Born in New York City, John Joseph Hughes attended St. Paul the Apostle parish as a boy and sang in the choir. After graduating from St. Charles College in Maryland and St. Francis Xavier College in New York, he entered the Paulists in 1878 and was professed on February 1, 1884. He was ordained a priest on June 3 of the same year.
He joined the missions with Fr. Walter Elliott after ordination, but was soon assigned to parish work due to his poor speaking voice. He shined as a curate at St. Paul the Apostle parish, as he was an excellent administrator and organized many parish activities. He was a leader in the temperance movement as well as openly supporting the women's suffrage movement.
In recognition of his talents he served as assistant superior under both Deshon and Searle. In 1909 he was chosen as Searle's successor as the 5th Superior General of the Paulists in a bitter election in which charges of electioneering were made against Elliott. Canon lawyers ruled in favor of Hughes but the controversy caused him much pain and embarrassment.
During his tenure the Paulists experienced enormous expansion opening foundations in northern Manhattan (Good Shepherd), Portland, Toronto, Minneapolis and St. Paul's College in Washington, D.C.
Although thought by many to be indecisive – he wrote to a friend once, "I dislike changing men" – he was widely respected in the Paulists and especially by parishioners at St. Paul the Apostle parish.
Shortly after leaving office in 1919 he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died. He was remembered as a premier parish organizer, a champion of progressive causes and a charitable priest. He died at the age of 63 in his 35th year as a Paulist priest.
He joined the missions with Fr. Walter Elliott after ordination, but was soon assigned to parish work due to his poor speaking voice. He shined as a curate at St. Paul the Apostle parish, as he was an excellent administrator and organized many parish activities. He was a leader in the temperance movement as well as openly supporting the women's suffrage movement.
In recognition of his talents he served as assistant superior under both Deshon and Searle. In 1909 he was chosen as Searle's successor as the 5th Superior General of the Paulists in a bitter election in which charges of electioneering were made against Elliott. Canon lawyers ruled in favor of Hughes but the controversy caused him much pain and embarrassment.
During his tenure the Paulists experienced enormous expansion opening foundations in northern Manhattan (Good Shepherd), Portland, Toronto, Minneapolis and St. Paul's College in Washington, D.C.
Although thought by many to be indecisive – he wrote to a friend once, "I dislike changing men" – he was widely respected in the Paulists and especially by parishioners at St. Paul the Apostle parish.
Shortly after leaving office in 1919 he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died. He was remembered as a premier parish organizer, a champion of progressive causes and a charitable priest. He died at the age of 63 in his 35th year as a Paulist priest.
Born in New York City, John Joseph Hughes attended St. Paul the Apostle parish as a boy and sang in the choir. After graduating from St. Charles College in Maryland and St. Francis Xavier College in New York, he entered the Paulists in 1878 and was professed on February 1, 1884. He was ordained a priest on June 3 of the same year.
He joined the missions with Fr. Walter Elliott after ordination, but was soon assigned to parish work due to his poor speaking voice. He shined as a curate at St. Paul the Apostle parish, as he was an excellent administrator and organized many parish activities. He was a leader in the temperance movement as well as openly supporting the women's suffrage movement.
In recognition of his talents he served as assistant superior under both Deshon and Searle. In 1909 he was chosen as Searle's successor as the 5th Superior General of the Paulists in a bitter election in which charges of electioneering were made against Elliott. Canon lawyers ruled in favor of Hughes but the controversy caused him much pain and embarrassment.
During his tenure the Paulists experienced enormous expansion opening foundations in northern Manhattan (Good Shepherd), Portland, Toronto, Minneapolis and St. Paul's College in Washington, D.C.
Although thought by many to be indecisive – he wrote to a friend once, "I dislike changing men" – he was widely respected in the Paulists and especially by parishioners at St. Paul the Apostle parish.
Shortly after leaving office in 1919 he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died. He was remembered as a premier parish organizer, a champion of progressive causes and a charitable priest. He died at the age of 63 in his 35th year as a Paulist priest.
He joined the missions with Fr. Walter Elliott after ordination, but was soon assigned to parish work due to his poor speaking voice. He shined as a curate at St. Paul the Apostle parish, as he was an excellent administrator and organized many parish activities. He was a leader in the temperance movement as well as openly supporting the women's suffrage movement.
In recognition of his talents he served as assistant superior under both Deshon and Searle. In 1909 he was chosen as Searle's successor as the 5th Superior General of the Paulists in a bitter election in which charges of electioneering were made against Elliott. Canon lawyers ruled in favor of Hughes but the controversy caused him much pain and embarrassment.
During his tenure the Paulists experienced enormous expansion opening foundations in northern Manhattan (Good Shepherd), Portland, Toronto, Minneapolis and St. Paul's College in Washington, D.C.
Although thought by many to be indecisive – he wrote to a friend once, "I dislike changing men" – he was widely respected in the Paulists and especially by parishioners at St. Paul the Apostle parish.
Shortly after leaving office in 1919 he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died. He was remembered as a premier parish organizer, a champion of progressive causes and a charitable priest. He died at the age of 63 in his 35th year as a Paulist priest.
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