Early years William Quarter was born on January 21, 1806, in
Killurin,
King's County, in Ireland to Michael and Ann (née Bennet) Quarter. The third of four sons, he had three brothers: John, Walter and James Quarter. As a youth, William Quarter studied the
classics at private academies in
Tullamore, Ireland from 1814 to 1822. Quarter then traveled to
Emmitsburg, Maryland, in the United States to apply to
Mount St. Mary's College, the first seminary in the United States; he was accepted there. While at Mount St. Mary's, Quarter became professor of
Greek and
Latin, as well as
sacristan in 1823. He completed his
theological studies in 1829 at Mount St. Mary's and then traveled to New York City. Since Quarter was only 23 years old, he needed a special dispensation for his ordination. Accompanied by his brother Walter (who later became
vicar general), Quarter arrived in
Chicago on May 5, 1844. Another problem that Quarter faced was the ownership of church property in the diocese. As in other dioceses, the trustees in many parishes were unwilling to allow bishops to control churches and other parish property. In February 1845, the
Illinois General Assembly passed a bill that incorporated the bishop of Chicago, allowing him to "hold real and other property in trust for religious purposes." Quarter opened parish schools for boys and girls at St. Mary's Cathedral parish in 1846. These became the first parochial schools in the diocese. In November 1846, Quarter held the first theological conference in the diocese.
Death and legacy On April 10, 1848, Quarter woke up complaining of pain in his heart and his head, then died suddenly; he was 42. Doctors suspected that he had suffered a
brain hemorrhage. Quarter's body was on viewing for two days, attracting many Protestants and city officials as well as Catholics. He was interred in the vault under St. Mary's Cathedral. During his four-year tenure, he founded 30 churches and ordained 29 priests. ==See also==