John W. Shanahan

John Walter Shanahan (January 3, 1846 – February 19, 1916) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Harrisburg from 1899 until his death in 1916.

Biography

John Shanahan was born in Silver Lake, Pennsylvania, to John and Margaret (née Donovan) Shanahan, who came to the United States from County Cork, Ireland.^[1] He studied at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook, and was ordained to the priesthood by his brother, Bishop Jeremiah F. Shanahan, on January 2, 1869.^[2] He served as superintendent of Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.^[3]

On January 2, 1899, Shanahan was appointed the third Bishop of Harrisburg by Pope Leo XIII.^[2] He received his episcopal consecration on the following May 1 from Archbishop Patrick John Ryan, with Bishops Ignatius Frederick Horstmann and Edmond Francis Prendergast serving as co-consecrators.^[2] His brother Jeremiah was the first to hold that office, serving between 1868 and his death in 1886.^[3][4]

During his 16-year-long tenure, Shanahan erected 27 new parishes and increased the number of priests from 74 to 120.^[5] He opened an orphanage for girls at Sylvan Heights and a protectory for boys at Abbottstown, and completed construction on the Cathedral of St. Patrick in 1907.^[5] In 1907 he founded the Sisters of Saint Casimir. He also established the motherhouses of the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood and the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, and invited to the diocese the Franciscan Sisters of Saint Joseph and the Immaculate Heart Sisters of Scranton.^[5]

Shanahan later died at age 70.

References

Diocese of Harrisburg Bishops Ordinaries Jeremiah F. Shanahan Thomas McGovern John W. Shanahan Philip R. McDevitt George L. Leech Joseph T. Daley William H. Keeler Nicholas C. Dattilo Kevin C. Rhoades Joseph P. McFadden Ronald William Gainer Auxiliaries Lawrence F. Schott Joseph T. Daley William H. Keeler Churches Cathedral Cathedral of St. Patrick, Harrisburg Basilicas Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Conewago Basilica of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Danville Parishes St. Edward's Catholic Church, Shamokin Education High Schools Bishop McDevitt High School, Harrisburg Delone Catholic High School Lancaster Catholic High School Lebanon Catholic High School Our Lady of Lourdes Regional High School Trinity High School, Camp Hill York Catholic High School Priests William J. Waltersheid Catholicism Portal

Archdiocese of Philadelphia Ordinaries Bishops Michael Francis Egan, OFM Henry Conwell Francis Patrick Kenrick Saint John Nepomucene Neumann, CSsR Archbishops James Frederick Wood Patrick John Ryan Edmond Francis Prendergast Dennis Joseph Cardinal Dougherty John Francis Cardinal O'Hara, CSC John Joseph Cardinal Krol Anthony Joseph Cardinal Bevilacqua Justin Francis Cardinal Rigali Charles Joseph Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. Auxiliary Bishops, current Michael J. Fitzgerald John J. McIntyre Timothy C. Senior Auxiliary Bishops, former Cletus Joseph Benjamin Michael Francis Burbidge Joseph R. Cistone Michael Joseph Crane Edward Peter Cullen Louis A. DeSimone Francis James Furey John Joseph Graham Edward Hughes Hugh L. Lamb Martin Nicholas Lohmuller Robert P. Maginnis Joseph Francis Martino Joseph Carroll McCormick John Joseph McCort Gerald Vincent McDevitt Joseph P. McFadden Joseph Mark McShea Gerald Patrick O'Hara Francis B. Schulte Daniel Edward Thomas Thomas Jerome Welsh Churches Cathedral Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul Parish churches Immaculate Conception Old St. Joseph Old St. Mary St. Adalbert St. Agatha and St. James St. Anne St. Augustine St. Basil the Great St. Cyprian St. Donato St. Francis de Sales St. Joachim St. Nicholas of Tolentine St. William Chapels and shrines National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa National Shrine of St. John Neumann Education Seminary St. Charles Borromeo Seminary Higher education Cabrini College Chestnut Hill College Gwynedd Mercy University Holy Family University Immaculata University La Salle University Neumann University Rosemont College Saint Joseph's University Villanova University High schools Academy of Notre Dame de Namur Archbishop John Carroll High School Archbishop Prendergast High School Archbishop Ryan High School Archbishop Wood Catholic High School Bishop McDevitt High School Bishop Shanahan High School Cardinal O'Hara High School Conwell-Egan Catholic High School Country Day School of the Sacred Heart Devon Preparatory School Father Judge High School Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School Holy Ghost Preparatory School John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls High School La Salle College High School Lansdale Catholic High School Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls Malvern Preparatory School Mercy Vocational High School Merion Mercy Academy Monsignor Bonner High School Mount Saint Joseph Academy Nazareth Academy High School Pope John Paul II High School Roman Catholic High School for Boys Saint Basil Academy Saint Joseph's Preparatory School Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic High School, St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls Villa Joseph Marie High School Villa Maria Academy Priests Living Edward Joseph Adams Herbert Bevard Michael Joseph Bransfield Francis Xavier DiLorenzo Joseph Anthony Galante James Patrick Green Joseph A. Pepe Nelson J. Perez Deceased Francis Brennan Edwin Byrne George Aloysius Carrell, SJ Hubert James Cartwright Joseph M. Corrigan Joseph Thomas Daley Edmond John Fitzmaurice John Edmund Fitzmaurice John Patrick Foley Francis Xavier Gartland Daniel James Gercke Ignatius Frederick Horstmann John Joseph Hughes Francis Edward Hyland Thomas Francis Kennedy Philip R. McDevitt Thomas Joseph McDonough Thomas McGovern Eugene J. McGuinness John Joseph O'Connor William O'Hara Jeremiah F. Shanahan John W. Shanahan David B. Thompson Miscellany St. Francesca Xavier Cabrini, M.S.C. St. Katharine Drexel, S.B.S. The Catholic Standard & Times Catholicism Portal