James Frederick Wood
Encyclopedia
James Frederick Bryan Wood (April 27, 1813—June 20, 1883) was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He was the fifth Bishop
and first Archbishop of Philadelphia
, serving between 1860 and his death in 1883.
, Pennsylvania
, to a Unitarian
family. His parents were both from England
, his father (a merchant
) from Manchester
and his mother from Gloucestershire
; they immigrated
to the United States
in 1809. After attending an elementary school
on Dock Street, he was sent abroad to the Crypt School
at Gloucester
in November 1821. He returned to Philadelphia five years later and then enrolled at a private school
on Market Street
. In November 1827, he and his family removed to Cincinnati
, Ohio
, where the young Wood became a clerk at the Branch Bank of the United States
. After being advanced to individual book-keeper
and discount clerk, he was made a paying and receiving teller
(1833) and cashier
(1836) in the Franklin Bank of Cincinnati.
, who later baptized
him into the Catholic Church
on April 7, 1836. Deciding to enter the priesthood
, he resigned as cashier at Franklin Bank in September 1837 and went to Rome
for his studies the following October. After spending a few months at the Pontifical Irish College
under Rev. Paul Cullen, he studied at the College of the Propaganda
for seven years, also becoming prefect
of discipline there. Wood was ordained
a priest by Cardinal Giacomo Filippo Fransoni
on March 25, 1844. Upon his return to the Diocese of Cincinnati
in October 1844, he served as a curate
at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains
until 1854, when he became pastor
of St. Patrick's Church in Cincinnati.
of Philadelphia
and Titular Bishop
of Antigonea by Pope Pius IX
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following April 26 from Archbishop Purcell, with Bishops (later Saint
) John Neumann
, C.SS.R.
, and Richard Vincent Whelan
serving as co-consecrators
. After arriving in Philadelphia, he took charge of the financial affairs of the diocese and established the cathedral
parish
.
Wood later succeeded Neumann as the fifth Bishop of Philadelphia
upon the latter's death on January 5, 1860. At the time of his succession, the diocese (which included the entire states of Pennsylvania and Delaware
in addition to western New Jersey
) included 200,000 Catholics, 137 priests, 131 parishes, 17 chapel
s and missions
, 40 parish schools with 8,710 pupils, four college
s and four academies
. The erection of the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul came to a brief halt with the outbreak of the Civil War
, but was later dedicated by Wood on November 20, 1864. In 1865 he purchased a large tract of land in Overbrook, on the outskirts of Philadelphia, for the new St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
, the cornerstone
of which was laid on April 4, 1866. The seminary was opened in September 1871 with 128 students. He was named an Assistant at the Pontifical Throne
in 1862.
Wood established the Catholic Home for Destitute Orphan Girls, enlarged St. Vincent's Home and founded a convent
for the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
. He also introduced into the diocese the Little Sisters of the Poor
, Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
, Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis and Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus
. He condemned such secret societies
as the Freemasons
and Molly Maguires
.
In 1868 the Dioceses of Harrisburg
, Scranton
and Wilmington
were established, leaving Philadelphia with 93 churches and 157 priests. Wood attended the First Vatican Council
, where he supported the definition of papal infallibility
, but was forced to leave early in March 1870 due to poor health. He was also named Treasurer
of the Board for the Pontifical North American College
.
, with Wood becoming its first Metropolitan Archbishop
. He was invested with the pallium
by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley
on the following June 17. He traveled to Rome in 1877 to assist at the celebration of the golden jubilee
of Pius IX's episcopate, but returned home after suffering from a severe attack of rheumatism
. He also suffered from Bright's disease
. Since the division of the diocese in 1868, Wood increased the number of churches to 127 and of chapels to 53 chapels, and founded 25 new parochial schools. By 1883, there were also 31 missions, 260 priests, 99 seminarians between St. Charles Seminary and the North American College, three colleges, 22,000 students in parochial schools, six orphanages, four hospitals, two homes for the elderly and over 300,000 Catholics.
Wood later died in Philadelphia, aged 70. He is buried in the crypt
beneath Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral. Archbishop Wood Catholic High School
in Warminster
is named in his honor.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
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 was the fifth Bishop
Ordinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
and first Archbishop of Philadelphia
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. The diocese was...
, serving between 1860 and his death in 1883.
Early life
James Wood was born in PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, to a Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
family. His parents were both from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, his father (a merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
) from Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and his mother from Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
; they immigrated
Immigration to the United States
Immigration to the United States has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding ethnicity, economic benefits, jobs for non-immigrants,...
to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1809. After attending an elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
on Dock Street, he was sent abroad to the Crypt School
The Crypt School, Gloucester
The Crypt School is a grammar school for boys with a mixed Sixth Form, located in the city of Gloucester, England, founded in 1539 by Joan Cooke with money inherited from her husband John....
at Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
in November 1821. He returned to Philadelphia five years later and then enrolled at a private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
on Market Street
Market Street (Philadelphia)
Market Street, originally known as High Street, is a major east–west street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For the majority of its length, it serves as Pennsylvania Route 3....
. In November 1827, he and his family removed to Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, where the young Wood became a clerk at the Branch Bank of the United States
Second Bank of the United States
The Second Bank of the United States was chartered in 1816, five years after the First Bank of the United States lost its own charter. The Second Bank of the United States was initially headquartered in Carpenters' Hall, Philadelphia, the same as the First Bank, and had branches throughout the...
. After being advanced to individual book-keeper
Bookkeeping
Bookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions. Transactions include sales, purchases, income, receipts and payments by an individual or organization. Bookkeeping is usually performed by a bookkeeper. Bookkeeping should not be confused with accounting. The accounting process is usually...
and discount clerk, he was made a paying and receiving teller
Bank teller
A teller is an employee of a bank who deals directly with most customers. In some places, this employee is known as a cashier. Most teller jobs require cash handling experience and a high school diploma. Most banks provide on the job training....
(1833) and cashier
Cashier
Cashier is an occupation focused on the handling of cash money.- Retail :In a shop, a cashier is a person who scans the goods through a machine called a cash register that the consumer wishes to purchase at the retail store. After all of the goods have been scanned, the cashier then collects...
(1836) in the Franklin Bank of Cincinnati.
Conversion and ordination
Wood also developed a friendship with Bishop John Baptist PurcellJohn Baptist Purcell
John Baptist Purcell was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Cincinnati from 1833 until his death in 1883, and was elevated to the rank of Archbishop in 1850.-Biography:...
, who later baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
him into the Catholic Church
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...
on April 7, 1836. Deciding to enter the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
, he resigned as cashier at Franklin Bank in September 1837 and went to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
for his studies the following October. After spending a few months at the Pontifical Irish College
Pontifical Irish College
The Pontifical Irish College is a Roman Catholic seminary for the training and education of priests, in Rome.-Foundation and early history:Towards the close of the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory XIII had sanctioned the foundation of an Irish college in Rome, and had assigned a large sum of money...
under Rev. Paul Cullen, he studied at the College of the Propaganda
Pontifical Urbaniana University
The Pontifical Urbaniana University or Pontifical Urban University is a pontifical university under the authority of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.-History:...
for seven years, also becoming prefect
Prefect
Prefect is a magisterial title of varying definition....
of discipline there. Wood was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
a priest by Cardinal Giacomo Filippo Fransoni
Giacomo Filippo Fransoni
Giacomo Filippo Fransoni was an Italian Cardinal who served from 1834 to 1856 as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith....
on March 25, 1844. Upon his return to the Diocese of Cincinnati
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati covers the southwest region of the U.S. state of Ohio, including the greater Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan areas. The Archbishop of Cincinnati is Most Rev...
in October 1844, he served as a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains
Saint Peter in Chains Cathedral
Saint Peter in Chains Cathedral is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It is a Greek revival structure located at 8th and Plum Streets in downtown Cincinnati...
until 1854, when he became pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of St. Patrick's Church in Cincinnati.
Coadjutor Bishop of Philadelphia
On January 9, 1857, Wood was appointed Coadjutor BishopCoadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
of Philadelphia
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. The diocese was...
and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Antigonea by Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
. He received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following April 26 from Archbishop Purcell, with Bishops (later Saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
) John Neumann
John Neumann
Saint John Nepomucene Neumann, C.Ss.R., was a Redemptorist missionary to the United States who became the fourth Bishop of Philadelphia and the first American bishop to be canonized...
, C.SS.R.
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer is a Roman Catholic missionary Congregation founded by Saint Alphonsus Liguori at Scala, near Amalfi, Italy for the purpose of labouring among the neglected country people in the neighbourhood of Naples.Members of the Congregation, priests and brothers,...
, and Richard Vincent Whelan
Richard Vincent Whelan
Richard Vincent Whelan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Richmond, Virginia and Bishop of Wheeling, West Virginia ....
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
. After arriving in Philadelphia, he took charge of the financial affairs of the diocese and established the cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
parish
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
.
Fifth Bishop of Philadelphia
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. The diocese was...
upon the latter's death on January 5, 1860. At the time of his succession, the diocese (which included the entire states of Pennsylvania and Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
in addition to western New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
) included 200,000 Catholics, 137 priests, 131 parishes, 17 chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
s and missions
Mission (station)
A religious mission or mission station is a location for missionary work.While primarily a Christian term, the concept of the religious "mission" is also used prominently by the Church of Scientology and their Scientology Missions International....
, 40 parish schools with 8,710 pupils, four college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
s and four academies
Academy
An academy is an institution of higher learning, research, or honorary membership.The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 385 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and skill, north of Athens, Greece. In the western world academia is the...
. The erection of the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul came to a brief halt with the outbreak 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...
, but was later dedicated by Wood on November 20, 1864. In 1865 he purchased a large tract of land in Overbrook, on the outskirts of Philadelphia, for the new St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary is the seminary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Named for Charles Borromeo, it is located in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania,...
, the cornerstone
Cornerstone
The cornerstone concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or...
of which was laid on April 4, 1866. The seminary was opened in September 1871 with 128 students. He was named an Assistant at the Pontifical Throne
Assistant at the Pontifical Throne
Assistant at the Pontifical Throne is an ecclesiastical title in the Roman Catholic Church. It signifies a prelate belonging to the papal chapel, who stands near the throne of the Pope at solemn functions....
in 1862.
Wood established the Catholic Home for Destitute Orphan Girls, enlarged St. Vincent's Home and founded a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
for the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
Good Shepherd Sisters
The Good Shepherd Sisters is a Roman Catholic order of women religious. In addition to the standard vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, the Good Shepherd Sisters take the following fourth vow of zeal for souls [to save souls], particularly of women and girls."I bind myself to the labor for...
. He also introduced into the diocese the Little Sisters of the Poor
Little Sisters of the Poor
The Little Sisters of the Poor is a Roman Catholic religious order for women. It was founded in the 19th century by Saint Jeanne Jugan near Rennes, France. Jugan felt the need to care for the many impoverished elderly who lined the streets of French towns and cities.This led her to welcome an...
, Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary are a Catholic teaching order for women. It is divided among three separate congregations. The original community of the order is headquartered in Monroe, Michigan. The Mother house currently houses more than 400 sisters, more than 100 of which...
, Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis and Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus
Society of the Holy Child Jesus
The Society of the Holy Child Jesus is an international community of nuns that was founded in England in 1846 by Philadelphia-born Cornelia Connelly. Cornelia converted to the Roman Catholic Church in 1835. The Society was approved in 1887 by Pope Leo XIII, and the rules and constitutions were...
. He condemned such secret societies
Secret society
A secret society is a club or organization whose activities and inner functioning are concealed from non-members. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence agencies or guerrilla insurgencies, which hide their...
as the Freemasons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
and Molly Maguires
Molly Maguires
The Molly Maguires were members of an Irish-American secret society, whose members consisted mainly of coal miners. Many historians believe the "Mollies" were present in the anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania in the United States from approximately the time of the American Civil War until a...
.
In 1868 the Dioceses of Harrisburg
Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg covers 15 counties of South Central Pennsylvania: Adams, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, Union and York. The seat of the bishop is in St...
, Scranton
Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton, of which St. Peter's Cathedral in Scranton, Pennsylvania, is the mother church, consists of 11 counties in northeastern Pennsylvania, United States....
and Wilmington
Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington
-External links:**...
were established, leaving Philadelphia with 93 churches and 157 priests. Wood attended the First Vatican Council
First Vatican Council
The First Vatican Council was convoked by Pope Pius IX on 29 June 1868, after a period of planning and preparation that began on 6 December 1864. This twentieth ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, held three centuries after the Council of Trent, opened on 8 December 1869 and adjourned...
, where he supported the definition of papal infallibility
Papal infallibility
Papal infallibility is a dogma of the Catholic Church which states that, by action of the Holy Spirit, the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of error when in his official capacity he solemnly declares or promulgates to the universal Church a dogmatic teaching on faith or morals...
, but was forced to leave early in March 1870 due to poor health. He was also named Treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
of the Board for the Pontifical North American College
Pontifical North American College
The Pontifical North American College is a Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy educating seminarians for the dioceses in the United States and providing a residence for American priests studying in Rome. It was founded in 1859 by Blessed Pope Pius IX and was granted pontifical...
.
Metropolitan Archbishop
On February 12, 1875, the Diocese of Philadelphia was elevated to the rank of an archdioceseEcclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
, with Wood becoming its first Metropolitan Archbishop
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
. He was invested with the pallium
Pallium
The pallium is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Roman Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the Pope, but for many centuries bestowed by him on metropolitans and primates as a symbol of the jurisdiction delegated to them by the Holy See. In that context it has always remained unambiguously...
by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley
James Roosevelt Bayley
James Roosevelt Bayley was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the first Bishop of Newark and the eighth Archbishop of Baltimore .-Early life and education:...
on the following June 17. He traveled to Rome in 1877 to assist at the celebration of the golden jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
of Pius IX's episcopate, but returned home after suffering from a severe attack of rheumatism
Rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue. The study of, and therapeutic interventions in, such disorders is called rheumatology.-Terminology:...
. He also suffered from Bright's disease
Bright's disease
Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that would be described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. The term is no longer used, as diseases are now classified according to their more fully understood causes....
. Since the division of the diocese in 1868, Wood increased the number of churches to 127 and of chapels to 53 chapels, and founded 25 new parochial schools. By 1883, there were also 31 missions, 260 priests, 99 seminarians between St. Charles Seminary and the North American College, three colleges, 22,000 students in parochial schools, six orphanages, four hospitals, two homes for the elderly and over 300,000 Catholics.
Wood later died in Philadelphia, aged 70. He is buried in the crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
beneath Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral. Archbishop Wood Catholic High School
Archbishop Wood Catholic High School
Archbishop Wood Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school. The school was built in 1964 in Warminster Township in Bucks County.-School Seal and Motto:...
in Warminster
Warminster Township, Pennsylvania
Warminster Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 32,682 at the 2010 census.The town was named for the town of Warminster in Wiltshire, England.-Geography:...
is named in his honor.