Thomas Walsh (archbishop of Newark)

For other people with the same name, see Thomas Walsh.
His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Thomas Joseph Walsh Jr.
Archbishop of Newark
Walsh as chancellor
of the Diocese of Buffalo
ChurchCatholic
SeeArchdiocese of Newark
SuccessorThomas Aloysius Boland
Other postsBishop of Trenton
1918 to 1928
Bishop of Newark 1928 to 1938
Orders
OrdinationJanuary 27, 1900
by James Edward Quigley
ConsecrationJuly 25, 1918
by Giovanni Bonzano
Personal details
Born(1873-12-06)December 6, 1873
Parker's Landing, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedJune 6, 1952(1952-06-06) (aged 78)
EducationSt. Bonaventure College
Pontifical Athenaeum S. Apollinare

Thomas Joseph Walsh Jr. (December 6, 1873 – June 6, 1952) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the first archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark in New Jersey from 1938 until his death in 1952.

Walsh previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Newark in New Jersey from 1928 to 1938 and as bishop of the Diocese of Trenton in New Jersey from 1918 to 1928.

Biography

Early life

Thomas Walsh Jr. was born on December 6, 1873, in Parker's Landing, Pennsylvania, the eldest son of Thomas and Helen (Curtin) Walsh. After attending public and parochial schools in Pennsylvania, he studied at St. Bonaventure College in Allegany, New York.[1]

Priesthood

Walsh was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Buffalo by Bishop James Edward Quigley on January 27, 1900.[2] After his ordination, the diocese assigned Walsh as a curate at St. Joseph's Cathedral Parish in Buffalo. In June 1900, Quigley named Walsh as chancellor of the diocese and as his private secretary.[1]

In 1907, Bishop Charles H. Colton sent Walsh to further his studies in Rome at the Pontifical Athenaeum S. Apollinare. He earned a doctorate in canon law in 1907 and a doctorate in theology in 1908.[3]Walsh was named rector of St. Joseph's Cathedral in 1915.[citation needed]

Bishop of Trenton

On May 10, 1918, Walsh was appointed bishop of Trenton by Pope Benedict XV. He received his episcopal consecration on July 25, 1918, from Archbishop Giovanni Bonzano, with Bishops Dennis Dougherty and John O'Connor serving as co-consecrators.[1]

In 1910, Pope Pius X sent five sisters of the Religious Teachers Filippini to New Jersey to work with the Italian immigrants in St. Joachim's Parish in South Trenton. In 1918, using a donation from businessman James Cox Brady, Walsh purchased the former Harvey Fisk estate in Ewing Township, New Jersey,to create a motherhouse and novitiate for the sisters.

In 1922, Walsh addressed the annual meeting of the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus held in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[4]Walsh in July 1927 dedicated the new St. James High School in Red Bank, New Jersey.[5]

Bishop and Archbishop of Newark

Following the death of Bishop O'Connor in May 1927, Walsh was named bishop of Newark on March 2, 1928. He was installed at the, as yet unfinished, Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on May 1, 1928.[6]

The following year, Walsh established the Newark Mount Carmel Guild to help those on public assistance. In 1930, the guild set up a soup kitchen in the basement of St. Patrick's Pro-Cathedral.[7] In 1930, Walsh acquired the "Tower Hill", the estate of Louis C. Gillespie, founder of L.C. Gillespie & Sons. He invited the Religious Teachers Filippini to expand their work to the Diocese of Newark. The sisters re-located their motherhouse to Morristown, New Jersey, and named it Villa Walsh, where they opened another girls school, Villa Walsh Academy, while continuing to operate Villa Victoria Academy in Ewing Township.[8]

In 1931, Walsh saw the opening of a new chancery building in Newark. Prior to that, the administration of the diocese was conducted out of offices at St. John's School. In 1933, Walsh established Saint Gertrude Cemetery in Colonia, New Jersey.[9] In 1935, Walsh attended a Eucharistic congress in Cleveland, Ohio.[3]In 1933, the Religious Teachers Filippini established Villa Victoria Academy for girls.[10]

Walsh raised $2 million in 25 days to build Immaculate Conception Seminary in 1936, and encouraged Seton Hall Preparatory School and Seton Hall College to seek state accreditation.[11] In 1939, Archbishop Walsh authorized the Sisters of Saint Dominic of Caldwell, led by Mother M. Joseph Dunn, to form Caldwell College in Caldwell, NJ as a Catholic liberal arts college for women.[12]

Upon the elevation of the Diocese of Newark to the rank of archdiocese by Pope Pius XI, Walsh was appointed its first archbishop on December 10, 1937.[6] He received the pallium on April 27, 1938.[3] He convened a synod in 1941. In September 1947, Walsh gave the opening convocation at the New Jersey Constitutional Convention.[13] On May 3, 1950, the Government of Italy awarded Walsh the Star of Italian Solidarity for his work with Italian immigrants in the archdiocese.[14]

Death and legacy

Thomas Walsh died on June 6, 1952, and was buried in the St. Patrick Cathedral crypt. Eighty-five prelates and 700 priests attended his funeral ceremony, with over 5,000 people outside the cathedral.[15]

In 1957, the Diocese of Buffalo opened Archbishop Walsh High School in Olean, New York, in honor of Thomas Walsh..[16]

References

  1. ^ a b c "NEWARK ARCHBISHOP HONORED AT AGE OF 75". The New York Times. 1948-12-07. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  2. ^ "Most Rev. Thomas J. Walsh, S.T.D., J.C.D." Archdiocese of Newark. 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  3. ^ a b c DeLozier, Alan Bernard (2011). Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-7640-4.
  4. ^ "Columbian Sqires", KofC Delphos Council 1362; accessed July 12, 2020.
  5. ^ "History - Red Bank Catholic High School". www.redbankcatholic.org. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  6. ^ a b "Most Rev. Thomas J. Walsh, S.T.D., J.C.D.", Archdiocese of Newark
  7. ^ "History", Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark
  8. ^ "Religious Teachers Filippini Mark 50th Year in the U.S.", The Catholic Advocate, Vol. 9, Number 49, 1 December 1960
  9. ^ "Saint Gertrude Cemetery & Chapel Mausoleum", Catholic Cemeteries
  10. ^ "Ewing Then and Now: The Fisk Family and the Fisk School". Community News. 2013-08-01. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  11. ^ "Abbot Patrick Mary O'Brien". St. Mary's Abbey. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  12. ^ "History of Caldwell University – Caldwell University". Caldwell University. Archived from the original on 2025-08-01. Retrieved 2025-11-07.
  13. ^ "Searchable Publications | N.J. Constitutional Convention: Volume 1 Page 923". 2020-06-10. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  14. ^ "TWO DECORATED BY ITALY; Newark Archbishop and Mayor Get Star of Solidarity". The New York Times. 1950-05-04. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  15. ^ "THOUSANDS ATTEND SERVICE FOR WALSH; 85 Roman Catholic Prelates and 700 Priests at Funeral of Newark Archbishop". The New York Times. 1952-06-14. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  16. ^ "History – Souther Tier Catholic School | Archbishop Walsh Academy". 6 January 2022.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Walsh_(archbishop_of_Newark)