John Timon

Most Rev. John Timon, C.M.
Most Rev. John Timon, C.M.
Bishop of Buffalo
Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Buffalo
In office	23 April 1847 – 16 April 1867
Successor	Stephen V. Ryan
Orders
Ordination	1825
Consecration	23 April 1847
Personal details
Born	12 February 1797; Conewago, Pennsylvania
Died	16 April 1867 (aged 70); Buffalo, New York

Most Rev. John Timon, C.M. (February 12, 1797 – April 16, 1867) was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Buffalo, New York and founder of the brothers of the Holy Infancy.

Biography[]

John Timon was born in Conewago, Pennsylvania of Irish immigrants from County Cavan. When he was three years old, the family moved to Baltimore, Maryland where, in 1811, he was enrolled in St. Mary's College. After graduation he worked in the family dry goods business. In 1818, the family moved to Louisville, Kentucky. They relocated a year later to St. Louis, Missouri.^[1]

After a financial crisis which wiped out the family wealth, he determined to enter the priesthood and was admitted to the St. Mary of the Barrens seminary in 1823. Jean-Marie Odin, later Bishop of Galveston, was one of his professors. Timons himself taught English and the natural sciences. In 1824 he accompanied Odin on an extended missionary trip through Texas, and in following another through Arkansas.^[2]

He was ordained deacon, and then priest, in 1825.^[2] He served as a Vincentian missionary up and down the Mississippi River and in Texas. In 1835, Timon's was appointed "Visitor" (Superior) of the Vincentian community in America. In 1839, he was named coadjutor bishop of St. Louis but declined the appointment. On July 18, 1840 he was named Prefect Apostolic of the Republic of Texas.^[1]

On April 23, 1847, the Diocese of Buffalo was established; it included the 20 counties of Western New York. In September 1847, Timon was informed that he had been named bishop. By then he had neither sufficient funds to pay his travel expenses or to purchase warm clothes. Some generous friends provided a purse and a well-stocked trunk. Timon was fluent in a number of languages including Gaelic, which served him well among the Irish community in the city.^[3]

Timon spent the remaining 20 years of his life building the Church there. Beginning with 16 priests for 16 counties, he immediately began to build churches, and establish schools. He appointed Bernard O'Reilly, later Bishop of Hartford, as his vicar-general.^[2]

During his tenure, many religious orders were recruited to establish ministries in the newly formed diocese including the Daughters of Charity, the School Sisters of Notre Dame, the Ladies of the Sacred Heart, the Franciscans, the Sisters of Saint Mary of Namur, the Jesuits, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the Sisters of St. Joseph, the Vincentians, the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart, the Sisters of Mercy, the Sisters of St. Francis, the Passionists, and the Christian Brothers.^[4]

St. Bonaventure University was founded by Utica, New York financier Nicholas Devereux with assistance from Bishop Timon. The two invited the Franciscan order to Western New York, and a small group under Father Pamfilo of Magliano OFM arrived in 1856.

Death and legacy[]

Bishop Timon died on April 16, 1867, at the age of 70. His body lies entombed in the crypt of Saint Joseph's Cathedral in Buffalo.^[4] Bishop Timon - St. Jude High School in Buffalo is named in his honor.

References[]

External links[]

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by New Diocese	Bishop of Buffalo 1847–1867	Succeeded by Stephen V. Ryan
Preceded by None	Prefect Apostolic of Texas 1840–1847	Succeeded by None

[Paul-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b Lubienecki, Paul. "Bishop John Timon, the father of our diocese", Western New York Catholic, June 15, 2017

[Clarke-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Clarke, Richard Henry. "Rt. Rev. John Timon D.D.", Lives of the Deceased Bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States, Vol. 2, P. O'Shea, 1872, p. 339 et seq. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

[3] Goldman, Mark. "Bishop Timon and Immigrant Catholics in Buffalo", High Hopes: The Rise and Decline of Buffalo, New York. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1983, pp. 78-81

[rcdb-4] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Most Rev. John Timon, CM", Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo

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show v t Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo
Ordinaries	Bishops John Timon Stephen Michael Vincent Ryan James Edward Quigley Charles Henry Colton Dennis Joseph Dougherty William Turner John Aloysius Duffy John Francis O'Hara Joseph Aloysius Burke James Aloysius McNulty Edward Dennis Head Henry Joseph Mansell Edward Urban Kmiec Richard Joseph Malone Michael William Fisher Auxiliary bishops Joseph Aloysius Burke Leo Richard Smith Pius Anthony Benincasa Stanislaus Joseph Brzana Bernard Joseph McLaughlin Donald Walter Trautman Edward M. Grosz
Churches	List List of churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo Cathedral St. Joseph Cathedral, Buffalo Basilicas Our Lady of Victory Basilica, Lackawanna St. Mary of the Angels Basilica (Olean New York) Basilica of The National Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima (Lewiston New York) Chapel Our Lady Help of Christians Chapel, Cheektowaga Parishes All Saints Roman Catholic Church, Buffalo Blessed Sacrament Church, Buffalo Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic Church, Buffalo Church of St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr, Buffalo Corpus Christi Church, Buffalo Holy Angels Church, Buffalo St. Louis Roman Catholic Church, Buffalo Former parishes Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church Complex, Niagara Falls St. Adalbert's Basilica, Buffalo St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church, Buffalo St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Parish, Buffalo St. Gerard's Roman Catholic Church, Buffalo Saint Mary of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church, Buffalo
Education	Colleges and universities Canisius College, Buffalo D'Youville College, Buffalo Hilbert College, Hamburg Niagara University, Niagara County St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure Trocaire College, Buffalo Villa Maria College, Buffalo Convents Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity Villa Maria Motherhouse Complex High schools Archbishop Walsh High School, Olean Bishop Timon – St. Jude High School, Buffalo Buffalo Academy of the Sacred Heart, Buffalo Canisius High School, Buffalo Cardinal O'Hara High School, Town of Tonawanda Immaculata Academy, Hamburg Mount Mercy Academy, Buffalo Mount Saint Mary Academy, Kenmore Nardin Academy, Buffalo Niagara Catholic High School, Niagara Falls Notre Dame High School, Batavia Saint Francis High School, Athol Springs St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, Buffalo St. Mary's High School, Lancaster
Priests	Nelson Baker John P. Boland Celestine Joseph Damiano John Joseph Fitzpatrick Edmund Francis Gibbons Francis Xavier Krautbauer John Joseph McMahon James Johnston Navagh Thomas Joseph Walsh
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show v t Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston
Ordinaries	Prefect Apostolic of Texas John Timon Vicar Apostolic of Texas Jean-Marie Odin Bishops of Galveston Jean-Marie Odin Claude Marie Dubuis Nicolaus Aloysius Gallagher Christopher Edward Byrne Wendelin Joseph Nold Coadjutor Bishop (did not succeed to the See) Pierre Dufal Bishops of Galveston–Houston Wendelin Joseph Nold John Louis Morkovsky Archbishops of Galveston–Houston Joseph Fiorenza Daniel DiNardo Auxiliaries John E. McCarthy Enrique San Pedro Curtis J. Guillory James Anthony Tamayo Vincent M. Rizzotto Joe S. Vásquez George Sheltz Italo Dell’Oro Priests who became bishops John E. McCarthy
Churches	Co-cathedrals St. Mary Cathedral Basilica, Galveston (Bishop's Palace, Galveston) Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Houston Historic parishes All Saints Church, Houston Annunciation Church, Houston Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Houston Our Mother of Mercy Church, Houston St. Joseph's Church, Galveston
Education	Universities Our Lady of the Lake University, Houston University of St. Thomas, Houston High Schools, K-12 Duchesne Academy, Houston High Schools, 9-12 Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory of Houston Frassati Catholic High School, Harris County (Spring area) Incarnate Word Academy, Houston O'Connell College Preparatory School, Galveston Pope John XXIII High School, Harris County (Katy area) Saint Agnes Academy, Houston St. Pius X High School, Houston St. Thomas High School, (Houston Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, Houston List of schools List of schools in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston
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Most Rev. John Timon, C.M.
Bishop of Buffalo

Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Buffalo
In office	23 April 1847 (1847-04-23) – 16 April 1867 (1867-04-16)
Successor	Stephen V. Ryan
Orders
Ordination	1825 (1825)
Consecration	23 April 1847
Personal details
Born	(1797-02-12)12 February 1797 Conewago, Pennsylvania
Died	16 April 1867(1867-04-16) (aged 70) Buffalo, New York