Famous Irish Churchmen from PEI
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- SpeakerIntroduction
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- SpeakerCornelius O’Brien was born in New Glasgow, PEI in 1843. He became Archbishop of Halifax in 1882 and died in 1906.
- SpeakerJohn T. McNally was born in Hope River in 1871 and was the first Bishop of Calgary in 1913. He became Bishop of Hamilton in 1924 and Archbishop of Halifax in 1937. McNally died 1952.
- SpeakerAlfred Arthur Sinnott was born in Crapaud in 1877, and became the first Archbishop of Winnipeg in 1916. Sinnott resigned in 1946 and died in 1954.
- SpeakerFrancis Clement Kelley was born in Summerville in 1870 and became the Bishop of Oklahoma City in 1824, and died in 1947.
- SpeakerJames Charles McGuigan was born in Hunter River in 1894. He became the Archbishop of Regina in 1930. In 1935 McGuigan became Archbishop of Toronto. In 1946 he was named a Cardinal. McGuigan died in 1974.
- SpeakerLeo Charles Mulligan was born in 1900. He became the Bishop of Pembrook, Ontario in 1937 and resigned after the war in 1945. He then taught at the University of Windsor in the Department of Religious Studies until his death in 1975.
- SpeakerAt this point the speaker explains that he has simply stated brief biographical information of prominent churchmen of Irish descent who had their origins in PEI. Now the speaker will demonstrate the connections between the churchmen presented and their relation to Ireland and PEI.
- SpeakerArchbishop Cornelius O’Brien Irish parents settled in New Glasgow in the early 1930’s. Cornelius was born in 1843. Wanting to pursue the priesthood, he entered St. Dunstan’s College at the age of 20. After only one year he was recommended by Bishop Peter MacIntyre to study Philosophy and Theology at the Propaganda College in Rome where he was later ordained. Due to ill health, Cornelius was not able to fulfil his teaching and pastoral duties at the Cathedral in Charlottetown so he was sent to Indian River Parish. While there he published his first book, “The Philosophy of the Bible Vindicated”. He became the Archbishop of Halifax at the age of 39 for the next 24 years. He organized many new parishes as Archbishop and did extensive writing. He had many admirers and friends of different faiths and across various social statuses. In 1896, he was elected President of the Royal Society of Canada. He died in 1906 at the age of 63.
- SpeakerAlfred Arthur Sinnott was born in Crapaud in 1877. Later the Sinnotts moved to St. Peter’s Bay. Sinnott studied at Prince of Wales and St. Dunstan’s Colleges and then at the Grand Seminary at Quebec. He studied for two additional years in Rome. He was ordained in February 1900. Sinnott returned to Canada in 1901 and taught for two years at St. Dunstan’s College. For the next 13 years Sinnott served as the private secretary to two different Archbishops of Ottawa. In 1916, Sinnott was chosen to be the first Archbishop of Winnipeg and continued to be for the next 13 years. He was an exceptional speaker and writer which he used to build a community across all ethnicities and religions.
- SpeakerJohn T. McNally was Bishop of Calgary, Bishop of Hamilton, and Archbishop of Halifax. McNally was born in Hope River, PEI in 1871. McNally graduated from Prince of Wales College and the University of Ottawa. McNally earned Doctorates in Philosophy and Theology in Rome. After his ordination in 1896, McNally returned to Canada and was assigned to the Ottawa area in Ontario. He moved to Portland Oregon two years later serving as secretary to the Archbishop and pastor of the Cathedral. Then he went for two more years of study in Rome. In 1903, he returned to Canada and spent 10 years doing parish work in the Ottawa Archdiocese. In 1901, McNally was appointed Official Secretary and Guardian of the document for the first Plenary Council in Canada. In 1913, he became the first Bishop of Calgary where he spent 10 years. Because he had a “paranoia” about the French’s domination of Western Canada, McNally replaced most of the clergy with ones he chose in order to defend the Catholic principles that he upheld.
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- SpeakerMcNally went to Hamilton in 1924. Tape break. The speaker reads from “Every Popish Person” by Brian Hannington written in the early 1930’s describing the need for forced sterilization. McNally spoke out against this idea in the Catholic Church and in public. The speaker quotes from some of McNally’s writings on this topic. McNally expanded the Catholic school system and built the Cathedral of Christ the King. In 1937, he became Archbishop of Halifax. He repulsed attacks on Catholic rights and doctrines, receiving immense respect but also bitter feelings and resentment. When World War II began he encouraged everyone to support the war effort. He built Saint Mary’s University.
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- SpeakerBishop Francis Clement Kelly was born in Summerville in 1870 and later lived in Charlottetown. Three of his grandparents were born in Ireland. Francis attended St. Dunstan’s College and a Seminary in Quebec and followed by a year as the Bishop of Chatham’s secretary. After his ordination, Kelly served the Diocese of Detroit. In the Spanish-American War, Kelly served as a military chaplain. After the war, he served as spokesman to the US government for the Mexican Bishops in exile being persecuted by the Mexican Communist Party. Later he joined the travelling lecture circuit which led to his founding of the Catholic Church Extension Society. Kelly was an arbitrator between different regional bishops and conversed regularly with the US president and other leaders. Post World War I, Kelly advocated against closing German Catholic missions. Kelly was credited with helping to form the solution to the Roman Question in Italy. In 1924, he was named Bishop of the Missionary Diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma. His memoir, “The Bishop Jots it Down" offers a portrait of PEI. Kelly left his library to St. Dunstan’s University. A building at UPEI bears his name. The diocese of Oklahoma commissioned Monsignor Gaffy to write a biography of Kelly.
- SpeakerThe speaker explains the attributes needed to be a bishop. The speaker comments on how the Bishops he highlighted had a strong sense of church due to their studies in Rome. Bishop Kelly spoke the most about being Irish compared to other Irish bishops presented. He was anti-British although he had good friends who are British. The speaker is cut off when the recording stops abruptly.