's Abbey in Newark, New Jersey, at the request of Bishop Denis M. Bradley of Manchester, New Hampshire, the...
are named in his honor.