Vincent Madeley Harris
Encyclopedia
Vincent Madeley Harris was an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Beaumont
(1966-1971) and Bishop of Austin
(1971-1985).
, Texas
, to George Malcolm and Margaret (née Madeley) Harris. After graduating from Sam Houston High School in 1931, he attended St. Mary's Seminary in La Porte
until 1934, when he was sent by Bishop Christopher Edward Byrne
to study at the Pontifical Gregorian University
in Rome
. He there earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology
(1936) and Bachelor of Canon Law
magna cum laude
(1939). While in Rome, he was ordained
to the priesthood
by Bishop Ralph Leo Hayes
on March 19, 1938.
Harris then furthered his studies at the Catholic University of America
in Washington, D.C.
, where he earned a Licentiate of Canon Law
in 1940. Following his return to the Diocese of Galveston
in 1940, he became a professor
at St. Mary's Seminary in La Porte. He was later named chancellor
of the diocese in 1948 and a diocesan consultor in 1953. He was raised to the rank of Domestic Prelate
by Pope Pius XII
in 1956.
On July 4, 1966, Harris was appointed the first Bishop
of the newly-erected Diocese of Beaumont
by Pope Paul VI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following September 28 from Bishop John Louis Morkovsky
, with Bishops Leo Christopher Byrne
and James John Hogan
serving as co-consecrators
, at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Houston. For the next five years, he laid the foundations for the new diocese and implemented the decrees of the Second Vatican Council
.
On April 27, 1971, Harris was named Coadjutor Bishop
of Austin
and Titular Bishop
of Rotaria. He succeeded Bishop Louis Joseph Reicher
as the second Bishop of Austin
upon the latter's resignation on November 15, 1971. He successfully challenged Bishop Reicher over ownership of trust funds established by Reicher in ecclesiastical
and civil
courts. During his tenure, the diocese increased in Catholic population but suffered repeated financial difficulties. Harris, following a slight stroke
in 1984, resigned as Bishop of Austin on February 25, 1985. He spent his retirement in Houston, pursuing genealogy
, photography
, and computer
systems.
Harris died at St. Anthony Nursing Home in Houston, aged 74. He is buried at St. Anthony Cathedral in Beaumont.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
clergyman 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 Beaumont
Roman Catholic Diocese of Beaumont
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Beaumont is a Roman Catholic diocese covering thirteen counties and portions of two others in Texas. The diocese was founded on September 29, 1966; the first bishop was Most Rev. Vincent Madeley Harris, D.D. St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica serves as the cathedral church...
(1966-1971) and Bishop of Austin
Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin includes 125 parishes, or faith communities, in 25 counties in Central Texas. The diocese stretches from West, Texas, in the north to San Marcos in the south to the Bryan/College Station area in the east to Mason in the west...
(1971-1985).
Biography
Vincent Harris was born in ConroeConroe, Texas
Conroe is a suburban city 40 miles north of Houston in the gulf coastal plains/piney woods region of southeast Texas.It is the seat of Montgomery County and falls within the metropolitan area.As of the 2000 U.S...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, to George Malcolm and Margaret (née Madeley) Harris. After graduating from Sam Houston High School in 1931, he attended St. Mary's Seminary in La Porte
La Porte, Texas
La Porte is a city in Harris County, Texas within the Bay Area of the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 31,880...
until 1934, when he was sent by Bishop Christopher Edward Byrne
Christopher Edward Byrne
Christopher Edward Byrne was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Galveston from 1918 until his death in 1950.-Biography:...
to study at the Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
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...
. He there earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology
Bachelor of Sacred Theology
The Bachelor of Sacred Theology is a graduate-level academic degree in theology.The Bachelor of Sacred Theology is offered by a number of Pontifical Universities. It is sometimes offered as a graduate degree, for students who have already completed a B.A. or other first degree...
(1936) and Bachelor of Canon Law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
magna cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
(1939). While in Rome, he 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 Bishop Ralph Leo Hayes
Ralph Leo Hayes
Ralph Leo Hayes was a 20th century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Helena in the state of Montana from 1933–1935, and as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Davenport in the state of Iowa from 1944-1966...
on March 19, 1938.
Harris then furthered his studies at the Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
in 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....
, where he earned a Licentiate of Canon Law
Licentiate of Canon Law
Licentiate of Canon Law is the title of an advanced graduate degree with canonical effects in the Roman Catholic Church offered by pontifical universities and ecclesiastical faculties of canon law...
in 1940. Following his return to the Diocese of Galveston
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston encompasses of ten counties in the southeastern area of Texas: Galveston; Harris; Austin; Brazoria; Fort Bend; Grimes; Montgomery; San Jacinto; Walker; and Waller.The chancery of the diocese is located in Downtown Houston. The Archdiocese's...
in 1940, he became a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at St. Mary's Seminary in La Porte. He was later named chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
of the diocese in 1948 and a diocesan consultor in 1953. He was raised to the rank of Domestic Prelate
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
in 1956.
On July 4, 1966, Harris 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 Beaumont
Roman Catholic Diocese of Beaumont
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Beaumont is a Roman Catholic diocese covering thirteen counties and portions of two others in Texas. The diocese was founded on September 29, 1966; the first bishop was Most Rev. Vincent Madeley Harris, D.D. St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica serves as the cathedral church...
by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
. He received his episcopal
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....
consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on the following September 28 from Bishop John Louis Morkovsky
John Louis Morkovsky
John Louis Morkovsky was an Czech American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Amarillo and Bishop of Galveston-Houston .-Early life and education:...
, with Bishops Leo Christopher Byrne
Leo Christopher Byrne
Leo Christopher Byrne was the Roman Catholic Coadjutor Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota....
and James John Hogan
James John Hogan
James John Hogan was the sixth Roman Catholic Bishop of Altoona-Johnstown .Hogan was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and moved with his family to Camden, New Jersey, at a young age. After graduating from Camden Catholic High School, he studied at St. Charles College in Catonsville, Maryland; St...
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...
, at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Houston. For the next five years, he laid the foundations for the new diocese and implemented the decrees of the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
.
On April 27, 1971, Harris was named Coadjutor Bishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
of Austin
Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin includes 125 parishes, or faith communities, in 25 counties in Central Texas. The diocese stretches from West, Texas, in the north to San Marcos in the south to the Bryan/College Station area in the east to Mason in the west...
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 Rotaria. He succeeded Bishop Louis Joseph Reicher
Louis Joseph Reicher
Louis Joseph Reicher was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the first Bishop of Austin, Texas .-Biography:...
as the second Bishop of Austin
Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Austin includes 125 parishes, or faith communities, in 25 counties in Central Texas. The diocese stretches from West, Texas, in the north to San Marcos in the south to the Bryan/College Station area in the east to Mason in the west...
upon the latter's resignation on November 15, 1971. He successfully challenged Bishop Reicher over ownership of trust funds established by Reicher in ecclesiastical
Ecclesiastical court
An ecclesiastical court is any of certain courts having jurisdiction mainly in spiritual or religious matters. In the Middle Ages in many areas of Europe these courts had much wider powers than before the development of nation states...
and civil
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
courts. During his tenure, the diocese increased in Catholic population but suffered repeated financial difficulties. Harris, following a slight stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
in 1984, resigned as Bishop of Austin on February 25, 1985. He spent his retirement in Houston, pursuing genealogy
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
, photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, and computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
systems.
Harris died at St. Anthony Nursing Home in Houston, aged 74. He is buried at St. Anthony Cathedral in Beaumont.