Thomas McGovern (bishop)

Thomas McGovern (April 10, 1832—July 25, 1898) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the second bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, from 1888 until his death in 1898.

His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Thomas Francis McGovern

D.D.
Bishop of Harrisburg
DioceseDiocese of Harrisburg[1]
AppointedDecember 6, 1887 (1887-12-06)
PredecessorJeremiah F. Shanahan
SuccessorJohn W. Shanahan
Orders
OrdinationDecember 27, 1861 (1861-12-27)
by James Frederick Bryan Wood[1][2]
ConsecrationMarch 11, 1888 (1888-03-11)
by William O'Hara[1][2]
Personal details
Born(1832-04-10)April 10, 1832
Swanlinbar, County Cavan, Ireland
DiedJuly 25, 1898(1898-07-25) (aged 66)
BuriedMount Calvary Cemetery, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
NationalityAmerican
EducationMount St. Mary’s Seminary
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
Saint Joseph College
MottoForti salus in fide[2]
('A strong faith in your salvation')

Biography

Early life

McGovern was born on April 10, 1832, in the townland of Drumbar (Kinawley),[3] Swanlinbar, County Cavan in Ireland. His family immigrated to the United States in 1833, settling in Albany Township, Pennsylvania.[4]

In 1855, McGovern entered Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.[4] He completed his theological studies at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia.

Priesthood

McGovern was ordained a priest by Bishop James Wood on December 27, 1861.[1] After serving parishes at Pottstown and Douglassville, Pennsylvania, he was named a curate at St. Michael's Parish and later St. Philip's Parish in Philadelphia.[4] He was pastor of a parish in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, from 1864 until 1870, when he was transferred to St. Patrick's Parish in York, Pennsylvania.[4] In 1873, McGovern was appointed to a parish in Danville, Pennsylvania. From 1881 to 1882, he went to Europe, Africa and Asia to regain his health.[4]

Bishop of Harrisburg

On December 6, 1887, McGovern was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg by Pope Leo XIII.[1] He received his episcopal consecration on March 11, 1888, from Bishop William O'Hara, with Bishops Richard Gilmour and John Watterson serving as co-consecrators.[1] During his tenure, he erected twelve parishes, mostly designated for the various ethnic groups.[2]

Thomas McGovern died on July 25, 1898, at age 66.[2]

References
  1. "Bishop Thomas McGovern †". Catholic-Hierarchy. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  2. "Right Reverend Thomas McGovern – Biography". Diocese of Harrisburg. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  3. pp. xlii-xliii
  4. William, Harry I.; Egle, Henry; Dudley, Adolphus S.; Huber, I.; Schively, Rebecca H. (1896). Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Containing Sketches of Representative Citizens, and Many of the Early Scotch-Irish and German Settlers (Thomas McGovern, Dauphin County, PA ed.). Chambersburg, Pa: J. M. Runk & Company. pp. 268–273. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.