Joseph Oliver Bowers
Encyclopedia
Joseph Oliver Bowers, S.V.D. (born March 28, 1910) is a prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
from Dominica
. At the age of he is the third-oldest Roman Catholic bishop and the oldest in the Caribbean
.
Bowers was born to a sheriff in the West Indies and traveled to the United States
to attend St. Augustine Seminary, in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
. He was ordained a priest on January 22, 1939, and continued as a priest in the Society of the Divine Word from 1939 to 1952. He was then appointed auxiliary bishop
of Accra, Ghana
and Titular Bishop
of Cyparissia. Bowers was then appointed Bishop of Accra on January 8, 1953 and received his episcopal consecration
on April 22, 1953. On January 16, 1971, he was appointed Bishop of St. Johns -Basseterre and retired from that position on July 17, 1981.
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...
from Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
. At the age of he is the third-oldest Roman Catholic bishop and the oldest in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
.
Bowers was born to a sheriff in the West Indies and traveled to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to attend St. Augustine Seminary, in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
Bay Saint Louis is a city located in Hancock County, Mississippi. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 8,209. It is the county seat of Hancock County...
. He was ordained a priest on January 22, 1939, and continued as a priest in the Society of the Divine Word from 1939 to 1952. He was then appointed auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Accra, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
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 Cyparissia. Bowers was then appointed Bishop of Accra on January 8, 1953 and 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 April 22, 1953. On January 16, 1971, he was appointed Bishop of St. Johns -Basseterre and retired from that position on July 17, 1981.
See also
- List of oldest Catholic bishops
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint John's - Basseterre