Early life Patrick Ludden was born on February 4, 1836, in
Breaffy, near
Castlebar,
County Mayo, in Ireland to Anthony and Ellen (née Fitzgerald) Ludden. He graduated from
St. Jarlath's College in Tuam, Ireland in 1861. Ludden then went to Canada to enter the
Grand Seminary of Montreal in
Montreal,
Quebec.
Priesthood After completing his
theological studies, Ludden was
ordained to the priesthood in Montreal for the
Diocese of Albany by Bishop
Ignace Bourget on May 21, 1864. After his ordination, Ludden went to the United States, where Bourget assigned him as
rector of St. Joseph's Parish in
Malone, New York. Ludden was later named
chancellor of the diocese, and accompanied Bishop
John J. Conroy as his theologian in 1869 to the
First Vatican Council in Rome.
Bishop of Syracuse On December 14, 1886, Ludden was appointed the first
bishop of the newly erected Diocese of Syracuse by
Pope Leo XIII. He received his
episcopal consecration at the Church of the Assumption in Syracuse on May 1, 1887, from Archbishop
Michael Corrigan, with Bishops
Bernard McQuaid and
Francis McNeirny serving as
co-consecrators. At the time of Ludden's arrival, the diocese contained 70,000 Catholics, 74 priests, 46
parishes, 20
mission churches, and 16 parochial schools. Bishop Ludden donated an altar to the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, Castlebar, County Mayo. ==References==