About Joseph Colgan
Lived 1824 – 1911 (aged 86). Joseph Colgan was a catholic priest and catholic bishop.
Bishop Joseph Colgan, DD (1 April 1824 – 13 February 1911), was an Irish born Roman Catholic Archbishop of Madras, India.
Biography Born on 1 April 1824 in Donore, County Westmeath, he studied in Navan, and for the priesthood in Maynooth College. Colgan was ordained in 1846. In 1847, he moved to India, where he served as a school principal, and Army Chaplin and priest in the Madras Vicarate.
Colgan served as a reverend for around 30 years, from 1851 to 1881, in the Arcot Cantonment, which at the time had a Catholic population of 2000. Colgan was honored by being named a Fellow of Madras University. Colgan was appointed Bishop of Madras in 1882 succeeding Bishop Stephen Fennelly and became the first Archbishop of Madras in 1886.
Colgan served as archbishop until he died in Calcutta on 13 February 1911.
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Important facts
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Joseph Colgan?
Irish-born Roman-Catholic archbishop
When was Joseph Colgan born?
Joseph Colgan was born on 1 April 1824 in Donore.
When did Joseph Colgan die?
Joseph Colgan died on 13 February 1911 in Chennai.
What was Joseph Colgan's occupation?
Joseph Colgan was a catholic priest and catholic bishop.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Joseph Colgan. https://biography.guide/joseph-colgan/
MLA: "Joseph Colgan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/joseph-colgan/.
Chicago: "Joseph Colgan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/joseph-colgan/.
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