The first bishop of the United States was John Carroll, brother of Daniel Carroll (who signed the Constitution) and cousin to Charles Carroll (who singed the Declaration of Independence).
Born...in 1735 John attended a Jesuit grammar school in Maryland and St. Omer's College in Flanders. In 1753, he joined the Society of Jesus. At 34, He was ordained in Europe and taught philosophy and theology in Belgium for the next four years.
In 1772, Pope Clement XIV dissolved the Society of Jesus under pressure from European Kings who, among other things, didn't like that the Jesuits were subject only to the Pope.
Fr. Carroll returned to the U.S. to serve in Maryland and
Virginia, arriving just as the American Revolution was beginning. Along with his cousin Charles and Benjamin Franklin, he was asked to help convince Canada to either join the American Patriots or remain neutral during the war.
In 1788, Rome gave permission for the establishment of a diocese that would extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River, and from Canada to Florida and directed priests to conduct an election to choose the bishop. In 1790, priests elected Fr,Carroll; he was consecrated bishop in 1790.
In a 2008 talk honoring Archbishop Carroll, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee noted: "Had Carroll not stepped into the wasteland, either the microscopic Catholic Church would have languished, with member leaving clergy adrift,souls lost, to the faith and the Church never quite 'making it' in the new country or Rome would have appointed a foreign superior...thus making the Catholic Church seem even more an outsider than ever."
Carroll was a close friend of George Washington, and delivered a funeral tribute when Washington died in 1799.
~~The Blue Book~~
God Bless Bp. Carroll! You know, we recently heard that there is speculation that George Washington converted to Catholicism on his deathbed. There is a lovely painting of the Blessed Mother in his home in Mt. Vernon (we got to see this summer!) that makes me wonder if it isn't so. How wonderful a thought, huh?
ReplyDeleteWe have a well-known Archbishop Carroll High School here in DC.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know the story.
Thanks.
Interesting stuff. Remembering and talking about the pillers of one's faith is a way to connect over time. I like what you've done with your site :0)
ReplyDeleteWonderful Cathy! I love Catholic/American history.
ReplyDeleteLisa, I hope that rumor is true about G.W.
BTW, the blog looks very beautiful.
I like the new site too, and the trivia section - couldn't help noticing the Irish names!!
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting post..thank you,and have a wonderful week:)
ReplyDeleteBlessings
P>S Your blog looks lovely!