James A. McFadden

James Augustine McFadden (December 24, 1880 – November 16, 1952) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the first Bishop of Youngstown, Ohio (1943-1952).

Biography

James McFadden was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Edward and Mary (née Cavanagh) McFadden.^[1] He studied at John Carroll University and St. Mary's Seminary, both in Cleveland.^[1]<McFadden married on June 11, 1904 .He was ordained to the priesthood on June 17, 1905.^[2] He then served as a curate at St. Agnes Church in Cleveland until 1914, when he founded and became the first pastor of St. Agnes Church in Elyria.^[1] From 1917 to 1923, he was rector of St. Mary's Seminary.^[1] He also served as diocesan director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith (1923-1927) and chancellor of the Diocese of Cleveland (1925-1943), and was named a Domestic Prelate in 1927.^[1]

On May 12, 1932, McFadden was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Cleveland and Titular Bishop of Bida by Pope Pius XI.^[2] He received his episcopal consecration on the following September 8 from Bishop Joseph Schrembs, with Bishops Michael Gallagher and Thomas Charles O'Reilly serving as co-consecrators.^[2] McFadden was named the first Bishop of the newly erected Diocese of Youngstown by Pope Pius XII on June 2, 1943.^[2] He designated St. Columba Church as the new cathedral of the diocese, which then contained 110 churches, three hospitals run by religious orders, 54 parochial elementary schools, one parochial junior high school, and three Catholic high schools. McFadden remained as bishop for the next nine years, until his death at age 71.

References