Joseph Rodgers (bishop)

Rodgers was born in Liss, in the parish of Killanena, County Clare, on 25 March 1903. He attended secondary school in St Flannan's College between 1915 and 1920.

Rodgers entered St Patrick's College, Maynooth in September 1920, and was ordained to the priesthood in the College Chapel, Maynooth, County Kildare, on 19 June 1927.{{Cite book |url=https://www.ennisparish.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/cathedral_history.pdf |title=Ennis Cathedral: The Building & Its People |publisher=Clare Roots Society |pages=36, 37 |language=en-IE}}

Following his ordination, Rodgers returned to St Flannan's College as a teacher.{{Cite book |url=https://www.ennisparish.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/cathedral_history.pdf |title=Ennis Cathedral: The Building & Its People |publisher=Clare Roots Society |pages=37 |language=en-IE}}

He also obtained a Doctorate in Divinity.{{Cite book |last=Fitzpatrick |first=Fr. Gerard |title=Most Rev. Joseph Rodgers D.D. |language=en-IE |ol=16164047M}}

Rodgers was named coadjutor bishop of Killaloe and titular bishop of Sebela on 10 January 1948, and was consecrated by the Archbishop of Cashel-Emly, Jeremiah Kinane, on 7 March in the Pro-Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Ennis.{{Cite web |date=1948 |title=Consecration of Joseph Rodgers, Coadjutor Bishop of Killaloe. |url=http://sources.nli.ie/Record/PS_UR_086219 |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=National Library of Ireland |language=English}}

During his coadjutorship, he lived at Ashline House on the Kilrush Road in Ennis, which had been made available for him by the incumbent, Michael Fogarty, by means of an eviction.{{Cite web |last=ó Muircheartaigh |first=Joe |date=22 October 2013 |title=Bishop Fogarty’s cruel reign exposed |url=http://www.clarepeople.com/2013/10/22/bishop-fogartys-cruel-reign-exposed/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140212203651/http://www.clarepeople.com/2013/10/22/bishop-fogartys-cruel-reign-exposed/ |archive-date=12 February 2014 |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=The Clare People}}

Following the death of Fogarty on 25 October 1955, Rodgers succeeded him as Bishop of Killaloe on 29 October.

He participated in all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council.

In May 1956, two members of Jehovah's Witnesses were attacked in Doonass, near Clonlara, County Clare, which led to a district court case in Limerick at which local curate Fr. Patrick Ryan and nine of his parishioners were charged with assaulting the two members and maliciously damaging IR£3 worth of books, Bibles and other literature being distributed by them. All charges made against Ryan and his parishioners were dropped, in part due to an intervention on the part of Rodgers, who was present at the trial.{{Cite web |last=Dwyer |first=Ryle |date=2007-11-10 |title=Sectarianism has been rife across the whole island for decades |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/arid-20047564.html |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=Irish Examiner |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Dwyer |first=Ryle |date=2009-05-16 |title=Tubridy gets his chance to match the man who changed Ireland |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/arid-20091897.html |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=Irish Examiner |language=en}}

The presiding judge declared that the two Jehovah’s Witnesses had been "guilty of blasphemy", and that they had "come into this village [of Clonlara] and attack and outrage all that these simple Irishmen hold dear. I think the two men were lucky to escape so lightly."{{Cite web |last=Dwyer |first=Ryle |date=2009-01-17 |title=Church pays the price for its history of sectarianism and blind arrogance |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/columnists/arid-20082154.html |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=Irish Examiner |language=en}}

Rodgers was so outraged by the whole affair that he wrote to the then Taoiseach, John A. Costello, expressing his anger that the Attorney General could proceed with the case "against one of [his priests] for upholding and defending the fundamental truths of our treasured Catholic faith", given the "pernicious and blasphemous literature distributed and sold in [his] diocese" by the two members. While Costello was not unmindful of "the just indignation aroused among the clergy and the people by the activities of the Jehovah’s Witnesses", he insisted that the law had to be upheld.{{Cite news |last=Whyte |first=Barry |date=16 July 2017 |title="For him, the end times are not to be feared, but welcomed. "Jehovah's Witnesses are not," he says. "In fact, it excites us."" |pages=16 |work=The Sunday Business Post |url=https://dialogueireland.wordpress.com/2017/07/19/jw-special-convention-special-report-july-16-2017-in-the-the-sunday-business-post-by-barry-whyte/ |access-date=23 March 2022}}

Rodgers took a walk in the garden of his Westbourne residence in Ennis on the evening of 10 July 1966, but suffered a heart attack and was found dead the following morning.{{Cite web |last=Monahan |first=Bishop Fintan |date=2020-10-11 |title=Westbourne – A House with History |url=https://www.killaloediocese.ie/westbourne-a-house-with-history-clare-champion-article-no-19/ |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=The Clare Champion |language=en-GB}}

He is buried in the grounds of the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Ennis.

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/brodg.html Bishop Joseph Rodgers] on Catholic-Hierarchy.org
• [https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/brodg.html Bishop Joseph Rodgers] on GCatholic

{{Subject bar |portal1= Biography |portal2= Catholicism |portal3= Ireland}}

{{S-start}}

{{S-rel|ca}}

{{Succession box

| before = Michael Fogarty

| title = Bishop of Killaloe

| years = 1955–1966

| after = Michael Harty

}}

{{S-end}}

{{Roman Catholic Bishops of Killaloe}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodgers, Joseph}}

Category:1903 births

Category:1966 deaths

Category:20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Ireland

Category:Roman Catholic bishops of Killaloe

Category:People educated at St Flannan's College

Category:Alumni of St Patrick's College, Maynooth

Category:Christian clergy from County Clare