| Styles of Thomas James Conaty | |
|---|---|
) | |
| Reference style | The Most Reverend |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Monsignor |
| Posthumous style | none |
)
Thomas James Conaty (August 1, 1847–September 18, 1915) was the Bishop of the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles (now the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Diocese of Monterey) from 1903–1915.
Biography
Thomas James Conaty was born in the town of Kilnaleck in County Cavan, Ireland, the son of Patrick and Alice Lynch, and moved with his family moved to America when he was two years old. He was ordained a priest on December 21, 1872 for the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts. In 1880 he was the founding pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Rectorate
Conaty became the rector of The Catholic University of America (CUA) in 1896. As the university's second rector, Conaty developed a relationship with the Society of St. Sulpice, which eventually founded the University's national seminary, Theological College. Prompted by the Spanish–American War, he supported academic accommodations for men who needed time away from their studies to serve in the military. He was ordained Titular Bishop of Samos on November 24, 1901 at the Baltimore Cathedral. The principal consecrator was James Gibbons, Cardinal Archbishop of Baltimore, with the principal co-consecrators being Camillus Paul Maes, Bishop of Covington, Kentucky and Thomas Daniel Beaven, Bishop of Springfield in Massachusetts.[1]
Catholic University's Conaty Hall, a popular freshman residence hall, was named after him and stood on the south end of campus until its demolition in 2011.
Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles
Conaty remained with the University until his appointment as head of the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles on March 27, 1903.[1]
One of his major interests was Catholic education and preservation of the California Missions. He organized the St. Vincent de Paul Society in 1904 and acquired The Tidings as the official diocesan publication. During Bishop Conaty's episcopate, the total population doubled, the number of priests in the diocese increased to 229, and many religious women were serving the diocese in education, hospitals and orphanages.[2] He served as the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles until his death on September 18, 1915.[1]
Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto High School in Los Angeles, California bears his name.
References
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by George Thomas Montgomery | ) Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles 1903–1915 | Succeeded by John Joseph Cantwell |
| Academic offices | ||
| Preceded by John Joseph Keane | ){kind=logo} Rector of The Catholic University of America 1896–1903 | Succeeded by Denis J. O'Connell |