James Edward Quigley

For the American politician, see James M. Quigley.

His Excellency, The Most Reverend James Edward Quigley
Archbishop of Chicago
Church	Catholic Church Latin Church
Archdiocese	Chicago
Appointed	January 8, 1903
Installed	March 10, 1903
Term ended	July 10, 1915
Predecessor	Patrick Feehan
Successor	George Mundelein
Previous post(s)	Bishop of Buffalo
Personal details
Born	(1854-10-15)October 15, 1854 Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
Died	July 10, 1915(1915-07-10) (aged 60) Rochester, New York, US
Nationality	American
Education	College of Propaganda University of Innsbruck Our Lady of Angels Seminary St. Joseph's College
Ordination history
History Priestly ordination Ordained by Raffaele Monaco La Valletta Date April 13, 1879 Place Rome Episcopal consecration Principal consecrator Michael Corrigan Co-consecrators Bernard John McQuaid, Charles Edward McDonnell Date February 24, 1897 Place St. Joseph Cathedral, Buffalo, Diocese of Buffalo
Episcopal succession Bishops consecrated by James Edward Quigley as principal consecrator Paul Peter Rhode 1908 Henry John Althoff 1914
Source(s):Catholic-Hierarchy.org

James Edward Quigley (October 15, 1854 – July 10, 1915) was a Canadian-born American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo in New York (1897–1903) and archbishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago in Illinois (1903–1915).

Biography

Early life and education

James Quigley was born on October 15, 1854, in Village of Oshawa, Canada West (now Ontario), the son of James and Mary Lacey Quigley, whom arrived around 1849 from Ireland. His family immigrated to the United States when Quigley was age two, settling in Lima, New York. At age ten, he was sent to live with his uncle, Father Edward Quigley, the rector of Immaculate Conception Parish in Buffalo, New York. As a young man, James Quigley worked as a dock worker in Buffalo.

After graduating from St. Joseph's College in Buffalo in 1872, Quigley passed an entrance examination for the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. However, he soon decided to enter the priesthood instead. Quigley attended Our Lady of Angels Seminary at Niagara Falls, New York. He then went to Europe to study at the University of Innsbruck in Austria and College of Propaganda in Rome.

Ordination and ministry

While in Rome, Quigley was ordained a priest by Cardinal Raffaele Monaco La Valletta for the Diocese of Buffalo on April 13, 1879. Following his return to New York, the diocese assigned Quigley as pastor of St. Vincent Parish in Attica. He left St. Vincent's in 1884 to become rector of St. Joseph's Cathedral Parish in Buffalo. He was transferred to St. Bridget's Parish in Buffalo in 1886. Quigley preached in Latin, English, Italian and German. He was also conversant in French and Polish. He served for twelve years as the president of the Catholic Schools Board in Buffalo.

Bishop of Buffalo

On December 12, 1896, Pope Leo XIII appointed Quigley as bishop of Buffalo. He was consecrated at St. Joseph Cathedral on February 24, 1897, by Archbishop Michael Corrigan.

In 1899, the Longshoremen's Union, representing 1,500 men who scooped grain out of grain ships, went on strike against the Lake Carriers Association. The Association paid these men through the local saloon keepers, who would subtract charges from their pay for room, board and drinks, leaving them very little. When the saloon keepers raised their fees, the workers went on strike. Quigley opened St. Bridget Church as a headquarters for the strikers, gave them strategic support, and acted as a mediator with the carriers. The strike finally ended when the carriers agreed to pay their workers directly.

In 1902, Quigley embarked on a public campaign against what he termed "socialism" in labor unions in Buffalo. He claimed that some union regulations were unjust and oppressive to Catholic workers. Quigley wrote a pastoral letter in German to the German parishes that called on union members to assert their rights regarding union governance. He also spoke at mass meetings. While claiming to support the union movement, Quigley denounced socialism and gave his interpretation of why the Catholic Church opposed it. As a result of his anti-socialism campaign in Buffalo, Quigley gained a national reputation.

Archbishop of Chicago

Quigley was appointed archbishop of Chicago by Leo XIII on January 8, 1903, and installed on March 10, 1903. In 1905, Quigley asked Reverend John De Schryver, a professor at St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, to organize St. John Berchmans Parish for Belgian Catholics. Quigley also established parishes for Italian and Lithuanian immigrants. "Chicago's urban parishes flourished as an important spiritual, cultural, and educational component of Chicago's life."

In 1910, Quigley approached Reverend Francis X. McCabe, president of DePaul University, about the lack of higher education opportunities for Catholic women in the archdiocese. DePaul began admitting women the following year.

Death and legacy

In June 1915, in declining health, Quigley traveled to Rochester, New York, to stay with his brother while he was getting medical treatment. James Quigley died in Rochester from what was called paralysis on July 10, 1915, at age 60.

In a resolution passed in 1915 by the Chicago City Council, Quigley was recognized as

"...one of those men who work quietly and behind the scenes, and who seek no public credit or applause for the work which they do; ...he spent himself...in particular in the service of the many and varied works of charity which have been founded..."

The Archbishop Quigley Center in Chicago, formerly the Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, is named in his honor.