Thomas Francis Hendricken
Encyclopedia
Bishop Thomas Francis Hendricken (May 5, 1827 - June 11, 1886) was born in Kilkenny
, Ireland
. He studied in St. Kiernan's College and Maynooth
where he met Bishop Bernard O'Reilly who ordained him for Hartford in 1853.
In 1872 he was appointed the first Bishop of Providence, Rhode Island
, USA. At that time, the diocese included all of Rhode Island, as well as the present Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts
with some 125,000 parishioners, 43 churches, 9 parish schools and 1 orphan asylum.
He created 13 English- and two French-speaking parishes for growing congregations composed mainly of French-Canadians and Irish. By 1873, the immigration into the diocese slowed and the post-war boom ended with many of his flock unemployed or on reduced wages. As with many of his fellow prelates, he urged a response of patience and social conservatism
.
He was primarily responsible for the construction of the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Providence
, although he died before its completion. His funeral was the first Mass to be celebrated in the cathedral, and he was entombed in a crypt beneath the high altar. During renovations in 2006, the basement crypt was removed, and the bishops buried there were re-interred in a mausoleum at a nearby diocesan cemetery. Bishop Hendricken, however, was re-entombed on December 8, 2006, in a sarcophagus located on the cathedral's main floor, in the West Transept. Eight seniors from the high school that bears his name carried his remains to a more public, and most appropriate, resting place facing the high altar of the great cathedral he built.
Bishop Thomas Francis Hendricken High School in Warwick, Rhode Island
is named after him.
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
, 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...
. He studied in St. Kiernan's College and Maynooth
Maynooth
Maynooth is a town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to a branch of the National University of Ireland, a Papal University and Ireland's main Roman Catholic seminary, St. Patrick's College...
where he met Bishop Bernard O'Reilly who ordained him for Hartford in 1853.
In 1872 he was appointed the first Bishop of Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, USA. At that time, the diocese included all of Rhode Island, as well as the present Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
with some 125,000 parishioners, 43 churches, 9 parish schools and 1 orphan asylum.
He created 13 English- and two French-speaking parishes for growing congregations composed mainly of French-Canadians and Irish. By 1873, the immigration into the diocese slowed and the post-war boom ended with many of his flock unemployed or on reduced wages. As with many of his fellow prelates, he urged a response of patience and social conservatism
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
.
He was primarily responsible for the construction of the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Providence
Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Providence
The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul is a Roman Catholic cathedral at 30 Fenner Street in the Cathedral Square neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the mother church of the Diocese of Providence...
, although he died before its completion. His funeral was the first Mass to be celebrated in the cathedral, and he was entombed in a crypt beneath the high altar. During renovations in 2006, the basement crypt was removed, and the bishops buried there were re-interred in a mausoleum at a nearby diocesan cemetery. Bishop Hendricken, however, was re-entombed on December 8, 2006, in a sarcophagus located on the cathedral's main floor, in the West Transept. Eight seniors from the high school that bears his name carried his remains to a more public, and most appropriate, resting place facing the high altar of the great cathedral he built.
Bishop Thomas Francis Hendricken High School in Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
is named after him.