Francis William Howard

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Francis William Howard
Bishop of Covington
ChurchCatholic Church
DioceseDiocese of Covington
AppointedMarch 26, 1923
Term endedJanuary 18, 1944
PredecessorFerdinand Brossart
SuccessorWilliam Theodore Mulloy
Orders
OrdinationJune 16, 1891
by John Ambrose Watterson
ConsecrationJuly 15, 1923
by Henry Moeller
Personal details
Born(1867-06-21)June 21, 1867
Columbus, Ohio
DiedJanuary 18, 1944(1944-01-18) (aged 76)
Covington, Kentucky, U.S.
Education
MottoIn spiritu lenitatis
Coat of armsFrancis William Howard's coat of arms

Francis William Howard (June 21, 1867 – January 18, 1944) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Covington from 1923 until his death in 1944.

Biography[edit]

The fifth of seven children, Francis Howard was born in Columbus, Ohio, to Francis and Catherine (née O'Sullivan) Howard, who were Irish immigrants.[1] After attending St. Joseph Academy in Columbus, he entered Our Lady of the Angels Seminary at Niagara, New York in 1884, and later returned to Ohio in 1888 to continue his studies at Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West in Cincinnati.[1] Howard was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Columbus by Bishop John Ambrose Watterson on June 16, 1891.[2][3] In 1901 he organized the first Columbus Diocesan School Board.[4] He also served as secretary (1904–1928), president (1928–1936), and member of the advisory board (1936–1944) of the National Catholic Educational Association.[4]

On March 26, 1923, Howard was appointed the fifth Bishop of Covington, Kentucky, by Pope Pius XI.[3] He received his episcopal consecration on the following July 15 from Archbishop Henry K. Moeller, with Bishops James Joseph Hartley and John A. Floersh serving as co-consecrators.[3] During his 20-year tenure, he became a nationally recognized leader in Catholic education and established a strong system of Catholic grade schools and high schools a priority for the diocese.[4] He was named an Assistant at the Pontifical Throne in 1928. Following the 1937 Ohio River flood, he opened all Catholic churches in Covington for relief purposes.[5]

Howard died of heart disease in Covington on January 18, 1944.[6] He is buried at St. Mary Cemetery in Fort Mitchell.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Howard, Bishop Francis W. Papers". ACUA Catholic Education Collections.
  2. ^ The Catholic Encyclopedia and its Makers. The Encyclopedia Press. 1917. p. 80. Retrieved June 11, 2021 – via archive.org.
  3. ^ a b c "Bishop Francis William Howard". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  4. ^ a b c d "Most Rev. Francis William Howard, D.D." Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington.
  5. ^ "1937 Flood". Kenton County Public Library.
  6. ^ "Bishop Howard Dies of Heart Ailment". Washington C.H. Record-Herald. Covington, Kentucky. AP. January 18, 1944. p. 1. Retrieved June 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

External links[edit]

Episcopal succession[edit]

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop of Covington
1923–1944
Succeeded by