Edmond John Fitzmaurice
| Most Reverend Edmond John Fitzmaurice | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Wilmington | |
| See | Bishop of Wilmington |
| Installed | November 30, 1925 |
| Term ended | March 2, 1960 |
| Predecessor | John Monaghan |
| Successor | Michael Hyle |
| Other posts | Titular Archbishop of Constantia in Scythia |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 28, 1904 |
| Consecration | November 30, 1925 |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 24, 1881 Tarbert, Ireland |
| Died |
July 26, 1962 (aged 81) Wilmington, Delaware |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
Edmond John Fitzmaurice (June 24, 1881 – July 26, 1962) was an Irish-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Wilmington from 1925 to 1960.
Biography
Edmond Fitzmaurice was born in Tarbert, County Kerry, to William and Joan (née Costello) Fitzmaurice.[1] He studied at St. Brendan's College in Killarney and at the College of Sint-Truiden in Belgium.[1] He continued his studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, where he earned a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree.[1] He was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Pietro Respighi on May 28, 1904.[2]
Fitzmaurice came to the United States in 1904, and became a curate at Annunciation Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1] He served as professor of theology at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary (1906–14) and chancellor of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (1914–20).[1] From 1920 to 1925, he served as rector of St. Charles Seminary.[1] His uncle, John Edmund Fitzmaurice, had also served as rector of St. Charles (1886–97) as well as Bishop of Erie (1899–1920).[3]
On July 24, 1925, Fitzmaurice was appointed the fourth Bishop of Wilmington, Delaware, by Pope Pius XI.[2] He received his episcopal consecration on the following November 30 from Cardinal Dennis Dougherty, with Bishops John Swint and Andrew Brennan serving as co-consecrators.[2] During his 35-year tenure, he oversaw an increase in the Catholic population from 34,000 to 85,000.[4] To accommodate these numbers, he founded 17 new parishes, 8 missions, and 19 elementary and 9 secondary schools.[4] 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, as well as the Catholic Interracial Council, Catholic Forum of the Air, Catholic Television Guild, Diocesan Book Forum, Catholic Education Guild, and Young Christian Workers.[4] In 1945, he ordered the Catholic parents of public school students to prohibit their children from attending sex education courses, which he described as "offensive to the Catholic conscience."[5]
In his late years as Bishop of Wilmington, Fitzmaurice was given a coadjutor with right of succession: in 1956, Hubert James Cartwright was consecrated as such, and after Cartwright died in 1958, Michael William Hyle was consecrated as such. Fitzmaurice retired as Bishop of Wilmington on March 2, 1960[2] (succeeded immediately by his coadjutor), and was appointed Titular Archbishop of Constantia in Scythia on the same date. He was the first priest of the Diocese of Wilmington to reach the level of Archbishop.[2] He died at St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington in 1962, at age 81.[6]
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John James Joseph Monaghan |
Bishop of Wilmington 1925—1960 |
Succeeded by Michael William Hyle |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Cheney, David M. "Archbishop Edmond John Fitzmaurice". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
- ↑ "Erie". Catholic Encyclopedia.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "A Brief History of the Diocese of Wilmington". Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington.
- ↑ "SEX LECTURES ASSAILED". New York Times. 1945-02-12.
- ↑ "Edmond J. Fitzmaurice, 81, Ex-Bishop of Wilmington". New York Times. 1962-07-25.