Edward D. Head
| His Excellency, The Most Reverend Edward D. Head | |
|---|---|
| Diocese of Buffalo | |
| Province | New York |
| Diocese | Buffalo |
| Installed | 1973 |
| Term ended | 1995 |
| Predecessor | James A. McNulty |
| Successor | Henry J. Mansell |
| Other posts | Titular Bishop of Ard Sratha, Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | January 27, 1945 |
| Consecration | March 19, 1970 |
| Personal details | |
| Birth name | Edward Dennis Head |
| Born |
August 5, 1919 White Plains, New York |
| Died |
March 29, 2005 (aged 85) Kenmore, New York |
| Buried | Buffalo, New York |
| Nationality |
 American |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Parents | Charles; Nellie |
| Occupation | Bishop, Clergyman |
| Profession | Religious |
| Alma mater | Columbia University, St. Joseph’s Seminary at Dunwoodie, New York School of Social Work |
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The Most Rev. Edward D. Head (August 5, 1919 – March 29, 2005) was the 11th Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo in Buffalo, New York from 1973-1995.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Early life
Head was born in White Plains, New York,[1][2] and was raised in the South Bronx.[2] His parents were Charles and Nellie, immigrants from England and Ireland, respectively.[2] Head had two brothers, Charles and Daniel.[2]
Education
Both Head and his brothers solely attended Catholic parochial schools to receive their educations.[2] Head earned a mathematics degree from Columbia University[2] prior to entering St. Joseph’s Seminary at Dunwoodie in 1939.[2] Through his studies at St. Joseph's Seminary, he was later ordained a priest in 1945.[2] During his time in ministry at the Archdiocese of New York, Head earned a master's degree from the New York School of Social Work in 1948.[2]
Ministry
Head was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New York on January 27, 1945[1][2][4] by Cardinal Francis Spellman in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, New York City.[2]
Head served in many capacities, including as an educator, prior to being appointed auxiliary bishop.[2] Head taught sociology at Notre Dame College on Staten Island[2] before serving as assistant pastor at both Sacred Heart Church in the Bronx and St. Roch’s Church on Staten Island.[2]
In September 1947, Head became a staff member of the Archdiocese of New York Catholic Charities Family Service Department.[2] He was an assistant pastor at St. Veronica's Church in Greenwich Village, New York City for 17 years while he worked at Catholic Charities.[2]
Head was named associate director of Family Services in March 1948,[2] serving in that capacity until he became director of social research for Catholic Charities in 1956.[2]
In 1964, Head went to minister at St. Monica’s Church in Manhattan;[2] and became a parochial assistant at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 1967.[2]
On October 15, 1966, Head was appointed executive director and secretary of Catholic Charities by Cardinal Terence Cooke.[2] In these capacities in the organization, Head oversaw nearly 1,000 employees,[2] and administrated an annual budget of millions of dollars.[2]
Episcopal career
Auxiliary Bishop of New York
On March 19, 1970, Head was consecrated an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York.[1][2][3] He was also the Titular Bishop of Ard Sratha.[1] Head served, among other assignments, as executive director of Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of New York.[2]
Bishop of Buffalo
On January 23, 1973, Head was named as the 11th Bishop of Buffalo by Pope Paul VI;[2] and he was installed on March 19, 1973.[1][2][3][4][5]
Fundraising for Catholic Charities increased by an extreme degree under Head's leadership in the Diocese,[2] including the year of his retirement.[2]
Head was involved in many activities as Bishop of Buffalo.[3] Under his leadership, many institutes and offices were created in the Diocese.[3] Many of these endeavors include the Religious Education Coordinators Council; the Priests' Retirement Board; the Center for Church Vocations; the Western New York Catholic Hospital Health Care Council; the Peace and Justice Commission; the Office of Vicar for Religious; and the Permanent Diaconate Program.[3]
Additional efforts included the Office of Vicar for Campus Ministry; the Organist Enrichment Program; the Diocesan Marian Commission; the Office of Vicar for the Central City; Daybreak Productions; the Catholic Charities Parish Outreach Program; the Little Portion Friary; the Pope John Paul II Residence; the Agenda for the 80's; the Diocesan Radio Studio; and the Lay Ministry Advisory Board.[3]
Further endeavors created and/or supervised by Head included the consolidation of the Catholic Education Department; the Renew Program; the Office of Church Ministry; the relocation and consolidation of Diocesan Offices in the Catholic Center; the Office of Black Ministry; the Hispanic Apostolate; the Commission on Women in the Church and Society; the Department of Pro-Life Activities; the New Visions Commission for Pastoral Planning; the reorganization of 10 Central City parishes; and others.[3]
In 1995, upon celebrating the 50th anniversary of his ordination, Head reflected on his appointment as Bishop of Buffalo.[4]
Head is re-quoted in a WBFO article by Eileen Buckley, as well as on a page announcing his death on the Diocese of Buffalo website, in regard to his appointment as Bishop of Buffalo by Pope Paul VI, stating:
- In 1973, Pope Paul, VI, could have sent this church of Buffalo a wiser bishop, a holier bishop, a bishop more astute in administration, or a bishop more gifted in public speaking. But, I don't think Pope Paul could have sent the Diocese a bishop who had tried harder to love you and to serve you.[2][4]
Head ordained 124 men to the priesthood during his time as Bishop of Buffalo.[2] It has been estimated that Head confirmed 50,000 young people to the Roman Catholic Church during his 22 years of service in Buffalo.[2][8]
Honors
Pope John XXIII honored Head in July 1962 by naming him a papal chamberlain.[2] In May 1966, Head was given the title of domestic prelate by Pope Paul VI.[2] Prior to his death, Head was honored with a retirement home for priests that was named for him, the Bishop Edward D. Head Residence, in Lackawanna, New York.[2]
Retirement and later life
Pope John Paul II accepted Head's petition to retire in April 1995.[1][2][3][4][5] Church law required him to retire at age 75;[4] and he was named Bishop Emeritus.[1] Even though he was retired, he continued to play an active role[5] in the Diocese of Buffalo throughout the 1990s and into early part of the next decade.[3] He continued to be active in health care ministry, and other ministries throughout his retirement.[2] Head died on March 29, 2005 in Kenmore, New York, at the age of 85.[1][2][3][4][5][7]
Upon Head's sudden death, Bishop Edward Kmiec was quoted in a March 30, 2005 Buffalo News article:
- This is a day of tremendous sadness for the family of the Diocese of Buffalo. Bishop Head had a tremendous impact on the faith lives of Catholics in the eight counties of Western New York.[7]
Head's body is buried in the crypt of St. Joseph Cathedral in Buffalo.[3][8] He is the first Bishop of Buffalo to have retired in Buffalo.[4]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Bishop Edward Dennis Head, Catholic-Hierarchy, 21 August 2013, Cheney, D.M., Retrieved 3 January 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 Bishop Head dies, Diocese of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY: Diocese of Buffalo, 2014, Retrieved 3 January 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Most Rev. Edward D. Head, Diocese of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY: Diocese of Buffalo, 2014, Retrieved 3 January 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Bishop Edward Head dies, remembered as kind and considerate leader, WBFO 88.7: Buffalo's NPR News Station, Buffalo, NY, 30 March 2005, Buckley, E., Retrieved 3 January 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Bishop Edward Head dies, served as leader of Catholic diocese for 22 years, WBFO 88.7: Buffalo's NPR News Station, Buffalo, NY, 29 March 2005, Scott, M., Retrieved 3 January 2014.
- ↑ Sole power: Bishop Edward Kmiec wants change - and so it will be, Buffalo Business First, Buffalo, NY: Buffalo Business First, 11 September 2006, O'Shei, T., Retrieved 3 January 2014.
- 1 2 3 Bishop Edward D. Head dies at 85, The Buffalo News, Buffalo, NY: Berkshire Hathaway, 30 March 2005, Retrieved 3 January 2014.
- 1 2 Funeral mass held for Bishop Head, WBFO 88.7: Buffalo's NPR News Station, Buffalo, NY, 5 April 2005, Buckley, E., Retrieved 3 January 2014.
External links
| Episcopal lineage | |
| Consecrated by: | Terence Cooke |
| Consecrator of | |
|---|---|
| Bishop | Date of consecration |
| Donald Walter Trautman | April 16, 1985 |
| Edward Michael Grosz | February 2, 1990 |
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by James A. McNulty |
Bishop of Buffalo 1973 – 1995 |
Succeeded by Henry J. Mansell |
| Preceded by Edwin Broderick |
Auxiliary Bishop of New York 1970 – 1973 |
Succeeded by Theodore Edgar McCarrick |
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