ilL'GllES
HUGHES
ment, was the first Catholic appointed as chap-
lain of the National Guard of the state, and as
sucli conducted the Catholic services at the
Niantic encampment. In 1894 he was relieved
of the duties of vicar-general, after forty -two
years' service, and was succeeded by the Rev,
John A. Mulcahy of Waterbury. He was a
memlier of the American Academy of Political
and Social Science. He received the degree of
LL.D. from St. John's college, Fordhani, in 1891.
He died in Hartford. Conn., Aug. 7. 1895.
HUGHES, John, R.C. archbishop, was born in Analoglian. near Clogher, county Tyrone, Ireland. June 24. 1797; son of Patrick and Margaret (McKenna) Hughes. His father was a small farmer in com- fortable financial cir- cumstances. The boy received his early edu- cation at a little school in Clogher and at the high school at Auglinacloy. "When eighteen years old his father became so reduced in fortune that John was taken from school to help on the farm. He gave his evenings and spare moments to study. His father then placed him with the gardener of "Favor Royal. " the family seat of the Montrays, that he might study horticulture. He had how- ever, determined to enter the priesthood and directed his study to that end. His father's affairs went from bad to worse, and in 1816 he decided to take his second son Patrick and seek his fortune in America. They settled in Cham- bersburg. Pa., and in 1817 John followed. He engaged with a gardener in Baltimore, and when the season was over lie returned to Cliambers- burg. where he worked at anj- manual labor he could find. In August, 1818, the entire family were re-united in their new home in America, the industry of the father and sons having accom- plished this end. John applied for admission to Mount St. Mary's college at Emmittsburg. Md., where he offered to give his services as gardener to pay his tuition, and in November, 1819, lie was accepted. Father Dubois, afterward bishop of New York, agree<l to see that he received private in.struction until he could pass examination to enter the reg\ilar classes, and then to pay his way by teaching the younger pupils. He was received as a regular student at the beginning of the fall term of 1820, and lie was ordained a deacon in 182") and on Oct. 15, 1826, was elevated
M-J^i:'^^.
to the priesthood bj- Bishop Conwell of Philadel-
phia. His first parish was the mission of Bedford
in Western Pennsylvania, where he remained
two years, when he was called to Philadelphia
and given charge of St. Augiistine's church.
He went next to St. Joseph's and afterward built
St. John's church, which under liis care became
the principal Roman Catholic cliurcli inPliiladel-
pliia. In the fall of 1829 Bishop Conwell, needing
an assistant to administer the affairs of the
diocese and to be his i>robable successor, named
Father Hughes to the holy see as eminently
fitted for the position, but his recommendation
was disregarded and the Rev. Francis P. PCen-
rick was chosen. I i 18.'^3 he had a famous con-
troversy with, the r V. John Breckenridge of the
Presbyterian chuif li, and the same year he was
named as a candidate for the vacant bish( [iric
of Cincinnati. His claims were presented to the
cardinal prefect at Rome by Bishop England and
through an accidental confusion of names the
Rev. John B. Purcell was named under the appre-
hension that the wish of Bishop England was
being carried out. On April 16. 1837, Father
Hughes was appointed coadjutor to Bishop
Dubois by the council, and on Nov. 8 he re-
ceived formal notice that he had been cliosen.
He was consecrated bishop of Basileopolis in
partibus infidelium, and coadjutor to the bishop
of New York, Jan. 7, 1838, at the Cathedral of St.
Patrick, New York city, by Bishop Dubois,
assisted by Bishops Kenrick and Fenwick, anil he
was made administrator of the diocese in August,
1839. On Dec. 21, 1842. Bishop Dubois died and
Bishop Huglies became his .successor. He
founded St. John's college and removed St.
Joseph's Theological seminary to Fordham, N.Y.,
and these institutions were formally opened June
24. 1841. In April, 1846, the legislature of New
Y^ork chartered St. John's college as a univer-
sity and the same year it passed, by wish of
Bishop Hughes, under the charge of the Jesuit
fathers. In May, 1844. Bishop Hughes met the
threatened riot in New York provoked by the
Native American party, which had been successful
in electing a mayor, and his conservatism and wise
council prevented a repetition of the fearful
scenes enacted in Philadelphia. On March 10,
1844, the Rev. John McCloskey was consecrated
his coadjutor. In 1846 he was summoned to
"Washington to confer with James Buchanan,
secretary of state, relative to the ]\rexican war
and the possibility of a peaceful solution of the
question. In 1847 he was invited by John Quincy
Adams, John C. Calhoun and other distin-
guished statesmen to prt^ach before congress in
the national capitol and his text was "Chris-
tianity the only Source of Moral, Social and
Political Regeneration. " In the fall of 1850
