William Henry Elder

William Henry Elder
Bishop of Natchez
Church	Roman Catholicism
See	Diocese of Natchez
In office	1857–1880
Predecessor	James Oliver Van de Velde
Successor	Francis Janssens
Orders
Ordination	March 29, 1846
Personal details
Born	March 22, 1819 Baltimore, Maryland
Died	October 31, 1904 Cincinnati, Ohio
Previous post	Diocese of Natchez Bishop of Natchez Diocese of Cincinnati Bishop of Cincinnati Bishop

William Henry Elder (1819–1904) was a U.S. archbishop. He served as the Roman Catholic Bishop of Natchez from 1857 to 1880 and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Cincinnati between 1883 and 1904.

Biography

Early life and education

William Henry Elder was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on March 22, 1819. His father, Basil Elder, was a descendant of William Elder (1681–1714), a Catholic immigrant from England to Maryland (United States) in colonial times. His mother was Elisabeth Miles (née Snowden) Elder was also Catholic.

In 1831 Elder entered Mt. St. Mary's College, in Emmitsburg, Maryland, then presided over by the Rev. John Baptist Purcell. He afterward became the second bishop, and later the first Archbishop of Cincinnati. Elder graduated in 1837 and entered the seminary. In 1842 he was sent to Urban College in Rome for further studies, where he continued his training for about four more years.

Ordination and Bishop of Natchez

Elder was ordained a priest in Rome, March 29, 1846. He became professor at the seminary at Emmitsburg, Maryland, a position he held until appointed Roman Catholic Bishop of Natchez, for which he was consecrated in the cathedral of Baltimore by Archbishop Francis Kenrick, on May 3, 1857. The diocese was geographically huge, comprising the entire state of Mississippi.

After the Union occupation of Natchez, in 1864 Elder became prominent for refusing to obey the order of the Brigadier General James Madison Tuttle to have prayers for the President of the United States recited publicly in the churches of his diocese. Elder wrote a letter to President Abraham Lincoln regarding the matter. Senator Francis Kernan responded, saying he met with Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton regarding the matter. Stanton said he would communicate to Tuttle to remedy the situation so there would be not further interference. Elder subsequently wrote thanking Stanton for the protection extended to religious freedom, and asking that the ruling be made known to other commanders so that they also would not interfere with religious freedoms.

Later, Colonel Farrar was placed in command of Natchez; he noted Tuttle's order had neither been rescinded nor was being obeyed. General Mason Brayman, the next commander, took a harder stance, saying "...military orders are to be followed, not discussed..." and issued an order for Elder to be sent to jail in Vidalia, Louisiana. Federal troops took Elder to Vidalia for a few weeks. After Washington officials intervened, Brayman ordered the release of Elder on 12 August 1864.^[1]

During his time in Natchez, a yellow fever epidemic broke out in 1878. Ministering to the sick, Elder caught the disease but survived. At the time he arrived in Natchez the diocese had eleven missions (churches), nine priests and 10,000 Catholics. When he left, there were forty-one churches, 25 priests, six religious houses for men, five convents, thirteen parish schools and 12,500 Catholics.

Archbishop of Cincinnati

Portrait of Archbishop William Henry Elder by Thomas Eakins, 1903

On January 30, 1880, he was transferred to Cincinnati, becoming auxiliary bishop and coadjutor with the right of succession to Archbishop Purcell, whom he succeeded July 4, 1883. Archbishop Elder was third bishop and second archbishop of Cincinnati. He became bishop at a time of great financial difficulty in the archdiocese. Elder systematically organized the administration of the diocese. He reopened Mount Saint Mary Seminary in 1887, which had been closed since 1879.

He instituted the office of chancellor of the diocese and insisted on annual reports from clergy and parishes in order to bring the diocese out of great debt.

Elder served the archdiocese until his death in Cincinnati on October 31, 1904 from influenza. He is buried at St. Joseph Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Legacy and honors

• Elder High School, a Cincinnati parochial school, was named for Bishop Elder.

See also

• Archdiocese of Cincinnati

References

External links

Wikisource has original works written by or about: William Henry Elder

• Succession of Archbishop William Henry Elder
• Portrait of Archbishop William Henry Elder (Cincinnati Art Museum)
• Biography of William Henry Elder
• St. Mary Basilica Archives, Natchez, Mississippi
• "William Henry Elder". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2009-05-08. 

Episcopal succession

Diocese of Jackson Ordinaries Bishops John Mary Joseph Chanche James Oliver Van de Velde William Henry Elder Francis Janssens Thomas Heslin John Edward Gunn Richard Oliver Gerow Joseph Bernard Brunini William Russell Houck Joseph Nunzio Latino Joseph R. Kopacz Churches Cathedral Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle, Jackson Parishes: Education High schools Cathedral High School, Natchez St. Aloysius High School, Vicksburg St. Joseph Catholic High School, Greenville St. Joseph Catholic High School, Madison Catholicism Portal

Archdiocese of Cincinnati Ordinaries of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Bishop Edward Fenwick Archbishops John Baptist Purcell William Henry Elder Henry K. Moeller John T. McNicholas Karl Joseph Alter Paul Francis Leibold Joseph Bernardin Daniel Edward Pilarczyk Dennis Marion Schnurr Churches in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Cathedral Saint Peter in Chains Cathedral Parishes Cincinnati Church of the Annunciation Immaculata Church Old St. Mary's Church St. Francis De Sales Church Saint Francis Seraph Church St. Francis Xavier Church St. Lawrence Church St. Pius X Church St. Rose Church Dayton Holy Cross Church Sacred Heart Church St. Adalbert Church St. Mary's Church Springfield St. Joseph's Church St. Raphael's Church Other Immaculate Conception Church, Botkins St. Aloysius Church, Carthagena Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Cassella Immaculate Conception Church, Celina Precious Blood Church, Chickasaw St. Joseph's Church, Egypt Holy Family Church, Frenchtown St. John's Church, Fryburg St. Patrick's Church, Glynwood St. John the Baptist Church, Maria Stein Sacred Heart Church, McCartyville St. Michael's Church, Mechanicsburg St. Augustine's Church, Minster St. Louis Church, North Star St. Nicholas Church, Osgood St. Anthony's Church, Padua St. Remy's Church, Russia St. Henry's Church, St. Henry Holy Rosary Church, St. Marys St. Rose's Church, St. Rose St. Sebastian's Church, Sebastian St. Joseph's Church, Wapakoneta Former parishes All Saints Church, Cincinnati Holy Trinity Church, Cincinnati St. Augustine Church, Cincinnati St. George's Church, Cincinnati St. Michael the Archangel Church, Cincinnati St. Paul Church, Cincinnati St. Philomena's Church, Cincinnati St. Patrick's Church, St. Patrick Shrine Shrine of the Holy Relics Education in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Higher education Chatfield College University of Dayton Edgecliff College Mount St. Joseph University Xavier University Seminary Athenaeum of Ohio – Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West High schools Cincinnati DePaul Cristo Rey High School Elder High School La Salle High School McAuley High School Archbishop McNicholas High School Mother of Mercy High School Purcell Marian High School Seton High School St. Ursula Academy St. Xavier High School Summit Country Day School Ursuline Academy Dayton Carroll High School Chaminade-Julienne High School Other Archbishop Alter High School, Kettering Father Stephen T. Badin High School, Hamilton Catholic Central School, Springfield Bishop Fenwick High School, Franklin Lehman Catholic High School, Sidney Moeller High School, Kenwood Mount Notre Dame High School, Reading Royalmont Academy, Mason Roger Bacon High School, St. Bernard St. Rita School for the Deaf, Evendale Clergy of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Auxiliary bishops Sylvester Horton Rosecrans Joseph H. Albers George John Rehring Paul Francis Leibold Edward A. McCarthy Nicholas Elko Daniel Edward Pilarczyk James Henry Garland Carl K. Moeddel Joseph R. Binzer Priests John Martin Henni Edward Fitzgerald Clarence George Issenmann Henry Damian Juncker Joshua Maria Young John Baptist Lamy James Frederick Wood John Henry Luers Caspar Henry Borgess Richard Gilmour John Quinlan Augustus Toebbe Joseph Gregory Dwenger Henry Richter Francis Beckman Urban John Vehr Francis Augustine Thill Anthony John King Mussio John Joseph Kaising Robert Daniel Conlon Michael William Warfel Miscellany The Catholic Telegraph Der Wahrheitsfreund Former St. Charles Seminary Gruenwald Convent Minster Elementary School St. John Cemetery, Cincinnati New St. Joseph Cemetery, Cincinnati Old St. Joseph's Cemetery, Cincinnati Catholicism Portal Cincinnati Portal