Thomas James Conaty
[4] He was ordained for the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts, where Bishop Patrick Thomas O'Reilly (a fellow native of County Cavan whose mother was named Mary Conaty) was a relative.[1] When his tenure at Sacred Heart ended in 1897, Conaty was succeeded as pastor by his brother Bernard, who had previously been rector of St. Michael's Cathedral.[12] Meeting first at New London, Connecticut, and then at Plattsburgh, New York, the summer school provided an educational and social atmosphere that became a nationally known destination for Catholic families, high-ranking clergy, distinguished lecturers, and prominent politicians.[13] In 1896, Conaty established dormitories, a dining hall, and an administration building while registering thousands of individuals from the United States and Canada.[14] In September 1896, Bishop John J. Keane was removed as rector of the Catholic University of America by Pope Leo XIII due to his liberal-leaning policies.[15] The situation caused significant controversy, even leading to rumors that Cardinal James Gibbons, the university's chancellor, and Archbishop John Ireland, a trustee, would be removed from their positions as well.[15] In light of the ideological infighting at the university, the biggest advantage in Conaty's favor was that he was neither an outspoken liberal nor conservative and was acceptable to both sides.[4] He received his episcopal consecration on the following November 24 from Cardinal Gibbons, with Bishops Camillus Paul Maes and Thomas Daniel Beaven serving as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral of the Assumption in Baltimore.Denis J. O'Connell, the former rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome, soon emerged as the leading candidate to succeed Conaty.