James Augustine Healy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids James Augustine Healy |
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| Bishop of Portland | |
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| Church | Catholic Church |
| Diocese | Diocese of Portland |
| Appointed | February 12, 1875 |
| Reign ended | August 5, 1900 (his death) |
| Predecessor | David William Bacon |
| Successor | William Henry O'Connell |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | June 10, 1854 |
| Consecration | June 2, 1875 by John Joseph Williams |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 6, 1830 Jones County, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | August 5, 1900 (aged 70) Portland, Maine, U.S. |
| Signature | .png){kind=small} |
James Augustine Healy (April 6, 1830 – August 5, 1900) was an important leader in the Catholic Church in America. He was the first person of African American heritage to become a Catholic priest and bishop.
James was born into slavery in Georgia. His father was a White plantation owner, and his mother was an enslaved woman of mixed race. He became a priest in 1854. Later, he served as the Bishop of Portland, Maine, from 1875 until he passed away in 1900.
His brothers and sisters also achieved great things. These included Patrick, who became the first African American Jesuit priest and president of Georgetown University. His brother Michael was the first African American to command a U.S. government ship. His sister Eliza became the first African American abbess (leader of a convent).
Because they looked mostly European, James and his siblings were often seen as White. They didn't usually talk about their Black heritage. Augustus Tolton (1854–1897) was the first Catholic priest in the U.S. who was publicly known to be Black. Harold Robert Perry (1916–1991) was the first openly Black Catholic bishop in the country.
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Early Life and Family History
James Augustine Healy was born on April 6, 1830, in Jones County, Georgia. This was near the city of Macon. His father, Michael Morris Healy (1796–1850), came from County Roscommon, Ireland.
Michael became a very successful cotton planter in Georgia. He owned over 1,500 acres of land and many enslaved people. James's mother was an enslaved woman named Mary Eliza (around 1813–1850). Michael bought her and her family in 1829. He then lived with her as his wife.
James was the oldest of their ten children. Under the laws at the time, children born to enslaved mothers were also considered enslaved. So, James and his siblings were born into slavery. Michael Healy wanted to free his family. However, freeing enslaved people required special permission from the Georgia government.
Before they died in 1850, Michael and Mary Eliza planned to move North with their younger children. The North was a place where slavery was not allowed.
Family's Racial Identity
The Healy children had mostly European ancestors. This meant they had light skin and could often be seen as White. They did not usually share their Black heritage publicly. Official papers, like census records, often listed James and his siblings as White.
Later in life, James did not encourage people to write about his background. He sometimes said his mother came from a wealthy family in Virginia or from Santo Domingo. However, some people knew about their mixed heritage. For example, a bishop named John Bernard Fitzpatrick wrote in 1859 that James's brother Sherwood "has African blood and it shews [sic] distinctly in his exterior."
Many years after the Healy children had passed away, a Jesuit writer named Albert S. Foley wrote a book in 1954. This book shared the details of their biracial background.
Education and Learning
Because they were legally enslaved, the Healy children were not allowed to attend school in Georgia. In 1837, when James was seven, his father took him North. James went to a Quaker school in Flushing, New York City.
He then continued his studies at another Quaker school in Burlington, New Jersey. James was very good at math there. He also learned how to be a surveyor, someone who measures land. Later, his father met Bishop John Bernard Fitzpatrick of Boston. Bishop Fitzpatrick helped James get into the College of the Holy Cross. This was a new Jesuit school in Worcester, Massachusetts.
James started at Holy Cross in August 1844. He later wrote in his diary about how much his life had changed. He and his brothers Hugh, Patrick, and Sherwood were baptized as Catholics at Holy Cross in November 1844. James spent his school breaks with Catholic families in Boston and Cambridge. In 1849, he was the top student in the first graduating class at Holy Cross.
Becoming a Priest
After graduating from Holy Cross, James Healy decided he wanted to become a priest. He was accepted into Saint-Sulpice Seminary in Montreal, Canada. After three years there, he moved to France in 1852. He finished his studies at the Sulpician Seminary in Paris.
James was ordained a priest on June 10, 1854, at Notre-Dame Cathedral. The Archbishop of Paris, Marie-Dominique-Auguste Sibour, led the ceremony. This made James Healy the first person of African American heritage to become a Catholic priest. However, Augustus Tolton, who was born that same year, became the first Catholic priest "publicly known to be black" when he was ordained in 1886.
When Father Healy returned to the United States in August 1854, he was sent to the Diocese of Boston. He was worried about serving in Boston because of rumors about his background. He was first an assistant at St. John's Church and at a home for homeless boys.
He quickly became an important figure in the diocese. He served as Bishop Fitzpatrick's personal secretary starting in December 1854. In June 1855, he became the chancellor of the diocese. This gave him a big role in managing church affairs. He also served as the leader of Holy Cross Cathedral from 1862 to 1866.
During the Civil War, Father Healy supported the Union side. He helped create the Home for Destitute Catholic Children in 1865. This home cared for children who had lost their fathers or both parents because of the war.
In March 1866, John Joseph Williams became the new Bishop of Boston. He made Father Healy the pastor of St. James Church. This was the largest Catholic church in Boston at the time. In this role, Father Healy helped start the House of the Good Shepherd for homeless girls. He also worked against a law in Massachusetts that would have taxed Catholic churches. His brother Sherwood later took over his roles at the cathedral and St. James.
Bishop of Portland
On February 12, 1875, Pope Pius IX chose James Healy to be the second Bishop of Portland, Maine. He became a bishop on June 2, 1875. Archbishop Williams of Boston led the ceremony at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. This made him the first Black Catholic bishop in the United States. It would be 90 years before Harold Robert Perry became the first publicly recognized Black bishop.
When Bishop Healy started, the Diocese of Portland covered all of Maine and New Hampshire. In 1875, the diocese had 52 priests and 58 churches. They served about 80,000 Catholics. By the time he died in 1900, there were 92 priests, 86 churches, and 96,400 Catholics. The diocese grew so much that he oversaw the creation of the Diocese of Manchester in 1885. This new diocese was formed from part of the Portland diocese.
Early in his time as bishop, Healy had a disagreement with one of his priests. This priest, Rev. Jean Ponsardin, was supposed to be building a new church. But after four years, only a basement and unfinished walls were there. Bishop Healy stopped paying him and suspended him. The priest complained to the Vatican. Bishop Healy solved the problem by agreeing to pay the priest's debts if he left the diocese. This situation was embarrassing for Bishop Healy, and he even offered to resign in 1878, but Pope Leo XIII refused.
Bishop Healy was one of the strongest opponents of the Knights of Labor. This was a national labor union. He saw it as a secret society. He was the only Catholic bishop in America who threatened to excommunicate (remove from the church) any Catholic who joined it. However, he changed his mind after Pope Leo XIII issued a letter called Rerum novarum in 1891. This letter supported the right of workers to form unions.
Bishop Healy took part in the third Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1884. He was also chosen to serve on a special committee for Catholic missions among Black and Native American people. However, he often turned down invitations from the Colored Catholic Congress. He believed the Church was a place where everyone was equal, saying, "We are of that Church where there is neither...barbarian nor Scythian, slave nor freeman, but Christ is all and in all."
In June 1900, Bishop Healy celebrated 25 years as a bishop. On this occasion, Pope Leo XIII gave him the special title of assistant to the papal throne. Bishop Healy passed away in Portland on August 5, 1900, at the age of 70. He is buried at Calvary Cemetery. A Celtic cross marks his grave, honoring his Irish background.
Legacy and Honors
- The College of the Holy Cross, the Archives of the Archdiocese of Boston, and the Archives of the Diocese of Portland, Maine, keep Bishop Healy's important papers.
- The Archdiocese of Boston's Office for Black Catholics gives out the Bishop James Augustine Healy Award. This award honors dedicated Black church members.
- In 1975, two archbishops donated a bronze plaque in Jones County, Georgia. This plaque honors James Healy, who was born in Georgia.
- The Healey Asylum in Lewiston, Maine, was named in his honor.
See also
