Right Reverend Bishop James McCarthy — 24th December 1943
Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. From hence-forth now, saith the spirit, that they may rest from their labours: for their work follows them.—Apoc. xiv. 13.
It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins.—2 maccab. xii. 46.
A native of Newcastle-on-Tyne, Bishop McCarthy was born on the 30th January, 1853. He began his studies for the priesthood at Blairs College in 1869, and from there he went on to the Scots College at Valladolid. He completed his studies at St Peter’s Seminary, Partickhill, Glasgow. He received Minor Orders from the hands of Archbishop Eyre, the first post-Reformation Archbishop of Glasgow, and he was ordained in St Andrew’s Cathedral, Glasgow, by the first post-Reformation Bishop of Galloway on 4th May, 1879.
After his ordination, Father McCarthy, as he then was, was appointed curate at Kinning Park. From there he went to St John’s, Port Glasgow, and in the first year of this century he was appointed parish priest at Pollokshaws. After fruitful service at Pollokshaws, Father McCarthy became administrator at St Andrew’s Cathedral, and shortly afterwards was elected Canon of the Glasgow Chapter. For many years he was Religious Inspector of Schools in the archdiocese and ultimately became Chief Inspector.
On the 9th June, 1914, he was consecrated as the third post-Reformation Bishop of Galloway, successor to St Ninian, and ruler of an ancient diocese founded 397 years after the birth of Our Lord. He ruled the diocese for thirty years and faithfully discharged all the duties of a Bishop until the weight of four-score years began to tell and he felt bound to apply to the Holy Father for a co-adjutor to help him. By that time every member of the Chapter to which he had presented his Bulls of nomination had pre-deceased him.
His last years were spent in preparing for the end and he died on Christmas Eve, 1943. He had always loved to join heartily in the hymns of the Church, and the evening before he died, at the age of ninety, he was able to sing with full vigour the Venite Adoremus in preparation for a Christmas he was to spend with God.
Pontifical Mass of Requiem was sung by the Most Rev. Andrew Joseph McDonald, O.S.B., Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, who was assisted by the Rt. Rev. Mgr. McHardy as Deacon, and the Very Rev. Canon O’Connor as Sub-deacon. The Deacons at the throne were Canon Hayes and Canon Carey. The Masters of Cermeony were the Rev. J. O’Sullivan and the Rev. Martin Doyl. The music of the Mass was rendered by St Andrew’s Boys’ Choir, assisted by a number of priests. The Absolutions were administered by Archbishop McDonald, Bishop Mellon, Bishop Maguire and Mgr. Daly, Vicar Capitular of the Archdiocese of Glasgow.
Bishop Mellon preached the Panegyric. He paid a glowing tribute to the priestly virtues which Bishop McCarthy had manifested in his long life. He had ever been kind to the poor, a friend to children, and generous to all in need. As a priest in Glasgow he had thrown himself with true priestly zeal into the great struggle for social and educational reform. He was called upon to guide wisely, circumspectly and sympathetically, and he guided well. In strife he laboured without bitterness; bitterness was alien to his nature. But beneath all his geniality there lay deep con-victions and great strength of character. Towards the end of his days, as his duties lessened his leisure increased. That well-earned leisure was used for one purpose only. At all hours he was to be found telling his beads or reading his-breviary, for he was, above all, a man of prayer. His ex-perience, his wisdom, his example and his kindness would be missed by all.
This obituary was printed in the Catholic Directory for Scotland of 1945.