▁New ▁England ) ▁from ▁ 1 8 8 4 - 8 7 . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁he ▁accompanied ▁Arch bishop ▁John ▁Joseph ▁Williams ▁to ▁the ▁Third ▁Pl en ary ▁Council ▁of ▁Baltimore ▁as ▁a ▁the olog ian . ▁ ▁On ▁February ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁H ark ins ▁was ▁appointed ▁the ▁second ▁Bishop ▁of ▁Prov idence , ▁Rh ode ▁Island , ▁by ▁Pope ▁Leo ▁XIII . ▁He ▁received ▁his ▁epis cop al ▁consec r ation ▁on ▁the ▁following ▁April ▁ 1 4 ▁from ▁Arch bishop ▁Williams , ▁with ▁B ish ops ▁Patrick ▁O ' Re illy ▁and ▁Lawrence ▁Mc M ah on ▁serving ▁as ▁co - con sec rat ors , ▁at ▁the ▁C athedral ▁of ▁SS ▁Peter ▁and ▁Paul . ▁During ▁his ▁ten ure , ▁the ▁dioc ese ▁grew ▁to ▁be ▁among ▁the ▁largest ▁in ▁the ▁country ▁and ▁to ▁have ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁highest ▁percentage ▁of ▁C athol ics . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 4 ▁the ▁Holy ▁See ▁formed ▁the ▁Dioc ese ▁of ▁Fall ▁River , ▁Massachusetts , ▁out ▁of ▁Prov idence , ▁which ▁was ▁then ▁left ▁ 1 9 0 , 0 0 0 ▁C athol ics ▁and ▁which ▁later ▁increased ▁to ▁ 2 7 5 , 1 8 0 ▁by ▁ 1 9 2 0 . ▁He ▁increased ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁par ishes ▁from ▁ 3 9 ▁to ▁ 9 5 ; ▁most ▁of ▁these ▁new ▁par ishes ▁were ▁ere cted ▁in ▁the ▁cities ▁and ▁growing ▁sub ur bs