Right Rev. John Leonard, D.D., was an Irish born

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

who served in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

. Born in

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

on 15 January 1829, he matriculated in

St. Patrick's College, Maynooth St Patrick's Pontifical University, Maynooth (), is a pontifical Catholic university in the town of Maynooth near Dublin, Ireland. The college and national seminary on its grounds are often referred to as Maynooth College. The college was of ...

in 1849. He was ordained a priest in 1855 by Archbishop of Dublin Paul Cullen. Dr. Leonard was curate at

Blanchardstown Blanchardstown () is a large outer suburb of Dublin in the modern Counties of Ireland, county of Fingal, Ireland. Located northwest of Dublin city centre, it has developed since the 1960s from a small village to a point where Greater Blanchards ...

, Co. Dublin, when appointed to succeed Dr. Grimley in

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cape Town The Archdiocese of Cape Town (Latin: ''Sedis Archiepiscopalis Capetownensis'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church located in Cape Town, in the south-western region of South Africa. The principal ...

, as Vicar Apostolic of the Cape of Good Hope and Titular Bishop of Corada, serving from 1872 until he died on 19 February 1908,Western Vicariate of the Cape of Good Hope
www.newadvent.org he was succeeded by Dr. John Rooney as Bishop.

References

1829 births 1908 deaths Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth Irish expatriate Roman Catholic bishops Roman Catholic bishops of Cape Town {{Ireland-RC-bishop-stub