Bishop Denis William Mary Bradley
Arms: Or, the figure of St Joseph bearing the infant Jesus on his sinister arm and in his dexter hand a staff topped with three lilies all proper his mantle brown and both figures enhaloed argent
SOURCE/NOTES & CREDITS: Source for arms and blazon: “Armorial of the American Hierarchy”, Volume III, The New England States, the Ecclesiastical Provinces of Boston and Hartford, page 77, by Brother Gerard Brassard, A.A., The Stobbs Press, Worcester, Mass., 1956; “Life of Denis M. Bradley, First Bishop of Manchester”, by M.H.D., Guidon Publishing Co., Manchester, N.H., 1905 and “Upon this Granite” Msgr. Wilfrid H. Paradis, Peter E. Randall Publisher, Portsmouth. 1998. The blazon was re-worked by J. H. Gaylor.
Bishop Bradley born 25 Feb 1846 in Castle Island, Co. Kerry, Ireland, came to the US as a youngster about age 8, with his mother, a widow, and siblings to Manchester. He went to Holy Cross College in Worcester and St. Joseph’s Seminary in Troy, NY and was Ordained by Bhp. McQuaid of Rochester, NY in 1871. He served as curate and then as a rector of a parish in 1873 in the Diocese of Portland, ME. In 1874 he was named Chancellor of the diocese when the Bishop needed to go abroad. When Bishop Healy was appointed in 1875, he re-appointed Fr. Bradley as Chancellor. Fr. Bradley worked closely and well with Bhp. Healy until 1879 when his health failed. He wanted to resign but Bhp. Healy sent him to Manchester, N.H. to restore his health as the pastor of St. Joseph’s parish. This he did so well that he became Bishop Healy’s nominee for the 1st Bishop of Manchester when recommending his own diocese be split and New Hampshire be a diocese on its own. So Fr. Bradley was elected by Pope Leo XIII to be the first Bishop of the newly erected See of Manchester, NH on 18 Apr 1884 and Consecrated on 11 Jun 1884.
He was an extremely effective ordinary, gleaning from the pages of “Upon this Granite” by Msgr. Paradis, growing 36 parishes and establishing 12 religious communities and 29 Catholic schools giving instruction to over 12,000 students by 1903. He died at age 57 on 13 Dec 1903 with 19 years as Bishop. We found it interesting that the “Life of Denis M. Bradley” by M.H.D., Guidon Publishing Co., Manchester, N.H., 1905, indicates that with all his activity, building and leading, he personally lived a life of sanctity.
The artwork is a rendering by John Hamilton Gaylor.
Wedvick Armorial, 067b, Bradley, 20080921
