Nomination of Michael Fallon As Bishop of London‪.‬

At the turn of this century, the population of the nine counties that comprise the Catholic Diocese of London, Ontario had reached 500,038. Of these 11.24% professed the Catholic faith, 5.31% claimed French as their ethnic origin, and 21.49% were of Irish descent. (1) Given the size of its ethnic population and the agrarian nature of its economy, the London Diocese did not seem to pose any threat to the social and religious peace of the Dominion, but it was soon to become a much debated topic among Catholics and Protestants. This upsurge in fame was the result of two events which occurred less than a month apart: the nomination of Michael Francis Fallon as Bishop of the Diocese in December 1909 and the French-Canadian Educational Congress held in Ottawa in January 1910. For the next two decades, Bishop Michael Fallon's relationship with French-Canadians was a controversial issue in Canadian social and religious life. The investigation of the candidacy and the appointment of Michael Fallon as Bishop of London has been shrouded in mystery and unconfirmed rumours. The Roman hierarchy does not disclose information regarding its methods of investigation or its findings. However, this paper will present the fruits of my research at the Vatican Archives with respect to the nomination of Fallon to the episcopal see of London.