John MacHale facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Most Reverend John MacHale
Archbishop of Tuam
Native name	Irish: Seán Mac Éil
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Archdiocese	Tuam
Orders
Ordination	1814
Consecration	1825 by Pope Leo XII
Personal details
Born	6 March 1789 (or 1791) Tubbernavine, County Mayo, Ireland
Died	7 November 1881 (aged 90 or 92) Tuam, County Galway, Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Denomination	Roman Catholic

John MacHale (Irish: Seán Mac Éil; born around 1789 or 1791 – died 1881) was an important Irish Roman Catholic leader. He became the Archbishop of Tuam and was a strong supporter of Irish nationalism.

He worked hard to gain more rights for Catholics in Ireland. He also fought for fair treatment for farmers and poor people. MacHale strongly disagreed with groups trying to change people's religion. He also opposed the government's idea for schools that mixed different faiths. He often preached to his community in the Irish language. He was one of the few bishops who wanted Catholic priests to use Irish more often.

Early Life and Education

John MacHale was born in Tubbernavine, a small place near Lahardane in County Mayo, Ireland. Some say he was born in 1789, while others believe it was 1791. His parents were Patrick and Mary MacHale. John was very weak when he was born. So, he was baptized at home by Father Andrew Conroy. This priest was later executed during the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

John's father, known as Pádraig Mór, was a farmer. Their home was like a small inn on the road between Sligo and Castlebar. Even though most people spoke Irish back then, John and his siblings learned English. However, his grandmother encouraged him to keep speaking Irish.

When he was about five years old, John started going to a hedge school. These were informal schools held outdoors or in barns. Three big events happened during his childhood that deeply affected him. First, the Irish Rebellion of 1798. Second, French soldiers landed at Killala. Young John watched them march through a mountain pass. Third, a few months later, Father Conroy was executed.

After school, John studied Irish history with an old scholar. He was meant to become a priest. At age thirteen, he went to a school in Castlebar. There, he learned Latin, Greek, and English grammar. When he was sixteen, the Bishop of Killala gave him a special scholarship. This allowed him to study at St Patrick's College, Maynooth.

Becoming a Priest

The French priests who taught at Maynooth College were impressed by John's talent for languages. They taught him French, Latin, Greek, Italian, German, Hebrew, and English classics. After seven years of study, in 1814, he became a lecturer in theology. He was only 23 or 25 years old at the time.

Before the end of that year, he was ordained as a priest. This was done by Daniel Murray, who was the Archbishop of Dublin. Father MacHale continued teaching at Maynooth until 1820. Then, he became a full professor of theology.

Around this time, he started writing letters to the Dublin Journal. He signed them "Hierophilus." In these letters, he strongly criticized the Church of Ireland's way of teaching religion in schools.

In 1825, Pope Leo XII made him a titular bishop of Maronia. He also became a coadjutor bishop to Dr. Thomas Waldron, the Bishop of Killala. After becoming a bishop, he focused on his religious duties. He gave sermons in both Irish and English. He also helped organize special missions in the diocese for the Jubilee of 1825. The next year, MacHale joined Bishop Doyle in speaking out against the Kildare Street Society. This group in Dublin was trying to convert people to Protestantism.

MacHale attended the yearly meeting of Irish bishops. He also gave his opinion to the government about education in Ireland. Catholic leaders wanted primary schools for Catholic children to be run by Catholics. However, the Dublin government wanted all schools to mix faiths. Officials thought two separate school systems would be too costly. But the Catholic leaders feared a mixed system would teach an anti-Catholic version of history.

Fighting for Catholic Rights

Around this time, John MacHale also updated a book called On the Evidences and Doctrines of the Catholic Church. This book was later translated into German. He became a key figure in the fight for Catholic Emancipation. This was a movement to remove laws that treated Catholics unfairly. He worked closely with his friend and ally, Daniel O'Connell.

MacHale spoke strongly against the harsh laws that had made Catholics feel like second-class citizens. In 1826, he was very active in this cause. He spoke to people in private and in public. He reminded them of past injustices and promised rewards for those who fought for their faith. He also reminded the government that the Act of Union 1800 was passed with a promise. This promise was that Catholic Emancipation would be granted by the Parliament of the Empire.

Speaking Out for the Poor

In the 1830s, MacHale wrote two letters to the Prime Minister, Earl Grey. He described the terrible suffering in Connacht due to hunger and sickness. He also pointed out the collapse of the linen trade. He criticized the tax for Protestant churches, which Catholics also had to pay. He spoke against the high rents charged by landlords who lived elsewhere. He also highlighted the unfair practice of forcing poor farmers to buy seeds at very high prices.

These letters were ignored. So, Dr. MacHale went to London with a group from Mayo. They met with Earl Grey but received only empty promises. After seeing the coronation of William IV, MacHale went to Rome for his health. But he didn't stop speaking out. He sent another letter to the Prime Minister. He explained that the scarcity in Ireland was "a famine in the midst of plenty." He noted that oats were being sent out of Ireland to pay rents and taxes. He said that the English people were sending back as charity what had grown on Irish soil.

Dr. MacHale never blamed the English people themselves. He recognized their kindness. But he strongly criticized the government for not caring about Ireland's problems. He believed this indifference made the Irish people deeply resentful. During his sixteen-month trip, he wrote excellent letters describing what he saw in Europe. These letters were popular in The Freeman's Journal. His sermons in Rome were also admired and translated into Italian. Even in Rome, he kept Ireland's troubles in mind. He sent another protest to Earl Grey about unfair taxes and efforts to change people's religion.

When he returned, he opposed the government's plan for non-religious "National Schools." He feared the original bill was a hidden attempt to weaken the Catholic faith of children. The government wanted a new state-funded school system without religious teaching. MacHale believed he had a duty to educate his community as he saw fit.

Archbishop of Tuam

Styles of John MacHale
Reference style	The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Grace or Archbishop

In 1834, Oliver Kelly, the Archbishop of Tuam, passed away. The local clergy chose MacHale as one of the top candidates. This annoyed the government, who tried to convince the Pope not to choose him. Pope Gregory XVI noted that the English government always tried to interfere with church appointments.

Ignoring their request, the Pope appointed MacHale as the Archbishop of Tuam. He was the first Catholic leader since the Reformation to have received all his education in Ireland. The new archbishop spoke out against unfair elections and the "Tithe War." This war involved frequent riots and violence over taxes paid to the Protestant clergy. These issues continued until a new Tithes bill was passed in 1838.

Archbishop MacHale then began writing open letters to the government in newspapers. He often pressured ministers to take action on Irish issues. MacHale also led the opposition to the Protestant "Second Reformation." This was a movement by evangelical clergy in the Church of Ireland.

In the autumn of 1835, he visited Achill Island. This island was a place where "Bible Readers" were active, trying to convert Catholics. To counter their efforts, he sent more priests and Franciscan friars there.

MacHale also spoke against the Poor Law and the government's National Schools and Queen's Colleges. He started his own schools. He put the Christian Brothers and Franciscan friars in charge of boys' schools. Sisters of Mercy and Presentation Nuns taught the girls. Because of a lack of money, these schools were limited in number. Later, they had to be supported by the National Board after some changes were made to the original plan.

Campaign for Irish Independence

Page from The liberator - his life and times, political and social (1872) by Margaret Anna Cusack

MacHale strongly supported the repeal of the Act of Union 1800. This act had joined Ireland and Great Britain. He helped Daniel O'Connell in many ways and sent money from his priests to support the cause. His biographer, Bernard O'Reilly, said MacHale wanted a "thorough and universal organisation of Irishmen." This was to peacefully gain back Ireland's independence.

The Charitable Bequests Bill was another law MacHale strongly opposed. This law often led to lawsuits because it was against donations to religious groups. MacHale disagreed with some other Irish bishops on this. They thought each bishop should decide if they wanted to be part of the Board. The law has since been changed and is now more helpful to Catholic charities and the poor.

MacHale was very passionate about the Catholic religion and Ireland. Because of his strong and sometimes forceful way of speaking, his opponents often called his language "intemperate." He wasn't always smooth in his dealings with others. In his eagerness to fix problems and help Ireland, he made many enemies. British ministers and their supporters called him a "firebrand" and a "dangerous demagogue." Cardinal Barnabo, a high-ranking church official, said MacHale was "a twice-dyed Irishman." He meant that MacHale was very Irish and always wanted his own way. This strong will, not always balanced with caution, explains his often challenging career.

The Great Famine

The Irish famine of 1846–47 hit his diocese very hard. In the first year, he preached that the famine was a punishment from God for people's sins. This was a common belief at the time. By 1846, he warned the government about the terrible situation in Ireland. He criticized them for being slow to act. He pointed out that relief efforts were wasted on building roads instead of piers to help develop sea fishing.

Food shipments came from England and other parts of the world to help the starving Irish. Bread and soup were given out from the archbishop's kitchen. Donations sent to him were carefully recorded and distributed by his priests to those suffering.

Political Involvement

The death of Daniel O'Connell in 1847 was a setback for MacHale. Also, disagreements within the Repeal Association followed.

MacHale was one of the few Irish clergy who supported the Fenians. This was a group that wanted Irish independence through force. In 1863, he sent signed portraits of himself to a Fenian meeting in Chicago. These were sold to raise money for the movement. He held a special Mass for the Manchester Martyrs after they were executed. In 1869, he was one of only two Irish bishops who refused to ask the Pope to condemn the Fenian movement. In 1874, he supported the election campaign of Fenian John O'Connor Power in Mayo.

The 1850 Synod of Thurles showed differences among Catholic leaders on education. MacHale strongly favored only Catholic schools, following the Pope's policy.

In 1851, there was a strong anti-Catholic feeling in England. This was because the Catholic Church re-established its hierarchy there. The Ecclesiastical Titles Act 1851 was passed, which punished any Catholic leader who used the title of their diocese. MacHale bravely signed his letters to the government "John, Archbishop of Tuam," defying the law.

MacHale had been a strong supporter of creating a Catholic University. However, he disagreed with Paul Cullen, the Archbishop of Dublin, about how it should be managed. He especially disagreed with the appointment of John Henry Newman as rector. This disagreement made it harder for the new university to succeed.

MacHale approved of the Irish Tenant League. He wrote that it was about the basic right of people to safely enjoy the results of their hard work. At a meeting in Dublin, people from different religions supported his ideas. These ideas included "fixity of tenure, free sale, and fair rent." These points were later included in the Landlord and Tenant (Ireland) Act 1870.

Vatican Council

MacHale attended the First Vatican Council from 1869 to 1870. This was a major meeting of Catholic bishops. He voted against the idea of papal infallibility in the first vote. He felt it was not the right time to make it a formal teaching. He was not present for the final vote, which approved the doctrine. However, according to Bernard O'Reilly, when MacHale returned to Tuam, he immediately announced the new teaching from the pulpit. He believed it with all his heart and mind.

In 1877, MacHale was disappointed when John McEvilly, the Bishop of Galway, was chosen as his coadjutor. MacHale had wanted his nephew for the role. He opposed this choice as much as he could but eventually accepted the Pope's decision.

Promoting the Irish Language

Every Sunday, Archbishop MacHale preached a sermon in Irish at the cathedral. During his visits to different parts of his diocese, he always spoke to the people in their native language. Irish was still widely spoken in his area. When traveling, he usually spoke Irish with his chaplain. He also used it to talk to people in Tuam or to beggars who greeted him. He gave his last sermon in Irish in April 1881, seven months before he passed away.

Memorials

A marble statue stands in his memory in the Cathedral grounds.

The Irish-American composer Paul McSwiney (1856–1890) was writing a special song called John McHale. It was for celebrations in New York City in 1891, but he died before finishing it.

MacHale Park in Castlebar, County Mayo and Archbishop McHale College in Tuam are named after him.

In his birthplace, the Parish of Addergoole, the local GAA Club Lahardane MacHales is named in his honor. The Dunmore GAA team, "Dunmore MacHales", is also named after him.

Works

Among his writings, John MacHale wrote a book about the proofs of Catholicism. He also translated many works into the Irish language. These include parts of Moore's "Melodies," sections of the Bible, and parts of the Iliad. He also created an Irish language catechism (a book of religious instruction) and a prayer book. Additionally, he translated Latin hymns like Dies Irae and Stabat Mater into Irish.