John Hedley (bishop)

John Cuthbert Hedley (15 April 1837 – 11 November 1915) was a British Benedictine and writer who held high offices in the Roman Catholic Church.[1]

The Right Reverend John Cuthbert Hedley O.S.B.
Bishop of Newport
Church	Roman Catholic
Archdiocese	Newport
Appointed	18 February 1881 (As Bishop of Newport and Menevia)
In office	1881-1915
Predecessor	Joseph Brown
Orders
Ordination	19 October 1862 by Robert Cornthwaite
Consecration	29 September 1873 by Henry Edward Manning
Rank	Bishop
Personal details
Born	(1837-04-15)15 April 1837 Morpeth, Northumberland, England
Died	11 November 1915(1915-11-11) (aged 78)
Nationality	English
Previous post	Auxiliary Bishop of Newport and Menevia (1873-1881)<

Born in Morpeth, Northumberland, he was the son of Dr. Edward Astley and Mary Ann Davison Hedley. He was educated at Mr Gibson's Grammar School and then at Ampleforth College.[2] He was professed a member of the Order of Saint Benedict in 1855 and ordained a priest of the order on 9 October 1862.

He was appointed an auxiliary bishop of Newport and Menevia and Titular Bishop of Caesaropolis on 22 July 1873. His consecration to the Episcopate took place on 29 September 1873, the principal consecrator was Archbishop (later Cardinal) Henry Edward Manning of Westminster, with bishops Brown and Chadwick as co-consecrators. Hedley acted as editor of the Dublin Review in the late 1870s. Prior to assuming the editorship, he had taught philosophy and theology for eleven years at Belmont Abbey, Herefordshire. As editor sought Headley to provide a forum for leading minds to infuse the spirit of Catholicism into literature, history, politics, and art..."[3]

Hedley was appointed the Bishop of the Diocese of Newport and Menevia on 18 February 1881. His episcopal title was changed to Bishop of Newport in 1895.[1] He had served the people well, not least within the field of Catholic Education.[4]

He published a number of works:

• The Christian Inheritance: Set Forth in Sermons
• Lex Levitarum: Or, Preparation for the cure of souls
• Lex Levitarum with the Regula Pastoralis
• The Light of Life: Set Forth in Sermons
• Our Divine Saviour and other Discourses
• A Retreat 33 Discourses with meditation for the Use of the Clergy, Religious, and Others

Bishop Hedley died in office on 11 November 1915, aged 78.[1] After his death, the see of Newport was elevated to an archdiocese and changed its name to Cardiff in 1916.

References

1. "Bishop John Cuthbert Hedley, O.S.B." Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
2. "Hedley, Rt. Rev. John Cuthbert". Who's Who. Vol. 59. 1907. pp. 815–816.
3. Houghton, Walter E., "The Dublin Review", The Wellesley Index to Victorian Periodicals 1824-1900, Routledge, 2013, p. 17 ISBN 9781135795504
4. "Archbishop George Rededicates Tomb of Predecessor", News -Archdiocese of Cardiff

External links

• Works written by or about John Cuthbert Hedley at Wikisource

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Thomas Joseph Brown	Bishop of Newport and Menevia 1881–1895	Title renamed
New title	Bishop of Newport 1895–1915	Last appointment