American prelate
George Thomas Montgomery (December 30, 1847 – January 10, 1907) was an American prelate of the
Catholic Church . He was the first American-born
Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles (1896–1902) and later served as
Coadjutor Archbishop of San Francisco from 1902 until his death in 1907.
Early life and education
Montgomery was born on December 30, 1847, on a farm in
Daviess County ,
Kentucky , near
Owensboro .
[1] He was one of nine children of Pius Michael and Harriet Elizabeth (née Warren) Montgomery; his uncle was
Zachariah Montgomery and his cousin, Zachariah's son, was
John Joseph Montgomery .
[2] His mother died of
typhoid fever when he was 10 years old and he was raised by an aunt, Margaret Montgomery Head.
[3]
Montgomery worked in farming until 1867, when he entered Cecilian College, an all-male boarding school near
Elizabethtown .
[1] After deciding to enter the priesthood, he was sponsored by his uncle Zachariah, who had moved to
California , as a student for the
Archdiocese of San Francisco .
[3] He attended
St. Charles College in
Ellicott City ,
Maryland , from 1871 to 1875 and completed his studies at
St. Mary's Seminary in
Baltimore .
[2]
Priesthood
While in Baltimore, Montgomery was ordained a priest on December 20, 1879, by Archbishop
James Gibbons .
[4] After arriving in San Francisco, he was appointed secretary to Archbishop
Joseph Sadoc Alemany . When
Patrick William Riordan succeeded Alemany in 1884, he retained Montgomery as secretary and also named him
chancellor of the archdiocese.
[5]
In San Francisco, Montgomery became known as "one of the foremost
temperance advocates that California has ever known,"
[6] and described alcohol as "not only debauching our young men and women, not only affecting the individual as an individual, but as a citizen—a factor of society."
[7] In 1886, he established a local chapter of the
League of the Cross , which encouraged young men to abstain from alcohol until they turned 21.
[7] By 1894, the San Francisco league grew to a membership of 4,000.
[8]
Episcopal career
Los Angeles
On January 26, 1894, Montgomery was appointed
coadjutor bishop with the right of succession to
Francisco Mora y Borrell , the
Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles .
[4] He was also given the honorary title of
titular bishop of
Thmuis . He received his episcopal consecration on the following April 8 from Archbishop Riordan, with Bishops
Jean-Baptiste Brondel and
Lawrence Scanlan serving as co-consecrators.
[4]
Montgomery assisted Mora with the management of diocesan affairs until the latter's resignation, becoming the first American-born Bishop of Monterey-Los Angeles on May 6, 1896.
[4] In response to the growing influence of the anti-Catholic
American Protective Association in Los Angeles, he organized a branch of the
Catholic Truth Society in 1896.
[9]
[10]
When it came to more secular issues, Montgomery believed, "If ever the respective rights and duties of labor and capital are to be even properly defined, it must be upon the principles which religion lays down."
[3] In 1899, he was invited to attend a public address by the
socialist political leader
Eugene V. Debs .
[11] During the address, Debs pointed to an American flag over his head and said, "These very stars and stripes, our emblem of liberty, are manufactured in a sweatshop"; when it was Montgomery's turn to speak, the bishop declared, "If that flag was made in a sweatshop, it floats over the freest country on the face of the earth."
[12]
San Francisco
On September 17, 1902, Montgomery was appointed coadjutor archbishop of San Francisco, with the right of succession to his former superior Archbishop Riordan, as well as titular archbishop of
Axum .
[4]
At the time of the
1906 San Francisco earthquake , Riordan was away on travel and it was Montgomery who led the Archdiocese's immediate response to the disaster and helped extinguish a fire at
St. Mary's Cathedral .
[5] A few days later, he wrote to his successor in Los Angeles,
Thomas James Conaty , to say "I do not know how I have lived through [it]" and to praise the “good humor, the common interest, and forgetfulness of self that are everywhere."
[5]
Despite a history of poor health, Montgomery died unexpectedly from complications with
appendicitis and
diabetes on January 10, 1907.
[12] He is buried at
Holy Cross Cemetery in
Colma, California .
References
^
a
b Montgomery, David B. (1903).
A Genealogical History of the Montgomerys and Their Descendants . Owensivlle, Indiana: J. P. Cox. p. 361.
ISBN
9780598802651 .
^
a
b The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans . Vol. II. Boston: The Biographical Society. 1904.
^
a
b
c Weber, Francis J. (1966). George Thomas Montgomery: California Churchman . Westernlore Press.
^
a
b
c
d
e
"Archbishop George Thomas Montgomery" .
Catholic-Hierarchy.org .
^
a
b
c Gaffey, James P. (1976). Citizen of No Mean City: Archbishop Patrick W. Riordan of San Francisco (1841-1914) . Wilmington, Delaware: Consortium Books.
^ "LAST WORDS OF ARCHBISHOP IN PRAYER".
San Francisco Examiner . January 11, 1907.
^
a
b "THE LEAGUE OF THE CROSS".
San Francisco Examiner . September 27, 1886.
^ "IS BISHOP-ELECT".
The San Francisco Call . January 14, 1894.
^
"The Archbishops and Founding Archbishops of Los Angeles" . Queen of Angels Foundation .
^ "THE CATHOLIC TRUTH SOCIETY".
The Catholic Tidings . May 23, 1896.
^ "MANY HEAR EUGENE V. DEBS".
Los Angeles Express . November 6, 1899.
^
a
b "Remarkable Career of Archbishop Montgomery". The Evening Mail . Stockton, California. January 11, 1907.
Ordinaries Churches Education
Bishops of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Bishop of Two Californias Bishop of Monterey Bishops of Monterey–Los Angeles Bishop of Los Angeles–San Diego Archbishops of Los Angeles Auxiliary bishops, current Auxiliary bishops, former Priests who became bishops
Churches in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Archdiocese Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region
Deanery 13 (Westside)
Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Pacific Palisades
St. Monica Catholic Church, Santa Monica
St. Augustine Catholic Church, Culver City
St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church, Brentwood
St. Timothy Catholic Church, Los Angeles
Church of the Good Shepherd, Beverly Hills
St. Ambrose Church, West Hollywood
Saint Victor Catholic Church, West Hollywood
Deanery 14 (Central LA/Hollywood)
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Hollywood
Cathedral Chapel, Los Angeles
Christ the King Catholic Church, Los Angeles
St. Basil Catholic Church, Wilshire
St. Brendan Catholic Church, Los Angeles
Deanery 15 (Downtown/South)
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles
Precious Blood Catholic Church
St. Cecilia Catholic Church
St. Patrick Catholic Church
St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church
St. Vincent de Paul Church
Deanery 16 (South LA/Inglewood)
St. John Chrysostom Church, Inglewood
St. Odilia Church, Los Angeles
Ascension Catholic Church, Los Angeles
Spanish mission
La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles (Note: This is not a Spanish mission, but rather, a parish church.)
San Fernando Pastoral Region
Deanery 5 (West San Fernando Valley)
Cathedral of St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church, Sherman Oaks
Our Lady of Grace, Encino
Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Northridge
Our Lady of the Valley, Canoga Park
St. Bernardine of Siena Church, Woodland Hills
St. Bridget of Sweden Catholic Church, Van Nuys
St. Catherine of Siena Church, Reseda
St. Cyril of Jerusalem Church and School, Encino
St. Euphrasia, Granada Hills
St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church, Sherman Oaks
St. John Eudes Church, Chatsworth
St. John the Baptist de la Salle Church, Granada Hills
St. Joseph the Worker Church, Winnetka
St. Mel, Woodland Hills
Deanery 6 (Crescenta Valley, Glendale and Eagle Rock)
Holy Family Catholic Church, Glendale
Incarnation Catholic Church and School, Glendale
Deanery 7 (Central San Fernando Valley and Burbank)
Guardian Angel Church, Pacoima
Jesus Sacred Heart Syriac Catholic Church, North Hollywood
Mary Immaculate Catholic Church, Pacoima
Mission San Fernando Rey de España, Mission Hills
Our Lady of Peace Church, North Hills
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, Sun Valley
St. Alphonsa Syro-Malabar Church, San Fernando
St. Anne Melkite Catholic Cathedral, North Hollywood
St. Charles Borromeo Church, North Hollywood
St. Didacus Catholic Church, Sylmar
St. Elizabeth Church and School, Van Nuys
St. Ferdinand Catholic Church, San Fernando
St. Finbar Catholic Church and School, Burbank
St. Francis Xavier Church, Burbank
St. Genevieve Catholic Church, Panorama City
St. Jane de Chantal Catholic Church, North Hollywood
St. Patrick Catholic Church, North Hollywood
St Paul Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Church, North Hollywood
St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church, Burbank
Santa Rosa Catholic Church, San Fernando
Deanery 8 (Santa Clarita Valley and Lancaster/Palmdale)
Blessed Junipero Serra Catholic Church, Lancaster
San Gabriel Pastoral Region
Deanery 9 (East LA, Boyle Heights, City Terrace)
All Saints Catholic Church, Los Angeles
Assumption Catholic Church, Los Angeles
Deanery 10 (Pasadena, Altadena, San Gabriel, Monterey Park, Montebello, Alhambra)
All Souls Catholic Church, Alhambra
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church, Pasadena
St. Andrew's Catholic Church, Pasadena
Mission San Gabriel Parish, San Gabriel
Deanery 11 (Arcadia, Covina, Glendora, Monrovia, La Puente)
Annunciation Catholic Church, Arcadia
Deanery 12 (San Dimas, Claremont, Pomona, Diamond Bar, La Puente, Valinda, Walnut)
San Pedro Pastoral Region
Deanery 17 (Downey, Compton, Huntington Park, Lynwood)
Deanery 18 (Whittier, La Mirada, Pico Rivera, Norwalk)
Beatitudes of Our Lord Catholic Church, La Mirada
Holy Family Catholic Church, Artesia
Deanery 19 (South Bay and San Pedro)
American Martyrs Catholic Church, Manhattan Beach
SS. Peter and Paul's Church, Wilmington
Deanery 20 (Long Beach)
Santa Barbara Pastoral Region
Deanery 1 (Lompoc, Solvang, Santa Maria)
La Purisima Mission, Lompoc
Mission Santa Inés, Solvang
Deanery 2 (Santa Barbara)
Santa Barbara Mission, Santa Barbara
Our Lady of Sorrows Church, Santa Barbara
Deanery 3 (Oxnard, Ventura, Ojai, Fillmore, Santa Paula)
Mission San Buenaventura, Ventura
Deanery 4 (Simi Valley, Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Camarillo)
Blessed Junipero Serra Catholic Church, Camarillo
Education in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Archdiocese Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region
Universities and colleges
Loyola Marymount University
Mount St. Mary's University
High schools
Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto HS, Harvard Heights
Cathedral HS (Boys)
Immaculate Heart HS, Los Feliz (Girls)
Loyola HS, Harvard Heights (Boys)
Marymount HS, Bel Air (Girls)
Notre Dame Acad. (Girls)
St. Bernard HS, Playa del Rey
St. Mary's Acad., Inglewood (Girls)
St. Monica Catholic HS, Santa Monica
Verbum Dei HS, Watts (Boys)
High schools, closed
Daniel MS, Los Angeles
San Fernando Pastoral Region
High schools
Bishop Alemany HS, Mission Hills
Chaminade HS, West Hills
Crespi Carmelite HS, Encino
Flintridge Sacred Heart Acad., La Cañada Flintridge
Louisville HS, Woodland Hills
Notre Dame HS, Sherman Oaks
Paraclete HS, Lancaster
Providence HS, Burbank
St. Francis HS, La Cañada Flintridge
St. Genevieve HS, Panorama City
High schools, closed
Bellarmine-Jefferson HS, Burbank
Holy Family HS, Glendale
San Gabriel Pastoral Region
High schools
Ramona Convent Sec., Alhambra
St. Lucy's Priory HS, Glendora
Bishop Amat Memorial HS, La Puente
Damien HS, La Verne
Salesian HS, Los Angeles
Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary HS, Montebello
La Salle College Prep., Pasadena
Mayfield Senior, Pasadena
St. Monica Acad., Montrose
Pomona Catholic HS, Pomona
San Gabriel Mission HS, San Gabriel
Alverno Heights Acad., Sierra Madre (formerly Alverno HS)
San Pedro Pastoral Region
High schools
St. John Bosco HS, Bellflower
St. Pius X-St. Matthias Acad., Downey
Junipero Serra HS, Gardena
St. Joseph High School, Lakewood
St. Anthony HS, Long Beach
Don Bosco HS, Rosemead
Mary Star of the Sea HS, San Pedro
St. Paul HS, Santa Fe Springs
Bishop Montgomery HS, Torrance
Universities and colleges, closed
Marymount College, Palos Verdes
High schools, closed
Queen of Angels Acad., Compton
Santa Barbara Pastoral Region
Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region
San Fernando Pastoral Region
San Gabriel Pastoral Region
San Pedro Pastoral Region
Santa Barbara Pastoral Region