William Tyler (bishop)
Encyclopedia
William Tyler was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He was the first Bishop of Hartford
(1844–1849).
One of seven children, Tyler was born in Derby
, Vermont
; his father was a farmer
, and his mother was the daughter of Daniel Barber
and sister of Virgil Horace Barber
, both Protestant
ministers who converted to the Catholic Church
. The family moved to Claremont
, New Hampshire
, when William was a child. He converted to Catholicism at age fifteen or sixteen. He completed his classical
course at the academy founded by his uncle Virgil in Claremont, and became a member of the household of Bishop Benedict Joseph Fenwick
, S.J.
, in 1826 at Boston, Massachusetts
, where he studied theology
.
Tyler was ordained
to the priesthood
by Bishop Fenwick on June 3, 1829. He then served as a curate
at Holy Cross Cathedral
and did missionary
work in Aroostook
, Maine
, before becoming vicar general
of the Diocese of Boston
.
On November 28, 1843, Tyler was appointed the first Bishop
of the newly-erected Diocese of Hartford
by Pope Gregory XVI
. He received his episcopal consecration
on March 17, 1844 from Bishop Fenwick, with Bishops Richard Vincent Whelan
and Andrew Byrne
serving as co-consecrators
, at Assumption Cathedral
in Baltimore, Maryland
. Upon Tyler's arrival in Hartford
the following April, the diocese included the entire states of Connecticut
and Rhode Island
, containing nearly 10,000 Catholics. Since there were only 600 Catholics in Hartford, he soon moved his residence to Providence
, which had 2,000 Catholics. He designated Sts. Peter and Paul Church
as his cathedral
.
Tyler recruited clergy from All Hallows College
in Ireland
, and received financial assistance from the Society for the Propagation of the Faith
in Lyon
s, France
, and the Leopoldine Society
in Austria
. His already poor health further weakened by consumption
, he received Bernard O'Reilly as a coadjutor bishop
and later died from rheumatic fever
, aged 45.
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 was the first Bishop of Hartford
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford is a particular church of the Latin Rite in Hartford, Litchfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut. The archdiocese includes about 700,000 Catholics, more than 500 priests, 216 parishes and almost 300 deacons. This is roughly one-half the population of...
(1844–1849).
One of seven children, Tyler was born in Derby
Derby, Vermont
Derby is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,604 at the 2000 census. The town contains four unincorporated villages: Beebe Plain, Clyde Pond, Lake Salem and North Derby; and two incorporated villages: Derby Center and Derby Line...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
; his father was a farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
, and his mother was the daughter of Daniel Barber
Daniel Barber
Daniel Barber was an American Episcopalian minister and prominent Roman Catholic convert.-Life:...
and sister of Virgil Horace Barber
Virgil Horace Barber
Virgil Horace Barber was an American Jesuit.-Life:His father was Daniel Barber; like his father, Virgil was a Catholic convert. He himself said that the first step leading to his conversion was the reading of "A Novena to St...
, both Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
ministers who converted to the 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...
. The family moved to Claremont
Claremont, New Hampshire
There were 5,685 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, when William was a child. He converted to Catholicism at age fifteen or sixteen. He completed his classical
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
course at the academy founded by his uncle Virgil in Claremont, and became a member of the household of Bishop Benedict Joseph Fenwick
Benedict Joseph Fenwick
Benedict Joseph Fenwick, S.J. was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. A Jesuit, he served as Bishop of Boston from 1825 until his death in 1846.-Early life and education:...
, S.J.
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, in 1826 at Boston, 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...
, where he studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
.
Tyler 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 Fenwick on June 3, 1829. He then served as a curate
Curate
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 Holy Cross Cathedral
Holy Cross Church, Boston
The Church of the Holy Cross , located on Franklin Street in Boston, Massachusetts and designed by Charles Bulfinch, was the first church built for the city's Roman Catholics....
and did missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
work in Aroostook
Aroostook County, Maine
Aroostook County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, its population was 71,870. In land area, it is the largest county in the state and the largest U.S. county east of the Mississippi River. Its seat is Houlton...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, before becoming vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the Diocese of Boston
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. It comprises several counties of the state of Massachusetts...
.
On November 28, 1843, Tyler 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 Hartford
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford is a particular church of the Latin Rite in Hartford, Litchfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut. The archdiocese includes about 700,000 Catholics, more than 500 priests, 216 parishes and almost 300 deacons. This is roughly one-half the population of...
by Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI
Pope Gregory XVI , born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari, named Mauro as a member of the religious order of the Camaldolese, was Pope of the Catholic Church from 1831 to 1846...
. He received his episcopal consecration
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....
on March 17, 1844 from Bishop Fenwick, with Bishops Richard Vincent Whelan
Richard Vincent Whelan
Richard Vincent Whelan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Richmond, Virginia and Bishop of Wheeling, West Virginia ....
and Andrew Byrne
Andrew Byrne
Andrew Byrne was an Irish-American Catholic priest, who became the first Bishop of Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.A..-Life:...
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 Assumption Cathedral
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also called the Baltimore Basilica, was the first Roman Catholic cathedral built in the United States, and was the first major religious building constructed in the nation after the adoption of the U.S. Constitution...
in Baltimore, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. Upon Tyler's arrival in Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
the following April, the diocese included the entire states of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, containing nearly 10,000 Catholics. Since there were only 600 Catholics in Hartford, he soon moved his residence to Providence
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...
, which had 2,000 Catholics. He designated Sts. Peter and Paul Church
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...
as his cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
.
Tyler recruited clergy from All Hallows College
All Hallows College
All Hallows College is a Roman Catholic college located in Drumcondra, Dublin, Ireland. All Hallows is one of six linked colleges of Dublin City University, meaning that the college's degrees are validated and accredited by the university.-History:...
in 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...
, and received financial assistance from the Society for the Propagation of the Faith
Society for the Propagation of the Faith
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith is an international association for the assistance by prayers and alms of Catholic missionary priests, brothers, and nuns engaged in preaching the Gospel in non-Catholic countries...
in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
s, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and the Leopoldine Society
Leopoldine Society
The Leopoldine Society was an organisation established in Vienna for the purpose of aiding Catholic missions in North America.When the Society for the Propagation of the Faith was founded in Lyons, in 1822, it did not spread beyond the French borders for a considerable time...
in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. His already poor health further weakened by consumption
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, he received Bernard O'Reilly as a 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...
and later died from rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease that occurs following a Streptococcus pyogenes infection, such as strep throat or scarlet fever. Believed to be caused by antibody cross-reactivity that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain, the illness typically develops two to three weeks after...
, aged 45.