James Black (bishop)
Encyclopedia
The Right Reverend James Black (born Glasgow
25 June 1894; died Kilmacolm
29 March 1968) was the first Roman Catholic Bishop
of Paisley
in Scotland.
district of Glasgow in Scotland before his family moved to Tollcross
where he received his primary education at St Joseph's school. His secondary education was at St Aloysius' College
, an establishment administered by the Jesuits
at Garnethill
in the city centre. There he won the Stewart Bursary in the 1912 University of Glasgow
bursary competition and matriculated in the Faculty of Arts
in October of that year. However, the following year he left university to study for the priesthood at St Peter's College, Bearsden
.
to enlist in the Royal Munster Fusiliers
at Tralee in County Kerry
, Ireland
. In February 1918 he was deployed to France and saw action at the Second Battle of the Somme
. On 31 March 1918 he was severely wounded by machine gun
fire and it was feared that he might lose a leg. However he recovered sufficiently from his wounds and was discharged from the army on medical grounds in December 1918.
of Galloway
on 27 June 1920.
James Black's first appointment was to the church of St Patrick in Coatbridge
, Lanarkshire
where he remained until October 1931 when he was transferred to St Peter's in Partick
.
In January 1939 he was made parish priest of Our Lady and St John's in Blackwood
, Lanarkshire. Thereafter, in June 1941, he was removed to St Charles Borromeo parish in Paisley
where his tenure was a brief six months before being appointed as chaplain
to Notre Dame College for the training of teachers in Glasgow where, in addition to his pastoral duties, he also taught history and ethics.
On 11 May 1947, following the death of Monsignor
Daly, Father Black was made Vicar General
of the Archdiocese of Glasgow
.
of Paisley, Monsignor James Black was appointed as its first bishop
by Pope Pius XII
on 28 February 1948 and was consecrated by Archbishop Donald Campbell
in St Mirin's Cathedral
on 14 April of the same year.
During his twenty year episcopate Bishop Black created eleven parish
es and oversaw the building of nine new churches. In this same era three religious congregations came to the diocese and the National Junior Seminary was founded at St Vincent's in Langbank
in 1961.
Bishop Black attended all the plenary sessions of the Second Vatican Council
(1962–65) and began implementation of the conciliar and post-conciliar decrees.
The last few years of Bishop Black's episcopate were dogged by ill health and, in March 1968, after some months of confinement, he died in office.
Bishop Black's motto
was in Latin Promesse Magis Quam Praeesse ("To follow is greater than to lead").
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
25 June 1894; died Kilmacolm
Kilmacolm
Kilmacolm is a village and civil parish in the Inverclyde council area and the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on the northern slope of the Gryffe Valley south-east of Greenock and around west of the city of Glasgow...
29 March 1968) was the first Roman Catholic Bishop
Bishop of Paisley
The Bishop of Paisley is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paisley in the Province of Glasgow.The diocese covers an area of and is the smallest by area in Scotland. The see is in the town of Paisley where the seat is located at St Mirin's Cathedral.The diocese was erected on 25 May...
of Paisley
Diocese of Paisley
The Diocese of Paisley is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in Scotland. Erected on 25 May 1947 from the Archdiocese of Glasgow the diocese covers the historic county of Renfrewshire and is in area making it the smallest diocese by area in Scotland...
in Scotland.
Early life
James Black spent the first years of his life in the CaltonCalton
Calton may refer to:Places:*Calton, Argyll and Bute, Scotland*Calton, Glasgow, Scotland*Calton, North Yorkshire, England*Calton, Ontario, Canada*Calton, Staffordshire, England*Calton Hill, ScotlandPeople:*Patsy Calton, British politician...
district of Glasgow in Scotland before his family moved to Tollcross
Tollcross, Glasgow
Tollcross is an area north of the River Clyde in Glasgow and has a popular park which is famed for its international rose trials. It lies approximately a mile east of the neighbouring suburb of Parkhead, and just north of Braidfauld and south of Shettleston....
where he received his primary education at St Joseph's school. His secondary education was at St Aloysius' College
St. Aloysius' College, Glasgow
St. Aloysius' College is a selective fee-paying independent Jesuit school in Glasgow, Scotland. It was founded in 1859, and named after the famous Jesuit, Aloysius Gonzaga. Its strong Jesuit ethos emphasises practice of the Roman Catholic faith both in the church and in the community, with many...
, an establishment administered by the Jesuits
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
at Garnethill
Garnethill
Garnethill is a predominantly residential area of the city of Glasgow, Scotland.-Geography:Located in the city centre, the area borders Cowcaddens to its north, Sauchiehall Street to its south, Cambridge Street to its east and the M8 motorway to its west....
in the city centre. There he won the Stewart Bursary in the 1912 University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
bursary competition and matriculated in the Faculty of Arts
Faculty of Arts
The Faculty of Arts was one of the four traditional divisions of the teaching bodies of medieval universities, the others being Theology, Law and Medicine...
in October of that year. However, the following year he left university to study for the priesthood at St Peter's College, Bearsden
Bearsden
Bearsden ) is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It lies on the northwestern fringe of Greater Glasgow, approximately from the City Centre, and is effectively a suburb, with housing development coinciding with the introduction of a railway line in 1863, and from where the town gets its name...
.
Military service
In April 1917, along with several of his fellow students, he left the seminarySeminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
to enlist in the Royal Munster Fusiliers
Royal Munster Fusiliers
The Royal Munster Fusiliers was a regular infantry regiment of the British Army. One of eight Irish regiments raised largely in Ireland, it had its home depot in Tralee. It was originally formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of two regiments of the former East India Company. It served in India and...
at Tralee in County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
, 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...
. In February 1918 he was deployed to France and saw action at the Second Battle of the Somme
Second Battle of the Somme (1918)
During the First World War, the Second Battle of the Somme of 1918 was fought on the Western Front from the end of the summer, in the basin of the Somme River...
. On 31 March 1918 he was severely wounded by machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
fire and it was feared that he might lose a leg. However he recovered sufficiently from his wounds and was discharged from the army on medical grounds in December 1918.
Priesthood
In January 1919 he resumed his studies at St Peter's and was subsequently ordained to the priesthood at St Andrew's Cathedral, Glasgow by Bishop James McCarthyJames William McCarthy (bishop)
James William McCarthy was a Roman Catholic clergyman who served as Bishop of Galloway in Scotland from 1914 to 1943.Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England on 30 January 1853, he was ordained to the priesthood in Glasgow on 4 May 1879. He was appointed as Bishop of the Diocese of Galloway by the...
of Galloway
Diocese of Galloway
The Diocese of Galloway was one of the thirteen dioceses of the pre-1689 Scottish Church. The Diocese was led by the Bishop of Galloway and was centred on Whithorn Cathedral....
on 27 June 1920.
James Black's first appointment was to the church of St Patrick in Coatbridge
Coatbridge
Coatbridge is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. The town, with neighbouring Airdrie, is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the Stone Age era...
, Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
where he remained until October 1931 when he was transferred to St Peter's in Partick
Partick
Partick is an area of Glasgow on the north bank of the River Clyde, just across from Govan. To the west lies Whiteinch. Partick was a Police burgh from 1852 until 1912 when it was incorporated into the city.-History:...
.
In January 1939 he was made parish priest of Our Lady and St John's in Blackwood
Blackwood, South Lanarkshire
Blackwood is a village which borders Kirkmuirhill, near Lanark in the central belt of Scotland. It has a few small shops, a couple of primary schools and pubs....
, Lanarkshire. Thereafter, in June 1941, he was removed to St Charles Borromeo parish in Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
where his tenure was a brief six months before being appointed as chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
to Notre Dame College for the training of teachers in Glasgow where, in addition to his pastoral duties, he also taught history and ethics.
On 11 May 1947, following the death of Monsignor
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"...
Daly, Father Black was made Vicar General
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the Archdiocese of Glasgow
Archdiocese of Glasgow
The Archdiocese of Glasgow was one of the thirteen dioceses of the Scottish church. It was the second largest diocese in the Kingdom of Scotland, including Clydesdale, Teviotdale, parts of Tweeddale, Liddesdale, Annandale, Nithsdale, Cunninghame, Kyle, and Strathgryfe, as well as Lennox Carrick...
.
Episcopate
Upon the establishment of the new dioceseDiocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
of Paisley, Monsignor James Black was appointed as its first bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
on 28 February 1948 and was consecrated by Archbishop Donald Campbell
Donald Alphonsus Campbell
Donald Alphonsus Campbell was a Scottish prelate who served as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Glasgow from 1945 to 1963.Born in Bohunhin, Glen Roy, Inverness-shire on 8 December 1894, he was ordained to the priesthood on 3 April 1920...
in St Mirin's Cathedral
St Mirin's Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Saint Mirin in Paisley, dedicated to Saint Mirin the patron saint of Paisley, is the mother church of the Catholic Diocese of Paisley and is the seat of the Bishop of Paisley.-History:...
on 14 April of the same year.
During his twenty year episcopate Bishop Black created eleven parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es and oversaw the building of nine new churches. In this same era three religious congregations came to the diocese and the National Junior Seminary was founded at St Vincent's in Langbank
Langbank
Langbank is a village on the south bank of the River Clyde in Renfrewshire, Scotland. The name is thought to come from ‘long bank’ Langbank is a village on the south bank of the River Clyde in Renfrewshire, Scotland. The name is thought to come from ‘long bank’ Langbank is a village on the south...
in 1961.
Bishop Black attended all the plenary sessions of the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
(1962–65) and began implementation of the conciliar and post-conciliar decrees.
The last few years of Bishop Black's episcopate were dogged by ill health and, in March 1968, after some months of confinement, he died in office.
Bishop Black's motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
was in Latin Promesse Magis Quam Praeesse ("To follow is greater than to lead").
Sources
- The Catholic Directory for Scotland 1969 (Glasgow, 1969)
- Darragh, James The Catholic Hierarchy of Scotland (Glasgow, 1986)