Leonard Neale was a Jesuit priest from Maryland. He became the second bishop to head the entire Catholic church in the U.S. He reigned from 1815 to 1817.

On December 3, 1815, Jesuit Leonard Neale became the next Archbishop of the United States. However, he died less than two years later, on June 18, 1817. He was in his 70s.

His major accomplishments had already been completed prior to his being named as Archbishop.

Even though his episcopal reign was brief, many things happened in the nation:

• Indiana became a state
• Monroe became president
• The Napoleonic Wars ended

During the episcopal reign of Neale, there were reasons for hope:

• Catholics could immigrate to the U.S.
• The establishment of the new dioceses meant the church was growing
• Bishop John Cheverus of Boston was defusing hostility toward Catholics.

However, there were also reasons for despair:

• The Catholic population kept bishop DuBourg out of his town
• Dominican bishop John Connolly of New York came to a place where only seven priests served 15,000 Catholics
• Everywhere, there were too few priests

Archbishop Leonard Neale was a transitional bishop. It was his successor Ambrose Maréchal who had to deal with the difficulties.

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HISTORY – U.S. CATHOLIC

MAJOR ERAS:

1. The Spanish Missions in New Mexico: 1540 to 1616
2. The Spanish Missions in Florida: 1549 to 1763
3. The English Missions in the Mid-Atlantic region: beginning in the 1570s
4. Catholics and the American Revolutionary War: 1775–1783
5. Archbishop John Carroll: 1774-1815
6. Archbishop Leonard Neale: 1815-1817
7. Archbishop Ambrose Maréchal: 1817 -1828
8. Archbishop James Whitfield: 1828 to 1834
9. Archbishop Samuel Eccleston: 1834-1851
10. Archbishop Francis Kenrick: 1851–1863

SEE ALSO: References, Church History

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