| The Most Reverend John Aloysius Ward |
|
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Cardiff | |
| Archdiocese | Cardiff |
| Province | Cardiff |
| Appointed | 25 March 1983 |
| Reign ended | 26 October 2001 |
| Predecessor | John Aloysius Murphy |
| Successor | Peter David Smith |
| Other posts | Archbishop Emeritus of Cardiff (2001–2007) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 7 June 1953 |
| Consecration | 1 October 1980 by Langton Douglas Fox |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 January 1929 Leeds, Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 27 March 2007 Ystradowen, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales [1] |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Previous post | Bishop of Menevia |
John Aloysius Ward (24 January 1929 - 27 March 2007) was a Roman Catholic clergyman.[2] He became Bishop of Menevia in 1981, and Archbishop of Cardiff in 1983.[2] The later years of his ministry were overshadowed by cases of sexual misconduct by priests under his authority, and Pope John Paul II ordered him to resign as Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cardiff in October 2001 after his position became untenable.[3]
Ward was born in Leeds, England,[2] but considered himself a Welshman. He was raised in Wrexham, where he was known as Jackie Ward during his childhood and where he served as an altarboy at St. Mary's, Wrexham. During the Second World War, he attended Prior Park College in Bath, run by the Christian Brothers. In 1946, he joined the Capuchin Order of Friars Minor at Pantasaph, near Holywell in Clwyd.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop of Southwark Cyril Cowderoy at Our Lady of Seven Dolours in Peckham on 7 June 1953.[2] From then until he became a Bishop, he was popularly known as 'Father Aloysius' to his congregations. He worked in north and mid Wales from 1954 to 1960, using his fluent Welsh on his travelling mission. He became parish priest in Peckham in 1960. He was Minister Provincial of the Capuchins of Great Britain in 1969, and became an elected adviser to the Father General of the Capuchin Order in Rome in 1970.
Ward was appointed Coadjutor Bishop Menevia on 25 July 1980, in south and west Wales, and consecrated on 1 October 1980.[2] He succeeded Langton Douglas Fox as Bishop on 5 February 1981. He was appointed Archbishop of Cardiff on 25 March 1983.[2] He built on the work of his predecessor, Archbishop John Murphy, in expanding the Catholic Church in Wales.
The later years of his ministry were overshadowed by cases of sexual misconduct by priests under his authority. There were also posthumous allegations of abuse against Ward.
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Langton Douglas Fox |
Bishop of Menevia 1981–1983 |
Succeeded by James Hannigan |
| Preceded by John Aloysius Murphy |
Archbishop of Cardiff 1983–2001 |
Succeeded by Peter David Smith |