Bishop Morris of Little Rock

Last updated on: October 22, 2009 at 5:30 am by Pat McNamara

Bishop Morris of Little Rock 2009-10-22T05:30:00-06:00 Pat McNamara

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Born to Irish immigrants in Tennessee in 1866, John Baptist Morris studied St. Mary’s College in Kentucky before going tot Rome, where he was ordained in 1892. Within six years of his ordination, he would be Vicar General of the Diocese of Nashville. In 1901, he was named a Monsignor and rector of the cathedral. In 1906, he was consecrated an auxiliary bishop for Bishop Edward Fitzgerald of the Diocese of Little Rock, which encompassed the entire state of Arkansas. When Bishop Fitzgerald died in 1907, Bishop Morris succeeded him as ordinary, a position he held for the next 39 years. Bishop Morris’ accomplishments were many. In 1911 he founded a seminary for the training of priests, which he considered the crowning achievement of his episcopate. He was particularly concerned with caring for the displaced, setting up orphanages both for white and Black children. Bisahop Morris established several parishes for African-American Catholics. In 1908 he established Bishop Morris established Little Rock College for Boys, an institution for young men considering the priesthood. In 1911, he established a newspaper, The Southern Guardian. In 1930, Catholic High Scjhool for Boys opened in Little Rock. Elsewhere, even in remote sections of the state, Bishop Morris saw to the building of parochial schools, hospitals, churches and mission stations. St. John seminary, meantime, produced new priests to serve a growing Catholic population. St. John’s success allowed Bishop Morris to set in motion a system by which priests fresh from the seminary were sent to assist pastors of established parishes, which then attached mission churches as satellites.In 1940, the diocese numbered more than 33,000 Catholics attending 125 churches. Of the 141 priests serving in Arkansas, 59 were native born. One was Albert L. Fletcher, a St. John’s seminarian, who Bishop Morris ordained in 1920. Twenty years later, at the bishop’s urging, the Vatican assigned Msgr. Fletcher as auxiliary bishop for the diocese. Bishop Morris died Oct. 22, 1946, in Little Rock, knowing a successor was in place.
(From the diocesan website)

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