Charles Owen Rice
Encyclopedia
Monsignor
Charles Owen Rice (November 21, 1908 – November 13, 2005) was a Roman Catholic priest
and an American
labor activist.
He was born in Brooklyn, New York, USA to Irish
immigrants. His mother died when he was four, and he and his brother were sent to Ireland
to be raised by his paternal grandmother, in a large extended family home along the seafront in Bellurgan, County Louth. Seven years later he returned to the United States
. In 1934, after studies at Duquesne University
and Saint Vincent Seminary
, he was ordained into the priesthood in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, where he served for seven decades. His brother Patrick was also an ordained priest in Pittsburgh and a canon lawyer. His cousin, also called Patrick Rice
(June, 1918 – June 8, 2010), was an ordained priest in Dublin and similarly elevated to the Canonry.
, Rice began his activism in social causes and especially in the American labor movement. Rice was mentored by Pittsburgh's original labor priest Father James Cox
, and as a leader of the Catholic Radical Alliance
, was involved in strikes against the H.J. Heinz Company. He met Dorothy Day
and was a friend of Philip Murray
, founder of the Steel Workers Organizing Committee
and president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations
.
for the Pittsburgh Catholic
. He marched with Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
in the Spring Mobilization for Peace in New York in 1967. He opposed America's involvement in the Vietnam War
in 1969, and supported workers in Pittsburgh as they lost their jobs and livelihood when the steel industry closed in the 1980s.
He continued his involvement in Catholic activism throughout the eras of Civil Rights
, the women's movement, and the anti-war movements.
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
Charles Owen Rice (November 21, 1908 – November 13, 2005) was a Roman Catholic priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
labor activist.
He was born in Brooklyn, New York, USA to Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
immigrants. His mother died when he was four, and he and his brother were sent to 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...
to be raised by his paternal grandmother, in a large extended family home along the seafront in Bellurgan, County Louth. Seven years later he returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 1934, after studies at Duquesne University
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
and Saint Vincent Seminary
Saint Vincent Seminary
Saint Vincent Seminary is the fourth oldest Roman Catholic seminary in the United States and is located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, forty miles southeast of Pittsburgh....
, he was ordained into the priesthood in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh is a Roman Catholic diocese. It was established in Western Pennsylvania on August 11, 1843. The diocese includes 211 parishes in the counties of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Greene, Lawrence, and Washington, an area of with a Catholic population of 719,801...
, where he served for seven decades. His brother Patrick was also an ordained priest in Pittsburgh and a canon lawyer. His cousin, also called Patrick Rice
Patrick Rice
Patrick Michael Rice was an Irish human rights activist and former priest. He was a campaigner on behalf of the families of the victims of Argentina's dirty war, the "disappeared". He himself was kidnapped and tortured whilst working as a missionary priest in Argentina.He was born in Ireland in...
(June, 1918 – June 8, 2010), was an ordained priest in Dublin and similarly elevated to the Canonry.
Union activities
During the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Rice began his activism in social causes and especially in the American labor movement. Rice was mentored by Pittsburgh's original labor priest Father James Cox
Father James Cox
Father James Renshaw Cox was an American Roman Catholic priest from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, known for his pro-labor activism. He was a candidate for President of the United States in 1932, and also the organizer of an unprecedented protest march on Washington, DC.-Biography:Cox was born in 1886...
, and as a leader of the Catholic Radical Alliance
Catholic Radical Alliance
The Catholic Radical Alliance was founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1937 by Roman Catholic priests Charles Owen Rice, Carl Hensler, and George Barry O'Toole. , with the approval of their bishop, Hugh C. Boyle. It supported the unionization of workers in the H.J. Heinz Company and the Loose...
, was involved in strikes against the H.J. Heinz Company. He met Dorothy Day
Dorothy Day
Dorothy Day was an American journalist, social activist and devout Catholic convert; she advocated the Catholic economic theory of Distributism. She was also considered to be an anarchist, and did not hesitate to use the term...
and was a friend of Philip Murray
Philip Murray
Philip Murray was a Scottish born steelworker and an American labor leader. He was the first president of the Steel Workers Organizing Committee , the first president of the United Steelworkers of America , and the longest-serving president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations .-Early...
, founder of the Steel Workers Organizing Committee
Steel Workers Organizing Committee
The Steel Workers Organizing Committee was one of two precursor labor organizations to the United Steelworkers. It was formed by the CIO in 1936. It disbanded in 1942 to become the United Steel Workers of America....
and president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations
Congress of Industrial Organizations
The Congress of Industrial Organizations, or CIO, proposed by John L. Lewis in 1932, was a federation of unions that organized workers in industrial unions in the United States and Canada from 1935 to 1955. The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 required union leaders to swear that they were not...
.
Later years
For many years, he was a columnistColumnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
for the Pittsburgh Catholic
Pittsburgh Catholic
The Pittsburgh Catholic is the weekly Catholic newspaper for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, published for lay people and priests. It labels itself as the oldest Catholic newspaper in continuous publication. The newspaper was established in 1844, by Rt. Rev. Michael O'Connor, D.D...
. He marched with Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
in the Spring Mobilization for Peace in New York in 1967. He opposed America's involvement in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
in 1969, and supported workers in Pittsburgh as they lost their jobs and livelihood when the steel industry closed in the 1980s.
He continued his involvement in Catholic activism throughout the eras of Civil Rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
, the women's movement, and the anti-war movements.
External links
- Finding aid to the Charles Owen Rice Papers at the Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh