Thomas Bonacum
Encyclopedia
Thomas Bonacum was the first bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lincoln
.
He started as the rector of the Church of the Holy Name in St. Louis, Missouri
. He was appointed the first bishop of Lincoln, consecrated 30 November 1887, and took formal possession of the see on 21 December 1888.
He was born near Thurles
, County Tipperary
, Ireland and emigrated to the United States when he was a child, settling at St. Louis, Missouri. He studied at St. Vincent's College, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and at the University of Würzburg
, Bavaria, after which he was ordained priest at St. Louis, 18 June 1870. He attended the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore as theologian for Archbishop
Peter Richard Kenrick
, and was named by the bishops as the first Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville
proposed for Southern Illinois. The Congregation of Propaganda did not immediately act, and Bonacum was appointed to the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Lincoln
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Lincoln is a Roman Catholic diocese in Nebraska, and comprises the majority of the eastern and central portions of the state south of the Platte River. The episcopal see is in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was established on August 2, 1887, by Pope Leo XIII...
.
He started as the rector of the Church of the Holy Name in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. He was appointed the first bishop of Lincoln, consecrated 30 November 1887, and took formal possession of the see on 21 December 1888.
He was born near Thurles
Thurles
Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
, County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
, Ireland and emigrated to the United States when he was a child, settling at St. Louis, Missouri. He studied at St. Vincent's College, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and at the University of Würzburg
University of Würzburg
The University of Würzburg is a university in Würzburg, Germany, founded in 1402. The university is a member of the distinguished Coimbra Group.-Name:...
, Bavaria, after which he was ordained priest at St. Louis, 18 June 1870. He attended the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore as theologian for 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 Richard Kenrick
Peter Richard Kenrick
Peter Richard Kenrick was the first Catholic archbishop west of the Mississippi River.-Early life and ordination:He was born and educated in Dublin, Ireland and ordained to the priesthood in 1832...
, and was named by the bishops as the first Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville
Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern Illinois region of the United States. It comprises the southern counties of the state of Illinois and is administered from the City of Belleville. The prelate is a...
proposed for Southern Illinois. The Congregation of Propaganda did not immediately act, and Bonacum was appointed to the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska.