Robert Codman (December 30, 1859 - October 7, 1915) was bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of Maine The Episcopal Diocese of Maine is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America and encompasses the entire State of Maine. It is part of the Province of New England — Province I of the ECUSA. The Diocese has 57 year-round ...

, serving from 1900 to 1915.

Early years

Codman was born in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

in 1859 to Robert Codman Sr, a prominent Boston lawyer. Codman's father Robert Sr had Congregationalist ancestry, with his own father, John Codman, serving as a Congregationalist minister. Nonetheless, Robert Codman Sr converted to Anglicanism. By the time of his death he had become a senior warden in the Church of the Advent in

, which was also the parish church in which his son Robert Jr, the future bishop, grew up. Codman was educated in public schools and later graduated in Law from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

in 1882.

Ordained ministry

He graduated from Harvard and practiced law for some years, but upon the death of his brother, the Reverend Archibald Codman, his thoughts turned to the ordained ministry.University of Maine website, Library section ''Combating the ‘Social Evil’: Masculinity and Moral Reform in Portland, 1912-1914'', by Howard M. Solomon, published in Maine History (Volume 43, Number 3, January 2008
/ref> He studied in the

General Theological Seminary The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) is an Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal seminary in New York City. Founded in 1817, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church and the longest continuously operating ...

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 ...

after which he was ordained deacon in 1893. He was appointed curate of

All Saints Church All Saints Church, or All Saints' Church or variations on the name may refer to: Albania * All Saints' Church, Himarë Australia * All Saints Church, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory * All Saints Anglican Church, Brisbane, Queensland *All ...

in Ashmont, Boston. In 1894 he was ordained priest by Bishop Charles Chapman Grafton. He became rector of St John's Church in Boston Highlands. He was a strong advocate of

Muscular Christianity Muscular Christianity is a religious movement that originated in England in the mid-19th century, characterized by a belief in patriotic duty, discipline, self-sacrifice, masculinity, and the moral and physical beauty of Athletics (physical cultur ...

Episcopacy

Codman was elected to succeed Henry A. Neely as Bishop of Maine. He was consecrated bishop on February 24, 1900, in St Luke's Cathedral in Portland. As bishop he altered and expanded the cathedral by adding the Emmanuel chapel which includes the Madonna and Child of

John La Farge John La Farge (March 31, 1835 – November 14, 1910) was an American artist whose career spanned illustration, murals, interior design, painting, and popular books on his Asian travels and other art-related topics. La Farge made stained glass ...

. He also expanded the Bishop's residence. He worked to increase the Episcopal presence throughout his diocese and consecrated several new church buildings. In 1911 he presided at the opening of the Edward T. Gignoux U.S. Courthouse in Portland. Codman served as bishop till his death in 1915. During his later years, he was heavily involved in the Anti-Tuberculosis SocietyBangor Daily News website, ''Bangor Fought Spread of TB'', article by Wayne E. Reilly, published January 30, 2011
/ref> and the Citizens’ Committee; he saw both as working against the disadvantages of urban life.

Family

Codman married Margarette B Porter in September 1915; he died three weeks later from a brain tumour.

References

*''The Living Church Annual'', 1916, pp. 65–66.

External links

St Peter’s Episcopal Church website
''History of St Peter’s'' 1859 births 1915 deaths Harvard Law School alumni 19th-century American Episcopalians Episcopal bishops of Maine {{US-Anglican-bishop-stub