Michael John Hoban
Encyclopedia
Michael John Hoban was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Scranton
from 1899 until his death in 1926.
, New Jersey
, to Patrick and Bridget (née Hannigan) Hoban, who were Irish
immigrants. He and his family later moved to Hawley
, Pennsylvania
, where he received his early education. He entered St. Francis Xavier's College
in New York City
at age 14, and then attended Holy Cross College
in Worcester
, Massachusetts
, from 1868 to 1871. After caring for his widowed mother for over two years, he briefly studied at St. John's College
in Fordham, New York
, before enrolling at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
in Overbrook, Pennsylvania
, in 1874. In 1875 he was sent to further his studies at the Pontifical North American College
at Rome
.
While in Rome, Hoban was ordained
to the priesthood
by Cardinal Raffaele Monaco La Valletta on May 22, 1880. Upon his return to Pennsylvania in July 1880, he served as a curate
in Towanda
until 1882, when he was transferred to Pittston
. He received his first pastor
ate in 1885, being appointed to St. John's Church at Troy
. In 1887 he was named pastor of St. Leo's Church in Ashley
, where he established a church and rectory
.
On February 1, 1896, Hoban was appointed Coadjutor Bishop
of Scranton
and Titular Bishop
of Alalis
by Pope Leo XIII
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following March 22 from Archbishop Francesco Satolli
, with Bishops Thomas McGovern and Thomas Daniel Beaven
serving as co-consecrators
, at St. Peter's Cathedral. He later succeeded William O'Hara
as the second Bishop of Scranton
upon the latter's death on February 3, 1899.
During his 27-year-long tenure, Hoban presided over a period of great growth in the Diocese of Scranton. At the time of his succession in 1899, the diocese contained 152 priests, 100 parishes
, and 32 parochial school
s; by the time of his death in 1926, there were 341 priests, 202 parishes, 65 parochial schools, and three college
s. His tenure was also marked by a growing ethnic
divide in Northeastern Pennsylvania
; his actions, however, prevented the schism from reaching even greater proportions.
Hoban later died at age 73.
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 Scranton
Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton, of which St. Peter's Cathedral in Scranton, Pennsylvania, is the mother church, consists of 11 counties in northeastern Pennsylvania, United States....
from 1899 until his death in 1926.
Biography
Michael Hoban was born in WaterlooWaterloo Village
Waterloo Village is a restored 19th Century canal town in Byram Township, Sussex County in northwestern New Jersey and was approximately the half-way point in the roughly 102-mile trip along the Morris Canal, which ran from Jersey City to Phillipsburg, New Jersey Waterloo Village is a restored...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, to Patrick and Bridget (née Hannigan) Hoban, who were Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
immigrants. He and his family later moved to Hawley
Hawley, Pennsylvania
Hawley is a borough in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,211 at the 2010 census.- History :The borough was named for Irad Hawley, first president of the Pennsylvania Coal Company. Early industry centered around the transportation and support of nearby coal mining...
, 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...
, where he received his early education. He entered St. Francis Xavier's College
Xavier High School (New York City)
Xavier High School is a independent Jesuit university-preparatory high school for young men located at 30 West 16th Street, in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was founded in 1847, as the College of St. Francis Xavier by Father John Larkin, S.J...
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...
at age 14, and then attended Holy Cross College
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
in Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, from 1868 to 1871. After caring for his widowed mother for over two years, he briefly studied at St. John's College
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
in Fordham, 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...
, before enrolling at 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, 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...
, in 1874. In 1875 he was sent to further his studies 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...
at 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...
.
While in Rome, Hoban 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 Raffaele Monaco La Valletta on May 22, 1880. Upon his return to Pennsylvania in July 1880, he served as a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
in Towanda
Towanda, Pennsylvania
Towanda is a borough in and the county seat of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Wilkes Barre, on the Susquehanna River. The name means "burial ground" in the Algonquian language...
until 1882, when he was transferred to Pittston
Pittston, Pennsylvania
Pittston is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States, between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. It gained prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as an active anthracite coal mining city, drawing a large portion of its labor force from European immigrants. The population was...
. He received his first 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"....
ate in 1885, being appointed to St. John's Church at Troy
Troy, Pennsylvania
Troy is a borough in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,508 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Troy is located at ....
. In 1887 he was named pastor of St. Leo's Church in Ashley
Ashley, Pennsylvania
Ashley is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, one mile from Wilkes Barre. It was a productive coal-mining area at the start of the twentieth century. Population in 1900, 4,046; in 1910, 5,601; and in 1940, 6,371...
, where he established a church and rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
.
On February 1, 1896, Hoban was appointed Coadjutor Bishop
Coadjutor bishop
A 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 Scranton
Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton, of which St. Peter's Cathedral in Scranton, Pennsylvania, is the mother church, consists of 11 counties in northeastern Pennsylvania, United States....
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 Alalis
Alalis
Alalis was a titular see of Phoenicia , whose episcopal list is known from 325 to 451. It was located near the Euphrates, and was a suffragan of Damascus....
by Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
. 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 March 22 from Archbishop Francesco Satolli
Francesco Satolli
Francesco Satolli was an Italian Roman Catholic theologian, professor, Cardinal and the first Apostolic delegate to the United States.-Biography:He was born on 21 July 1839, at Marsciano near Perugia...
, with Bishops Thomas McGovern and Thomas Daniel Beaven
Thomas Daniel Beaven
Thomas Daniel Beaven was the second Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield in Massachusetts .Beaven was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, and received his early education there...
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. Peter's Cathedral. He later succeeded William O'Hara
William O'Hara
William O'Hara was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the first Bishop of Scranton, Pennsylvania . O'Hara is credited as the founder of St...
as the second Bishop of Scranton
Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton, of which St. Peter's Cathedral in Scranton, Pennsylvania, is the mother church, consists of 11 counties in northeastern Pennsylvania, United States....
upon the latter's death on February 3, 1899.
During his 27-year-long tenure, Hoban presided over a period of great growth in the Diocese of Scranton. At the time of his succession in 1899, the diocese contained 152 priests, 100 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...
, and 32 parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
s; by the time of his death in 1926, there were 341 priests, 202 parishes, 65 parochial schools, and three college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
s. His tenure was also marked by a growing ethnic
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
divide in Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania is a geographic region of Pennsylvania that includes the Pocono Mountains, the Endless Mountains and the industrial cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Hazleton and Carbondale....
; his actions, however, prevented the schism from reaching even greater proportions.
Hoban later died at age 73.