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John Walsh (1830-1898) was an Irish immigrant to Toronto who became the true founder of the diocese of London, Ontario. As he repaired the damage done by his predecessor, Pierre-Adolphe Pinsoneault, Walsh used his persuasive powers and talent for teaching to ensure that the diocese would prosper. In My Heart’s Best Wishes for You, biographer John Comiskey illustrates Walsh’s struggle to build up his diocese while promoting Catholics for positions of influence in society.
The following is excerpted from John P. Comiskey’s My Heart’s Best Wishes for You: A biography of Archbishop John Walsh.
Patronage, and the ability to control it, was always in the forefront of Canadian politics at all levels of society, and governments depended on it to maintain their own power in office and to hold voters’ loyalty. Walsh knew that all too well, and it was for this reason, during the years of Conservative governments in Ottawa, he seemed never to hesitate in placing a whole range of requests before the prime minister or other members of his government. These requests were never directly for himself; the majority of them were for official appointments or other sinecures for Catholics from his diocese, or sometimes even for Catholics beyond his territory. He firmly held that Catholics had a right to patronage in the same way as anyone else did. In his strong opinion, since Catholics had a role to play in society for the betterment of the world, they therefore deserved the opportunity to do so from positions of authority and influence at whatever level. Often he preached about the Christian’s responsibility to be the “leaven in the dough,” as taught in the gospels, a role which he interpreted could be fulfilled in governmental service and other responsible posts as well as anywhere else, and all under the patronage of governments and their officials. Since Catholics were the minority in Ontario, Walsh felt that they needed someone to promote them and their talents, and that given his position as bishop, his personality, and his political contacts, he was the one best suited to do just that.
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Patterson himself had earlier been recommended by Walsh for a position in Macdonald’s cabinet, and Walsh had first petitioned on his behalf in October 1886. For good reasons, including his usual discretion, Walsh marked the letter “Strictly Private & Confidential.” That time, for reasons unknown, he felt it unnecessary to stress Patterson’s Catholicism: “I make this suggestion entirely in the interests of the Conservative party with which I am now, and always have been, in friendly sympathy. In this connection however I deem it a duty to say that now, as in the past, I do not think that as Catholic bishop ruling over people of different political creeds I should take an active or prominent part in the purely political contests. This letter is intended solely for yourself and I trust to your honour to keep it absolutely secret.”
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In the beginning of his episcopate, it was simply a matter of trying to give Catholics exposure in such positions as came available. Over time, Walsh’s views also reflected the thought of the day, especially in the development of the Church’s social teaching, based on the common good, in response to the growth of Marxist ideology and rampant socialism. Many prominent Catholics were writing and speaking in this vein, including Wilhelm von Ketteler, bishop of Mainz in Germany; the Friebourg group spread throughout Europe; Manning of Westminster; and James Cardinal Gibbons of Baltimore. The Catholic Church was discovering the best way to face rampant socialism, through inserting Catholic values in public discussions and policies. Walsh hoped that those he promoted for public office would, in turn, promote Catholic values in their own spheres of influence, corresponding to their vocations and the degrees of influence they wielded in public life.
Meet the author
Sept 14, 7:00 pm – London, Ontario Book Launch
St. Peter’s CathedralSept 19, 6:30 pm – Toronto Book Launch
Broughton’s
To learn more about My Heart’s Best Wishes for You, or to order online, click here.
To arrange an interview with the author, contact MQUP Publicist Jacqui Davis.
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