Tobias Mullen

Tobias Mullen (March 4, 1818 – April 22, 1900) was an Irish-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Erie from 1868 to 1899.

Tobias Mullen
Bishop of Erie
Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Erie
In office	3 March 1868 – 10 August 1899
Predecessor	Joshua Maria Young
Successor	John Edmund Fitzmaurice
Orders
Ordination	1 September 1844
Consecration	2 August 1868
Personal details
Born	March 4, 1818 Urney, County Tyrone, Ireland
Died	April 22, 1900 (aged 82) Erie, Pennsylvania, United States
Alma mater	Maynooth College

Biography

Tobias Mullen was born in Urney, County Tyrone, the youngest of the six sons of James and Mary (née Travers) Mullen.[1] He was educated at Castlefin school and at Maynooth College, where he studied theology and received minor orders.[2] In 1843, he accepted an invitation from Bishop Michael O'Connor to join the Diocese of Pittsburgh in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.[2]

After completing his theological studies, he was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop O'Connor on September 1, 1844.[3] He served for about two years as curate at the Cathedral of Pittsburgh, and was afterwards charged with the care of congregations at Johnstown and in Jefferson County.[1] He was transferred to the rectorship of St. Peter's Church at Allegheny in 1854, and served as vicar general of the Diocese of Pittsburgh from 1864 to 1868.[2]

On March 3, 1868, Mullen was appointed the third Bishop of Erie by Pope Pius IX.[3] He received his episcopal consecration on the following August 2 from Bishop Michael Domenec, with Bishops James Frederick Wood and Louis Amadeus Rappe serving as co-consecrators.[3] During his 31-year-long administration many priests were ordained, parishes established, churches and schools built, and conferences for the clergy held.[4] He also founded the weekly Lake Shore Visitor, an orphanage, and two hospitals.[4] His greatest accomplishment was the erection of St. Peter's Cathedral.[5] Originally dubbed as "Mullen's Folly," its cornerstone was laid in 1875 and it was later dedicated in 1893.[5]

Mullen suffered a paralytic stroke on May 20, 1897.[5] He received John Edmund Fitzmaurice as his coadjutor bishop the following year.[4] He remained in ill health until his death at age 82.

References

1. Shea, John Gilmary (1886). The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church in the United States. New York: The Office of Catholic Publications.
2. Brown, John Howard, ed. (1903). Lamb's Biographical Dictionary of the United States. V. Boston: Federal Book Company of Boston.
3. "Bishop Tobias Mullen". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
4. "Erie". Catholic Encyclopedia.
5. "1853-1900: Early History". Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. Archived from the original on 2008-12-04.