Thomas-Louis Connolly was a Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 Roman Catholic priest, Capuchin

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin

The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...

, vicar general of the diocese of Halifax, Bishop of Saint John

Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint John, New Brunswick

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint John, New Brunswick is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Moncton. It was renamed on 15 November 1924.-Ordinaries:*William Dollard...

, and Archbishop of Halifax

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Halifax

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Halifax is a Roman Catholic archdiocese that includes part of the Province of Nova Scotia and includes the suffragan dioceses of Antigonish, Charlottetown, and Yarmouth...

 from 1859 to 1876.

Connolly was born in Cork

Cork (city)

Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...

, Co. Cork, 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...

. His father died when he was young and he and his younger sister were raised by their mother. At school, he was a quick study and by age 16 had mastered Greek, Latin and French. He became a novice in the Order of Capuchins

Order of Friars Minor Capuchin

The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...

. At age 18 he went to Rome to complete his studies for the priesthood. He was ordained as a priest in 1838.

After returning to Ireland for a few years, he eventually travelled to Halifax, Nova Scotia where he became secretary to the prelate. In 1845 he became Vicar-General and administrator of the diocese. In 1851 he was nominated as bishop of St. John, New Brunswick. While in St. John he oversaw the construction of a new cathedral and an orphanage.

In 1859, he was appointed as Archbishop of Halifax. In the first few years of residence he took an interest in the Canadian Confederation

Canadian Confederation

Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...

movement and actively supported it by writing pamphlets supporting the Union.

After Confederation he took no further interest in political affairs. He died in Halifax due to a 'congestion of the brain' at age 62.