Henry Ustick Onderdonk
Encyclopedia
Henry Ustick Onderdonk was the second Episcopal
bishop of Pennsylvania
.
. He studied at Columbia University
, receiving his degree in 1805, and then traveled to Britain for further education, receiving his medical degree from the University of Edinburgh. On returning to the United States, Onderdonk practiced medicine in New York before being ordained to the deaconate and priesthood by Bishop John Henry Hobart
. In 1816, he went to western New York as a missionary
and then returned east to become rector of St. Ann's Church
in Brooklyn
, remaining there for seven years.
. He was the 21st bishop of the ECUSA, and was consecrated by bishops William White, Alexander Viets Griswold
, and James Kemp. On Bishop White's death in 1836, Onderdonk became bishop. Onderdonk was a strong advocate of the pre-Tractarian High Church
position, in company with his brother Benjamin Treadwell Onderdonk
, who was also a bishop. In 1844, Onderdonk was suspended from the exercise of his episcopal office after rumors of alcoholism
. The suspension was lifted in 1856, two years before his death.
Episcopal 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...
bishop of Pennsylvania
Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania
The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America encompassing the counties of Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Chester and Delaware in the state of Pennsylvania....
.
Early life
Onderdonk was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He studied at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, receiving his degree in 1805, and then traveled to Britain for further education, receiving his medical degree from the University of Edinburgh. On returning to the United States, Onderdonk practiced medicine in New York before being ordained to the deaconate and priesthood by Bishop John Henry Hobart
John Henry Hobart
John Henry Hobart was the third Episcopal bishop of New York .He vigorously promoted the extension of the Episcopal Church in Central and Western New York...
. In 1816, he went to western New York 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...
and then returned east to become rector of St. Ann's Church
St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church
St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church is an historic Episcopal church located at the corner of Montague and Clinton streets in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. The building was built as Church of the Holy Trinity, and opened in 1847. Following years of controversy, the...
in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, remaining there for seven years.
Bishop of Pennsylvania
Onderdonk was elected assistant Bishop of Pennsylvania in 1827, serving initially as assistant to Bishop William WhiteWilliam White (Bishop of Pennsylvania)
The Most Reverend William White was the first and fourth Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, USA , the first Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania , and the second United States Senate Chaplain...
. He was the 21st bishop of the ECUSA, and was consecrated by bishops William White, Alexander Viets Griswold
Alexander Viets Griswold
Alexander Viets Griswold was the Episcopal Bishop of the Eastern Diocese, which included all of New England with the exception of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut....
, and James Kemp. On Bishop White's death in 1836, Onderdonk became bishop. Onderdonk was a strong advocate of the pre-Tractarian High Church
High church
The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the...
position, in company with his brother Benjamin Treadwell Onderdonk
Benjamin Treadwell Onderdonk
Benjamin Treadwell Onderdonk was the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York from 1830–1861.- Early years :...
, who was also a bishop. In 1844, Onderdonk was suspended from the exercise of his episcopal office after rumors of alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
. The suspension was lifted in 1856, two years before his death.
External links
- Documents by Onderdonk from Project CanterburyProject CanterburyProject Canterbury is an online archive of material related to the history of Anglicanism. It was founded by Richard Mammana, Jr. in 1999, and is hosted by the non-profit Society of Archbishop Justus...