Michael Tierney (bishop)

Most Rev. Michael Tierney
Most Rev. Michael Tierney
Bishop of Hartford
Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Hartford
In office	February 22, 1894—October 5, 1908
Predecessor	Lawrence Stephen McMahon
Successor	John Joseph Nilan
Orders
Ordination	May 26, 1866
Consecration	February 22, 1894
Personal details
Born	September 29, 1839; Ballylooby, County Tipperary, Ireland
Died	October 5, 1908 (aged 69); Hartford, Connecticut, United States

Michael Tierney (September 29, 1839 – October 5, 1908) was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Hartford, Connecticut from 1894 until his death in 1908.

Biography[]

Michael Tierney was born in Ballylooby, County Tipperary, to John and Judith (née Fitzgerald) Tierney. At age eleven he, his mother and his siblings, his father having died in the Famine, came to the United States, where they settled at South Norwalk, Connecticut.^[1] He studied at St. Thomas Seminary in Bardstown, Kentucky, and at St. Joseph's Seminary in Troy, New York.^[2] He was ordained to the priesthood on May 26, 1866.

Rector[]

Bishop McFarland named Tierney chancellor of the Diocese of Hartford and rector of the cathedral, which then located in Providence, Rhode Island.^[3] He was then served as pastor of St. Mary of the Star of the Sea Church in New London until 1872, when he was transferred to St. John's Church in Stamford.^[2] He became rector of St. Peter's Pro-Cathedral at Hartford in 1877.^[4] St. Peter's had been designated the pro-cathedral of the diocese, pending the construction of St. Joseph's Cathedral. As pastor, Tierney was responsible for the pastoral care of Wethersfield State Prison and St. Lawrence O'Toole, a "chapel of ease" near the Rocky Hill Quarry. He was also tasked task with overseeing the construction of St. Joseph's Cathedral. On June 26, 1881, Bishop McMahon celebrated a Pontifical High Mass at St. Peter's to commemorate the centennial of a Mass offered nearby for Count Rochambeau's troops during the Revolutionary War, and popularly thought to be the first Mass said in Connecticut. In 1883, Tierney was appointed pastor of St. Mary's Church in New Britain.^[3]

Bishop[]

On December 2, 1893, Tierney was appointed the sixth Bishop of Hartford by Pope Leo XIII. He received his episcopal consecration on February 22, 1894 from Archbishop John Joseph Williams, with Bishops Matthew Harkins and Thomas Daniel Beaven serving as co-consecrators, at Hartford.^[5] One of his early acts was to send Rev. Tomasz Misicki to New Britain to assist the Polish community in establishing Sacred Heart parish.^[6]

During his 14-year-long tenure, Tierney founded St. Thomas Seminary; St. Mary's Home for the Aged; St. John's Industrial School; the hospitals at Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury, and Willimantic; and numerous charitable institutions conducted by the Sisters of the Holy Ghost and the Little Sisters of the Poor.^[3] He also established a diocesan missionary band to preach retreats to Catholics and non-Catholics alike.^[3] At the time of his arrival in Hartford, there were 98 parishes, 204 priests, and 48 parochial schools; by the time of his death, there were 166 parishes, 300 priests, and 76 parochial schools.^[1]

Tierney died October 5, 1908 at Hartford, aged 69.^[3]

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Death of Bishop Tierney". The Messenger, Volume 50.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "TIERNEY, Michael". The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Duggan, Thomas. "Hartford". Catholic Encyclopedia.
^ "Parish History of St. Peter's Church, Hartford, Connecticut"
^ "Bishop Michael Tierney". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
^ "Przekrój Historyczny Parafii", Sacred Heart Parish, New Britain, Connecticut

External links[]

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford

Episcopal succession[]

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Lawrence Stephen McMahon	Bishop of Hartford 1894–1908	Succeeded by John Joseph Nilan

[messenger-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Death of Bishop Tierney". The Messenger, Volume 50.

[american-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b "TIERNEY, Michael". The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography.

[catholic-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Duggan, Thomas. "Hartford". Catholic Encyclopedia.

[4] "Parish History of St. Peter's Church, Hartford, Connecticut"

[hierarchy-5] "Bishop Michael Tierney". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.

[6] "Przekrój Historyczny Parafii", Sacred Heart Parish, New Britain, Connecticut

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show v t Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford
Ordinaries	Bishops William Tyler Bernard O'Reilly Francis Patrick McFarland Thomas Galberry, O.S.A. Lawrence S. McMahon Michael Tierney John J. Nilan Maurice F. McAuliffe Archbishops Henry J. O'Brien John Francis Whealon Daniel Anthony Cronin Henry J. Mansell Leonard P. Blair
Auxiliary bishops	Joseph Francis Donnelly John Francis Hackett Paul Loverde Christie Macaluso John Gregory Murray Henry Joseph O'Brien Peter A. Rosazza Juan Miguel Betancourt
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of St. Joseph, Hartford Basilica Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Waterbury Parishes St. Joseph Church, Ansonia St. Stanislaus Church, Bristol St. Michael the Archangel Church, Derby St. Adalbert Church, Enfield St. Augustine Church, Hartford Holy Trinity Church, Hartford SS. Cyril and Methodius Church, Hartford St. Stanislaus Church, Meriden Holy Cross Church, New Britain Sacred Heart Church, New Britain St. Mary's Church, New Haven St. Joseph's Church, New Haven St. Stanislaus Church, New Haven St. Mary Church, Newington Church of the Immaculate Conception, Norfolk Immaculate Conception Church, Southington St. Joseph Church, Suffield St. Casimir Church, Terryville St. Mary Church, Torrington St. Hedwig Church, Union City SS. Peter and Paul Church, Wallingford St. Anne Church, Waterbury Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Waterbury Former Parishes St. Anne/Immaculate Conception Parish, Hartford St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Waterbury
Education	Seminaries St. Thomas Seminary, Bloomfield High Schools Academy of Our Lady of Mercy, Lauralton Hall, Milford Canterbury School, New Milford East Catholic High School, Manchester Holy Cross High School, Waterbury Northwest Catholic High School, West Hartford Notre Dame High School, West Haven Sacred Heart Academy, Hamden Sacred Heart High School, Waterbury St. Paul Catholic High School, Bristol
Priests	Peter Leo Gerety Francis Patrick Keough
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Most Rev. Michael Tierney
Bishop of Hartford

Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Hartford
In office	February 22, 1894—October 5, 1908
Predecessor	Lawrence Stephen McMahon
Successor	John Joseph Nilan
Orders
Ordination	May 26, 1866
Consecration	February 22, 1894
Personal details
Born	(1839-09-29)September 29, 1839 Ballylooby, County Tipperary, Ireland
Died	October 5, 1908(1908-10-05) (aged 69) Hartford, Connecticut, United States