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Benedict Joseph Fenwick
Benedict Joseph Fenwick SJ (September 3, 1782 – August 11, 1846) was an American Catholic prelate, Jesuit, and educator who served as the bishop of Boston from 1825 until his death in 1846. In 1843, he founded the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. Prior to that, he was twice the president of Georgetown College in Washington D.C. and established several educational institutions in New York City and Boston.
Born in Maryland, Fenwick entered the Society of Jesus and began his ministry in New York City in 1809 as the co-pastor of St. Peter's Church. He then became pastor of the original St. Patrick's Cathedral and later the vicar general and diocesan administrator of the Diocese of New York. In 1817, Fenwick became the president of Georgetown College, remaining just several months before he was tasked with resolving a longstanding schism at St. Mary's Church in Charleston, South Carolina. He remained in the city as vicar general for the Archdiocese of Baltimore until 1822, when he returned to Georgetown as acting president.
Fenwick became the bishop of Boston in 1825, during a period of rapid growth of the city's Catholic population due to massive Irish immigration. At the same time, Catholics faced intense nativism and anti-Catholicism, culminating in the burning of the Ursuline Convent in 1834, threats against Fenwick's life, and the formation of the Montgomery Guards. Fenwick also addressed parochial conflict, ultimately placing a Boston church under interdict. He established churches, schools, charitable institutions, and newspapers throughout the diocese, which encompassed all of New England. Among these were The Pilot newspaper and the College of the Holy Cross.
Benedict Joseph Fenwick was born on September 3, 1782, at Beaverdam Manor in Leonardtown, Maryland, to George Fenwick II, a planter and surveyor, and Margaret Fenwick, née Medley. His paternal ancestors immigrated to the American colonies from Northumberland in North East England. Benedict's great-great-great-grandfather, Cuthbert Fenwick, emigrated to America in the 1633 expedition of the Ark and the Dove, and was one of the original Catholic settlers of the British Province of Maryland. Benedict's elder brother was Enoch Fenwick, who would also become a prominent Jesuit, and his cousin was Edward Fenwick, who would become a Dominican and bishop of Cincinnati.
When Fenwick's family moved from Leonardtown to Georgetown, Fenwick was enrolled at Georgetown College in 1793. Intending to enter the priesthood, he began his study of theology in 1801, and proved to be a good student, earning highest academic honors. After completing his studies at Georgetown, the college named him as a professor
In 1805, Fenwick left Georgetown to enter St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore. However, after the restoration of the Society of Jesus by the Vatican, he left St. Mary's in 1806 He and his brother were among the first six seminarians to enter the newly restored Jesuit novitiate in Baltimore on October 10, 1806.
On March 12, 1808, Fenwick was ordained a priest at Georgetown College by Leonard Neale, the coadjutor bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
In November 1808, after the Vatican erected the Diocese of New York, Fenwick was sent with Reverend Anthony Kohlmann to minister to the Catholics of New York City. They were placed in charge of St. Peter's Parish, the only Catholic parish in the city. Fenwick assisted in establishing the New York Literary Institution, the second Jesuit school in New York City. As an offshoot of Georgetown College, the institution was staffed by four Jesuit scholastics from Georgetown, with Fenwick as president. The school was opened in 1808, in a house on Mulberry Street, across the street from the future site of the original St. Patrick's Cathedral. It remained there only briefly, before relocating to Broadway in September 1809; it moved again in March 1810 to a plot of land "far out in the country," north of the New York City limits. This new site would eventually become the location of the new St. Patrick's Cathedral, in Midtown Manhattan.
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Benedict Joseph Fenwick
Benedict Joseph Fenwick SJ (September 3, 1782 – August 11, 1846) was an American Catholic prelate, Jesuit, and educator who served as the bishop of Boston from 1825 until his death in 1846. In 1843, he founded the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. Prior to that, he was twice the president of Georgetown College in Washington D.C. and established several educational institutions in New York City and Boston.
Born in Maryland, Fenwick entered the Society of Jesus and began his ministry in New York City in 1809 as the co-pastor of St. Peter's Church. He then became pastor of the original St. Patrick's Cathedral and later the vicar general and diocesan administrator of the Diocese of New York. In 1817, Fenwick became the president of Georgetown College, remaining just several months before he was tasked with resolving a longstanding schism at St. Mary's Church in Charleston, South Carolina. He remained in the city as vicar general for the Archdiocese of Baltimore until 1822, when he returned to Georgetown as acting president.
Fenwick became the bishop of Boston in 1825, during a period of rapid growth of the city's Catholic population due to massive Irish immigration. At the same time, Catholics faced intense nativism and anti-Catholicism, culminating in the burning of the Ursuline Convent in 1834, threats against Fenwick's life, and the formation of the Montgomery Guards. Fenwick also addressed parochial conflict, ultimately placing a Boston church under interdict. He established churches, schools, charitable institutions, and newspapers throughout the diocese, which encompassed all of New England. Among these were The Pilot newspaper and the College of the Holy Cross.
Benedict Joseph Fenwick was born on September 3, 1782, at Beaverdam Manor in Leonardtown, Maryland, to George Fenwick II, a planter and surveyor, and Margaret Fenwick, née Medley. His paternal ancestors immigrated to the American colonies from Northumberland in North East England. Benedict's great-great-great-grandfather, Cuthbert Fenwick, emigrated to America in the 1633 expedition of the Ark and the Dove, and was one of the original Catholic settlers of the British Province of Maryland. Benedict's elder brother was Enoch Fenwick, who would also become a prominent Jesuit, and his cousin was Edward Fenwick, who would become a Dominican and bishop of Cincinnati.
When Fenwick's family moved from Leonardtown to Georgetown, Fenwick was enrolled at Georgetown College in 1793. Intending to enter the priesthood, he began his study of theology in 1801, and proved to be a good student, earning highest academic honors. After completing his studies at Georgetown, the college named him as a professor
In 1805, Fenwick left Georgetown to enter St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore. However, after the restoration of the Society of Jesus by the Vatican, he left St. Mary's in 1806 He and his brother were among the first six seminarians to enter the newly restored Jesuit novitiate in Baltimore on October 10, 1806.
On March 12, 1808, Fenwick was ordained a priest at Georgetown College by Leonard Neale, the coadjutor bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
In November 1808, after the Vatican erected the Diocese of New York, Fenwick was sent with Reverend Anthony Kohlmann to minister to the Catholics of New York City. They were placed in charge of St. Peter's Parish, the only Catholic parish in the city. Fenwick assisted in establishing the New York Literary Institution, the second Jesuit school in New York City. As an offshoot of Georgetown College, the institution was staffed by four Jesuit scholastics from Georgetown, with Fenwick as president. The school was opened in 1808, in a house on Mulberry Street, across the street from the future site of the original St. Patrick's Cathedral. It remained there only briefly, before relocating to Broadway in September 1809; it moved again in March 1810 to a plot of land "far out in the country," north of the New York City limits. This new site would eventually become the location of the new St. Patrick's Cathedral, in Midtown Manhattan.