William Clancy
| The Right Rev. William Clancy | |
|---|---|
| Vicar Apostolic of British Guiana | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| See | Apostolic Vicariate of British Guiana |
| In office | April 12, 1837—September 3, 1843 |
| Predecessor | none |
| Successor | John Thomas Hynes, O.P. |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 24, 1823 |
| Consecration | December 21, 1834 |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
February 12, 1802 West Cork, Ireland |
| Died |
June 19, 1847 (aged 45) Ireland |
| Previous post | Coadjutor Bishop of Charleston (1834-1837) |
William Clancy (February 12, 1802 – June 19, 1847) was an Irish Roman Catholic missionary in the United States and British Guiana.
The son of a farmer,[1] William Clancy was born in West Cork and educated at Carlow College.[2] He was ordained to the priesthood on May 24, 1823.[3] He then served as a curate until 1829, when he became a professor of theology at Carlow College.[2]
On October 30, 1834, Clancy was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Charleston, South Carolina and Titular Bishop of Oreus by Pope Gregory XVI.[3] He received his episcopal consecration on the following December 21 from Bishop Edward Nolan, with Archbishop Michael Slattery and Bishop William Kinsella serving as co-consecrators. He served as coadjutor under Bishop John England, who was busied with the vast jurisdiction of the diocese and his work as a papal negotiator in Haiti.[1] However, Clancy's arrival in Charleston was delayed to a severe illness.[2] Upon recovering, he visited family and friends in Cork and Carlow, and recruited several seminarians for Charleston.[2] A personal reluctance also factored into his delay: "If there is any other place where the knowledge of philosophy and theology and the faculty of preaching in English would rebound to the glory of God [let me go there]. If however the Holy Father insists I shall go with an heavy heart."[1] He finally arrived in Charleston in November 1835.[2]
After a few months' dissatisfied sojourn, Clancy requested a transfer to another field.[4] He claimed there was an insufficient amount of work to be done, and Bishop England wrote to Rome: "He is very distinguished for his character, zeal and piety, but in one year he has wrecked that whole constitutional system of church government which has taken me years to perfect."[1] Rome obliged and named Clancy the first Vicar Apostolic of British Guiana on April 12, 1837.[3] He recruited clergy from Italy, Austria, England and his native Ireland, also introducing the Presentation Sisters.[1]
He resigned as Vicar Apostolic on September 3, 1843.[3] Retiring to Ireland, he died there less than four years later, aged 45.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 Fox, John. "Macnamara's Irish Colony and the United States Taking of California in 1846". McFarland & Company, Inc. Publishers.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Clarke, Richard Henry. "Lives of the Deceased Bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States". P. O'Shea Publisher.
- 1 2 3 4 "Bishop William Clancy". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
- ↑ "John England". Catholic Encyclopedia.
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by none |
Vicar Apostolic of British Guiana 1838–1860 |
Succeeded by John Thomas Hynes, O.P. |