Edward Allen was born in
Lowell,
Massachusetts, to John and Mary (née Egan) Allen. His parents were both natives of
King's County,
Ireland. He received his early education in the
public schools of his native city, and attended Lowell Commercial College before entering
Mount St. Mary's Seminary in
Emmitsburg,
Maryland. Allen then taught
English and
Greek at Mount St. Mary's until 1882, when he became a
curate at the
Cathedral of the Holy Cross in
Boston. In 1889, he received a
Doctor of Divinity degree from
Georgetown University. On April 19, 1897, Allen was appointed the fifth
Bishop of Mobile,
Alabama, by
Pope Leo XIII. He received his
episcopal consecration on the following May 16 from Cardinal
James Gibbons, with Bishops
Edward Fitzgerald and
Matthew Harkins serving as
co-consecrators, in the
Cathedral of the Assumption in Baltimore. During Allen's administration, the Catholic population of the diocese increased from 18,000 to 48,000, and the number of priests more than doubled. He also established several new churches, hospitals, orphanages, and schools. The diocese was devastated by a
major hurricane in September 1906; many churches were either totally or partially destroyed, but were rebuilt or repaired under Allen's direction. Deeply concerned for the
African American community, he invited the
Josephite Fathers to direct the black missions in the diocese, founded St. Joseph's College in order to "educate young colored men to be catechists and teachers," and sanctioned the establishment of the
Knights of Peter Claver. Allen died at age 73, and was buried in the
crypt of the
Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. ==References==