Bishop Charles E. McDonnell (1854-1921)

Today marks the death of Charles E. McDonnell, the second Bishop of Brooklyn. Born in Manhattan, he attended St. Francis Xavier College and studied at the North American College in Rome. Ordained in 1878, he returned to New York, where he engaged in parish work and soon became secretary to Archbishop Michael Corrigan. In 1890 he was named one of the first Monsignors in the United States. In February 1892 he was named Bishop of Brooklyn. At age 38, he was the youngest American bishop. A man of few words, his actions spoke volumes. During his 29 year episcopate the Catholic population of Long Island more than doubled from 300,000 to over nearly one million. Under McDonnell the number of parishes doubled and the number of priests nearly tripled. By the time of his death, the map of Long Island was dotted with Catholic churches, schools, colleges, hospitals, orphanages, and numerous other charitable institutions. Major legacies of his episcopate include The Tablet, the diocesan newspaper; St. Joseph’s College, the first Catholic women’s college in New York City; Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Brooklyn, one of the largest organizations of its kind in the nation; Cathedral Preparatory Seminary, the last surviving school of its kind in the United States. Under McDonnell the first parishes were also established for Hispanic and African-American Catholics.