Father Mathew facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Theobald Mathew |
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 Theobald Mathew, by Edward Daniel Leahy |
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| Born | 10 October 1790 in Thomastown, County Tipperary, Ireland |
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| Died | 8 December 1856 (aged 66) in Queenstown, County Cork, Ireland |
| Church | Latin Church |
Theobald Mathew (born October 10, 1790 – died December 8, 1856) was an Irish Catholic priest. He was famous for helping people live healthier lives by encouraging them to avoid alcohol. Because of his work, he was often called Father Mathew.
He was born in Thomastown, near Golden, County Tipperary, on October 10, 1790. His parents were James Mathew and Anne Whyte.
He went to school in County Kilkenny and later studied in Dublin from 1808 to 1814. In 1814, he became a priest. After joining the Capuchin order, he worked in Kilkenny for a short time. Then, he moved to Cork to continue his mission.
Today, you can find statues of Father Mathew in Ireland. One is on St. Patrick's Street, Cork, and another is on O'Connell Street, Dublin. There is also a Fr. Mathew Bridge in Limerick City, named after him. The Holy Trinity Capuchin church in Cork was also built because of him.
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Father Mathew's Movement for a Better Life
Father Mathew is well-known for starting a movement to help people live without alcohol. This movement began on April 10, 1838. It was first called the "Knights of Father Mathew".
In less than nine months, 150,000 people joined this group. Later, it became known as the Catholic Total Abstinence Society. This idea quickly spread to places like Limerick and other towns.
Many people joined the movement. For example, 20,000 people in Nenagh promised to avoid alcohol in one day. In Galway, 100,000 people joined in two days. In Dublin, 70,000 people joined in five days.
At its most popular, before the Great Famine (1845–49), about 3 million people were part of his movement. This was more than half of all adults in Ireland. In 1844, he also visited cities in England like Liverpool, Manchester, and London, where he had similar success.
Father Mathew's movement was part of a bigger effort to help poor workers. The idea of completely avoiding alcohol was first organized by the Preston Temperance Society in 1833. These groups had a huge impact around the world in the 1800s.
People believed that Father Mathew's work helped reduce crime in Ireland. For example, the number of serious crimes like robberies and fights went down. This showed how much of a positive change his work brought to communities.
Father Mathew in the United States
Father Mathew traveled to the United States in 1849 and returned in 1851. While there, he faced a big discussion about ending slavery. Many of his hosts, like John Hughes, the Catholic Archbishop of New York, did not support ending slavery. They wanted Father Mathew to only focus on his work against alcohol.
However, Father Mathew had signed a petition in 1841 with 60,000 other Irish people, including Daniel O'Connell. This petition encouraged Irish people in the US not to support slavery.
To avoid upsetting his American friends who did not support abolition, Father Mathew chose not to speak out against slavery publicly. He said that the Bible did not forbid slavery. This decision upset many people who wanted to end slavery.
One of these people was Frederick Douglass, a former slave and a leader in the abolitionist movement. Douglass had met Father Mathew in Cork in 1845 and had promised to avoid alcohol. Douglass felt "grieved" and "mortified" by Father Mathew's choice. He wondered why being a Catholic priest would stop him from speaking out against slavery, just as he spoke out against alcohol. Douglass felt it was his duty to speak against Father Mathew's actions.
Death and Legacy
Father Mathew passed away on December 8, 1856, in Queenstown, County Cork. This town is now known as Cobh. He was buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Cork, a cemetery he had helped create.
Father Mathew's Tower
In 1842, a man named William O'Connor built a special stone tower to remember Father Mathew. This tower was built on a hill in Glounthaune, outside Cork city. It was called Mount Patrick then, but now it's known as Tower Hill.
The tower looks like an old castle and has a statue of Father Mathew in its garden. Later, the tower was changed into a private home. It still has some of its original features. Around 2014, the tower was updated and sold.
See also
- Catholic temperance movement
