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LYNCH, John Joseph, Canadian R. C. archbishop, born
near Clones, County Monaghan, Ireland, 6 February, 1816; died 12 May 1888 in
Toronto. He began his classical studies in a school in Lucan, County Kildare,
and finished them in Castleknock, Dublin. In 1837 he was sent to the Seminary of
St. Lazarus in Paris, and shortly afterward became a member of the Lazarist
order In 1843 he returned to Ireland and was ordained priest by Archbishop
Murray, of Dublin. He was professor in the College of Castleknock till 1846, and
then, meeting Bishop Odin, who was in search of priests for his vicariate of
Texas, he consented to accompany him to the United States.
He arrived in New Orleans, 29 June, 1847, sailed for
Galveston, and finally reached Houston, which became the centre of his
missionary labors. There were about 10,000 Roman Catholics scattered over Texas,
and Father Lynch's labors were most exhausting. He was treated with great
kindness by people of all creeds, and Governor Houston offered to raise funds to
build him a church if he would consent to reside permanently in Houston. In his
travels through Texas he frequently lost his way, at one time stumbling on an
Indian camp, where he was received with kindness and allowed to baptize the
children of the tribe. He returned to Houston in the autumn of 1847, after going
north as far as Indian Territory and exploring the country between Brazos,
Colorado, and Trinity rivers.
He was stricken down by a malignant fever shortly after
reaching Houston, and, after visiting New Orleans, was obliged, in March, 1848,
to go to the north. He visited the Lazarist college of St. Mary the Barrens,
Missouri, and became president of that institution in September following. He
remodeled the system of discipline on the plan of the Benedictine monasteries of
the middle ages, abolishing all espionage, with entire success. In 1849 he was
elected deputy by the Lazarists of America to the general assembly of the order
in Paris.
On his return to St. Mary's, while performing the duties of
president, he gave missions throughout the surrounding country. In one of his
long journeys imprudent exposure and over-fatigue resulted in paralysis of the
right side, but he recovered and was elected deputy to the general assembly of
his order in 1854. He founded the Seminary of our Lady of Angels near Niagara
Falls, and devoted the next three years of his life to placing this institution
on a firm footing.
He was nominated coadjutor to the bishop of Toronto in
September, 1859, with right of succession, and was consecrated on 20 November
following. In April, 1860, he became bishop on the resignation of Bishop de
Charbonnel. He at once set about visiting every part of his diocese, and in 1863
held his first synod, in which he framed a complete code of ecclesiastical
jurisprudence. In 1862 he visited Rome to attend the canonization of the
Japanese martyrs. In 1869 he went again to Rome to attend the Vatican Council,
and was then made archbishop of Toronto and metropolitan of Ontario. He presided
over his first provincial council in 1873, and in 1879 made his decennial visit
to Rome, also visiting Ireland.
In an interview with the Duke of Marlborough, then
lord-lieutenant, and Sir Stafford Northcote, he endeavored to persuade those
statesmen of the advantage of conceding home rule to Ireland. He was received
formally on his return to London by Sir Alexander T. Galt, the Canadian high
commissioner, who requested him to be presented at court. After some hesitation
he consented, by the advice of Cardinal Manning, and was the first Roman
Catholic bishop since the reign of James II to attend a royal levee.
On his return to Toronto he delivered a series of lectures
on the Vatican Council in his cathedral before large audiences, the majority of
whom were not Roman Catholics. Dr. Lynch is a vigorous and eloquent writer, and
his pastorals, which embrace all questions of a social and religious character,
have had much influence on public life in Canada. His jubilee was celebrated on
10 December, 1884, with great magnificence, the civil authorities of the
province taking an active part in it. During Archbishop Lynch's episcopate the
Roman Catholic Church in Ontario has made rapid strides.
When he became bishop of Toronto there were about thirty
priests and forty-two churches. At present (1888) there are seventy-one churches
and about eighty priests. Under his guidance charitable and educational
institutions have sprung up in every part of Ontario. He founded the Convent of
the Precious Blood in 1874 and Magdalen asylum in 1875, and established convents
of St. Joseph in St. Catharines, Thorold, Barrie, and Oshawa. Forty parish
churches and thirty presbyteries were erected and seventy priests ordained for
the diocese between 1859 and 1884.
Edited Appletons Encyclopedia, by John Looby Copyright © 2001 StanKlos.comTM
LYNCH, John Joseph, Canadian R. C. archbishop, born near Clones, County Monaghan, Ireland, 6 February, 1816. He began his classical studies in a school in Lucan, County Kildare, and finished them in Castleknock, Dublin. In 1837 he was sent to the Seminary of St. Lazarus in Paris, and shortly afterward became a member of the Lazarist order, in 1843 he returned to Ireland and was ordained priest by Archbishop Murray, of Dublin. He was professor in the College of Castleknock till 1846, and then, meeting Bishop Odin, who was in search of priests for his vicariate of Texas, he consented to accompany him to the United States. He arrived in New Orleans, 29 June, 1847, sailed for Galveston, and finally reached Houston, which became the centre of his missionary labors. There were about 10,000 Roman Catholics scattered over Texas, and Father Lynch's labors were most exhausting. He was treated with great kindness by people of all creeds, and Governor Houston offered to raise funds to build him a church if he would consent to reside permanently in Houston. In his travels through Texas he frequently lost his way, at one time stumbling on an Indian camp, where he was received with kindness and allowed to baptize the children of the tribe. He returned to Houston in the autumn of 1847, after going north as far as Indian territory and exploring the country between Brazos, Colorado, and Trinity rivers. He was stricken down by a malignant fever shortly after reaching Houston, and, after visiting New Orleans, was obliged, in March, 1848, to go to the north. He visited the Lazarist college of St. Mary the Barrens, Missouri, and became president of that institution in September following. He remodelled the system of discipline on the plan of the Benedictine monasteries of the middle ages, abolishing all espionage, with entire success. In 1849 he was elected deputy by the Lazarists of America to the general assembly of the order in Paris. On his return to St. Mary's, while performing the duties of president, he gave missions throughout the surrounding country. In one of his long journeys imprudent exposure and over-fatigue resulted in paralysis of the right side, but he recovered and was elected deputy to the general assembly of his order in 1854. He founded the Seminary of our Lady of Angels near Niagara Falls, and devoted the next three years of his life to placing this institution on a firm footing. He was nominated coadjutor to the bishop of Toronto in September, 1859, with right of succession, and was consecrated on 20 November following. In April, 1860, he became bishop on the resignation of Bishop de Charbonnel. He at once set about visiting every part of his diocese, and in 1863 held his first synod, in which he framed a complete code of ecclesiastical jurisprudence. In 1862 he visited Rome to attend the canonization of the Japanese martyrs. In 1869 he went again to Rome to attend the Vatican council, and was then made archbishop of Toronto and metropolitan of Ontario. He presided over his first provincial council in 1873, and in 1879 made his decennial visit to Rome, also visiting Ireland. In an interview with the Duke of Marlborough, then lord-lieutenant, and Sir Stafford Northcote, he endeavored to persuade those statesmen of the advantage of conceding home rule to Ireland. He was received formally on his return to London by Sir Alexander T. Galt, the Canadian high commissioner, who requested him to be presented at court. After some hesitation he consented, by the advice of Cardinal Manning, and was the first Roman Catholic bishop since the reign of James II. to attend a royal levee. On his return to Toronto he delivered a series of lectures on the Vatican council in his cathedral before large audiences, the majority of whom were not Roman Catholics. Dr. Lynch is a vigorous and eloquent writer, and his pastorals, which embrace all questions of a social and religious character, have had much influence on public life in Canada. His jubilee was celebrated on 10 December, 1884, with great magnificence, the civil authorities of the province taking an active part in it. During Archbishop Lynch's episcopate the Roman Catholic church in Ontario has made rapid strides. When he became bishop of Toronto there were about thirty priests and forty-two churches. At present (1888) there are seventy-one churches and about eighty priests. Under his guidance charitable and educational institutions have sprung up in every part of Ontario. He founded the Convent of the Precious Blood in 1874 and Magdalen asylum in 1875, and established convents of St. Joseph in St. Catharines, Thorold, Barrie, and Oshawa. Forty parish churches and thirty presbyteries were erected and seventy priests ordained for the diocese between 1859 and 1884.
