View source for James Frederick Wood

{{Short description|First Archbishop of Philadelphia}}
{{other people|James Wood}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| name = James Frederick Bryan Wood
| archbishop_of = [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia|Archbishop of Philadelphia]]
| image = James Wood G107.jpg
| caption = Portrait of James F. Wood by [[Thomas Eakins]]
| province = 
| diocese = Philadelphia
| see = [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia|Philadelphia]]
| enthroned = January 5, 1860
| ended = June 20, 1883
| predecessor = [[John Neumann]], [[Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer|C.SS.R.]]
| successor = [[Patrick John Ryan]]
| ordination = March 25, 1844
| consecration = April 26, 1857
| other_post = [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia|Coadjutor Bishop of Philadelphia]] (1857–1860)
| birth_name = 
| birth_date = {{birth date|1813|4|27}}
| birth_place = [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1883|6|20|1813|4|27}}
| death_place = [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]]
| honorific_prefix = [[The Most Reverend]]
}}

'''James Frederick Bryan Wood''' (April 27, 1813 – June 20, 1883) was an American [[prelate]] of the [[Roman Catholic Church]]. He was the fifth [[Ordinary (Catholic Church)|Bishop]] and first [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia|Archbishop of Philadelphia]], serving between 1860 and his death in 1883.

==Early life==
James Wood was born in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]]. His parents were both from England, his father (a [[merchant]]) from [[Manchester]] and his mother from [[Gloucestershire]]; they [[Immigration to the United States|immigrated]] to the United States in 1809.<ref name=scharf>{{cite book| title =History of Philadelphia. 1609–1884. |last1=Scharf | first1 = J. Thomas | last2 = Westcott | first2 = Thompson | location = Philadelphia | publisher = L. H. Everts & Co. | year = 1884 | url = https://archive.org/details/historyofphilade01scha}}</ref> His father had him baptized by a Unitarian minister.<ref name=catholic>{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia =[[Catholic Encyclopedia]]|title=Archdiocese of Philadelphia| publisher = [[Robert Appleton Company]] | volume = 1 | date = 1907|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11793b.htm}}</ref>

After attending an elementary school on Dock Street, he was sent abroad to the [[The Crypt School, Gloucester|Crypt School]] at [[Gloucester]] in November 1821. He returned to Philadelphia five years later and then enrolled at a private school on [[Market Street (Philadelphia)|Market Street]].<ref name=clarke>{{cite book| title =Lives of the Deceased Bishops of the Catholic Church in the United States|last=Clarke | first = Richard H. | location = New York | publisher = P. O'Shea | year = 1872 | url = https://archive.org/details/livesofdeceasedb01clariala}}</ref> In November 1827, he and his family removed to [[Cincinnati, Ohio]], where the young Wood became a [[Clerk (position)|clerk]] at the [[Second Bank of the United States|Branch Bank of the United States]]. After being advanced to individual [[Bookkeeping|book-keeper]] and discount clerk, he was made a paying and receiving [[Bank teller|teller]] (1833) and [[cashier]] (1836) in the Franklin Bank of Cincinnati.<ref name=scharf/>

===Conversion and ordination===
Wood also developed a friendship with Bishop [[John Baptist Purcell]], who later [[Baptism|baptized]] him into the [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic Church]] on April 7, 1836. Deciding to enter the priesthood, he resigned as cashier at Franklin Bank in September 1837 and went to Rome for his studies the following October. After spending a few months at the [[Pontifical Irish College]] under [[Paul Cullen (cardinal)|Paul Cullen (later Paul Cardinal Cullen)]], he studied at the [[Pontifical Urbaniana University|College of the Propaganda]] for seven years, also becoming [[prefect]] of discipline there.<ref name=clarke/> Wood was [[Holy Orders|ordained]] a priest by Cardinal [[Giacomo Filippo Fransoni]] on March 25, 1844. Upon his return to the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati|Diocese of Cincinnati]] in October 1844, he served as a [[curate]] at the [[Cathedral Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains (Cincinnati)|Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains]] until 1854, when he became pastor of [[St. Pius X Catholic Church (Cincinnati, Ohio)|St. Patrick's Church]] in Cincinnati.<ref name=scharf/>

==Episcopal ministry==

===Coadjutor Bishop of Philadelphia===
On January 9, 1857, Wood was appointed [[Coadjutor Bishop]] of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia|Philadelphia]] and [[Titular Bishop]] of ''Antigonea'' by [[Pope Pius IX]]. He received his [[Bishop (Catholicism)|episcopal consecration]] on the following April 26 from Archbishop Purcell, with Bishops [[John Neumann]], [[Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer|C.SS.R.]] (later a [[Saint]]), and [[Richard Vincent Whelan]] serving as [[Consecrator|co-consecrators]].<ref name=hierarchy>{{cite web |work=Catholic-Hierarchy.org|title=Archbishop James Frederick Bryan Wood † |url=http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bwood.html | first = David M. | last = Cheney | date = 15 Feb 2017}}{{Self-published source|date=March 2015}}</ref> After arriving in Philadelphia, he took charge of the financial affairs of the diocese and established the cathedral [[Parish (Catholic Church)|parish]].<ref name=clarke/>

===Fifth Bishop of Philadelphia===
Wood later succeeded Neumann as the fifth [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia|Bishop of Philadelphia]] upon the latter's death on January 5, 1860.<ref name=hierarchy/> At the time of his succession, the diocese (which included the entire states of Pennsylvania and [[Delaware]] in addition to western [[New Jersey]]) included 200,000 Catholics, 137 priests, 131 parishes, 17 chapels and [[Mission (station)|missions]], 40 [[parish school]]s with 8,710 pupils, four colleges and four [[Academy|academies]]. The erection of the [[Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Philadelphia|Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul]] came to a brief halt with the outbreak of the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], but was later dedicated by Wood on November 20, 1864.<ref name=catholic/> In 1865 he purchased a large tract of land in [[Overbrook, Philadelphia|Overbrook]], on the outskirts of Philadelphia, for the new [[St. Charles Borromeo Seminary]], the [[cornerstone]] of which was laid on April 4, 1866. The seminary was opened in September 1871 with 128 students.<ref name=archdiocese>{{cite news|work=[[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia]]|title=A Brief History of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia|url=http://archphila.org/history.htm|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090802145518/http://archphila.org/history.htm|archivedate=2009-08-02}}</ref> He was named an [[Assistant at the Pontifical Throne]] in 1862.<ref name=clarke/>

Wood established the Catholic Home for Destitute Orphan Girls, enlarged St. Vincent's Home and founded a [[convent]] for the [[Good Shepherd Sisters|Sisters of the Good Shepherd]]. He also introduced into the diocese the [[Little Sisters of the Poor]], [[Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary|Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary]], and [[Society of the Holy Child Jesus|Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus]].<ref name=scharf/> He also determined that those [[Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia]] based in Syracuse, New York should establish [[Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities#Sisters of St Francis of Syracuse|a separate daughter congregation]]. He condemned such [[Secret society|secret societies]] as the [[Freemasonry|Freemasons]] and [[Molly Maguires]].<ref name=clarke/>

In 1868 the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg|Dioceses of Harrisburg]], [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Scranton|Scranton]] and [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington|Wilmington]] were established, leaving Philadelphia with 93 churches and 157 priests.<ref name=archdiocese/> Wood attended the [[First Vatican Council]], where he supported the definition of [[papal infallibility]],<ref name=scharf/> but was forced to leave early in March 1870 due to poor health. He was also named Treasurer of the Board for the [[Pontifical North American College]].<ref name=catholic/>

===Metropolitan Archbishop===
On February 12, 1875, the Diocese of Philadelphia was elevated to the rank of an [[Ecclesiastical province|archdiocese]], with Wood becoming its first [[Metropolitan bishop|Metropolitan Archbishop]].<ref name=hierarchy/> He was invested with the [[pallium]] by Archbishop [[James Roosevelt Bayley]] on the following June 17.<ref name=clarke/> He traveled to Rome in 1877 to assist at the celebration of the [[golden jubilee]] of Pius IX's episcopate, but returned home after suffering from a severe attack of [[rheumatism]].<ref name=catholic/> He also suffered from [[Bright's disease]].<ref name=clarke/> Since the division of the diocese in 1868, Wood increased the number of churches to 127 and of chapels to 53 chapels, and founded 25 new parochial schools.<ref name=catholic/> By 1883, there were also 31 missions, 260 priests, 99 seminarians between St. Charles Seminary and the North American College, three colleges, 22,000 students in parochial schools, six orphanages, four hospitals, two homes for the elderly and over 300,000 Catholics.<ref name=clarke/>

Wood later died in Philadelphia, aged 70. He is buried in the [[crypt]] beneath Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral. [[Archbishop Wood Catholic High School]] in [[Warminster Township, Pennsylvania|Warminster]] is named in his honor.

In 2014, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary decided to sell an 1877 portrait of Archbishop Wood painted by [[Thomas Eakins]]. Although Eakins was not Catholic, he and his friend, [[Samuel Murray (sculptor)|Samuel Murray]], would bicycle on Sundays to the seminary to attend vespers. Eakins took advantage of the brilliant vestments to animate the composition in a way not possible in his other male portraits. Proceeds from the sale will go toward the costs of renovations at the seminary.<ref>[https://catholiccourier.com/articles/pennsylvania-seminary-selling-paintings-to-fund-renovation/ Baldwin, Lou. "Pennsylvania seminary selling paintings to fund renovation", Catholic News Service, April 7, 2014]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Find a Grave|8052956}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-rel|ca}}
{{succession box |
  before=[[John Nepomucene Neumann]]|
  title=Bishop of Philadelphia|
  years=January 5, 1860 – February 12, 1875|
  after=Himself<br /><small>''as Archbishop of Philadelphia''</small>
}}
{{succession box |
  before=Himself<br /><small>''as Bishop of Philadelphia''</small>|
  title=[[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia|Archbishop of Philadelphia]] |
  years=February 12, 1875 – June 20, 1883 |
  after=[[Patrick John Ryan]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia}}
{{Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wood, James Frederick}}
[[Category:1813 births]]
[[Category:1883 deaths]]
[[Category:Archdiocese of Cincinnati]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic archbishops of Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Pontifical Irish College alumni]]
[[Category:19th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in the United States]]
[[Category:Converts to Roman Catholicism from Unitarianism]]
[[Category:Burials at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul (Philadelphia)]]
[[Category:People educated at The Crypt School, Gloucester]]
[[Category:American people of English descent]]