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Our Catlzolic Herit.age in Texas
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of the Vicariate of Arizona in 1869. That the Bull of erection of the Diocese of Dallas intended by implication to comprehend El Paso County in that section designated as "North Texas" was borne out by the Bull of 1897 elevating the Vicariate of Arizona to the Diocese of Tucson, for it included no part of Texas. The Bull of erection of the Diocese of El Paso in 1914, furthermore, stated clearly that the "counties of El Paso and Culberson, belonging to the Diocese of Dallas proper," were to be in the jurisdiction of the Diocese of El Paso. The Brief, following closely the text of the notes of Bishop Gallagher's memorandum on the division of his Diocese, declared that the total area of the new jurisdiction was estimated to be 108,000 74 square miles, and that of the 1,500,000 population 15,000 were Catholics. First incumbent of the new diocese of Dallas was the Most Reverend Thomas Francis Brennan. Of him the Denison Herald said, shortly after his arrival in Texas, that he was "one of America's foremost divines in every branch of human knowledge." The new Bishop had been born on October 10, 1855, at Bally Cullen, Tiperrary County, Ireland. His parents, James and Margaret Dunne Brennan, moved to America when Thomas was only eight. At a very young age he entered St. Bonaventure College. Alleghany, New York, to prepare himself for the priesthood, and was sent to France in 1873 to complete his education. Young Brennan then went to the University of Innsbruck in the Austrian Tyrol, where he obtained his degree of Doctor of Divinity. He had the good fortune of being ordained to the priesthood at Brixen in the Tyrol by the Prince- Bishop of that city on July 4, 1880. Before returning to America, he spent one year studying Canon Law in Rome. Upon returning to his Diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania, he was assigned to parish duty and served with distinction in this capacity for several years. Bishop Tobias Mullen of Erie sent the learned young cleric as his delegate to Pope Leo Xlll's jubilee. While in Rome he was made a Papal Chamberlain, on January II, 1888. It was at this time that he met Bishop Thomas Heslin of Natchez, Mississippi, who much impressed by the young man's learning and linguistic ability nominated him two years later for appointment to the newly created Diocese of Dallas. Brennan spoke French, German, and Italian fluently, in addition to his native English. 1 •Text of Brief of Leo XIII erecting the Diocese of Dallas, July 1 5, 1890. Photo- stat copy in C. A. T. The number of square miles has been erroneously read as I I 8,000.
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