page_title: Benedict Joseph Fenwick
section_title: Dispute at St. Mary's Church
hierarchical_section_title: Benedict Joseph Fenwick / Bishop of Boston / Dispute at St. Mary's Church
caption_attribution_description: English: Sketch of St. Mary's Catholic Church on Endicott Street in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts
context_page_description: Benedict Joseph Fenwick was an American Catholic bishop, educator, and Jesuit who served as the Bishop of Boston from 1825 to his death in 1846. He was twice the president of Georgetown College, established the College of the Holy Cross, and founded several educational institutions in New York City and Boston.
  Born in Maryland, Fenwick's family traced its lineage to the early settling of the colony. He was educated at Georgetown College and St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, before deciding to enter the Society of Jesus, following its restoration in the United States in 1806. After being ordained a priest in 1808, he began his ministry in New York City, where he worked closely with Anthony Kohlmann in establishing the New York Literary Institution, and as pastor of St. Peter's Church and the original St. Patrick's Cathedral. Eventually, Fenwick became the vicar general and apostolic administrator of the Diocese of New York.
  In 1817, Fenwick became the president of Georgetown College, remaining just several months before he was tasked with resolving a longstanding schism at St. Mary's Church in Charleston, South Carolina.
context_section_description: Fenwick's episcopate involved numerous conflicts both among parishioners over control of their respective churches, and between parishioners and the bishop. Some of these disputes turned violent, and involved calls for leaving the Catholic Church to create new churches.
  One such dispute arose at St. Mary's Church in the North End of Boston in 1840. That year, Patrick O'Beirne and Thomas J. O'Flaherty were appointed co-pastors of the predominantly Irish church. The parish quickly became polarized, with parishioners supporting either O'Flaherty, who advocated strong lay control of the church, or O'Beirne, who advocated episcopal control. Divisions were further deepened by O'Flaherty's support of the temperance movement and opposition to the Acts of Union 1800, which united Ireland and Great Britain. By 1842, the congregation was so divided that Fenwick worried violence might erupt. Therefore, he attempted to restore peace by personally visiting the church, threatening excommunication for disobedience of church authorities, banning mass protests, and ordering the two pastors to publicly reconcile. Eventually, Fenwick transferred O'Beirne to Providence, Rhode Island, at O'Beirne's request.
  None of these efforts were effective in restoring tranquility, and on February 20, 1842, O'Beirne's supporters began a riot during a Vespers service over which O'Flaherty presided. The perpetrators were arrested and prosecuted, and Fenwick placed the parish under interdict for two weeks. He then transferred O'Flaherty to Salem, Massachusetts, and removed O'Beirne from Providence. Though O'Flaherty's supporters demand his return, and organized regular train rides to visit him, the dispute at St. Mary's came to an end.
caption: After intense conflict, Fenwick placed under St. Mary's Church in Boston under interdict
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