Daniel Francis Feehan (September 24, 1855 – July 19, 1934) was an

American Catholic The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the pope, who as of 2025 is Chicago, Illinois-born Leo XIV. With 23 percent of the United States' population , the Catholic Church is the cou ...

prelate who served as Bishop of Fall River from 1907 until his death in 1934.

Biography

Early life

Daniel Feehan was born on September 24, 1855, in

Athol, Massachusetts Athol (, ) is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,945 at the 2020 census. History Originally called Pequoiag when settled by Native Americans, the area was subsequently settled by five families in ...

, to William and Joanna (née Foley) Feehan. When he was a young child, his family moved to

Millbury, Massachusetts Millbury is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Located within Blackstone Valley, the population in Millbury was 13,831 at the 2020 United States census. History Millbury was first settled in 1716. It was originally know ...

. Feehan attended public schools in Millbury, where he befriended future US President

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) served as the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices. ...

. Feehan completed his classical and

philosophical Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

studies at St. Mary's College in Montreal, Quebec, graduating with a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree in 1876. He then studied theology at St. Joseph's Seminary in Troy, New York, for three years.

Priesthood

Feehan was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

to the priesthood at St. Josephs's for the

Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts The Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in Western Massachusetts in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropoli ...

by Bishop

Francis McNeirny Francis McNeirny (April 25, 1828 – January 2, 1894) was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church who served as Bishop of Albany from 1877 until his death in 1894. Biography Francis S. McNeirny was born in New York City, and recei ...

on December 29, 1879. After his ordination, the diocese assigned Feehan in 1879 as a

curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' () of souls of a parish. In this sense, ''curate'' means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy who are as ...

at St. Bernard's Parish in

Fitchburg, Massachusetts Fitchburg is a city in northern Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The third-largest city in the county, its population was 41,946 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Fitchburg State University is located here. History ...

. He was transferred in 1886 to serve as

pastor A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christianity, Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutherani ...

of St. Luke's Parish in

West Boylston, Massachusetts West Boylston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States and a northern suburb of Worcester. The population was 7,877 at the 2020 census. West Boylston includes the village of Oakdale, located on the opposite side of the Wac ...

. In 1889, he returned to St. Bernard's, serving there rector until 1907.

Bishop of Fall River

On July 2, 1907, Feehan was appointed the second bishop of Fall River by

Pope Pius X Pope Pius X (; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing Modernism in the Catholic Church, modern ...

. He received his

episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United States ...

consecration Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...

on September 19, 1907, at St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral in Fall River from Bishop Thomas Beaven, with Bishops Matthew Harkins and Michael Tierney serving as

co-consecrators A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churche ...

. During his 27-year tenure, he became known as the "Benevolent Bishop" and established thirty-six parishes. In January 1934,

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX (; born Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878. His reign of nearly 32 years is the longest verified of any pope in hist ...

named the Reverend James Edwin Cassidy as coadjutor bishop of the diocese to serve as Feehan's assistant and successor.

Death and legacy

Daniel Feehan died on July 19, 1934, at age 78.

Bishop Feehan High School Bishop Feehan High School is a co-educational Catholic high school in Attleboro, Massachusetts. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River. The school was built in 1961 and staffed by the Sisters of Mercy. The school has grown t ...

, a parochial school in

Attleboro, Massachusetts Attleboro is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It was once known as "The Jewelry Capital of the World" for its many jewelry manufacturers. According to the 2020 census, Attleboro had a population of 46,461. Attleboro is ...

, was named after him when it opened in 1961.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Feehan, Daniel Francis 1855 births 1934 deaths Saint Joseph's Seminary (Dunwoodie) alumni 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Roman Catholic bishops of Fall River