Edward Galvin
Bishop Edward J. Galvin (November 23, 1882 - February 23, 1956) was founder of the Missionary Society of St. Columban and first Bishop of Hanyang, China.
Early life
Edward J. Galvin was born at Newcestown, County Cork, Ireland on 23 November 1882. He was ordained a Catholic priest at St Patrick's College, Maynooth, County Kildare, in 1909 for his home diocese of Cork. He spent his first three years as a priest 'on loan' to the diocese of Brooklyn, New York. While there, in January 1912, he met Father Fraser who was en route back to China.
China 1912 – 1916
In February 1912, Fr. 'Ned' Galvin left Brooklyn for China. He went first to Toronto to join Fr. Fraser and together they traveled from Vancouver to Shanghai on the Empress of India. He lived and worked with the French Vincentians in Chekiang (1912–16). In 1916 he returned to Ireland to found a society of missionary priests dedicated to the conversion of China, the Missionary Society of St. Columban.
On 4 September 1916 he met a young professor from the Maynooth seminary, Fr. John Blowick, at Fr. Tom Ronayne's lodgings in Monkstown, County Dublin. On 10 October 1916 they received permission from the Irish hierarchy to establish a "mission house for the training of Irish missionaries for China." After a brief period promoting the Society in Ireland, Edward Galvin left for the U.S. in 1917 to establish the Society there.
