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Matthew Francis Brady

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Matthew Francis Brady
Bishop of Manchester
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
SeeDiocese of Manchester
In officeNovember 11, 1944—September 20, 1959
PredecessorJohn Bertram Peterson
SuccessorErnest John Primeau
Previous post(s)Bishop of Burlington (1938-1944)
Orders
OrdinationJune 10, 1916
by John Joseph Nilan
ConsecrationOctober 26, 1938
by Amleto Giovanni Cicognani
Personal details
Born(1893-01-15)January 15, 1893
DiedSeptember 20, 1959(1959-09-20) (aged 66)
Manchester, New Hampshire, US
EducationAmerican College of the Immaculate Conception
St. Bernard's Seminary

Matthew Francis Brady (January 15, 1893 – September 20, 1959) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Burlington in Vermont (1938–1944) and bishop of the Diocese of Manchester in New Hampshire (1944–1959).

Biography

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Early life

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Matthew Brady was born on January 15, 1893, in Waterbury, Connecticut, to John and Catherine (née Caffrey) Brady.[1] After attending St. Thomas Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut, he studied at the American College of the Immaculate Conception in Leuven, Belgium. Returning to the United States, Brady entered St. Bernard's Seminary in Rochester, New York.[1]

Priesthood

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Brady was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Hartford by Bishop John Nilan on June 10, 1916.[2] During World War I, Brady served as a chaplain in the United States Army from 1916 to 1918.[1] After his discharge from the army, he did pastoral work in the Diocese of Hartford, and served as a professor at St. Thomas Seminary in Bloomfield, Connecticut, from 1922 to 1932.[1]

Bishop of Burlington

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On July 30, 1938, Brady was appointed the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Burlington by Pope Pius XI. He received his episcopal consecration on October 26, 1938, from Archbishop Amleto Cicognani, with Bishops Maurice F. McAuliffe and Joseph McCarthy serving as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Burlington, Vermont.[3]

Brady organized branches in his diocese of the Boy Scouts of America and the Catholic Youth Organization, and erected about a dozen new parishes in Fairfax, Gilman, North Troy, Orleans, and South Burlington, all in Vermont.[4]

Bishop of Manchester

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On January 17, 1945, Brady was installed as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Manchester.[5] He presided over a period of unprecedented growth in the diocese, founding 27 parishes in 11 years and authorizing the construction of nearly 50 churches and numerous schools, convents, and other facilities.[6] The number of parishioners increased by 50,000, and the number of priests and religious from around 650 to over 1,600. For all these accomplishments he was nicknamed "Brady the Builder."[6]

Death and legacy

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Matthew Brady died in Manchester on September 20, 1959, at age 66. Bishop Brady High School in Concord, New Hampshire, and Brady Hall at Saint Anselm College in Goffstown, New Hampshire, are named in his honor.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Most Reverend Matthew Francis Brady, Fourth Bishop of Burlington". Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington.
  2. ^ "Bishop Matthew Francis Brady". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  3. ^ "Consecrated as Bishop; The Most Rev. M. F. Brady Heads Diocese of Burlington", The New York Times, October 27, 1938
  4. ^ "A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DIOCESE BURLINGTON". Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington.
  5. ^ Kelley, Richard. "Important Dates in the History of St. Joseph's Cathedral Parish", Saint Joseph Cathedral, Manchester, New Hampshire
  6. ^ a b "Decades of Expansion and Growth (1933-1965): The Era Before the Second Vatican Council". Roman Catholic Diocese of Manchester. Archived from the original on 2011-10-08.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop of Burlington
1938–1944
Succeeded by
Preceded by Bishop of Manchester
1944–1959
Succeeded by