WHELAN, Richard Vincent, R. C. bishop, born in Baltimore, Maryland, 28 January, 1809; died there, 7 July, 1874. He was educated in Mount St. Mary's college, Emmitsburg, and afterward studied theology in the Seminary of St. Sulpice, Paris. He was ordained a priest in 1832, and after his return to the United States was appointed pastor of Harper's Ferry, at the same time attending neighboring missions He was nominated second bishop of Richmond on 19 December, 1840, and consecrated at Baltimore by Archbishop Eccleson on 21 March, 1841. There were but 6,000 Roman Catholics and six priests in Virginia, and, in order to increase the number of the latter, he appealed for help to the societies for the propagation of the faith in Europe, receiving a liberal response. He founded schools at Martinsburg. In order to continue the supply of priests for his diocese, he purchased land near Richmond and erected a theological seminary. He established missions at Witheville, Summersville, Kingwood, and Lynch-burg. In 1846 he went to Wheeling, where Roman Catholics were increasing in numbers, and labored as a simple priest on this mission. Feeling that his personal supervision was required to build up the church in western Virginia, he removed there, and never returned. He erected a cathedral at Wheeling, founded schools, and opened an ecclesiastical seminary in his own house, in which he trained young men for the priesthood. He attended the seventh provincial council of Baltimore in 1849. In 1850 the bishopric of Wheeling was created, and Dr. Whelan was made its first bishop. His efforts to develop Roman Catholicism in this district involved him in heavy debt, and in 1857 he went to seek assistance in Europe, where he obtained aid that enabled him to labor with renewed energy. He began a college at Wheeling in 1866, and opened several academies. He was present at the Vatican council in 1869-'70, and addressed that body on some of the most important questions before it. He opposed the definition of the dogma of papal infallibility, but submitted to the decision of the council, declaring that his opposition did not arise from disbelief in its truth, but from the fact that he believed its definition at the time inopportune. At the beginning of the administration of Bishop Whelan the diocese of Wheeling contained two churches and two priests, and was without Roman Catholic schools or institutions of any kind. At his death there were 48 churches, 40 stations where religious services were held, and 29 priests. It contained six academies for girls, four convents, a hospital, an orphan asylum, and a college. The Roman Catholic population had increased from less than 1,000 to 18,000.