Thomas Joseph Shahan

The Right Reverend Thomas J. Shahan
Rector of CUA Auxiliary bishopofBaltimore
Shahan in 1917
Church	Roman Catholic
Archdiocese	Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore
See	Germanicopolis
Predecessor	Joseph Maria Koudelka
Successor	Franciscus Joosten
Orders
Ordination	June 3, 1882
Consecration	November 15, 1914
Personal details
Born	Thomas Joseph Shahan (1857-09-11)September 11, 1857 Manchester, New Hampshire,U.S.
Died	March 9, 1932(1932-03-09)(aged 74) Washington, D.C.,U.S.
Buried	Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Nationality	Irish
Occupation	Church historian
Alma mater	The North American College,Rome;Pontifical Roman Seminary;University of Berlin

Thomas Joseph Shahan(September 11, 1857 – March 9, 1932) was an AmericanCatholictheologianand educator, born atManchester, New Hampshire,educated atCollège de Montréal(1872), at thePontifical North American College,and at thePropaganda FideinRome.

In 1909, Shahan was chosen as the fourth rector of theCatholic University of AmericainWashington, D.C..

Early life and education

Shahan was born September 11, 1857,the son of Irish immigrants Maurice and Mary Anne Carmody Shahan, inManchester, New Hampshire.His mother was mentally ill, and his upbringing was primarily influenced by his father and grandmother.He was an advocate for Irish independence in language, culture, and politics.

After attending public school inMillbury, Massachusetts,he entered the Sulpician seminary at the college inMontrealin 1872, after which he proceeded to the North American College in Rome in 1878. In 1882, Shahan obtained aDoctor of Divinitydecree and was ordained a priest for theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of HartfordinConnecticut.He also studied at thePontifical Roman Major Seminary,where he graduated with a J.U.L. in 1889.

Father Shahan served as a curate at St. John the Baptist parish inNew Haven, Connecticut,and later as secretary toBishop Lawrence McMahonof Hartford, and then chancellor of the Diocese of Hartford.

From 1889 to 1891, Shahan studied at theHumboldt University of Berlin(S.T.D., 1891), the Sorbonne and theInstitut Catholique de Parisearning a Civil and Ecclesiastical Law licentiate's degree. He also developed some expertise in Church History.

Career

Teacher

In 1891, Father Shahan was offered a position as professor of Canon and Civil Law andPatristicsat theCatholic University of America,where he also taught Latin. In addition to teaching at CUA, he was editor in chief of theCatholic University Bulletinand also lectured at nearbyTrinity College.In an effort to gain more visibility for the university, in 1897, he preached the Lenten Series atSt. Patrick's Cathedralin New York.

Professor Shahan was an editor of theCatholic Encyclopedia(published in 1913),editor in chief ofThe Catholic Historical Reviewfrom its foundation in 1915 until 1928, and one of the editors ofUniversal Knowledge: A Dictionary and Encyclopedia of Arts and Sciences, History and Biography, Law, Literature, Religions, Nations, Races, Customs and Institutions(New York: Universal Knowledge Foundation, 1927).

Rector

Shahan had been among those considered for the position of rector as far back as 1902. In 1909, while Professor of Church History, he was appointed rector, whenPope Pius Xdeclined to release BishopJohn Patrick Carrollof theDiocese of Helena,Montana from his see. Some in the academic community raised objections to the appointment based in part on Shahan's seriously impaired hearing. Nonetheless, Shahan was elected as the fourth rector of CUA. During his tenure as rector, African American students were barred from the university.

He was named aDomestic Prelatein 1909. Monsignor Shahan was also president of theCatholic Educational Associationin 1909–14.

On September 25, 1910, representatives of a number of service agencies met at The Catholic University of America at Shahan's invitation, and formed theNational Conference of Catholic Charities(NCCC) to support and coordinate their efforts.He served as president from 1910 to 1914.

Bishop

Bishop Shahan's grave in the National Shrine

In 1914 he was appointed auxiliary bishop ofBaltimore,and ordainedtitular bishopofGermanicopolis.The consecration occurred on 15 November that year at theBaltimore Cathedral.CardinalJames Gibbonswas principal Consecrator.

Along with Catholic University sociology professorWilliam J. Kerbyand others, Shahan was instrumental in the creation of theNational Catholic War Council,an organization of the American Catholic hierarchy founded to address the challenges of World War I. In 1919 it evolved into the National Catholic Welfare Council and is now known as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Bishop Shahan founded theBasilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conceptionin Washington, D.C. Upon his death in Washington on March 9, 1932, he was buried in the crypt of the National Shrine.To this day, he remains the only person interred at the Basilica.

Honors

• 1923: Honorary Doctorate -The Catholic University of Louvain
• 1926: Fellow -Medieval Academy of America
• 1928: Honorary Doctorate -Georgetown University

Published works

As author

• The Blessed Virgin in the Catacombs(1892)
• The Civil Law of RomeCatholic University of America Press(1896)
• Giovanni Batista de Rossi(1900)
• The Beginnings of Christianity(1903)
• The Middle Ages(1904)
• The House of God and Other Addresses and Studies(1905)
• St. Patrick in History(1905)
• The Catholic University of America (1889-1916)(Paulist Press) (1916)
• "The Cause of Ireland",The Catholic University Bulletin,December 1920.

As translator

• Otto Bardenhewer,Patrology: The Lives and Works of the Fathers of the Church;translated from the second edition by Thomas J. Shahan. Freiburg im Breisgau and St. Louis, Missouri:B. Herder,1908.

External links

• Catholic University of America