[2] After receiving his early education in the public schools of Taunton, Conaty entered the Collège de Montréal in December 1863.

[4] He was ordained for the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts, where Bishop Patrick Thomas O'Reilly (a fellow native of County Cavan whose mother was named Mary Conaty) was a relative.

[6] Following his return from Montreal, Conaty was appointed by Bishop O'Reilly to serve as his assistant at St. John's Church, Worcester, in January 1873.

[1] When his tenure at Sacred Heart ended in 1897, Conaty was succeeded as pastor by his brother Bernard, who had previously been rector of St. Michael's Cathedral.

[12] Meeting first at New London, Connecticut, and then at Plattsburgh, New York, the summer school provided an educational and social atmosphere that became a nationally known destination for Catholic families, high-ranking clergy, distinguished lecturers, and prominent politicians.

[13] In 1896, Conaty established dormitories, a dining hall, and an administration building while registering thousands of individuals from the United States and Canada.

[14] In September 1896, Bishop John J. Keane was removed as rector of the Catholic University of America by Pope Leo XIII due to his liberal-leaning policies.

[15] The situation caused significant controversy, even leading to rumors that Cardinal James Gibbons, the university's chancellor, and Archbishop John Ireland, a trustee, would be removed from their positions as well.

[15] In light of the ideological infighting at the university, the biggest advantage in Conaty's favor was that he was neither an outspoken liberal nor conservative and was acceptable to both sides.

[25] Four years later, while still serving as rector, Conaty was given the honorary position of titular bishop of Samos by Leo XIII on October 5, 1901.

[4] He received his episcopal consecration on the following November 24 from Cardinal Gibbons, with Bishops Camillus Paul Maes and Thomas Daniel Beaven serving as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral of the Assumption in Baltimore.

[4] As discontent grew with the university's management among faculty and trustees, talk turned toward replacing Conaty once his term expired.

Denis J. O'Connell, the former rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome, soon emerged as the leading candidate to succeed Conaty.