James Fielding Sweeny (1857–1940) was an

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

bishop. He was the 4th Bishop of Toronto and Archbishop of Ontario.

Biography

He was born in London, England on November 15, 1857, the son of Lt. Col. James Fielding Sweeny, formerly Her Majesty's staff officer of pensioners at Montreal, and his wife, Anna Maria Fielding. Sweeny was one of ten children, and his brothers included George Robert Sweeny, a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

of Toronto, Charles Sweeny, a Vice President of the C.P.R., and Roger Sweeny, Commandant of Her Majesty's Indian Army Staff College, and sisters Kathleen Chipman and Georgina, Lady Aylmer, wife of Arthur Lovell Aylmer, Lord Aylmer. He was educated at the

High School of Montreal The High School of Montreal was an English-language high school founded in 1843, serving Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the area eventually known as the Golden Square Mile. It was less formally known as Montreal High School and from 1853 to 1870 was ...

, at McGill Normal School, and at

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

(B.A., 1878 ; M.A. 1881), and pursued his theological studies at the

Montreal Diocesan Theological College Montreal Diocesan Theological College (known as Montreal Dio) is a theological seminary of the Anglican Church of Canada. It offers the Master of Divinity, Diploma in Ministry, to candidates for ordination and other students, from Anglican, United ...

. He was ordained deacon and priest, by Bishop Bond. He received from the University of Trinity College, Toronto, the degree of M.A. and B.D. in 1883 and that of D.D., in course, 1885. On his ordination in 1880, he became Rector of St. Luke's, and Chaplain to the Montreal General Hospital. In 1882 he became Rector of St. Philips, Toronto. In 1883 he married Georgiana Bostwick, daughter of John Bostwick, Seigneur of Lanoraie. In 1889 he was appointed an honorary canon of St. Alban's Cathedral, Toronto, and was elected R. D. of Toronto in 1895. He was a member of the Council of the Toronto Church of England S. S. Association, and V.P. of the Toronto Church School. He has been also an active promoter of the

Church of England Temperance Society The temperance movement in the United Kingdom was a social movement that campaigned against the recreational use and sale of alcohol, and promoted total abstinence (teetotalism). In the 19th century, high levels of alcohol consumption and drunke ...

.James Fielding Sweeny, from: "Canadian Men and Women of the Time 1898" Ed. by Henry James Morgan, Toronto, 1898
/ref> In 1909 he was elected Bishop of Toronto and Rector of the Cathedral Church of St James succeeding Arthur Sweatman. In 1923, he laid the cornerstone of Trinity College, on Hoskin Ave, built on a site purchased in 1913, but due to World War I construction was not begun until 1923. The architects were Pearson and Darling. In 1932 he was elected Metropolitan of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario (Archbishop of Ontario) Sweeny was awarded honorary doctorates from Bishops, Wycliffe, Kings and Windsor, Nova Scotia.

References

* *

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sweeny, James Fielding Trinity College (Canada) alumni 1857 births 1940 deaths Anglican bishops of Toronto 20th-century Anglican Church of Canada bishops High School of Montreal alumni McGill University alumni