Henry Adams Neely (May 14, 1830 – October 31, 1899) was the second

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

in the

Episcopal Church in the United States of America The Episcopal Church (TEC), also known as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (PECUSA), is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion, based in the United States. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is ...

Early life and education

Neely was born on May 14, 1830, in

Fayetteville, New York Fayetteville is a village located in Onondaga County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 4,225. The village is named after the Marquis de Lafayette, a national hero of both France and the United States. It is ...

, the son of Albert Neely and Phoebe Pearsall. He studied at Hobart College and graduated in 1849. He also worked as a tutor between 1850 and 1852, whilst he was studying for a

Bachelor of Divinity In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD, DB, or BDiv; ) is an academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies. ...

. In 1866 he was awarded a

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (DD or DDiv; ) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity (academic discipline), divinity (i.e., Christian theology and Christian ministry, ministry or other theologies. The term is more common in the Englis ...

from Hobart.

Ordained ministry

Neely was ordained deacon on December 19, 1852, in

Geneva, New York Geneva is a City (New York), city in Ontario County, New York, Ontario and Seneca County, New York, Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is at the northern end of Seneca Lake (New York), Seneca Lake; all land port ...

, and a priest on June 18, 1854, in Trinity Church,

Utica, New York Utica () is the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The tenth-most populous city in New York, its population was 65,283 in the 2020 census. It is located on the Mohawk River in the Mohawk Valley at the foot of the Adiro ...

. He served as rector of Calvary Church in

. Between 1855 and 1862 he served as rector of Christ Church in

Rochester, New York Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...

, and then moved on to become chaplain at Hobart College, where he remained till 1864. After that, he became assistant minister at Trinity Church in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, a post he held till 1867.

Episcopacy

Neely was elected Bishop of Maine in 1866 and was consecrated on January 25, 1867, in Trinity Church by Presiding Bishop

John Henry Hopkins John Henry Hopkins (January 30, 1792 – January 9, 1868) was the first bishop of Episcopal Diocese of Vermont and the eighth Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. He was also an artist (in both watercolor an ...

. Upon his arrival in Maine he served as rector of St Luke's parish. He was influential in establishing a cathedral and the church of St Luke was designated as the cathedral however a new church was to be built instead. Upon its completion St Luke's Cathedral was consecrated by Bishop Neely on October 18, 1877. He died in office on October 31, 1899.

Family

Neely married Mary Floyd Delafield in 1851 and together has two children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neely, Henry Adams 1830 births 1899 deaths People from Fayetteville, New York 19th-century American Episcopalians Episcopal bishops of Maine 19th-century American clergy