Paul Leonard Hagarty
Encyclopedia
Paul Leonard Hagarty, O.S.B.
(March 20, 1909—September 22, 1984) was an American
prelate
of the Catholic Church. He was the first Bishop of Nassau
(1960–81), having previously served as Vicar Apostolic of the Bahama Islands
(1950–60).
, Iowa
, one of ten children of James Herbert and Lucy Belle (née O'Connell) Hagarty. He attended Oakland School No. 8 and Sacred Heart Academy before entering Greene Catholic High School. He then studied at Loras College
in Dubuque
, where he paid for his first year with the compensation he received from a railroad accident in which he suffered a broken leg. He paid the rest of his way through college with a Saturday job at J. C. Penney
, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in 1930.
Hagarty worked as a geologist
for the Union Pacific Railroad
, as well as a junior meteorologist
with the National Weather Service
, before joining the Order of St. Benedict
, more commonly known as the Benedictines, at St. John's Abbey
in Collegeville, Minnesota
, in 1931. He made his profession as a Benedictine monk on November 6, 1932, taking the name Leonard. He was ordained
to the priesthood
on June 6, 1936.
In 1937, Hagarty was sent by his superiors to serve as a missionary
on the Bahama Islands
, where he served as a curate
at St. Francis Xavier Church in Nassau
for five years. In addition to his pastoral work, he was also a chaplain
for the local leper colony
, Goodwill Orphanage, and the general hospital. During World War II
, he served as an auxiliary chaplain to British and American troops in the Bahamas. He developed a close relationship with Bishop John Kevenhoerster
, who brought Hagarty with him on his collecting tours and later sent him to the University of Oxford
for postgraduate studies. He became director of education following his return, reforming the Catholic school system.
On June 25, 1950, Hagarty was appointed Vicar Apostolic
of the Bahama Islands and Titular Bishop
of Arba
by Pope Pius XII
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following October 19 from Archbishop Amleto Cicognani at the Church of Our Lady of the Holy Souls in Nassau. The apostolic vicariate was elevated to the Diocese of Nassau
by Pope John XXIII
on July 5, 1960, with Hagarty becoming its first Bishop
. During his tenure, he greatly expanded Catholic participation in education and social development. He attended the Second Vatican Council
from 1962 to 1965. In February 1979, he hosted Pope John Paul II
during his visit to Nassau.
Hagarty resigned as bishop on July 17, 1981 due to poor health. He later died at St. John's Abbey at age 75, and is buried at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Nassau.
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
(March 20, 1909—September 22, 1984) was an American
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 Catholic Church. He was the first Bishop of Nassau
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nassau
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nassau is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Caribbean. The diocese encompasses the islands of the former British dependency of the Bahamas...
(1960–81), having previously served as Vicar Apostolic of the Bahama Islands
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nassau
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nassau is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Caribbean. The diocese encompasses the islands of the former British dependency of the Bahamas...
(1950–60).
Biography
Paul Hagarty was born in GreeneGreene, Iowa
Greene is a city in Butler County, Iowa, along the Shell Rock River, and along Butler County's northern border, where Butler and Floyd counties meet. The population was 1,099 at the 2000 census...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, one of ten children of James Herbert and Lucy Belle (née O'Connell) Hagarty. He attended Oakland School No. 8 and Sacred Heart Academy before entering Greene Catholic High School. He then studied at Loras College
Loras College
Loras College is a four-year Catholic college located in Dubuque, Iowa, with a general attendance of approximately 1,700 students. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs...
in Dubuque
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
, where he paid for his first year with the compensation he received from a railroad accident in which he suffered a broken leg. He paid the rest of his way through college with a Saturday job at J. C. Penney
J. C. Penney
-External links:*...
, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1930.
Hagarty worked as a geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
for the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
, as well as a junior meteorologist
Meteorology
Meteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere. Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw breakthroughs occur after observing networks developed across several countries...
with the National Weather Service
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
, before joining the Order of St. Benedict
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
, more commonly known as the Benedictines, at St. John's Abbey
Saint John's Abbey
Saint John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota is a Benedictine monastery affiliated with the American Cassinese Congregation. The Abbey was established following the arrival in the area of monks from Saint Vincent Abbey of Latrobe, Pennsylvania in 1856. Saint John's is the second-largest...
in Collegeville, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, in 1931. He made his profession as a Benedictine monk on November 6, 1932, taking the name Leonard. 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....
on June 6, 1936.
In 1937, Hagarty was sent by his superiors to serve as a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
on the Bahama Islands
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
, where 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...
at St. Francis Xavier Church in Nassau
Nassau, Bahamas
Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...
for five years. In addition to his pastoral work, he was also 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...
for the local leper colony
Leper colony
A leper colony, leprosarium, or lazar house is a place to quarantine leprous people.-History:Leper colonies or houses became widespread in the Middle Ages, particularly in Europe and India, and often run by monastic orders...
, Goodwill Orphanage, and the general hospital. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served as an auxiliary chaplain to British and American troops in the Bahamas. He developed a close relationship with Bishop John Kevenhoerster
John Bernard Kevenhoerster
John Bernard Kevenhoerster, O.S.B. was a German-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the first Prefect Apostolic and Vicar Apostolic of the Bahama Islands.-Biography:...
, who brought Hagarty with him on his collecting tours and later sent him to the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
for postgraduate studies. He became director of education following his return, reforming the Catholic school system.
On June 25, 1950, Hagarty was appointed Vicar Apostolic
Apostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...
of the Bahama Islands 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 Arba
Rab
Rab is an island in Croatia and a town of the same name located just off the northern Croatian coast in the Adriatic Sea.The island is long, has an area of and 9,480 inhabitants . The highest peak is Kamenjak at 408 meters...
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....
. 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 October 19 from Archbishop Amleto Cicognani at the Church of Our Lady of the Holy Souls in Nassau. The apostolic vicariate was elevated to the Diocese of Nassau
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nassau
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nassau is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the Caribbean. The diocese encompasses the islands of the former British dependency of the Bahamas...
by Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
on July 5, 1960, with Hagarty becoming its 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...
. During his tenure, he greatly expanded Catholic participation in education and social development. He attended the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
from 1962 to 1965. In February 1979, he hosted Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
during his visit to Nassau.
Hagarty resigned as bishop on July 17, 1981 due to poor health. He later died at St. John's Abbey at age 75, and is buried at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Nassau.