Description
Reigning from 1880-1902 as the first Archbishop of Chicago, Patrick A. Feehan was quite successful in his expansion of Chicago's churches, especially after the Great Fire of 1871 had destroyed many of them. Under his second term (1893-1902), 36 parishes were erected in locations all over the city which served the many different Catholic ethnic groups that had recently immigrated to the city. After the major wave of immigration, Archbishop Feehan encouraged ethnic pride; he erected parishes, with accompanying schools, that would praise national identity rather than discourage it. Archbishop Feehan highlighted the emphasis and importance of Catholic schooling, as many bishops believed that "Catholic education was the path to responsible citizenship." In doing so, Feehan recruited religious orders from those different ethnic countries to run the various ethnic parishes and schools in the city. Although these parish groups were very separated from each other due to differing national identities, Archbishop Feehan aided in establishing strong Catholic communities all over the city of Chicago.
Source
Brachear, Manya A. "A Good Prelate, a Good Man." Chicago Tribune, May 19, 2013.
