Patrick Richard Heffron (June 1, 1856 – November 23, 1927) was an American prelate of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. He served as the second Bishop of Winona from 1910 until his death in 1927.

Early life and education

Patrick Richard Heffron was born 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 ...

on June 1, 1856, to Patrick and Margaret (née O'Brien) Heffron. The family later moved to

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, and settled in Olmsted County,

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, in 1864. He received his early education at public schools in New York and Wisconsin, and attended high school in Mantorville. Afterwards he attended business college and law school in Rochester. Deciding to enter the priesthood, Heffron began his studies under the

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at St. John's College in Collegeville, MN, graduating in 1878. He then continued his studies at the

Grand Séminaire de Montréal The Grand séminaire de Montréal (, "Major Seminary of Montreal") is the centre for priestly formation of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal. History The institution was founded by the Sulpicians in 1840 at the request of the then-Bis ...

and received the degree of

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 ...

in 1883.

Priesthood

While in Montreal, Heffron was ordained a priest on December 22, 1884, by Bishop

Édouard-Charles Fabre Édouard-Charles Fabre (; February 28, 1827 – December 30, 1896) was Bishop of Montréal in 1876 and first Archbishop of Montreal in 1886. Life Fabre was the eldest of 11 children in an important Montreal business family. His father Édou ...

. Following his ordination, he returned to Minnesota and taught theology at

St. Thomas Seminary St. Thomas Seminary, located in Bloomfield, Connecticut, is a minor seminary for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford. The current rector is Auxiliary Bishop Christie A. Macaluso. History St. Thomas Seminary was founded in 1897 by Bis ...

for two years. Archbishop

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sent him to further his studies in

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, where he earned doctorates in theology and canon law from the college at

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in 1889. Returning from Europe, Heffron served as rector of the Cathedral of Saint Paul from 1889 to 1896. He then returned to St. Thomas Seminary, being appointed vice rector in 1896. In 1897, he was promoted to the seminary's rector.

Bishop of Winona

On March 4, 1910, Heffron was appointed Bishop of Winona 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 consecration on the following May 19 from Archbishop Ireland, with Bishops

James McGolrick James McGolrick (May 1, 1841 – January 23, 1918) was an Irish-born American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the first bishop of the Diocese of Duluth in Minnesota, serving from 1889 until his death. Biography Early life James McGolr ...

and James Trobec serving as co-consecrators. When Heffron became bishop in 1910, the Diocese of Winona contained a Catholic population of over 49,000 with 91 priests, 116 churches, and 29 parochial schools with 4,700 students. By the time of his death in 1927, there was a Catholic population of nearly 69,000 with 130 priests, 125 churches, and 42 parochial schools with over 8,000 students. He opened Cotter High School in 1911 and St. Mary's College in 1912. On August 27, 1915, Heffron was shot twice while celebrating private mass by Laurence M. Lesches, a diocesan priest. Lesches had been angry at Heffron for denying him his own parish due to Lesches' arrogant behavior and emotional instability. Heffron survived, but Lesches was committed to a mental hospital for the rest of his life. He was named an

assistant to the papal throne The Bishops-Assistant at the Pontifical Throne were ecclesiastical titles in the Catholic Church. It designated prelates belonging to the Papal Chapel, who stood near the throne of the Pope at solemn functions. They ranked immediately below the ...

Pope Benedict XV Pope Benedict XV (; ; born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, ; 21 November 1854 – 22 January 1922) was head of the Catholic Church from 1914 until his death in January 1922. His pontificate was largely overshadowed by World War I a ...

in November 1920.

Death and legacy

Heffron died from brain cancer on November 23, 1927.

References

Episcopal succession

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heffron, Patrick Richard 1860 births 1927 deaths Religious leaders from New York City Roman Catholic bishops of Winona Saint Mary's University of Minnesota University and college founders