John Loughlin

John Loughlin (December 20, 1817 – December 29, 1891) was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of Brooklyn in New York from 1853 until 1891.

Early life John Loughlin was born on December 20, 1817 in Drumbonniff, County Down, Ireland to John and Mary (née McNulty) Loughlin. When he was age six, the Loughlin family emigrated to the United States, settling in Albany, New York. Loughlin received his early education at the Albany Academy.

Priesthood Loughlin was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of New York by Bishop John Hughes on October 18, 1840 at Old St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan. After his ordination, he then served as a curate at St. John's Parish in Utica, New York, then part of the diocese. In 1841, the diocese transferred him to the Old St. Patrick's Cathedral Parish.

In 1850, Pope Pius IX raised the Diocese of New York to the Archdiocese of New York. That same year, Archbishop Hughes named Loughlin as his vicar general.

Bishop of Brooklyn The Basilica of Old St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City (2008) On June 19, 1853, Loughlin was appointed the first bishop of the newly erected Diocese of Brooklyn by Pius IX.

In 1861, Loughlin expressed his support for the federal government at the start of the American Civil War. Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn is named for him.