Early life Denis Bradley was born on February 25, 1846, in
Castleisland, County Kerry in Ireland. When Bradley was eight years old, his father died. His mother immigrated with the family to the United States, settling in
Manchester, New Hampshire. Bradley attended Park Street Grammar School and other Catholic schools in Manchester. In 1863, Bradley entered the
College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. According to a contemporary account, Bradley was an introspective and serious student. He graduated from Holy Cross in June 1867. In September 1867, Bradley enrolled at St. Joseph's Seminary in
Troy, New York.
Priesthood Bradley was ordained a priest in Troy by Bishop
Bernard McQuaid for the
Diocese of Portland in Maine on June 3, 1871. At that time, this diocese included both
Maine and
New Hampshire. After his ordination, Bradley was given a pastoral assignment to the
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland, Maine. He was eventually appointed as rector of the cathedral and chancellor of the diocese. In 1879, Bradley took a six-month trip to Europe for health reasons. After returning to Maine, he was still not able to keep up with all of his job responsibilities. In June 1880, Bishop
James Healy moved Bradley to the less demanding position of pastor of
St. Joseph's Parish in Manchester, New Hampshire. At some point in the 1880s, Bradley contacted the
Benedictine monks at Saint Mary's Abbey in
Newark, New Jersey, about creating a Catholic college in New Hampshire.
Saint Anselm College opened in
Goffstown, New Hampshire in 1889.
Death and legacy During a mass in early December 1903, Bradley collapsed at the altar. Denis Bradley died in Manchester of
chronic gastritis on December 13, 1903, at age 57. Bradley House at Saint Anselm College was named after him. ==References==