Thomas Mooney (American chaplain)

Father

Thomas J. Mooney
Mooney, c. 1855
ChurchCatholic Church
ArchdioceseRoman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
Orders
OrdinationJanuary 28, 1853
by John Hughes
Personal details
Born1824 (1824)
Manchester, England
DiedSeptember 13, 1877(1877-09-13) (aged 52–53)
BuriedCalvary Cemetery, Queens, New York, U.S.

Thomas J. Mooney (1824 – September 13, 1877) was an American Catholic priest and military chaplain during the American Civil War. Ordained in 1853, his short span with the New York State Militia's Fighting 69th was met with affection from his soldiers. The antics his soldiers appreciated, however, embarrassed Mooney's archbishop due to negative press coverage, and Mooney was soon recalled to his parish. He remained involved in Irish causes; his untimely death in a carriage accident was followed by a funeral attended by thousands.