Tobias Mullen (March 4, 1818 – April 22, 1900) was an Irish-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Erie in Pennsylvania from 1868 to until his death in 1899.
Tobias Mullen | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Erie | |
 | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| See | Diocese of Erie |
| In office | March 3, 1868 – August 10, 1899 |
| Predecessor | Joshua Maria Young |
| Successor | John Edmund Fitzmaurice |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | September 1, 1844 by Michael O'Connor |
| Consecration | August 2,1868 by Michael Domenec |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 4, 1818 |
| Died | April 22, 1900 (aged 82) Erie, Pennsylvania, US |
| Alma mater | Maynooth College |
Biography
editEarly life
editTobias Mullen was born on March 4, 1818, in Urney, County Tyrone, in Ireland the youngest of the six sons of James and Mary (née Travers) Mullen.[1] He was educated at Castlefin school in Ulster and at Maynooth College in Maynooth, Ireland, where he studied theology and received minor orders.[2] In 1843, Mullen accepted an invitation from Bishop Michael O'Connor to immigrate to the United States and join the Diocese of Pittsburgh.[2]
Priesthood
editAfter completing his theological studies, he was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Pittsburgh by Bishop O'Connor on September 1, 1844.[3] He served for about two years as curate at the Cathedral of Pittsburgh, and was afterwards charged with the care of congregations at Johnstown and in Jefferson County.[1] He was transferred to the rectorship of St. Peter's Church at Allegheny in 1854, and served as vicar general of the Diocese of Pittsburgh from 1864 to 1868.[2]
Bishop of Erie
editOn March 3, 1868, Mullen was appointed the third Bishop of Erie by Pope Pius IX.[3] He received his episcopal consecration on the following August 2 from Bishop Michael Domenec, with Bishops James Frederick Wood and Louis Amadeus Rappe serving as co-consecrators.[3]
During his 31-year-long administration many priests were ordained, parishes established, churches and schools built, and conferences for the clergy held.[4] He also founded the weekly Lake Shore Visitor, an orphanage, and two hospitals.[4] His greatest accomplishment was the erection of St. Peter's Cathedral.[5] Originally dubbed as "Mullen's Folly", its cornerstone was laid in 1875 and it was later dedicated in 1893.[5]Mullen suffered a paralytic stroke on May 20, 1897.[5] He received John Fitzmaurice as his coadjutor bishop in 1898.[4]
Tobias Mullen remained in ill health until his death at on April 22, 1900, at age 82.
References
edit- ^ a b Shea, John Gilmary (1886). The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church in the United States. New York: The Office of Catholic Publications.
- ^ a b c Brown, John Howard, ed. (1903). Lamb's Biographical Dictionary of the United States. Vol. V. Boston: Federal Book Company of Boston.
- ^ a b c "Bishop Tobias Mullen". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.[self-published source]
- ^ a b c "Erie". Catholic Encyclopedia.
- ^ a b c "1853-1900: Early History". Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008.