Stella Maris Church, Canso (1923-1934) St. Joseph's Church, Reserve Mines (1935-1948)
Father Tompkins believed in the emancipating power of education and sought to improve economic conditions through study groups and co-operative action. "It is not enough to have ideas, we have to put legs on them", he often said. He started the first regional library in Nova Scotia along with the first credit union and a cooperative housing association in Reserve Mines that was dubbed "Tompkinsville". Father Tompkins was the Spiritual founder of the Antigonish Movement.
Jimmy Tompkins was born in Margaree Forks, Nova Scotia, a small farming community on Cape Breton Island. From 1888-1895, he attended St. Francis Xavier University in alternate semesters while teaching Greek and Mathematics to support himself. He attended the Urban College of the Congregatio de Propaganda Fide (Papal Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith) in Rome from 1897 to 1902. On his return, he continued teaching at St. Francis Xavier University and became the vice-rector in 1907.
Working closely with the Carnegie Corporation, he implemented various reform and modernization programs, culminating in an unsuccessful attempt to amalgamate various sectarian and non-sectarian colleges in the Maritime Provinces into one nondenominational university centered around Dalhousie University in Halifax. Although the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Halifax Edward McCarthy supported amalgamation, the Catholic Bishop of Antigonish James Morrison successfully opposed it and eventually exiled Tompkins to the tiny fishing village of Canso, Nova Scotia as parish priest for Canso, Little Dover and Queensport.
As parish priest Tompkins observed firsthand the plight of the poor fishing community there and helped organize and lead what would become the Antigonish Movement of cooperative fisheries, stores, housing projects, and adult study groups. The Antigonish Movement was eventually institutionalized in the form of the Extension Department at St. Francis Xavier, which was headed by Tompkins' double-cousin Father Moses Coady and which included Father Hugh MacPherson, A.B. MacDonald and others.
Career highlightsedit
1895, Graduates from St. Francis Xavier University
1 January 1923, becomes parish priest (pastor) of Star of the Sea (then called Stella Maris) Church, Canso, including the towns of Little Dover and Queensport
10 October 1934, becomes chaplain at Bethany, the motherhouse of the Sisters of Saint Martha, Antigonish
10 March 1935-23 December 1948, parish priest of St. Joseph's Church, Reserve Mines, Cape Breton
1948 Retires due to ill health and lives at St Martha's Convent in Margaree Forks, Nova Scotia.
5 May 1953, Dies at St. Martha's Hospital and is buried in Reserve Mines.
Biographiesedit
Jim Lotz and Michael R. Welton, Father Jimmy: Life and Times of Father Jimmy Tompkins (1997), ISBN1-895415-23-3
George Boyle, Father Tompkins of Nova Scotia (1953)
Referencesedit
The Tompkins Institute for Human Values and Technology , Cape Breton University, Sydney, Nova Scotia
jimmy, tompkins, priest, james, john, jimmy, tompkins, september, 1870, 1953, roman, catholic, priest, founded, antigonish, movement, progressive, effort, that, incorporated, adult, education, cooperatives, rural, community, development, fishing, mining, commu. James John Jimmy Tompkins 7 September 1870 5 May 1953 was a Roman Catholic priest who founded the Antigonish Movement a progressive effort that incorporated adult education cooperatives and rural community development to aid the fishing and mining communities of northern and eastern Nova Scotia Canada The Antigonish Movement later evolved into the Extension Department now the Coady International Center of St Francis Xavier University James TompkinsTompkins centre 14 July 1949Born7 September 1870Margaree Forks Nova ScotiaDied5 May 1953 1953 05 05 aged 82 Antigonish Nova ScotiaOccupationRoman Catholic priestEcclesiastical careerReligionChristianityChurchRoman Catholic ChurchOrdained24 May 1902Congregations servedStella Maris Church Canso 1923 1934 St Joseph s Church Reserve Mines 1935 1948 Father Tompkins believed in the emancipating power of education and sought to improve economic conditions through study groups and co operative action It is not enough to have ideas we have to put legs on them he often said He started the first regional library in Nova Scotia along with the first credit union and a cooperative housing association in Reserve Mines that was dubbed Tompkinsville Father Tompkins was the Spiritual founder of the Antigonish Movement Contents 1 Brief biography 2 Career highlights 3 Biographies 4 References 5 External linksBrief biography editJimmy Tompkins was born in Margaree Forks Nova Scotia a small farming community on Cape Breton Island From 1888 1895 he attended St Francis Xavier University in alternate semesters while teaching Greek and Mathematics to support himself He attended the Urban College of the Congregatio de Propaganda Fide Papal Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith in Rome from 1897 to 1902 On his return he continued teaching at St Francis Xavier University and became the vice rector in 1907 Working closely with the Carnegie Corporation he implemented various reform and modernization programs culminating in an unsuccessful attempt to amalgamate various sectarian and non sectarian colleges in the Maritime Provinces into one nondenominational university centered around Dalhousie University in Halifax Although the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Halifax Edward McCarthy supported amalgamation the Catholic Bishop of Antigonish James Morrison successfully opposed it and eventually exiled Tompkins to the tiny fishing village of Canso Nova Scotia as parish priest for Canso Little Dover and Queensport As parish priest Tompkins observed firsthand the plight of the poor fishing community there and helped organize and lead what would become the Antigonish Movement of cooperative fisheries stores housing projects and adult study groups The Antigonish Movement was eventually institutionalized in the form of the Extension Department at St Francis Xavier which was headed by Tompkins double cousin Father Moses Coady and which included Father Hugh MacPherson A B MacDonald and others Career highlights edit1895 Graduates from St Francis Xavier University 1897 1902 Attends Urban College in Rome 24 May 1902 Ordained in the Lateran Basilica Rome by Pietro Cardinal Respighi 1902 Rejoins staff at St Francis Xavier University Antigonish 1907 1908 vice rector St FX 1908 1923 vice president and prefect of studies St FX 1919 Awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by Dalhousie University 1 January 1923 becomes parish priest pastor of Star of the Sea then called Stella Maris Church Canso including the towns of Little Dover and Queensport 10 October 1934 becomes chaplain at Bethany the motherhouse of the Sisters of Saint Martha Antigonish 10 March 1935 23 December 1948 parish priest of St Joseph s Church Reserve Mines Cape Breton 1948 Retires due to ill health and lives at St Martha s Convent in Margaree Forks Nova Scotia 5 May 1953 Dies at St Martha s Hospital and is buried in Reserve Mines Biographies editJim Lotz and Michael R Welton Father Jimmy Life and Times of Father Jimmy Tompkins 1997 ISBN 1 895415 23 3 George Boyle Father Tompkins of Nova Scotia 1953 References editThe Tompkins Institute for Human Values and Technology 1 Cape Breton University Sydney Nova Scotia Father Jimmy Tompkins 2 in Adult Educators You Should Know National Louis University Fraught with Wonderful Possibilities Father Jimmy Tompkins and the Struggle for a Catholic Progressivism 1902 1922 Michael R Welton PhD 3 Antigonish Movement 4 Center for Economic Development Cape Breton UniversityExternal links editWorks by or about Jimmy Tompkins at Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jimmy Tompkins priest amp oldid 1214952411, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
