Edmond John Fitzmaurice

Catholic bishop
The Most Reverend

Edmond John Fitzmaurice
Archbishop (personal title),
Bishop of Wilmington
SeeDiocese of Wilmington
InstalledNovember 30, 1925
Term endedMarch 2, 1960
PredecessorJohn James Joseph Monaghan
SuccessorMichael William Hyle
Other post(s)Titular Archbishop of Constantia in Scythia
Orders
OrdinationMay 28, 1904
by Pietro Respighi
ConsecrationNovember 30, 1925
by Dennis Joseph Dougherty
Personal details
Born(1881-06-24)June 24, 1881
Tarbert, County Kerry, Ireland
DiedJuly 26, 1962(1962-07-26) (aged 81)
Wilmington, Delaware, US
NationalityAmerican
DenominationRoman Catholic Church
EducationSt Brendan's College, Killarney
College of Sint-Truiden
Pontifical North American College
Coat of armsEdmond John Fitzmaurice's coat of arms

Edmond John Fitzmaurice (June 24, 1881 – July 26, 1962) was an Irish-born American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington in Delaware from 1925 to 1960.

Biography

Early life and education

Edmond Fitzmaurice was born on June 24, 1881, in Leitrim West, County Kerry in Ireland to William and Johanna (née Costello) Fitzmaurice.[1] His uncle, John Edmund Fitzmaurice, became bishop of the Diocese of Erie in Pennsylvania.

Fitzmaurice studied at St. Brendan's College in Killarney, Ireland, and at the College of Sint-Truiden in Sint-Truiden, Belgium.[1] He continued his studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, where he earned a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree.[1]

Ordination and ministry

Fitzmaurice was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in Rome by Cardinal Pietro Respighi on May 28, 1904.[2] After his ordination, Fitzmaurice immigrated to the United States in 1904, becoming a curate at Annunciation Parish in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1] He served as professor of theology at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, from 1906 to 1914. During this period, Fitzmaurice became a naturalized U.S. citizen.[3] He was appointed chancellor of the archdiocese, serving in this role until 1920.[1] From 1920 to 1925, Fitzmaurice served as rector of St. Charles Seminary.[1][4]

Bishop of Wilmington

On July 24, 1925, Fitzmaurice was appointed the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington by Pope Pius XI.[2] [5] He received his episcopal consecration on November 30, 1925, from Cardinal Dennis Dougherty, with Bishops John Swint and Andrew Brennan serving as co-consecrators.[2] During his 35-year tenure, Fitzmaurice oversaw an increase in the Catholic population from 34,000 to 85,000.[6] To accommodate these numbers, he founded 17 new parishes, 8 missions, and 19 elementary and 9 secondary schools.[6] He donated his personal residence in 1959 to provide a location for the founding of St. Edmond's Academy, which was named in his honor.

Fitzmaurice encouraged participation in Catholic Charities, and founded the Catholic Welfare Guild, Catholic Youth Organization, Society for the Propagation of the Faith, and Knights of Columbus chapter in the diocese. He also established the Catholic Interracial Council, the Catholic Forum of the Air, the Catholic Television Guild, the Diocesan Book Forum, the Catholic Education Guild, and the Young Christian Workers.[6] In 1945, Fitzmaurice ordered the Catholic parents of students in public high schools in the diocese to prohibit their children from attending sex education courses, which he described as "offensive to the Catholic conscience."[7]

In 1956, Pope Pius XII appointed Hubert James Cartwright as coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington to assist Fitzmaurice.[8] When Cartwright died in 1958, Pope Pius appointed Michael William Hyle as the new coadjutor bishop.

Retirement and legacy

Pope John XXIII accepted Fitzmaurice's resignation as bishop of Wilmington on March 2, 1960,[2] and appointed him as titular archbishop of Constantia in Scythia. He became the first priest of the Diocese of Wilmington to be named archbishop.[2]

Edmond Fitzmaurice died at St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington on July 26, 1962, at age 81.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. Vol. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.
  2. ^ a b c d e Cheney, David M. "Archbishop Edmond John Fitzmaurice". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.[self-published source]
  3. ^ "Edmond J. FitzMaurice, 81, Ex-Bishop of Wilmington". timesmachine.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
  4. ^ "Erie". Catholic Encyclopedia.
  5. ^ a b "Edmond J. Fitzmaurice, 81, Ex-Bishop of Wilmington". The New York Times. 1962-07-25.
  6. ^ a b c "A Brief History of the Diocese of Wilmington". Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington.
  7. ^ "SEX LECTURES ASSAILED". The New York Times. 1945-02-12.
  8. ^ "Coadjutor Bishop Appointed". timesmachine.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop of Wilmington
1925–1960
Succeeded by
  • v
  • t
  • e
Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington
Bishops
Coadjutor bishopChurches
List
List of churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington
Cathedral
Cathedral of St. Peter
Parishes
St. Joseph's Church, Greenville, DE
St. John the Baptist Church, Newark, DE
St. Joseph's Church, Middletown, DE
St. Peter's Church, Queenstown, MD
St. Francis Xavier Church, Warwick, MD
Resurrection Church, Wilmington, DE
Immaculate Conception Parish, Elkton, MD
St. Anthony's Church, Wilmington, DE
St. Catherine of Siena Church, Wilmington, DE
St. Hedwig's Church, Wilmington, DE
St. Joseph's Church, Wilmington, DE
St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church, Wilmington, DE
St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Wilmington, DE
EducationPriests
  • icon Catholicism portal
  • v
  • t
  • e
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Ordinaries
Bishops
Michael Francis Egan
Henry Conwell
Francis Kenrick
John Neumann
Archbishops
James Frederick Wood
Patrick John Ryan
Edmond Francis Prendergast
Dennis Joseph Dougherty
John Francis O'Hara
John Krol
Anthony Bevilacqua
Justin Rigali
Charles J. Chaput
Nelson J. Pérez
Auxiliary bishops, current
John J. McIntyre
Keith J. Chylinski
Christopher R. Cooke
Efren V. Esmilla
Auxiliary bishops, former
Cletus Joseph Benjamin
Michael Francis Burbidge
Joseph R. Cistone
Michael Joseph Crane
Edward Peter Cullen
Louis A. DeSimone
Francis James Furey
John Joseph Graham
Edward Hughes
Hugh L. Lamb
Martin Nicholas Lohmuller
Robert P. Maginnis
Joseph Francis Martino
Joseph Carroll McCormick
John Joseph McCort
Gerald Vincent McDevitt
Joseph P. McFadden
Joseph Mark McShea
Gerald O'Hara
Francis B. Schulte
Daniel Edward Thomas
Thomas Jerome Welsh
Edward Michael Deliman
Michael J. Fitzgerald
Timothy C. Senior
Churches
Cathedral
Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
Parish churches
List of churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Immaculate Conception
Old St. Joseph
Old St. Mary
St. Adalbert
St. Agatha and St. James
St. Anne
St. Augustine
St. Basil the Great
St. Cyprian
St. Donato
St. Francis de Sales
St. Joachim
St. Michael
St. Nicholas of Tolentine
St. Thomas the Apostle Church
St. William
Chapels and shrines
Church of the Gesú
National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa
National Shrine of St. John Neumann
Former
Holy Trinity
Education
Seminary
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
Higher education
Cabrini College
Chestnut Hill College
Gwynedd Mercy University
Holy Family University
Immaculata University
La Salle University
Neumann University
Rosemont College
Saint Joseph's University
Villanova University
High schools
Acad. of Notre Dame de Namur
Archbishop John Carroll
Archbishop Prendergast
Archbishop Ryan
Archbishop Wood
Bishop McDevitt
Bishop Shanahan
Cardinal O'Hara
Conwell-Egan
Country Day School of the Sacred Heart
Devon Prep
Father Judge
Gwynedd Mercy Academy
Holy Ghost Prep
John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls
La Salle College HS
Lansdale Catholic
Little Flower
Malvern Prep
Mercy Career & Technical
Merion Mercy Acad.
Monsignor Bonner
Mount Saint Joseph Acad.
Nazareth Acad.
Pope John Paul II
Roman Catholic HS for Boys
Saint Basil Academy
Saint Joseph's Prep
Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti
St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls
Villa Joseph Marie
Villa Maria Academy
Closed
Priests
Miscellany
  • icon Catholicism portal