The daily gazette., 1882-04-26
Arhepishop woods AnnIvorsary.

To day the Catholic Church and
societies Of Philadelphia will celsbratc
the twenty fifth anniversary of bis
Grace Archbishop Wood to the Biahr
Opric with becoming ceremonies, and
brief biographical sketch of the dis
tinguished American prelate cannot
| fail to be interesting.
The Most Rev. James Frederick
Wood is q convert to the Catholic
faith. He was born in Philadelphia,
on the 9th Of April, 1918, of English
parents, and received his elementary
education in school In Dock street.
He subsequently spent five years of his
youth In England, where he attended
. grammar school, in Gloucester.
After returning to his native country,
in 1897, he went to Cincinnati, and
became clerk, and afterwards cashier,
in the franklin Bank, of that city. In
April, 1888, he was received into the
Catholic Church by Archbishop Pur-
cell, and in the autumn Of 1887 he re-.
signed his position as cashier, and
went to Rome to study for the priest
hood. He entered the College of the
Propaganda, and, after nearly seven
years Of study, during which he was
appointed by the authorities q the
college Prefect of Disciplire, he was
on the 95th of March, 1874, ordained
priest by Cardinal :Fransoni, PIefect Of
the Sacred Congregation of the Propa-
ganda. He returned to this country
In October Of the same year, and was
appointed Assistant Rector of the
Cathedral at Cincinnati. After filling
this position for ten years, he was an
pointed pastor of st. Patrick's Church
, In the same city. While dischargiDg
his duties as pastor he received the
bull appointing him coadjutor Bishop
, of Philadelphia, with the right Of sue
cesslou. On the 26th of April, 1857,
) twenty one years after his reception
into the Catholic Church and thirteen
years after his ordination to the priest
hood, he was consecrated Bishop by
Archbishop Purcell. He at once came
to Philadelphia, ard catered upon his
episcopal duties, taking special charge
of the financial affairs Of the diocese
Under his administration these flour
lshed, and means were secured fol-
: continuing the erection of the Cathe-
=. dral and sustaining other works. Be-
= fore the completion of the Cathedra
y and organized the Cathedral parish
which is now one of the stronges
( parishes in the city.
4 On the death of Bishop NeumanD
II January 8, 1860, Bishop Wood sue
ceeded to the title and full admInistra
"a ton of the Diocese of Philadelphia
+ and devoted himself with charaoteris
tic energy to the additional dutie
# devolved upon him. The Cathedra
o was dedicated in November, 1854; tn
= Cathedral chapel was enlarged, man
churches were completed, and otherI
commenced, and additional religion
n orders were introduced, among theI
II the Sisters Of the Coed Shepherd, th
Servants of the Immaculate Heart o
.o Mary, the Sisters of the Third Ords
- of st. Francis of Assissium, and th
> Little Sisters Of the Poor. The CathC
lie Homo for Destitute Orphan Cir
e was established, and other charltabl
!. " and educational institutions wer
~ strengthened and enlarged. Th
a. Theological Seminary of st. Charlie
- Borromeo was also erected, and wa
opened for the reception of eccleslast
az cal students in September, 1871.
IN During his Episcopate, Bisho
no Wood visited Rome several times. ID
was present at the caRonization OF tn
he Japanese martyrs in 1852, and at th
or celebration OF the 1800th annlversar
ss- of SITS. Peter and Paul, in 1867. FL
es was also D esent at the opening Of th
u Vatican Council, on December
1869, and attended its sessions fc
lte several months, until compelled b
| 10 Rnfnrn IoAUin
ed Rome, however, he placed upon recor
his faith in the dogma Of Papal n
Of fallibility, and his desire for its def
at milton.
ar On the 18th of February, 1877
Is. Bishop Wood was elevated to II
Archbishopric of the Archdiocese
10 Philadelphia by Pope Plus TX.
of Tho Episcopal See of Philadelph
,r. was established in 1908. In that yei
me- Pope PIus VII erected Baltimore I'M
al, an archdiocese, constituting Philade
IS phia, New York, Boston, and Bardi
town, KY, as its suffragen sees. II
oc- first Bishop of Philadelphia. Re
in Michael Eagan, of Lancaster, vi
. 70 eonsecrated in 1910. His successo
md have been Bishops Conwell, Kenric
"a. Neumann and Wood. the latter bell
,ed the ffth incumbent. When the Di
as cese of Philadelphia was establish'
Gu it embraced all of Pennsylvania al
for Delaware, and the western portion
at New Jersey, but contained only for
an. teen priests. Since then the dioces
me- of Pittsburg, WILMINGTON, Scranto
in Erie and Harrisburg have been erect
from it, and the New Jersey portl
has been merged In the Diocese
Newark.