William David O'Brien
Encyclopedia
William David O'Brien was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as an auxiliary bishop
of the Archdiocese of Chicago
from 1934 until his death in 1962, and was named an Archbishop
in 1953.
, Illinois
, to Charles D. and Alice M. (née O'Hara) O'Brien. He received his early education at Kinzie Grade School and at the Christian Brothers
' school at Holy Name Cathedral
. In 1899, he became one of the first two graduates of St. Vincent's College
(later DePaul University) in Chicago. He then studied for the priesthood
at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis
, Missouri
. O'Brien was ordained
a priest by Archbishop James Edward Quigley
on July 11, 1903.
at St. Basil's Church on 1850 Garfield Boulevard, where he remained for four years. In 1907, he was named assistant to Monsignor Francis Kelley
, director of the Catholic Church Extension Society
. In addition to his duties with the Extension Society, O'Brien became pastor
of St. John's Church on 100 W. 18th Street in 1924. He was named a papal chamberlain
in 1924, and raised to the rank of domestic prelate
in 1926. He was the first priest to receive papal honors from the archdiocese's first cardinal
, George Mundelein. He became president of the Extension Society in 1925, after Monsignor Kelley was appointed Bishop of Oklahoma
. As president, he also served as editor
of the monthly Extension Magazine.
of Chicago and titular bishop
of Calynda by Pope Pius XI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following April 25 from Cardinal Mundelein, with Bishops Joseph Patrick Lynch
and Bernard James Sheil
, at Holy Name Cathedral. As an auxiliary bishop, he continued to serve as president of the Extension Society and pastor of St. John's Church, both offices which he held until his death. He was named an Assistant at the Pontifical Throne
in 1947. On November 18, 1953, O'Brien was elevated to the rank of Titular Archbishop
of Calynda by Pope Pius XII
. L'Osservatore Romano
reported that his elevation was due to his "tireless work" with the Extension Society. He was the first Catholic bishop in the United States who was not the head of a diocese
to be named an archbishop.
O'Brien was unanimously re-elected president of the Extension Society in 1954. In his later years, he relinquished the editorship of the Extension Magazine and delegated many of his administrative duties, but still closely following the society's activities and frequently visiting its headquarters. He died at Little Company of Mary Hospital in San Pierre
, Indiana
, at age 83.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
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...
. He served as an 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 the Archdiocese of Chicago
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago was established as a diocese in 1843 and as an Archdiocese in 1880. It serves more than 2.3 million Catholics in Cook and Lake counties in Northeastern Illinois, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The Archdiocese is divided into six vicariates and 31 deaneries...
from 1934 until his death in 1962, and was named an 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...
in 1953.
Early life and education
William O'Brien was born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, to Charles D. and Alice M. (née O'Hara) O'Brien. He received his early education at Kinzie Grade School and at the Christian Brothers
Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools
The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools is a Roman Catholic religious teaching congregation, founded in France by Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle and now based in Rome...
' school at Holy Name Cathedral
Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago
Holy Name Cathedral, formally the Cathedral of the Holy Name, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, one of the largest Roman Catholic dioceses in the United States. It is also the parish church of the Archbishop of Chicago...
. In 1899, he became one of the first two graduates of St. Vincent's College
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
(later DePaul University) in Chicago. He then studied for 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....
at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis
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...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. O'Brien 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....
a priest by Archbishop James Edward Quigley
James Edward Quigley
James Edward Quigley was a Canadian-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Buffalo, New York and Archbishop of Chicago .-Biography:...
on July 11, 1903.
Priesthood
His first assignment was as a curateCurate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at St. Basil's Church on 1850 Garfield Boulevard, where he remained for four years. In 1907, he was named assistant to Monsignor Francis Kelley
Francis Kelley
Francis Clement Kelley was the second Roman Catholic Bishop of Oklahoma. He was a Catholic Priest for 54 years, and Bishop for 23 years.-Early life:...
, director of the Catholic Church Extension Society
Catholic Church Extension Society
The Catholic Church Extension Society of the United States of America is a charitable organization affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church that seeks to support the Church's activities in under-resourced and isolated communities in the United States...
. In addition to his duties with the Extension Society, O'Brien became pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of St. John's Church on 100 W. 18th Street in 1924. He was named a papal chamberlain
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"...
in 1924, and 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"...
in 1926. He was the first priest to receive papal honors from the archdiocese's first cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
, George Mundelein. He became president of the Extension Society in 1925, after Monsignor Kelley was appointed Bishop of Oklahoma
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City is a particular church of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the midwestern region of the United States. Its ecclesiastical territory includes 46 counties in western Oklahoma. The Most Reverend Paul Stagg Coakley is the current archbishop...
. As president, he also served as editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of the monthly Extension Magazine.
Episcopacy
On February 10, 1934, O'Brien was appointed auxiliary bishopAuxiliary 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 Chicago 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 Calynda by Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
. 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 April 25 from Cardinal Mundelein, with Bishops Joseph Patrick Lynch
Joseph Patrick Lynch
Joseph Patrick Lynch was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Dallas from 1911 until his death in 1954. He remains the longest-serving Catholic bishop in the United States....
and Bernard James Sheil
Bernard James Sheil
Bernard James Sheil was an Auxiliary Roman Catholic Bishop of Chicago.-Biography:Born and raised in Chicago, Sheil was ordained a priest on May 3, 1910. He was named auxiliary Bishop of Chicago in 1928, a post he held for over forty years. As bishop he was give the titular see of Pegae...
, at Holy Name Cathedral. As an auxiliary bishop, he continued to serve as president of the Extension Society and pastor of St. John's Church, both offices which he held until his death. He was named an Assistant at the Pontifical Throne
Assistant at the Pontifical Throne
Assistant at the Pontifical Throne is an ecclesiastical title in the Roman Catholic Church. It signifies a prelate belonging to the papal chapel, who stands near the throne of the Pope at solemn functions....
in 1947. On November 18, 1953, O'Brien was elevated to the rank of Titular Archbishop
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 Calynda 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....
. L'Osservatore Romano
L'Osservatore Romano
L'Osservatore Romano is the "semi-official" newspaper of the Holy See. It covers all the Pope's public activities, publishes editorials by important churchmen, and runs official documents after being released...
reported that his elevation was due to his "tireless work" with the Extension Society. He was the first Catholic bishop in the United States who was not the head of a diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
to be named an archbishop.
O'Brien was unanimously re-elected president of the Extension Society in 1954. In his later years, he relinquished the editorship of the Extension Magazine and delegated many of his administrative duties, but still closely following the society's activities and frequently visiting its headquarters. He died at Little Company of Mary Hospital in San Pierre
San Pierre, Indiana
San Pierre is a census-designated place in Starke County, Indiana, United States. The population was 156 at the 2000 census. In spite of being an unincorporated town, San Pierre has a post office, ZIP Code 46374.-History:...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, at age 83.