BARRON, EDWARD. - First apostolic vicar of the two Guineas. B. in Ireland, at Waterford, in
1801, d. at Savannah on 12 Sept. 1854. He studied at the Urban College, then exercised the ministry at Philadelphia, in the United States. Following the requests of the American bishops that provision be made for the evangelization of the western coast of Africa, where Protestant propaganda was already intense, B., then vicar general of Philadelphia, made a reconnaissance journey there (1839) and informed Rome of the situation. When the vicariate of the two Guineas was erected in 1841, B. was chosen as its first head, and in Sept. 1843 he embarked with several young missionary priests of the Sacred Heart of Fr. Libermann; all of them, however, perished as victims of that deadly climate, except Bessieux. He then resigned and, having returned to America, devoted himself to the apostolate among immigrant blacks and died a simple missionary, stricken by yellow fever.