Samuel Eccleston
Encyclopedia
Samuel Eccleston, P.S.S.
(June 27, 1801—April 22, 1851) was an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as the fifth Archbishop of Baltimore
from 1834 until his death in 1851.
family, Samuel Eccleston was born near Chestertown
, Maryland
, to Samuel and Martha (née Hyson) Eccleston. His grandfather, John Eccleston, was from Preston in North West England
, and came to the United States in the middle of the 18th century. His father, who had three children from a previous marriage, died when Samuel was a young boy. Following his father's death, his widowed mother remarried a Catholic
gentleman named Stenson. While a pupil at St. Mary's College
in Baltimore
, he converted to Catholicism on May 29, 1819.
, and entered St. Mary's Seminary
in July 1819. He was later ordained
a priest by Archbishop Ambrose Maréchal
on April 24, 1825. Later that year, he entered the Society of Saint-Sulpice
, more commonly known as the Sulpicians, and was sent to continue his studies at the Grand Seminary of Saint-Sulpice in Issy-les-Moulineaux
, France
. After visiting England and Ireland
, he returned to Baltimore in July 1827, and became a faculty member and vice-president at his alma mater
of St. Mary's College. He was made president of the same institution in 1829.
of Baltimore and Titular Archbishop
of Thermae Basilicae by Pope Gregory XVI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following September 14 from Archbishop James Whitfield
, with Bishops Benedict Joseph Flaget
, P.S.S., and Francis Patrick Kenrick serving as co-consecrators
, in the Cathedral of the Assumption
. Upon the death of Archbishop Whitfield on October 19, 1834, Eccleston succeeded him as the fifth Archbishop of Baltimore
. At the age of 34, he is the youngest cleric to become Archbishop of Baltimore in the history of the archdiocese. He also became apostolic administrator
of the Diocese of Richmond
, Virginia
, an office in which he remained until the appointment of Richard Vincent Whelan
in 1840. He received the pallium
, a vestment worn by metropolitan bishop
s, on November 1, 1835.
Under Eccleston's encouragement, the Sisters of the Visitation
increased the number of their academies, the Brothers of St. Patrick came to direct a manual labor school near Baltimore, and the increasing German Catholic population was confided to the care of the Redemptorists
. The Brothers of the Christian Schools
founded Calvert Hall School
in 1845, and St. Charles College
was established in 1849. Between 1837 and 1849, he held five Provincial Councils of Baltimore
; he invited the exiled Pope Pius IX
to preside over the Seventh Provincial Council in 1849. Several new churches were erected during his administration as well.
Eccleston died in the Georgetown
section of Washington, D.C.
, aged 49.
Society of Saint-Sulpice
The Society of Saint-Sulpice is a Catholic Society of Apostolic Life named for Eglise Saint-Sulpice, Paris, in turn named for St. Sulpitius the Pious. Typically, priests become members of the Society of St. Sulpice only after ordination and some years of pastoral work. Uniquely, Sulpicians retain...
(June 27, 1801—April 22, 1851) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
clergyman 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 the fifth Archbishop of Baltimore
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore
The 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...
from 1834 until his death in 1851.
Early life
Raised in an EpiscopalianEpiscopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
family, Samuel Eccleston was born near Chestertown
Chestertown, Maryland
Chestertown is a town in Kent County, Maryland, United States. The population was 4,746 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Kent County. The ZIP code is 21620 and the area codes are 410 and 443...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, to Samuel and Martha (née Hyson) Eccleston. His grandfather, John Eccleston, was from Preston in North West England
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
, and came to the United States in the middle of the 18th century. His father, who had three children from a previous marriage, died when Samuel was a young boy. Following his father's death, his widowed mother remarried a Catholic
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...
gentleman named Stenson. While a pupil at St. Mary's College
St. Mary's Seminary and University
St. Mary's Seminary and University is a Roman Catholic seminary in Baltimore, Maryland; it was the first seminary founded in the United States of America.-History:...
in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, he converted to Catholicism on May 29, 1819.
Priesthood
Following his conversion, Eccleston decided to join the priesthoodPriesthood (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....
, and entered St. Mary's Seminary
St. Mary's Seminary and University
St. Mary's Seminary and University is a Roman Catholic seminary in Baltimore, Maryland; it was the first seminary founded in the United States of America.-History:...
in July 1819. He was later 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....
a priest by Archbishop Ambrose Maréchal
Ambrose Maréchal
Most Reverend Ambrose Maréchal, S.S. was the third Archbishop of Baltimore, Maryland.Motto: Auspice Maria; "Under the protection of Mary."Ambrose Maréchal was born at Ingré near Orléans, France, on August 28, 1764...
on April 24, 1825. Later that year, he entered the Society of Saint-Sulpice
Society of Saint-Sulpice
The Society of Saint-Sulpice is a Catholic Society of Apostolic Life named for Eglise Saint-Sulpice, Paris, in turn named for St. Sulpitius the Pious. Typically, priests become members of the Society of St. Sulpice only after ordination and some years of pastoral work. Uniquely, Sulpicians retain...
, more commonly known as the Sulpicians, and was sent to continue his studies at the Grand Seminary of Saint-Sulpice in Issy-les-Moulineaux
Issy-les-Moulineaux
Issy-les-Moulineaux is a commune in the southwestern suburban area of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. On 1 January 2003, Issy-les-Moulineaux became part of the Communauté d'agglomération Arc de Seine along with the other communes of Chaville, Meudon, Vanves and Ville-d'Avray...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. After visiting England and Ireland
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...
, he returned to Baltimore in July 1827, and became a faculty member and vice-president at his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
of St. Mary's College. He was made president of the same institution in 1829.
Episcopacy
On March 4, 1834, Eccleston was appointed Coadjutor ArchbishopCoadjutor 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 Baltimore and Titular Archbishop
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 Thermae Basilicae by Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI , born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari, named Mauro as a member of the religious order of the Camaldolese, was Pope of the Catholic Church from 1831 to 1846...
. 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 September 14 from Archbishop James Whitfield
James Whitfield (bishop)
James Whitfield was an English-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Baltimore from 1828 until his death in 1834.-Biography:...
, with Bishops Benedict Joseph Flaget
Benedict Joseph Flaget
Benedict Joseph Flaget was a U.S. bishop. He served as the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bardstown between 1808 and 1839, then as bishop of the Diocese of Louisville between 1839 and 1850 when the See was transferred to Louisville in 1839.-Education and Call to Ministry:At...
, P.S.S., and Francis Patrick Kenrick 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...
, in the Cathedral of the Assumption
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also called the Baltimore Basilica, was the first Roman Catholic cathedral built in the United States, and was the first major religious building constructed in the nation after the adoption of the U.S. Constitution...
. Upon the death of Archbishop Whitfield on October 19, 1834, Eccleston succeeded him as the fifth Archbishop of Baltimore
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore
The 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...
. At the age of 34, he is the youngest cleric to become Archbishop of Baltimore in the history of the archdiocese. He also became apostolic administrator
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
of the Diocese of Richmond
Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond is an ecclesiastical and episcopal see or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. Its current territory was created by Pope Paul VI and encompasses all of central and southern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and the eastern shore...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, an office in which he remained until the appointment of Richard Vincent Whelan
Richard Vincent Whelan
Richard Vincent Whelan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Richmond, Virginia and Bishop of Wheeling, West Virginia ....
in 1840. He received the pallium
Pallium
The pallium is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Roman Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the Pope, but for many centuries bestowed by him on metropolitans and primates as a symbol of the jurisdiction delegated to them by the Holy See. In that context it has always remained unambiguously...
, a vestment worn by metropolitan bishop
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
s, on November 1, 1835.
Under Eccleston's encouragement, the Sisters of the Visitation
Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary
The Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary or the Visitation Order is a Roman Catholic religious order for women. Members of the order are also known as Filles de Sainte-Marie, Visitandines, Salesian Sisters and, more commonly, Visitationists.- History of the order :The Order was founded in 1610 by...
increased the number of their academies, the Brothers of St. Patrick came to direct a manual labor school near Baltimore, and the increasing German Catholic population was confided to the care of the Redemptorists
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer is a Roman Catholic missionary Congregation founded by Saint Alphonsus Liguori at Scala, near Amalfi, Italy for the purpose of labouring among the neglected country people in the neighbourhood of Naples.Members of the Congregation, priests and brothers,...
. The Brothers of the Christian Schools
Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools
The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools is a Roman Catholic religious teaching congregation, founded in France by Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle and now based in Rome...
founded Calvert Hall School
Calvert Hall College High School
Calvert Hall College High School is a Catholic college preparatory high school for boys located in Towson, Maryland, United States...
in 1845, and St. Charles College
St. Charles College, Maryland
St. Charles College was a seminary college in Catonsville, Maryland, originally from Ellicott City, Maryland.- 1776:Charles Carroll of Carrollton signs the Declaration of Independence for Maryland. One of the wealthiest men in the Americas, Carroll staked his fortune on the American Revolution...
was established in 1849. Between 1837 and 1849, he held five Provincial Councils of Baltimore
Provincial Councils of Baltimore
The Provincial Councils of Baltimore were councils of Roman Catholic bishops that set the pattern for Catholic organisation in the United States of America...
; he invited the exiled Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, 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...
to preside over the Seventh Provincial Council in 1849. Several new churches were erected during his administration as well.
Eccleston died in the Georgetown
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Georgetown is a neighborhood located in northwest Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. Founded in 1751, the port of Georgetown predated the establishment of the federal district and the City of Washington by 40 years...
section of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, aged 49.