KENRICK, Francis Patrick, R. C. archbishop, born in Dublin, Ireland, 3 December, 1797; died in Baltimore, Maryland, 6 July, 1863. He prepared for the priesthood in the College of the Propaganda at Rome in 1815-'21, and in the latter year was selected to direct the newly established theological seminary at Bardstown, Kentucky.

During the jubilee of 1826-'7, he attended Bishop Flaget in his pastoral visitations, and gave public conferences on religion, which led to the polemical discussions in which he was frequently engaged during the rest of his life. In 1829 he attended the Council of Baltimore as theologian to Bishop Flaget, and was appointed assistant secretary.

He was nominated coadjutor bishop of Philadelphia in 1830, and was consecrated bishop of Arath in partibus infidelium on 6 June at Bardstown by Bishop Flaget. The administration of the diocese of Philadelphia required at this time great tact and firmness. The trustees of St. Mary's church, which was the bishop's cathedral, refused to recognize him as pastor, but he interdicted the church, and the trustees finally submitted to his authority. He then made a regulation that all church property in future should be vested in the bishop. The trustees of St. Paul's church, Pittsburg, refused to accept this regulation, but after a bitter contest the bishop had his way.

A large number of congregations in Pennsylvania were without pastors, and to remedy this evil he founded the Theological seminary of St. Charles Borromeo in Philadelphia in 1838. During the cholera epidemic of 1832 he was active in his ministrations to the sick. In 1842 he introduced the Order of the hermits of St. Augustine into his diocese, and helped them to build the College of St. Thomas at Villanova.

During the anti-Catholic riots of 1844 he constantly preached peace and forbearance, and patiently took measures to restore the edifices that had been destroyed. He aided in building St. Joseph's College in 1851, and another of the same name in Susquehanna county.

On the death of Archbishop Eccleson he was translated to the see of Baltimore in August, 1851, and appointed by the pope apostolic delegate to preside at a national council of all the archbishops and bishops of the United States in Baltimore in May, 1852. Some years afterward he was invested with a "primacy of honor" over the other archbishops.

During his stay in Baltimore a great impulse was given to the erection of charitable and educational institutions, among which were the Infant asylum, the Aged women's home, St. Agnes's asylum for destitute sick, the School of St. Laurence at Locust point, and the College of Loyola. He went to Rome in 1854 to take part in the deliberations that resulted in the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

Archbishop Kenrick was a profound Hebrew scholar, and spoke the principal modern languages fluently. He is considered the ablest theologian that the Roman Catholic Church in the United States has produced, and his theological works have been largely used both in this country and in Europe. His works are "Letters of Omicron to Omega" (1828); " Four Sermons preached in the Cathedral of Bardstown " (Bardstown, 1829); "Theologia Dogmatica" (4 vols., Philadelphia, 1839-'40; new ed., 3 vols., Baltimore, 1857); " Theologia Moralis " (3 vols., Philadelphia, 1841-'3); "Letters on the Primacy of the Holy See and the Authority of General Councils." in reply to Bishop Hopkins of Vermont (1837; enlarged ed., with the title "The Primacy of the Apostolic See vindicated," Baltimore, 1855); "The Catholic Doctrine on Justification explained and vindicated" (Philadelphia, 1841); " Treatise on Baptism" (New York, 1843):" Vindication of the Catholic Church," a series of letters in reply to Bishop John H. Hopkins, and "End of Religious Controversy controverted " (Baltimore, 1855).

Archbishop Kenrick was dissatisfied with the condition of the text of the English Roman Catholic Bibles that were used in the United States, which had widely departed from the Rheims and Douay translations. He devoted himself to a careful translation on the basis of the original Rheims-Douay version, edited by Dr. Challoner, with copious notes. This includes "The New Testament" (2 vols., New York, 1849-'51); " Psalms, Books of Wisdom and Canticle of Canticles" (Baltimore, 1857); and "Job and the Prophets" (1859).

--His brother, KENRICK, Peter Richard, archbishop, born in Dublin, Ireland, 17 August, 1806, was educated in his native country, and, after finishing his theological course, was ordained priest about 1830. He followed his brother to the United States in 1833, and was appointed assistant pastor at the cathedral in Philadelphia.

Shortly afterward he also took charge of the "Catholic Herald," and in 1835 he became pastor of the cathedral parish. He was then made president of the diocesan seminary, in which he also filled the chair of dogmatic theology, and he was next raised to the rank of vicar-general of the diocese, and accredited by Bishop Brute as his theologian to the Third Provincial Council of Baltimore in 1837.

Bishop Rosati, of St. Louis, demanded the appointment of a coadjutor in 1841, and Father Kenrick was chosen for the post. He was consecrated bishop of Drasa in partibus infidelium in Philadelphia on 30 November, and succeeded Dr. Rosati as bishop of St. Louis, 25 September, 1843.

Bishop Kenrick found his diocese in financial trouble, and with a large quantity of unimproved real estate, but, as the result of his efforts, it was soon freed from debt. It comprised, when he became coadjutor, several states and territories, from which so many new sees have been made that at present it embraces only the eastern part of Missouri.

Bishop Kenrick gave a great impetus to the work of building churches, he delivered a series of lectures in St. Louis on the doctrines of his church, founded a magazine called the "Catholic Cabinet," and established various schools.

In 1847 St. Louis was created an archiepiscopal see by Plus IX, and Dr. Kenrick became archbishop. In 1858 he received large bequests that afterward enabled him to carry out successfully his plans for endowing charitable and other institutions in St Louis. During the civil war the archbishop devoted his energies to the relief of the sick and wounded of both sides.

When, after the war, a constitution was adopted by the state of Missouri, one of whose articles required all teachers and clergymen to take a stringent oath, he forbade his priests to do so, and the oath was afterward declared unconstitutional.

In the Vatican council he was one of the ablest opponents of the dogma of papal infallibility; but as his objection was not to the truth but the opportuneness of this doctrine, he at once accepted it when it was defined.  

Archbishop Kenrick has introduced into his diocese numerous religious orders, which have charge of four industrial schools and reformatories, and 88 parochial schools with 17,180 pupils. The cemetery of St. Louis, laid out by him, is one of the finest on the continent. Among his works are “The Holy House of Loretto, or An Examination of the Historical Evidence of its Miraculous Translation;” and "

Edited Appletons Encyclopedia by John Looby, Copyright © 2001 Virtualology^TM

KENRICK, Francis Patrick, R. C. archbishop, born in Dublin, Ireland, 3 December, 1797; died in Baltimore, Maryland, 6 July, 1863. He prepared for the priesthood in the College of the propaganda at Rome in 1815-'21, and in the latter year was selected to direct the newly established theological seminary at Bardstown, Kentucky During the jubilee of 1826-'7, he attended Bishop Flaget in his pas-total visitations, and gave public conferences on religion which led to the polemical discussions in which he was frequently engaged during the rest of his life. In 1829 he attended the council of Baltimore as theologian to Bishop Flaget, and was appointed assistant secretary. He was nominated coadjutor bishop of Philadelphia in 1830, and was consecrated bishop of Arath in partibus infidelium on 6 June at Bards-town by Bishop Flaget. The administration of the diocese of Philadelphia required at this time great tact and firmness. The trustees of St. Mary's church, which was the bishop's cathedral, refused to recognize him as pastor, but he interdicted the church, and the trustees finally submitted to his authority. He then made a regulation that all church property in future should be vested in the bishop. The trustees of St. Paul's church, Pitts-burg, refused to accept this regulation, but after a bitter contest the bishop had his way. A large number of congregations in Pennsylvania were without pastors, and to remedy this evil he founded the Theological seminary of St. Charles Borromeo in Philadelphia in 1838. During the cholera epidemic of 1832 he was active in his ministrations to the sick. In 1842 he introduced the Order of the hermits of St. Augustine into his diocese, and helped them to build the College of St. Thomas at Villanova. During the anti-Catholic riots of 1844 he constantly preached peace and forbearance, and patiently took measures to restore the edifices that had been destroyed. He aided in building St. Joseph's college in 1851, and another of the same name in Susquehanna county. On the death of Archbishop Eccleson he was translated to the see of Baltimore in August, 1851, and appointed by the pope apostolic delegate to preside at a national council of all the archbishops and bishops of the United States in Baltimore in May, 1852. Some years afterward he was invested with a " primacy of honor" over the other archbishops. During his stay in Baltimore a great impulse was given to the erection of charitable and educational institutions, among which were the Infant asylum, the Aged women's home, St. Agnes's asylum for destitute sick, the School of St. Laurence at Locust point, and the College of Loyola. He went to Rome in 1854 to take part in the deliberations that resulted in the definition of the dogma of the immaculate conception. Archbishop Kenrick was a profound Hebrew scholar, and spoke the principal modern languages fluently. He is considered the ablest theologian that the Roman Catholic church in the United States has produced, and his theological works have been largely used both in this country and in Europe. His works are "Letters of Omicron to Omega" (1828); " Four Sermons preached in the Cathedral of Bardstown " (Bards-town, 1829); "Theologia Dogmatica" (4 vols., Philadelphia, 1839-'40; new ed., 3 vols., Baltimore, 1857); " Theologia Moralis " (3 vols., Philadelphia, 1841-'3); "Letters on the Primacy of the Holy See and the Authority of General Councils." in reply to Bishop Hopkins of Vermont (1837; enlarged ed., with the title "The Primacy of the Apostolic See vindicated," Baltimore, 1855); "The Catholic Doctrine on Justification explained and vindicated" (Philadelphia, 1841); " Treatise on Baptism" (New York, 1843):" Vindication of the Catholic Church," a series of letters in reply to Bishop John H. Hopkins, and "End of Religious Controversy controverted " (Baltimore, 1855). Archbishop Kenrick was dissatisfied with the condition of the text of the English Roman Catholic Bibles that were used in the United States, which had widely departed from the Rheims and Douay translations. He devoted himself to a careful translation on the basis of the original Rhemish-Douay version, edited by Dr. Challoner, with copious notes. This includes "The New Testament" (2 vols., New York, 1849-'51); " Psalms, Books of Wisdom and Canticle of Canticles" (Baltimore, 1857); and "Job and the Prophets" (1859).--His brother, Peter Richard, archbishop, born in Dublin, Ireland, 17 August, 1806, was educated in his native country, and, after finishing his theological course, was ordained priest about 1830. He followed his brother to the United States in 1833, and was appointed assistant pastor at the cathedral in Philadelphia. Shortly afterward he also took charge of the " Catholic Herald," and in 1835 he became pastor of the cathedral parish. He was then made president of the diocesan seminary, in which he also filled the chair of dogmatic theology, and he was next raised to the rank of vicar-general of the diocese, and accredited by Bishop Brute as his theologian to the Third provincial council of Baltimore in 1837. Bishop Rosati, of St. Louis, demanded the appointment of a coadjutor in 1841, and Father Kenrick was chosen for the post. He was consecrated bishop of Drasa in partibus infidelium in Philadelphia on 30 November, and succeeded Dr. Rosati as bishop of St. Louis, 25 September, 1843. Bishop Kenrick found his diocese in financial trouble, and with a large quantity of unimproved real estate, but, as the result of his efforts, it was soon freed from debt. It comprised, when he became coadjutor, several states and territories, from which so many new sees have been made that at present it embraces only the eastern part of Missouri. Bishop Kenrick gave a great impetus to the work of building churches, he delivered a series of lectures in St. Louis on the doctrines of his church, founded a magazine called the "Catholic Cabinet," and established various schools. In 1847 St. Louis was created an archiepiscopal see by Plus IX., and Dr. Kenrick became archbishop In 1858 he received large bequests that afterward enabled him to carry out successfully his plans for endowing charitable and other institutions in St Louis. During the civil war the archbishop devoted his energies to the relief of the sick and wounded of both sides. When, after the war, a constitution was adopted by the state of Missouri, one of whose articles required all teachers and clergymen to take a stringent oath, he forbade his priests to do so, and the oath was afterward declared unconstitutional. In the Vatican council he was one of the ablest opponents of the dogma of papal infallibility; but as his objection was not to the truth but the opportuneness of this doctrine, he at once accepted it when it was defined Archbishop Kenrick has introduced into his diocese numerous religious orders, which have charge of four industrial schools and reformatories, and 88 parochial schools with 17,180 pupils. The cemetery of St. Louis, laid out by him, is one of the finest on the continent. Among his works are "The Holy House of Loretto, or An Examination of the Historical Evidence of its Miraculous Translation"; and "Anglican Ordinations."

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Samuel Huntington
First President of the United States of America
in Congress Assembled
March 1, 1781 to July 6, 1781

President Who? Forgotten Founders Part II

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