Joseph Thomas McGucken

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Archbishop Joseph Thomas McGucken(born, March 13, 1902, in Los Angeles, California, died, October 6, 1983, in San Francisco, California) was a Catholic priest, bishop, and archbishop in California. He was the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Francisco from 1962 to 1977, and the Bishop of Sacramento from 1957 to 1962.^[1]

Archbishop McGucken, a native of Los Angeles, who attended Polytechnic High School, studied engineering at the University of California for two years before beginning studies for the priesthood at St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park, California. He later studied in Rome and was ordained there in January 1928.

He served as the pastor at St. Andrew's in Pasadena from 1944 to 1955. In addition to serving as pastor at St. Andrew's, Bishop McGucken was appointed an auxiliary bishop of the Los Angeles-San Diego Archdiocese in 1941, and was the Vicar General of the diocese. After 27 years as a priest in Los Angeles, he was transferred to Sacramento, California in October 1955 to serve as Coadjutor Bishop of Sacramento. The St. Andrew's parish gave Bishop McGucken a gala farewell celebration at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, with a performance by Dennis Day, several choirs, and an Army color guard.^[2] He was appointed the Bishop of Sacramento in January 1957. His episcopate in Sacramento lated until 1962, and in his five years as Bishop, he authorized, built or approved for development nine parishes, three high schools, 33 new church buildings and one minor seminary.^[3]

Cathedral of St. Mary, became known as "McGucken's Maytag"

In February 1962, McGucken was appointed Archbishop of San Francisco; he was installed on April 3, 1962. He served 15 years as the Archbishop of San Francisco, retiring in 1977. Durint his first year as Archibishop, the existing St. Mary's Cathedralm built in 1891, was destroyed by fire. Archbishop McGucken gathered his consultors to begin the process of planning and constructing a new cathedral. Architectural critic Allen Temko advocated a bold, new cathedral that would reflect San Francisco's status as a major international urban center. Archbishop McGucken added two internationally known architects to his team, Italian-born Pietro Belluschi, Dean of the School of Architecture of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who was placed in charge of designs, and Pier-Luigi Nervi, an engineering genius from Rome, who took over structural concerns. Archbishop McGucken was in Rome for the Second Vatican Council while the new cathedral was designed. The strikingly modern design which was presented was met with high praise and has been called the "first cathedral truly of our time and in harmony with the liturgical reforms of the Council." ^[4] Some gave the new cathedral the nickname, "McGucken's Maytag" due to the structure's uncanny resemblance to a washing machine agitator.^[5]

In 1966, McGucken publicly voiced his support for the efforts of Cesar Chávez to organize farmworkers in California's vineyards, leading one vineyard spokesman to warn that "the church leaders had better start looking for other financial means to carry out their radical theories."^[6]

McGucken retired in 1977 and assumed the title of Archbishop Emeritus and died in October 1983.