Purcell, John Baptist, 1800-1883

John Baptist Purcell was born at Mallow, County Cork, Ireland on February 26, 1800,[1] the son of Edward and Johanna Purcell who gave their children all the advantages of the education attainable at a time when the penal laws were less rigorously enforced. Purcell decided to seek higher education in the United States. Landing at Baltimore, Maryland, he soon obtained a teacher's certificate at Asbury College. He spent a year giving lessons as private tutor in some of the prominent families of Baltimore. His ambition, however, was to become a priest.

On June 20, 1820, he entered Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland. His knowledge of the classics helped him take charge of important classes in the college, and at the same time prepare himself for the priesthood by the study of philosophy, theology, and other branches of the ecclesiastical curriculum.[2]

After three years' study in the seminary he received tonsure and minor orders from Archbishop Ambrose Maréchal, of Baltimore, at the close of 1823. On March 1, 1824, in the company of Rev Simon Gabriel Bruté, one of the professors of the seminary, afterwards first Bishop of Vincennes, he sailed for Europe to complete his studies in the Sulpician Seminaries of Issy and Paris. On May 26, 1826, he was one of 300 priests ordained in the cathedral of Paris by Archbishop de Quelen.[2]

After his ordination, Purcell continued his studies until the autumn of 1827, when he returned to the United States to enter Mount St. Mary's Seminary as professor. He afterwards became president, until his appointment as Bishop of Cincinnati, Ohio, to succeed Edward Fenwick. Purcell received notice of his appointment in August 1833, and was consecrated bishop in the cathedral of Baltimore, October 13, 1833, by Archbishop James Whitfield. He attended the sessions of the Third Provincial Council of Baltimore, which opened on the day of his consecration and continued for one week.[2]

John Baptist Purcell served as Bishop of Cincinnati from 1833 to 1850, and then Archbishop of Cincinnati from 1850 when the diocese was made an archdiocese until his death in 1883. This was a time of tremendous growth for the Church in Ohio. When Purcell came to Cincinnati in 1833, there were only 16 churches and about 7,000 Catholics in the state of Ohio. When he died fifty years later, there were 500 churches and about 500,000 Catholics in the state. The dioceses of Cleveland and Columbus were established during this era.

Under Archbishop Purcell, a large number of religious orders came to the Archdiocese and numerous schools and church institutions were established. He was a prominent leader in the American Catholic Church and traveled to Europe 7 times between 1839 and 1870. Abp. Purcell was a prominent supporter of emancipation. Archbishop Purcell attended the Council of the Vatican in 1869-1870, which focused on the question of papal infallability. During discussions Purcell opposed papal infallibility and gained distinction during the debates, but after the doctrine was defined, Purcell proclaimed back at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral, I am here to proclaim my belief in the infallibility of the pope in the words of the Holy Father defining the doctrine."

For decades the Archdiocese operated a bank for persons to invest their money, which was managed by Rev. Edward Purcell, brother of the Archbishop. After the financial failure of the bank in 1878, Archbishop Purcell's health failed and a coadjutor, William H. Elder, administered the archdiocese from 1880-1883.