Rt. Rev. James Augustine Healy, D.D.
2nd Bishop of Portland, Maine
James A. Healy was the eldest of 10 siblings born near Macon, Georgia, in 1839 to Michael Morris Healy, an Irish immigrant plantation owner, and his common-law wife Eliza Smith, a mixed-race African American slave. Like many other wealthy planters with mixed-race children, Michael Healy started sending his sons to school in the North. James, Hugh, and Patrick went to Quaker schools in Flushing NY. Later they each attended the newly opened College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. James graduated as valedictorian of the college's first graduating class in 1849. Younger brothers Sherwood began at Holy Cross in 1844, and Michael in 1849, in its grammar school.
Following graduation, James wished to enter the priesthood. He could not study at the Jesuit novitiate in Maryland, as it was a slave state. James entered a Sulpician seminary in Montreal and in 1852, he transferred to study at Saint Sulpice Seminary in Paris. On June 10, 1854, he was ordained at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris as a priest to serve in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the first African-American to be ordained a Roman Catholic priest; at the time he identified as and was accepted as white Irish Catholic (so the honor of being the First African-American Ordained Priest went to Rev. Augustine Tolton). During the 19th century, numerous Americans studied for the priesthood in Paris.
His success in the public sphere led to his appointment by Pope Pius IX to the position of second bishop of Portland, Maine. Healy was officially ordained as Bishop of Portland on June 2, 1875, becoming the first African American ordained as a Catholic bishop. For 25 years, he governed his large diocese, supervising also the founding of the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, when it was split from Portland in 1885. During his time in Maine, which was a period of extensive immigration from Catholic countries, Healy oversaw the establishment of 60 new churches, 68 missions, 18 convents, and 18 schools.
Two months before his death he was made assistant to the Papal throne by Pope Leo XIII, a position in the Catholic hierarchy just below that of cardinal. Bishop James A. Healy died on August 5, 1900 in Portland, Maine.
(biography courtesy of Mémoriaux Atlantique)
2nd Bishop of Portland, Maine
James A. Healy was the eldest of 10 siblings born near Macon, Georgia, in 1839 to Michael Morris Healy, an Irish immigrant plantation owner, and his common-law wife Eliza Smith, a mixed-race African American slave. Like many other wealthy planters with mixed-race children, Michael Healy started sending his sons to school in the North. James, Hugh, and Patrick went to Quaker schools in Flushing NY. Later they each attended the newly opened College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. James graduated as valedictorian of the college's first graduating class in 1849. Younger brothers Sherwood began at Holy Cross in 1844, and Michael in 1849, in its grammar school.
Following graduation, James wished to enter the priesthood. He could not study at the Jesuit novitiate in Maryland, as it was a slave state. James entered a Sulpician seminary in Montreal and in 1852, he transferred to study at Saint Sulpice Seminary in Paris. On June 10, 1854, he was ordained at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris as a priest to serve in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the first African-American to be ordained a Roman Catholic priest; at the time he identified as and was accepted as white Irish Catholic (so the honor of being the First African-American Ordained Priest went to Rev. Augustine Tolton). During the 19th century, numerous Americans studied for the priesthood in Paris.
His success in the public sphere led to his appointment by Pope Pius IX to the position of second bishop of Portland, Maine. Healy was officially ordained as Bishop of Portland on June 2, 1875, becoming the first African American ordained as a Catholic bishop. For 25 years, he governed his large diocese, supervising also the founding of the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, when it was split from Portland in 1885. During his time in Maine, which was a period of extensive immigration from Catholic countries, Healy oversaw the establishment of 60 new churches, 68 missions, 18 convents, and 18 schools.
Two months before his death he was made assistant to the Papal throne by Pope Leo XIII, a position in the Catholic hierarchy just below that of cardinal. Bishop James A. Healy died on August 5, 1900 in Portland, Maine.
(biography courtesy of Mémoriaux Atlantique)
Rt. Rev. James Augustine Healy, D.D.
2nd Bishop of Portland, Maine
James A. Healy was the eldest of 10 siblings born near Macon, Georgia, in 1839 to Michael Morris Healy, an Irish immigrant plantation owner, and his common-law wife Eliza Smith, a mixed-race African American slave. Like many other wealthy planters with mixed-race children, Michael Healy started sending his sons to school in the North. James, Hugh, and Patrick went to Quaker schools in Flushing NY. Later they each attended the newly opened College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. James graduated as valedictorian of the college's first graduating class in 1849. Younger brothers Sherwood began at Holy Cross in 1844, and Michael in 1849, in its grammar school.
Following graduation, James wished to enter the priesthood. He could not study at the Jesuit novitiate in Maryland, as it was a slave state. James entered a Sulpician seminary in Montreal and in 1852, he transferred to study at Saint Sulpice Seminary in Paris. On June 10, 1854, he was ordained at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris as a priest to serve in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the first African-American to be ordained a Roman Catholic priest; at the time he identified as and was accepted as white Irish Catholic (so the honor of being the First African-American Ordained Priest went to Rev. Augustine Tolton). During the 19th century, numerous Americans studied for the priesthood in Paris.
His success in the public sphere led to his appointment by Pope Pius IX to the position of second bishop of Portland, Maine. Healy was officially ordained as Bishop of Portland on June 2, 1875, becoming the first African American ordained as a Catholic bishop. For 25 years, he governed his large diocese, supervising also the founding of the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, when it was split from Portland in 1885. During his time in Maine, which was a period of extensive immigration from Catholic countries, Healy oversaw the establishment of 60 new churches, 68 missions, 18 convents, and 18 schools.
Two months before his death he was made assistant to the Papal throne by Pope Leo XIII, a position in the Catholic hierarchy just below that of cardinal. Bishop James A. Healy died on August 5, 1900 in Portland, Maine.
(biography courtesy of Mémoriaux Atlantique)
2nd Bishop of Portland, Maine
James A. Healy was the eldest of 10 siblings born near Macon, Georgia, in 1839 to Michael Morris Healy, an Irish immigrant plantation owner, and his common-law wife Eliza Smith, a mixed-race African American slave. Like many other wealthy planters with mixed-race children, Michael Healy started sending his sons to school in the North. James, Hugh, and Patrick went to Quaker schools in Flushing NY. Later they each attended the newly opened College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. James graduated as valedictorian of the college's first graduating class in 1849. Younger brothers Sherwood began at Holy Cross in 1844, and Michael in 1849, in its grammar school.
Following graduation, James wished to enter the priesthood. He could not study at the Jesuit novitiate in Maryland, as it was a slave state. James entered a Sulpician seminary in Montreal and in 1852, he transferred to study at Saint Sulpice Seminary in Paris. On June 10, 1854, he was ordained at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris as a priest to serve in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the first African-American to be ordained a Roman Catholic priest; at the time he identified as and was accepted as white Irish Catholic (so the honor of being the First African-American Ordained Priest went to Rev. Augustine Tolton). During the 19th century, numerous Americans studied for the priesthood in Paris.
His success in the public sphere led to his appointment by Pope Pius IX to the position of second bishop of Portland, Maine. Healy was officially ordained as Bishop of Portland on June 2, 1875, becoming the first African American ordained as a Catholic bishop. For 25 years, he governed his large diocese, supervising also the founding of the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, when it was split from Portland in 1885. During his time in Maine, which was a period of extensive immigration from Catholic countries, Healy oversaw the establishment of 60 new churches, 68 missions, 18 convents, and 18 schools.
Two months before his death he was made assistant to the Papal throne by Pope Leo XIII, a position in the Catholic hierarchy just below that of cardinal. Bishop James A. Healy died on August 5, 1900 in Portland, Maine.
(biography courtesy of Mémoriaux Atlantique)
