SPALDING, Martin John, archbishop, born near Lebanon, Marion County, Kentucky. 23 May, 1810; died in Baltimore, Maryland, 7 February, 1872. In 1821 he was sent to St. Mary's Seminary in Marion County, where he was graduated in 1826. He then studied theology in St. Joseph's Seminary, Bardstown, for four years, and then in the Urban College of the Propaganda, Rome, where he won his doctor's diploma by defending for seven hours in Latin 256 theological propositions against some of the ablest theologians in the city.

He was ordained priest on 13 August, 1834, and on his return to Kentucky was charged with the pastorship of the cathedral at Bardstown and with the professorship of philosophy in the diocesan seminary. He was instrumental in founding the "Catholic Advocate," and his articles in this journal attracted wide attention among Roman Catholics in the United States. In 1838 he was appointed president of St. Joseph's College. After holding this post two years he was transferred to the pastorship of St. Peter's church in Lexington.

Upon the removal of the see from Bardstown to Louisville in 1841 he returned to the former city, where his presence was thought necessary to reconcile the Roman Catholic inhabitants to the change. In 1844 he was recalled to Louisville and appointed Vicar-General. The age of Bishop Flaget and the illness of his coadjutor to a great extent threw the administration of the diocese into the hands of Dr. Spalding, yet he was frequently engaged in giving lectures in Louisville and other cities, and at the same time prepared some of his works for the press.

In February, 1848, he was appointed coadjutor bishop of Louisville, and he was consecrated bishop of Lengone in partibus on 10 September following. He provided for the establishment of parochial schools, built an orphan asylum for boys at St. Thomas and one for boys and girls of German parentage in Louisville, and laid the foundation of a cathedral. He recalled the Jesuits into his diocese, and the Trappist Abbey at Gethsemane was established under his auspices.

After taking steps to have his diocese divided and the See of Covington created, he visited Europe in 1853-'54 to obtain assistants. He then set about establishing the St. Vincent de Paul Society, which soon had conferences in the principal towns. In 1857 he founded the American College in Louvain, which up to 1884 has sent 301 priests to the missions of the United States.

At the beginning of the Know-Nothing movement he became involved in a controversy with George D. Prentice, and during the riots in Louisville in 1855 he showed great prudence, his influence probably preventing the disturbances from assuming larger proportions. Bishop Spalding did much to secure hospital accommodations for the sick of the National troops that were encamped around Louisville in the first year of the Civil War.

On the death of Archbishop Kenrick in June, 1864, Bishop Spalding was transferred to the See of Baltimore and installed as archbishop on 31 July. He founded the House of the Good Shepherd in Baltimore, and began a boys' protectory, which he placed in charge of the Xaverian Brothers. In 1865 he was appointed administrator of the diocese of Charleston, the bishop of which was unable to return, and made successful appeals to the Roman Catholics of the north in aid of their southern brethren. He also secured important contributions for the American College at Rome.

In 1866 he presided over the Second Plenary Council of Baltimore, the largest assembly of the kind since the general council of Trent. The work that this body performed was entirely planned by Archbishop Spalding. In 1867 he was present in Rome at the 18th centenary of the martyrdom of St. Peter and St. Paul, and again in 1869-'70 as a member of the Ecumenical Council of the Vatican. He was at first opposed to the definition of the dogma of the pope's infallibility on the ground that it was inopportune, but gradually became convinced of its necessity. During the deliberations of the council his scholarship and theological ability produced a marked impression.

After his return to Baltimore in 1870 he made a visitation of his diocese, delivered lectures for the benefit of local charities, built fine parochial schools near his cathedral, and began the Church of St. Plus. Archbishop Spalding acquired great reputation as a lecturer and pulpit orator. He contributed largely to the Roman Catholic literature of the country, and takes high rank as a reviewer. He was for some time one of the editors of the "United States Catholic Magazine."

His principal works are "D'Aubigne's History of the Reformation Reviewed" (Baltimore, 1844, London, 1846; Dublin, 1846); "Sketches of the Early Catholic Missions in Kentucky 1787-1826-'7" (Louisville, 1846); "Lectures on the General Evidences of Christianity" (1847; 4th ed., Baltimore, 1866); "Life, Times, and Character of the Rt. Reverend B. J. Flaget" (Louisville, 1852); "Miscellanea: comprising Reviews, Lectures, and Essays on Historical, Theological, and Miscellaneous Subjects" (1885); and "History of the Protestant Reformation in Germany and Switzerland, and in England, Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands, France, and Northern Europe" (2 vols., 1860). He also edited, with an introduction and notes, Abbe Darras's "General History of the Catholic Church" (4 vols., New York, 1866). The life of Archbishop Spalding has been written by his nephew, John Lancaster Spalding, bishop of Peoria (New York, 1872).

--His brother, Benedict Joseph Spaulding, clergyman, born in Marion county, Kentucky, 15 April, 1812; died in Louisville, Kentucky, 4 August, 1868, studied at St. Mary's college, and entered the diocesan seminary m Bardstown, Kentucky. In 1832 he went to the College of the propaganda, where he was graduated five years later, and then entered the priesthood of the Roman Catholic Church. On his return to the United States in 1837 he taught for a time in the theological seminary of St. Thomas, and was afterward made agent of St. Joseph's college. In 1840, with the Reverend John Hutchins, he established a seminary for boys in Breckinridge County, which they carried on for two years.

Fr. Spalding returned to Bardstown in 1842 to accept the vice-presidency of St. Joseph's College, and continued in that place until 1844, when he was made pastor of the church of St. Joseph, in Bardstown. In 1847 he was called to the charge of the cathedral church in Louisville, and was appointed Vicar-General of the diocese. These offices he held until his death, with two exceptions, when during the vacancy of the see he was invested by his superiors with the administration of the bishopric. He received no salary beyond his food and clothing, but gave largely of his own private fortune to those that were in need. Father Spalding was greatly beloved by both Roman Catholics and Protestants for his blameless life, his liberality, and his self-sacrificing disposition.

--His nephew, John Lancaster Spaulding, R. C. bishop, born in Lebanon, Kentucky, 2 June, 1840, was educated in the United States and in Europe, ordained in 1863, and attached to the cathedral of Louisville as assistant. In 1869 he organized a congregation of colored people and built for their use the Church of St. Augustine, of which he was appointed pastor. He was soon afterward made chancellor of the diocese and secretary to the bishop. He left Louisville in 1873 and came to New York, where he did missionary work in the parish of St. Michael's, becoming noted as an eloquent preacher and lecturer.

When the diocese of Peoria was created in 1877 his appointment was recommended to the pope, and he was accordingly consecrated bishop of the new see on 1 May by Cardinal McCloskey in the cathedral of New York. His administration has been marked by energy, and he has had signal success in developing the resources of his diocese. In 1877 it contained 75 churches, 51 priests, and about 45,000 Roman Catholics. In 1887 there were 163 churches, 113 priests, 12 clerical students, 32 religious institutions, 9 academies, 41 parochial schools, an orphan asylum, and 5 hospitals.

Bishop Spalding has given much attention to the question of emigration, and his efforts have attracted numerous emigrants to the west. He has also labored successfully to establish a Roman Catholic university in the United States, and his plans for carrying out this enterprise were adopted by the council of Baltimore in 1884. He is a contributor to Roman Catholic periodicals and reviews and the author of a " Life of Archbishop Spalding" (New York, 1872); "Essays and Reviews " (1876); "Religious Mission of the Irish People" (1880); and "Lectures and Discourses" (1882).

--Their kinswoman, Catherine Spaulding first superior of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, born in Charles county, Maryland, 23 December, 1793; died in Louisville, Kentucky, 20 March, 1858, was left an orphan at the age of four, and was brought up by an aunt in Kentucky. In 1813 she became a member of a new society of Sisters of Charity, which had been instituted the year before by Bishop David. She was made superior, and, under the patronage of the bishop, opened the convent of Nazareth. In 1814 she established a boarding and day school near the convent, which increased rapidly in numbers and reputation. In 1816 the order was regularly organized, and Mother Spalding and two of her associates were allowed to take the ordinary vows.

In 1819 she sent a colony of sisters to Bardstown, who established the Bethlehem Day-school, and in 1820 St. Vincent convent was founded in Union county. She opened St. Catherine's School in Scott County in 1823. It was afterward removed to Lexington, where it still exists, and is regarded as one of the community's most flourishing establishments. The Academy of the Presentation was opened in Louisville in 1831, of which Mother Spalding took personal charge. She also began the founding of St. Vincent's orphan asylum, in which afterward provision was made for 200 orphan girls, and opened an infirmary. The rest of her life was spent principally in caring for the wants of orphan children, or in visiting the poor and sick of the city.

The illness of which she died was contracted while she was hastening through the snow to aid a poor family that lived at some distance from the asylum. Mother Spalding belonged to a family that is distinguished in the annals of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. She was nearly related to Archbishop Spalding and Archbishop Elder.

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

SPALDING, Martin John, archbishop, born near Lebanon, Marion County, Kentucky. 23 May, 1810; died in Baltimore, Maryland, 7 February, 1872. In 1821 he was sent to St. Mary's seminary in Marion county, where he was graduated in 1826. He then studied theology in St. Joseph's seminary, Bardstown, for four years, and then in the Urban college of the propaganda, Rome, where he won his doctor's diploma by defending for seven hours in Latin 256 theological propositions against some of the ablest theologians in the city. He was ordained priest on 13 August, 1834, and on his return to Kentucky was charged with the pastorship of the cathedral at Bardstown and with the professorship of philosophy in the diocesan seminary. He was instrumental in founding the " Catholic Advocate," and his articles in this journal attracted wide attention among Roman Catholics in the United States. In 1838 he was appointed president of St. Joseph's college. After holding this post two years he was transferred to the pastorship of St. Peter's church in Lexington. Upon the removal of the see from Bardstown to Louisville in 1841 he returned to the former city, where his presence was thought necessary to reconcile the Roman Catholic inhabitants to the change. In 1844 he was recalled to Louisville and appointed vicar-general. The age of Bishop Flaget and the illness of his co-adjutor to a great extent threw the administration of the diocese into the hands of Dr. Spalding, yet he was frequently engaged in giving lectures in Louisville and other cities, and at the same time prepared some of his works for the press. In February, 1848, he was appointed coadjutor bishop of Louisville, and he was consecrated bishop of Lengone in partibus on 10 September following. He provided for the establishment of parochial schools, built an orphan asylum for boys at St. Thomas and one for boys and girls of German parentage in Louisville, and laid the foundation of a cathedral. He recalled the Jesuits into his diocese, and the Trappist abbey at Gethsemane was established under his auspices. After taking steps to have his diocese divided and the see of Covington created, he visited Europe in 1853-'54 to obtain assistants. He then set about establishing the St. Vincent de Paul society, which soon had conferences in the principal towns. In 1857 he founded the American college in Louvain, which up to 1884 has sent 301 priests to the missions of the United States. At the beginning of the Know-Nothing movement he became involved in a controversy with George D. Prentice, and during the riots in Louisville in 1855 he showed great prudence, his influence probably preventing the disturbances from assuming larger proportions. Bishop Spalding did much to secure hospital accommodations for the sick of the National troops that were encamped around Louisville in the first year of the civil war. On the death of Archbishop Kenrick in June, 1864, Bishop Spalding was transferred to the see of Baltimore and installed as archbishop on 31 July. He founded the House of the Good Shepherd in Baltimore, and began a boys' protectory, which he placed in charge of the Xaverian Brothers. In 1865 he was appointed administrator of the diocese of Charleston, the bishop of which was unable to return, and made successful appeals to the Roman Catholics of the north in aid of their southern brethren. He also secured important contributions for the American college at Rome. In 1866 he presided over the second plenary council of Baltimore, the largest assembly of the kind since the general council of Trent. The work that this body performed was entirely planned by Archbishop Spalding. In 1867 he was present in Rome at the 18th centenary of the martyrdom of St. Peter and St. Paul, and again in 1869-'70 as a member of the oecumenical council of the Vatican. He was at first opposed to the definition of the dogma of the pope's infallibility on the ground that it was inopportune, but gradually became convinced of its necessity. During the deliberations of the council his scholarship and theological ability produced a marked impression. After his return to Baltimore in 1870 he made a visitation of his diocese, delivered lectures for the benefit of local charities, built fine parochial schools near his cathedral, and began the Church of St. Plus. Archbishop Spalding acquired great reputation as a lecturer and pulpit orator. He contributed largely to the Roman Catholic literature of the country, and takes high rank as a reviewer. He was for some time one of the editors of the " United States Catholic Magazine." His principal works are " D'Aubigne's History of the Reformation Reviewed" (Baltimore, 1844, London, 1846; Dublin, 1846) ; "Sketches of the Early Catholic Missions in Kentucky 1787-1826-'7" (Louisville, 1846) ; "Lectures on the General Evidences of Christianity " (1847 ; 4th ed., Baltimore, 1.866) ; "Life, Times, and Character of the Rt. Reverend B. J. Flaget" (Louisville, 1852); "Miscellanea: comprising Reviews, Lectures, and Essays on Historical, Theological, and Miscellaneous Subjects" (1885); and "History of the Protestant Reformation in Germany and Switzerland, and in England, Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands, France, and Northern Europe" (2 vols., 1860). He also edited, with an introduction and notes, Abbe Darras's "General History of the Catholic Church" (4 vols., New York, 1866). The life of Archbishop Spalding has been written by his nephew, John Lancaster Spalding, bishop of Peoria (New York, 1872).--His brother, Benedict Joseph, clergyman, born in Marion county, Kentucky, 15 April, 1812; died in Louisville, Kentucky, 4 August, 1868, studied at St. Mary's college, and entered the diocesan seminary m Bardstown, Kentucky In 1832 he went to the College of the propaganda, where he was graduated five years later, and then entered the priesthood of the Roman Catholic church. On his return to the United States in 1837 he taught for a time in the theological seminary of St. Thomas, and was afterward made agent of St. Joseph's college. In 1840, with the Reverend John Hutchins, he established a seminary for boys in Breckinridge county, which they carried on for two years. Mr. Spalding returned to Bardstown in 1842 to accept the vice-presidency of St. Joseph's college, and continued in that place until 1844, when he was made pastor of the church of St. Joseph, in Bardstown. In 1847 he was called to the charge of the cathedral church in Louisville, and was appointed vicar-general of the diocese. These offices he held until his death, with two exceptions, when during the vacancy of the see he was invested by his superiors with the administration of the bishopric. He received no salary beyond his food and clothing, but gave largely of his own private fortune to those that were in need. Father Spalding was greatly beloved by both Roman Catholics and Protestants for his blameless life, his liberality, and his self-sacrificing disposition. --His nephew, John Lancaster, R. C. bishop, born in Lebanon, Kentucky, 2 June, 1840, was educated in the United States and in Europe, ordained in 1863, and attached to the cathedral of Louisville as assistant. In 1869 he organized a congregation of colored people and built for their use the Church of St. Augustine, of which he was appointed pastor. He was soon afterward made chancellor of the diocese and secretary to the bishop. He left Louisville in 1873 and came to New York, where he did missionary work in the parish of St. Michael's, becoming noted as an eloquent preacher and lecturer. When the diocese of Peoria was created in 1877 his appointment was recommended to the pope, and he was accordingly consecrated bishop of the new see on 1 May by Cardinal McCloskey in the cathedral of New York. His administration has been marked by energy, and he has had signal success in developing the resources of his diocese. In 1877 it contained 75 churches, 51 priests, and about 45,000 Roman Catholics. In 1887 there were 163 churches, 113 priests, 12 clerical students, 32 religious institutions, 9 academies, 41 parochial schools, an orphan asylum, and 5 hospitals. Bishop Spalding has given much attention to the question of emigration, and his efforts have attracted numerous emigrants to the west. He has also labored successfully to establish a Roman Catholic university in the United States, and his plans for carrying out this enterprise were adopted by the council of Baltimore in 1884. He is a contributor to Roman Catholic periodicals and reviews and the author of a " Life of Archbishop Spalding" (New York, 1872); "Essays and Reviews " (1876); "Religious Mission of the Irish People" (1880); and "Lectures and Discourses" (1882).--Their kinswoman, Catherine first superior of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, born in Charles county, Maryland, 23 December, 1793; died in Louisville, Kentucky, 20 March, 1858, was left an orphan at the age of four, and was brought up by an aunt in Kentucky. In 1813 she became a member of a new society of Sisters of Charity, which had been instituted the year before by Bishop David. She was made superior, and, under the patronage of the bishop, opened the convent of Nazareth. In 1814 she established a boarding and day school near the convent, which increased rapidly in numbers and reputation. In 181.6 the order was regularly organized, and Mother Spalding and two of her associates were allowed to take the ordinary vows. In 1819 she sent a colony of sisters to Bardstown, who established the Bethlehem day-school, and in 1820 St. Vincent convent was founded in Union county. She opened St. Catherine's school in Scott county in 1823. It was afterward removed to Lexington, where it still exists, and is regarded as one of the community's most flourishing establishments. The Academy of the Presentation was opened in Louisville in 1831, of which Mother Spalding took personal charge. She also began the founding of St. Vincent's orphan asylum, in which afterward provision was made for 200 orphan girls, and opened an infirmary. The rest of her life was spent principally in caring for the wants of orphan children, or in visiting the poor and sick of the city. The illness of which she died was contracted while she was hastening through the snow to aid a poor family that lived at some distance from the asylum. Mother Spalding belonged to a family that is distinguished in the annals of the Roman Catholic church in the United States. She was nearly related to Archbishop Spalding and Archbishop Elder.

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