John Shanley
Encyclopedia
John Shanley was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Fargo
, North Dakota
, from 1889 until his death in 1909.
, New York
, the youngest son of John and Nancy (née McClean) Shanley. At age 5 he and his family moved to Faribault
, Minnesota
, and soon afterward to St. Paul
, where he received his early education, much of it from association with frontier priests who visited St. Paul during his service as a sanctuary boy
at St. Paul Cathedral from 1858 to 1867. He was a student of noticeable ability at St. John's College in Collegeville, where was trained in the classics
and graduated in 1869. Bishop Thomas Grace
, O.P.
, then sent him to the College of Propaganda
in Rome
; Shanley made the journey with Rev. John Ireland
(the future Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis
).
While in Rome, Shanley was ordained
to the priesthood
by Cardinal Costantino Patrizi Naro
on May 30, 1874. At age 22, he was below the age requirement for ordination but was granted a dispensation
on account of his frail health. Upon his return to Minnesota, he became an assistant pastor
at St. Paul Cathedral under Rev. Ireland, whom Shanley succeeded as pastor
in 1884. He also served as secretary
of the Archdiocese and editor
of the weekly Northwestern Chronicle.
On November 15, 1889, Shanley was appointed the first Bishop
of the newly-erected Diocese of Jamestown
, North Dakota
, by Pope Leo XIII
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following December 27 from Archbishop Ireland, with Bishops Grace and Martin Marty
, O.S.B.
, serving as co-consecrators
. He established St. John's Academy at Jamestown
, under the charge of the Sisters of St. Joseph
, in 1890; hosted the convention of Catholic Laymen
in 1896; and completed the construction of a cathedral
in 1899. On April 6, 1897, the name of the diocese was changed to the Diocese of Fargo
. At the beginning of his tenure, there were 60 churches, 33 priests, 14 schools
and one hospital
in the diocese; by the time of his death, there 106 priests, 225 churches, six academies, 34 schools and four hospitals.
Shanley took great interest in the development of the material interests of Fargo and the state, making large subscriptions to whatever contributed to the advancement of the state or of its people. He went to Washington, D.C.
in 1906 to protest against divorce and established Total Abstinence Societies
in the diocese. The Bishop later died in Fargo, aged 57.
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 served as Bishop of Fargo
Roman Catholic Diocese of Fargo
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fargo is a Roman Catholic diocese in North Dakota. It was founded on April 6, 1897 by Pope Leo XIII. Fargo, North Dakota is the episcopal see of the diocese.-Bishops of the Diocese of Fargo:...
, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, from 1889 until his death in 1909.
Biography
John Shanley was born in AlbionAlbion, New York
Albion may refer to the following places in the U.S. state of New York:* Albion , Orleans County, New York* Albion , Orleans County, New York* Albion, Oswego County, New York, a town...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the youngest son of John and Nancy (née McClean) Shanley. At age 5 he and his family moved to Faribault
Faribault, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,818 people, 7,472 households, and 4,946 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,644.8 people per square mile . There were 7,668 housing units at an average density of 605.8 per square mile...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, and soon afterward to St. Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, where he received his early education, much of it from association with frontier priests who visited St. Paul during his service as a sanctuary boy
Altar server
An altar server is a lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a Christian religious service. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell and so on....
at St. Paul Cathedral from 1858 to 1867. He was a student of noticeable ability at St. John's College in Collegeville, where was trained in the classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
and graduated in 1869. Bishop Thomas Grace
Thomas Grace
Thomas Langdon Grace was the second Roman Catholic Bishop of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, he was ordained a priest for the Dominican order on December 21, 1839. Pope Pius XI appointed Grace bishop on January 21, 1859, and was ordained bishop on July 24, 1859...
, O.P.
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
, then sent him to the College of 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:...
in 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...
; Shanley made the journey with Rev. John Ireland
John Ireland (archbishop)
John Ireland was the third bishop and first archbishop of Saint Paul, Minnesota . He became both a religious as well as civic leader in Saint Paul during the turn of the century...
(the future Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. It is led by the prelature of an archbishop which administers the archdiocese from the cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis...
).
While in Rome, Shanley 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....
to 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....
by Cardinal Costantino Patrizi Naro
Costantino Patrizi Naro
Costantino Patrizi Naro JUD was a long-serving Italian Cardinal who became Dean of the College of Cardinals. Cardinal Benedetto Naro was his great-uncle.-Biography:...
on May 30, 1874. At age 22, he was below the age requirement for ordination but was granted a dispensation
Dispensation (Catholic Church)
In the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church, a dispensation is the suspension by competent authority of general rules of law in particular cases...
on account of his frail health. Upon his return to Minnesota, he became an assistant pastor
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 St. Paul Cathedral under Rev. Ireland, whom Shanley succeeded as 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"....
in 1884. He also served as secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
of the Archdiocese and editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of the weekly Northwestern Chronicle.
On November 15, 1889, Shanley was appointed the first 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...
of the newly-erected Diocese of Jamestown
Roman Catholic Diocese of Fargo
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fargo is a Roman Catholic diocese in North Dakota. It was founded on April 6, 1897 by Pope Leo XIII. Fargo, North Dakota is the episcopal see of the diocese.-Bishops of the Diocese of Fargo:...
, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, by Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
. 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 December 27 from Archbishop Ireland, with Bishops Grace and Martin Marty
Martin Marty (bishop)
Bishop Martin Marty, O.S.B. was a Benedictine priest and missionary in America. He was the first Abbot of St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana, the first Vicar Apostolic of Dakota Territory, and the second Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint Cloud...
, O.S.B.
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
, 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...
. He established St. John's Academy at Jamestown
Jamestown, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,527 people, 6,505 households, and 3,798 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,246.7 per square mile . There were 6,970 housing units at an average density of 559.6 per square mile...
, under the charge of the Sisters of St. Joseph
Sisters of St. Joseph
The title Sisters of St. Joseph applies to several Roman Catholic religious congregations of women. The largest and oldest of these was founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France...
, in 1890; hosted the convention of Catholic Laymen
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
in 1896; and completed the construction of a cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
in 1899. On April 6, 1897, the name of the diocese was changed to the Diocese of Fargo
Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
. At the beginning of his tenure, there were 60 churches, 33 priests, 14 schools
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
and one hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
in the diocese; by the time of his death, there 106 priests, 225 churches, six academies, 34 schools and four hospitals.
Shanley took great interest in the development of the material interests of Fargo and the state, making large subscriptions to whatever contributed to the advancement of the state or of its people. He went to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1906 to protest against divorce and established Total Abstinence Societies
Abstinence
Abstinence is a voluntary restraint from indulging in bodily activities that are widely experienced as giving pleasure. Most frequently, the term refers to sexual abstinence, or abstention from alcohol or food. The practice can arise from religious prohibitions or practical...
in the diocese. The Bishop later died in Fargo, aged 57.