Eugene J. McGuinness

Eugene Joseph McGuinness
Bishop of Oklahoma City-Tulsa
See Oklahoma City
In Office February 1, 1948—December 27, 1957
Predecessor Francis C. Kelley
Successor Victor J. Reed
Orders
Ordination May 22, 1915
Personal details
Born September 6, 1889(1889-09-06)
Hellertown, Pennsylvania
Died December 27, 1957(1957-12-27) (aged 68)
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Bishop of Raleigh (1937-44)

Coadjutor Bishop of Oklahoma City-Tulsa (1944-1945)
Priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

Eugene Joseph McGuinness (September 6, 1889—December 27, 1957) was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Raleigh (1937–44) and Bishop of Oklahoma City-Tulsa (1948–57).

Biography

Eugene McGuinness in Hellertown, Pennsylvania, to Daniel and Mary (née Flood) McGuinness.[1] He received his early education at the parochial school of Holy Infancy Church in Bethlehem.[1] He attended St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook, and earned a Doctor of both laws and Doctor of Sacred Theology degrees from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.[1] He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Edmond Francis Prendergast on May 22, 1915.[2]

He served as a curate at St. Paul's Church, St. Agatha's Church, St. John's Church, and the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul, all in Philadelphia.[1] He was assistant director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith (1917–19), and field secretary (1919–20) and vice-president (1920–24) of the Catholic Church Extension Society.[1] He was executive secretary of the American Board of Catholic Missions (1923–37), and named a Domestic Prelate in 1929.[1]

On October 13, 1937, McGuinness was appointed Bishop of Raleigh, North Carolina, by Pope Pius XI.[2] He received his episcopal consecration on the following December 21 from Cardinal Dennis Joseph Dougherty, with Bishops William David O'Brien and Hugh L. Lamb serving as co-consecrators.[2] He remained in Raleigh for seven years, when he was named Coadjutor Bishop of Oklahoma City-Tulsa and Titular Bishop of Ilium on November 11, 1944.[2]

Upon the death of Bishop Francis Kelley on February 1, 1948, McGuinness succeeded him as the third Bishop of Oklahoma City-Tulsa.[2] During his 9-year-long administration, he saw the Catholic population in the state grow by almost 40 percent, and received 1,242 adult converts in 1957 alone.[3] Priestly and religious vocations flourished, and he made trips to Ireland and Poland to recruit clergy.[3]

McGuinness died at age 68.

Styles of
Eugene McGuinness
Reference style The Most Reverend
Spoken style Your Excellency
Religious style Monsignor
Posthumous style none

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig. 
  2. ^ a b c d e "Bishop Eugene Joseph McGuinness". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bmcgu.html. 
  3. ^ a b "Oklahomanization: 1945-1957". Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. http://www.catharchdioceseokc.org/history/Oklahomanization.htm. 
Preceded by
Francis Clement Kelley
Bishop of Oklahoma City-Tulsa
1945–1957
Succeeded by
Victor Joseph Reed