Charles H. Colton

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Charles Henry Colton
Bishop of Buffalo
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
SeeDiocese of Buffalo
Installed1903 (1903)
Term ended1915 (1915)
PredecessorJames Edward Quigley
SuccessorDennis Joseph Dougherty
Orders
OrdinationJune 10, 1876 (1876-06-10)
ConsecrationAugust 24, 1903 (1903-08-24)
by John Murphy Farley
Personal details
Born(1848-10-15)October 15, 1848
DiedMay 9, 1915(1915-05-09) (aged 66)
Buffalo, New York, US
BuriedSaint Joseph's Cathedral
ParentsPatrick Smith
Teresa Augusta (née Mullin)
EducationSaint Joseph's Cathedral
St. Francis Xavier College
St. Joseph's Seminary
Motto"God is with us"

Charles Henry Colton (October 15, 1848 – May 9, 1915) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo in New York from 1903 until his death in 1915.

Biography

Early life and education

Charles Colton was born on June 10, 1876, in New York City to Patrick Smith and Teresa Augusta (née Mullin) Colton, both Irish immigrants.[1] He received his early education at Public School No. 5 and the Latin school of St. Stephen's Parish in Manhattan.[1] As a boy, he held a clerical position in a dry goods store.[2] In 1869, Colton entered St. Francis Xavier College in Manhattan, graduating in 1873.[3] He then studied theology at St. Joseph's Seminary in Troy, New York.[2]

Priesthood

Colton was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of New York on June 10, 1876.[4] His first assignment was as a curate at St. Stephen's under Father Edward McGlynn.[3] He remained at St. Stephen's for ten years, also serving as a chaplain at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan.[1] In 1886, Colton was named pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Port Chester, New York.[2]

Following the McGlynn excommunication, Colton returned to St. Stephen's in 1887 to assist Father Arthur Donnelly, who had been assigned as temporary administrator.[1] Later that year, he assumed the role of St. Stephen's upon Donnelly's resignation.[1] He enjoyed remarkable success in his new post, restoring harmony among the congregation, eliminating the parish debt of $152,000, and establishing a parochial school.[3] In addition to his pastoral duties, he became chancellor of the Archdiocese of New York in 1896.[3]

Bishop of Buffalo

On June 10, 1903, Colton was appointed the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo by Pope Leo XIII.[4] He received his episcopal consecration on August 24, 1903, from Archbishop John Farley, with Bishops Bernard McQuaid and Charles McDonnell serving as co-consecrators, in St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan.[4] During his tenure, the diocese was composed of 72 churches, 18 combination school-churches, 30 schools, 12 academies, 13 hospitals, and charitable institutions, 6 convents, and 28 rectories.[5]

On December 17, 1905, a gold cross was stolen from Colton after a church celebration. The cross, valued at $1,000, was cut from Colton's vestments as he was exiting St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Buffalo.[6]

Death

Bishop Colton died in Buffalo on May 9, 1915, aged 66. He is buried in the crypt of St. Joseph's Cathedral, Buffalo.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Cutter, William Richard, ed. (1912). Genealogical and Family History of Western New York. Vol. II. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company.
  2. ^ a b c The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. XII. New York: James T. White & Company. 1904.
  3. ^ a b c d "BISHOP C.H. COLTON OF BUFFALO IS DEAD". The New York Times. 1915-05-10.
  4. ^ a b c "Bishop Charles Henry Colton". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  5. ^ a b "Most Rev. Charles H. Colton". Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. Archived from the original on 2010-06-13.
  6. ^ "BISHOP ROBBED AT CHURCH.; Cross Valued at $1,000 Taken from Mgr. Colton at Buffalo". The New York Times. 1905-12-18. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop of Buffalo
1903–1915
Succeeded by