Mathias Clement Lenihan

Mathias Clement Lenihan, (October 6, 1854 – August 19, 1943) was a 20th-century archbishop in the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Great Falls in the state of Montana from 1904-30.

Biography

Early life & ministry

Born in Dubuque, Iowa, Lenihan was educated at St. Joseph College in Dubuque, St. John's College in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin and the Grand séminaire de Montréal in Canada.^[1] He was ordained a Catholic priest on December 20, 1879 by Bishop John Hennessy for the Diocese of Dubuque. He was the first native born Iowan to be ordained a priest.^[2] From the time of his ordination until 1904 he was involved in parish ministry in the diocese, and later archdiocese, of Dubuque. His first assignment was at Vail and his second was at Marshalltown. In Marshallton he founded St. Thomas Hospital in memory his brother, the Rt. Rev. Thomas Mathias Lenihan, who had served as bishop of the Diocese of Cheyenne.^[3]

Bishop of Great Falls

On August 26, 1904 Pope Saint Pius X named him to be the first bishop of Great Falls. He was consecrated a bishop on September 21, 1904 by Archbishop John Joseph Keane of Dubuque. The co-consecrators were Bishops James John Keane of Cheyenne and Joseph Bernard Cotter, of Winona.^[4] He was installed on November 5, 1904 at St. Ann Cathedral in Great Falls.

Bishop Lenihan served the diocese for 26 years. He was involved in temperance reform, building the parochial school system in the diocese, and constructing a new cathedral. The new St. Ann Cathedral in Great Falls was dedicated on December 15, 1907. He was instrumental in establishing an orphanage staffed by the Sisters of Charity of Providence. The diocese also established several new parishes during his episcopate.^[3]

Pope Pius XI accepted his resignation as bishop of Great Falls on January 18, 1930. He was named Titular Archbishop of Preslavus on February 14, 1930. He retired to Dubuque and died there on August 19, 1943.^[5]

References

Diocese of Great Falls–Billings
Bishops	Ordinaries Mathias Clement Lenihan Edwin Vincent O'Hara William Joseph Condon Eldon Bernard Schuster Thomas Joseph Murphy Anthony Michael Milone Michael William Warfel
Churches	Cathedrals St. Ann's Cathedral, Great Falls St. Patrick's Co-Cathedral, Billings Parishes St. Peter's Church, Wibaux
Education	Higher Education University of Great Falls High schools Billings Central Catholic High School, Billings Great Falls Central Catholic High School, Great Falls St. Labre Indian Catholic High School, Ashland
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Archdiocese of Dubuque
Ordinaries	Bishops Mathias Loras Clement Smyth Archbishops John Hennessy John Keane James Keane Francis Beckman Henry Rohlman Leo Binz James Byrne Daniel Kucera Jerome Hanus Michael Jackels
Auxiliary Bishops	Edward Aloysius Fitzgerald Loras Thomas Lane George Biskup Loras Joseph Watters Francis John Dunn William Edwin Franklin
Churches	Cathedral St. Raphael's Cathedral, Dubuque Parishes Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, Dyersville St. John XXIII, Cedar Rapids Holy Family, New Melleray Holy Ghost, Dubuque Holy Trinity, Luxemburg Nativity, Dubuque Sacred Heart, Dubuque Sacred Heart, Fillmore St. Boniface, New Vienna St. Donatus, St. Donatus St. Joseph, Elkader St. Joseph, Key West Saint Joseph the Worker, Dubuque St. Ludmila, Cedar Rapids St. Martin, Cascade St. Mary, Guttenberg St. Patrick, Dubuque St. Patrick, Garryowen St. Lawrence, Otter Creek St. Paul, Worthington Saints Peter and Paul, Petersburg Former Parishes Saint Joseph's Prairie Church St. Mary, Cascade St. Mary, Dubuque St. Joseph, Stone City
Education	Higher Education Clarke University Divine Word College Loras College Mount Mercy University St. Pius X Seminary, Dubuque High Schools Beckman High School, Dyersville Columbus High School, Waterloo Don Bosco High School, Gilbertville Marquette High School, Bellevue Newman Catholic High School, Mason City Wahlert High School, Dubuque Xavier High School, Cedar Rapids Primary Schools Mazzuchelli Middle School, Dubuque Holy Family Catholic Schools, Dubuque Former Schools St. Luke's School, St. Lucas
Religious Orders	New Melleray Abbey Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Priests	John George Alleman John Patrick Carroll James Vincent Casey Joseph Crétin Justin Albert Driscoll Thomas William Drumm Raymond Philip Etteldorf Daniel Mary Gorman Edward Howard Louis Benedict Kucera Mathias Clement Lenihan Thomas Mathias Lenihan J. A. M. Pelamourgues Aloysius Schmitt Joseph Clement Willging
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