John James Joseph Monaghan
John James Joseph Monaghan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington in Delaware from 1897 to 1925.
Biography
Early life
John Monaghan was born in 1856, in Sumter, South Carolina, to Thomas and Margaret Monaghan, both Irish immigrants. He graduated from St. Charles College in Ellicott City, Maryland, in 1876, and then studied theology at St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore.Priesthood
Returning to South Carolina, Monaghan was ordained to the priesthood in Charleston, South Carolina, by Bishop Patrick Neeson Lynch for the Diocese of Charleston on December 19, 1880. He first served as a curate at St. Joseph's Parish and afterwards at St. Patrick's Parish, both in Charleston. Monaghan was appointed pastor of St. Mary's Parish in Greenville, South Carolina, serving there from 1882 to 1887. He then became pro-rector of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Charleston and chancellor of the diocese. From 1888 to 1897, Monaghan was assistant to the vicar general at St. Patrick's Church.Bishop of Wilmington
On January 26, 1897, Monaghan was appointed the third bishop of Wilmington by Pope Leo XIII. Monaghan received his episcopal consecration on May 9, 1987, from Cardinal James Gibbons, at the Pro-Cathedral of St. Peter in Wilmington, with Bishops Alfred Curtis and Henry Northrop serving as co-consecrators.During his tenure, Monaghan established seven parishes, seven missions, and eight schools. He also was instrumental in the establishment of the Oblate Fathers' Salesianum School for boys in Wilmington, St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington, and a home for the elderly.