The Biographical Dictionary of America/Bacon, David William

BACON, David William, R. C. bishop, was born in New York city, Sept. 15, 1813. He was educated in the parochial schools of his native city and at Mount St. Mary's, Emmittsburg. Md., where he was graduated in philosophy and theology. He was ordained a priest Dec. 13, 1838, and became pastor of the Church of the Assumption in Brooklyn. He was an indefatigable and enthusiastic worker, and lent unwearied efforts to promote the growth of the Roman Catholic church in that city. Not content with making his congregation at the Assumption the largest in Brooklyn, he, in 1852, bought land in a new district and built the Church of St. Mary, the Star of the Sea at the time the largest edifice in the "city of churches," where he was a successful pastor for three years. In 1855, the new diocese of Portland, Maine, was erected, and Father Bacon was consecrated its first bishop. His unremitting efforts for the prosperity of his see were crowned with success, but they were strenuous, and his health becoming seriously inpaired, he visited Europe in August, 1874. On his arrival at Brest he was carried from the ship to a hospital, and from thence back to the ship, and died in St. Vincent's hospital, New York, the day after reaching home, Nov. 4, 1874.