Regis Canevin


John Francis Regis Canevin
Bishop of Pittsburgh
Archbishop of Pelusium
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
DioceseDiocese of Pittsburgh
AppointedJanuary 16, 1903
PredecessorRichard Phelan
SuccessorHugh Charles Boyle
Orders
OrdinationJune 4, 1879
by John Tuigg
ConsecrationFebruary 24, 1903
by Patrick John Ryan
Personal details
Born(1853-06-05)June 5, 1853
DiedMarch 22, 1927(1927-03-22) (aged 73)
MottoDominus aedificet domum
(May the Lord build the house)
Styles of
Regis Canevin
Reference styleThe Right Reverend
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleArchbishop

John Francis Regis Canevin (June 5, 1853 – March 22, 1927) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania from 1904 to 1921. He was named a personal archbishop in 1904.

Biography

Early life

Regis Canevin was born on June 5, 1853, in Beatty, Pennsylvania, to Thomas and Rosanna Canevin,[1] on a farm owned by the Sisters of Mercy.[2] After receiving his early education at schools in Beatty, he entered St. Vincent Collegein Latrobe, Pennsylvania, in 1871 and St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe in 1875.[3]

Priesthood

Canevin was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Pittsburgh by Bishop John Tuigg on June 4, 1879, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[4][5]After his ordination, the diocese assigned Canevin as a curate at St. Mary's Parish in Pittsburgh, where he remained until 1881.[6] He then served in the same capacity at St. Paul's Cathedral Parish in Pittsburgh for five years.[6] In 1886, Canevin became chaplain at St. Paul's Orphan Asylum and the Western Penitentiary, both in Pittsburgh. He was also appointed as pastor of the mission church in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.[6] In 1888, Canevin was named chancellor of the diocese. He left that position in 1893 to serve as pastor of St. Philip's Church[7] in Crafton, Pennsylvania.[8] Canevin was named rector of St. Paul's Cathedral in 1895.[8]

Coadjutor Bishop and Bishop of Pittsburgh

On January 16, 1903, Canevin was appointed coadjutor bishop of Pittsburgh and titular bishop of Sabratha by Pope Leo XIII.[4] He received his episcopal consecration on February 24, 1903, at Saint Paul Cathedral from Archbishop Patrick Ryan, with Bishops John W. Shanahan and Leo Haid serving as co-consecrators.[5]

On the death of Bishop Richard Phelan, Canevin automatically succeeded him to become the fifth bishop of Pittsburgh on December 20, 1904.[5] He was the first American and the first native son of the diocese to become bishop.[8] He penned the article on the "Diocese of Pittsburgh" for the Catholic Encyclopedia.[4]

Retirement and death

On January 9, 1921, Pope Benedict XV accepted Canevin's resignation as bishop of Pittsburgh and appointed him as titular archbishop of Pelusium.[5] Regis Canevin died on March 22, 1927, at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh at age 73. He is buried at St. Mary Cemetery in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania.

References

  1. ^ History of Pittsburgh and Environs. New York: American Historical Society. 1922.
  2. ^ Schmandt, Raymond H. (1984). "Some Notes on Bishop J. F. Regis Canevin of Pittsburgh (1904-1921)". Records of the American Catholic Historical Society of Philadelphia. 95 (1/4): 91–107. ISSN 0002-7790.
  3. ^ O'Donnell, John Hugh (1922). The Catholic Hierarchy of the United States, 1790-1922. Washington, D.C.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ a b c The Catholic Encyclopedia and Its Makers. Encyclopedia Press, Incorporated. 1917.
  5. ^ a b c d Cheney, David M. "Bishop John Francis Regis Canevin". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  6. ^ a b c Curtis, Georgina Pell. The American Catholic Who's Who. Grosse Pointe, MI: Walter Romig.
  7. ^ St. Philip's Church
  8. ^ a b c "EX-BISHOP CANEVIN". The New York Times. 1927-03-23.

Further reading

  • Glenn, Francis A. (1993). Shepherds of the Faith 1843–1993: A Brief History of the Bishops of the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh: Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh. ISBN none.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)