John Murphy Farley (April 20, 1842 – September 17, 1918) was an Irish-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as archbishop of New York from 1902 until his death in 1918, and became a cardinal in 1911. Farley previously served as an auxiliary bishop of New York from 1895 to 1902.
Early life and education
John Farley was born in Newtownhamilton, County Armagh, Ireland, to Catherine (née Murphy) and Philip Farrelly. At age twelve, he was orphaned and went to live with his mother's family in the townland of Moyles. He received his early education under a private tutor named Hugh McGuire. He then attended St. Macartan's College in Monaghan from 1859 to 1864.
With the sponsorship of an uncle, Farley emigrated to the United States at the height of the American Civil War in 1864. He immediately enrolled at St. John's College in New York City, graduating in 1865. He then began his studies for the priesthood at St. Joseph's Provincial Seminary in Troy. In 1866, he was sent to continue his studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.
Priesthood
Farley was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York by Cardinal Costantino Patrizi Naro in Rome on June 11, 1870. After his ordination, the archdiocese assigned Farley first assignment as a curate at St. Peter's Parish in Staten Island, where he remained for two years.
in 1872 Archbishop John McCloskey, who had previously met Farley in Rome, appointed him as his secretary. He was honored as an Assistant at the Pontifical Throne in 1905.
Pope Pius X created him Cardinal Priest of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in the consistory of November 27, 1911. He participated in the 1914 papal conclave that selected Pope Benedict XV. Following the outbreak of World War I in Europe, Farley stated,<blockquote>As Catholics in America, we owe unswerving allegiance to the Government of America, and it is our sacred duty to answer with alacrity every demand our country makes upon our loyalty and devotion... I would that peace could come by arbitration and diplomacy. It seems, however, that no permanent peace can be hoped for except through the defeat of German arms in the field or the repudiation of the Prussian autocracy by the German people themselves. Criticism of the government irritates me. I consider it little short of treason.</blockquote>Farley's dedication to victory in the war angered the Sinn Féin element of the New York clergy, who believed that he was bowing to anti-Irish bigots.
He made progress in Catholic education in the archdiocese the keynote of his tenure as archbishop, and established nearly 50 new parochial schools within his first eight years; he also founded the Cathedral Preparatory Seminary in Queens.