Bishop James Augustine Healy
Arms: Our Lady of Lourdes Proper, in base a scroll Argent inscribed with the word, “IMMACULATA” Sable.
SOURCE/NOTES & CREDITS:
Source for arms and blazon, page 55, “Armorial of the American Hierarchy, Volume III, The New England States, the Ecclesiastical Provinces of Boston and Hartford” by Brother Gerard Brassard, A.A., The Stobbs Press, Worcester, Mass., 1956. . This book makes no mention of the fact of Healy being of African-American descent nor that he was born a slave. Biographical information from, “Upon this Granite”, Wilfrid H. Paradis, Peter E. Randall Publisher, Portsmouth, NH, 1998, pp 81-101.
First Roman Catholic Bishop in the United States of African-American descent, born 6 April 1830 as a slave in Macon GA, to an Irish-American plantation owner, Michael Morris Healy, and an octoroon, Eliza Clark or Smith Healy, a slave on his plantation. His father brought James North at age eight, Ordained in Paris, France 10 June 1854, Consecrated 2 June 1875 as 2nd Bishop of Portland, Maine by Abp. Williams of Boston Bhp Healy was Bishop of what was later to become the Diocese of Manchester, NH as a part of the diocese of Portland, ME. from 1875 to 1884. He remained as Bishop of Portland until his death on 5 August 1900, at age 70.
The artwork is a rendering by John Hamilton Gaylor.
Wedvick Armorial, 073a, Healy, 20080921
