James Duggan
Encyclopedia
James Duggan was a Irish-American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as the fourth bishop
of the Diocese of Chicago
from 1859 to 1869, officially resigning in 1880.
, County Kildare
, Ireland
, a clothier’s son. At the invitation of St. Louis Archbishop
Peter Kenrick, recruiting young men to fill the need for priests in the United States, he emigrated in 1842 to complete studies for the priesthood at St. Vincent’s Seminary in Cape Girardeau, Missouri
. He was ordained a priest on May 29, 1847.
In 1854 Archbishop Kenrick appointed Duggan vicar general of St. Louis and then, after only five years of priesthood, appointed him to administer temporarily the Diocese of Chicago after Bishop James Oliver Van de Velde
, the second bishop of Chicago, resigned in 1853.
On May 1, 1857, Kenrick ordained Duggan bishop of the titular see of Gabala and coadjutor bishop of St. Louis. Again he became administrator the Diocese of Chicago when Bishop Anthony O'Regan
, the third bishop of Chicago, resigned on June 25, 1858. On January 21, 1859 Bishop Duggan was appointed the fourth bishop of Chicago, aged only 34.
, and of the Civil War
. German Catholics were hostile to an Irish bishop. Irish-born priests were hostile to his stand against the Fenian Brotherhood
: he denied the sacraments to anyone tied to this secret society. Some clergy felt Bishop Duggan did not do enough to support the University of St. Mary of the Lake with its seminary, the first chartered university in Illinois
, at a time of crisis in enrollment and its finances.
In any event, Duggan had enjoyed a reputation, confirmed by his swift ecclesiastical promotion, for intelligence, affability, and eloquence. Yet after he returned from the Second Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1866 he began to change: moodiness, erratic behavior, signs of stress. When Duggan traveled abroad to relax and recover, several of his priests concerned for the bishop’s stability took the opportunity to ask the Vatican to investigate.
conducted by the Sisters of Charity in St. Louis. He resigned officially as bishop on September 10, 1880 and died at the sanatorium on March 27, 1899.
At a time before accurate diagnosis and treatment of mental illness was possible, Duggan was institutionalized on the understanding that he was “hopelessly insane.” Today there is no evidence with which to diagnose what exactly he suffered from.
On March 29, 2001 Bishop Duggan’s remains were ceremoniously moved from Calvary Cemetery in Evanston
, Illinois to be placed in the Bishop’s Mausoleum at Mount Carmel Cemetery
in Hillside
, Illinois where most of his colleague bishops of Chicago are buried. The stigma of mental illness perhaps explains why this had not happened in 1912, the year the Mausoleum was completed.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He served as the fourth 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...
of the Diocese of Chicago
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago was established as a diocese in 1843 and as an Archdiocese in 1880. It serves more than 2.3 million Catholics in Cook and Lake counties in Northeastern Illinois, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The Archdiocese is divided into six vicariates and 31 deaneries...
from 1859 to 1869, officially resigning in 1880.
Early years
James Duggan was born on May 22, 1825 in MaynoothMaynooth
Maynooth is a town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to a branch of the National University of Ireland, a Papal University and Ireland's main Roman Catholic seminary, St. Patrick's College...
, County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
, 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...
, a clothier’s son. At the invitation of St. Louis Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
Peter Kenrick, recruiting young men to fill the need for priests in the United States, he emigrated in 1842 to complete studies for the priesthood at St. Vincent’s Seminary in Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. He was ordained a priest on May 29, 1847.
In 1854 Archbishop Kenrick appointed Duggan vicar general of St. Louis and then, after only five years of priesthood, appointed him to administer temporarily the Diocese of Chicago after Bishop James Oliver Van de Velde
James Oliver Van de Velde
James Oliver Van de Velde was a U.S. Catholic bishop born in Belgium. He served as the second Roman Catholic Bishop of Chicago between 1849 and 1853. He traveled to Rome in 1852 and petitioned the Pope for a transfer to a warmer climate, due to his health...
, the second bishop of Chicago, resigned in 1853.
On May 1, 1857, Kenrick ordained Duggan bishop of the titular see of Gabala and coadjutor bishop of St. Louis. Again he became administrator the Diocese of Chicago when Bishop Anthony O'Regan
Anthony O'Regan
Anthony O'Regan was an Irish prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Chicago in the United States from 1854 to 1858.-Biography:...
, the third bishop of Chicago, resigned on June 25, 1858. On January 21, 1859 Bishop Duggan was appointed the fourth bishop of Chicago, aged only 34.
Bishop of Chicago
As bishop, Duggan faced challenges in Chicago: the legacy of the decade-long lack of leadership in the diocese (his two immediate predecessors having resigned suddenly), the effects of the financial panic of 1857Panic of 1857
The Panic of 1857 was a financial panic in the United States caused by the declining international economy and over-expansion of the domestic economy. Indeed, because of the interconnectedness of the world economy by the time of the 1850s, the financial crisis which began in the autumn of 1857 was...
, and of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. German Catholics were hostile to an Irish bishop. Irish-born priests were hostile to his stand against the Fenian Brotherhood
Fenian Brotherhood
The Fenian Brotherhood was an Irish republican organization founded in the United States in 1858 by John O'Mahony and Michael Doheny. It was a precursor to Clan na Gael, a sister organization to the Irish Republican Brotherhood. Members were commonly known as "Fenians"...
: he denied the sacraments to anyone tied to this secret society. Some clergy felt Bishop Duggan did not do enough to support the University of St. Mary of the Lake with its seminary, the first chartered university in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, at a time of crisis in enrollment and its finances.
In any event, Duggan had enjoyed a reputation, confirmed by his swift ecclesiastical promotion, for intelligence, affability, and eloquence. Yet after he returned from the Second Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1866 he began to change: moodiness, erratic behavior, signs of stress. When Duggan traveled abroad to relax and recover, several of his priests concerned for the bishop’s stability took the opportunity to ask the Vatican to investigate.
Removal and institutionalization
Ten years after his installation, on April 14, 1869, Bishop Duggan was removed as Chicago bishop and spent the next 29 years living in obscurity in a sanatoriumSanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
conducted by the Sisters of Charity in St. Louis. He resigned officially as bishop on September 10, 1880 and died at the sanatorium on March 27, 1899.
At a time before accurate diagnosis and treatment of mental illness was possible, Duggan was institutionalized on the understanding that he was “hopelessly insane.” Today there is no evidence with which to diagnose what exactly he suffered from.
On March 29, 2001 Bishop Duggan’s remains were ceremoniously moved from Calvary Cemetery in Evanston
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
, Illinois to be placed in the Bishop’s Mausoleum at Mount Carmel Cemetery
Mount Carmel Cemetery (Hillside)
Mount Carmel Cemetery is a Roman Catholic cemetery located in the Chicago suburb of Hillside, Illinois. Mount Carmel is an active cemetery, located within the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. The cemetery is located near the Eisenhower Expressway at Wolf and Roosevelt...
in Hillside
Hillside, Illinois
Hillside is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,155 at the 2000 census.One notable landmark in Hillside is the Mount Carmel Cemetery. On the grounds of the cemetery are the graves of a number of organized crime figures, such as Al Capone and Dion O'Bannion...
, Illinois where most of his colleague bishops of Chicago are buried. The stigma of mental illness perhaps explains why this had not happened in 1912, the year the Mausoleum was completed.