Abiel Leonard (June 26, 1848 – December 3, 1903) was a missionary bishop of the district of

Episcopal Diocese of Utah The Episcopal Diocese of Utah is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States encompassing the state of Utah, other than the southeastern part of the Utah which is included in the Navajoland Area Mission. The diocese also includes a smal ...

and Episcopal Diocese of Nevada, serving from 1888 to 1903.

Early life

Abiel Leonard was born in

Fayette, Missouri Fayette is a city in and the county seat of Howard County, Missouri, United States. It is part of the Columbia, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 2,803 at the 2020 census. History Fayette was laid out in 1823. ...

on June 26, 1848, the son of Abiel Leonard who was a state supreme court judge in Missouri, and Jeanette Reeves. He was educated at the Fayette grammar school and upon completion attended the

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a private research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1853 by a group of civic leaders and named for George Washington, the university spans 355 acres across its Danforth ...

, and later

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from where he graduated in 1870. He then studied at the

General Theological Seminary The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) is an Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal seminary in New York City. Founded in 1817, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church and the longest continuously operating ...

, graduating in 1873. He married Flora Terry Thompson on October 21, 1875, and they had five children.

Ordained Ministry

Leonard was ordained deacon on June 29, 1873 in the

Church of the Transfiguration The Church of the Transfiguration (, ) is a Franciscan church located on Mount Tabor in Israel. It is traditionally believed to be the site where the Transfiguration of Jesus took place, an event in the Gospels in which Jesus is transfigured upo ...

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, and priest on November 4, 1873 at St Mary's Church in

, on both occasion by the Bishop of Missouri Charles Franklin Robertson. He became rector of Calvary Church in

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, serving from 1873 to 1876 when he became rector of Trinity Church in

Hannibal, Missouri Hannibal is a city along the Mississippi River in Marion County, Missouri, Marion and Ralls County, Missouri, Ralls counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 17,108, ...

where he remained until his election as bishop in 1887.

Bishop

In October 1887, the House of Bishops elected Leonard as the Missionary Bishop of the Missionary District of Nevada and Utah. He was then consecrated on January 25, 1888 at Christ Church in

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by Bishop Thomas Hubbard Vail of Kansas. Leonard was instrumental in establishing the church in the vast areas he oversaw during his episcopacy. In 1892 the missionary district was expanded and included the incorporation of Western Colorado. After another realignment in 1898 the Missionary District of Salt Lake which included Nevada was created and this was overseen by Leonard until his death in 1903.

Death

Abiel Leonard died from

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

on December 3, 1903.

Early life

Ordained Ministry

Bishop

Death

References

Further reading