Edward Cornelius O'Leary
Encyclopedia
Edward Cornelius O'Leary (August 21, 1920—April 2, 2002) was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Portland
from 1974 to 1988.
, Maine
, and studied at Holy Cross College
in Worcester
, Massachusetts
, from where he obtained his Bachelor's degree
. He also attended St. Paul's Seminary
in Ottawa
, Canada
, there earning a Licentiate of Sacred Theology
. Returning to Maine, he was ordained
to the priesthood
by Bishop Joseph Edward McCarthy
on June 15, 1946.
O'Leary was a curate
at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
before serving at Sacred Heart Church of Portland
and at St. Margaret's Church in Old Orchard Beach
. He was later named chancellor
of the Diocese of Portland
, and a Domestic Prelate
by Pope John XXIII
in 1959. He was pastor
of St. Charles Borromeo Church in Brunswick
from 1967 to 1971.
On November 16, 1970, O'Leary was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of Portland and Titular Bishop
of Moglaena by Pope Paul VI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on January 25, 1971 from Bishop Peter Leo Gerety
, with Bishops Bernard Joseph Flanagan
and Lawrence Graves
serving as co-consecrators
, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Following the promotion of Bishop Gerety to Archbishop of Newark
in April 1974, O'Leary was named to succeed him as the ninth Bishop of Portland
on October 16, 1974. He was formally installed
on December 18 of that year.
During his tenure, O'Leary was forced to address the problems of an increasing population but a decline in priestly vocations. He encouraged the greater involvement of laity
and women in church administration, and developed a system of parish councils
. The Portland Diocese also joined the Maine Council of Churches during this time. O'Leary took frequent public stands on a number of social issues
of importance to the Church, endorsing a referendum
on pornography
and opposing the Maine Equal Rights Amendment (which he believed would enforce tax
payer-funded abortion
s). He also targeted AIDS
victims for the Church's social services program. It was also customary for Bishop O'Leary to visit all the hospitals every Christmas Day.
After fourteen years as bishop, O'Leary retired due to health reasons on September 27, 1988. He later died at age 81. He was brother of the sister-in-law of Bishop Thomas Vose Daily
.
He is fondly remembered for his quick wit, ready laugh, and unfailing affability. He remained Bishop Emeritus of Portland until his death on April 2, 2002.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He served as Bishop of Portland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States comprising the entire state of Maine...
from 1974 to 1988.
Biography
Edward O'Leary was born in BangorBangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, and studied at Holy Cross College
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
in Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, from where he obtained his Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
. He also attended St. Paul's Seminary
Saint Paul University
Saint Paul University is a Catholic Pontifical university federated with the University of Ottawa. It is located on Main Street in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and has been entrusted for more than a century to the Congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, there earning a Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate of Sacred Theology is the title of the second cycle of studies of a Faculty of Theology offered by a pontifical universities or ecclesiastical faculties of sacred theology. An Ecclesiastical Faculty offers three cycles of study: Baccalaureate or fundamentals, Licentiate or specialized,...
. Returning to Maine, he was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
by Bishop Joseph Edward McCarthy
Joseph Edward McCarthy
Joseph Edward McCarthy was the sixth Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland .McCarthy was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, and was a childhood friend of Bishop John Murray. After attending Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts, he was ordained to the priesthood on July 4, 1903. He then taught...
on June 15, 1946.
O'Leary was a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception may refer to:In Benin:*Basilique de l’Immaculée Conception, OuidahIn Burkina Faso:*Ouagadougou CathedralIn Canada:*Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception...
before serving at Sacred Heart Church of Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
and at St. Margaret's Church in Old Orchard Beach
Old Orchard Beach, Maine
Old Orchard Beach is a town and census-designated place in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 8,856 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. He was later named chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
of the Diocese of Portland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States comprising the entire state of Maine...
, and a Domestic Prelate
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
by Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
in 1959. He was pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of St. Charles Borromeo Church in Brunswick
Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,278 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, , and the...
from 1967 to 1971.
On November 16, 1970, O'Leary was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Portland and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Moglaena by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
. He received his episcopal
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on January 25, 1971 from Bishop Peter Leo Gerety
Peter Leo Gerety
Peter Leo Gerety is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was Archbishop of Newark from 1974 to 1986, having previously served as Bishop of Portland...
, with Bishops Bernard Joseph Flanagan
Bernard Joseph Flanagan
Bernard Joseph Flanagan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Norwich and Bishop of Worcester .-Biography:...
and Lawrence Graves
Lawrence Preston Joseph Graves
Lawrence Preston Joseph Graves was the seventh Bishop of Alexandria in Louisiana .Graves was born in Texarkana, Arkansas, and attended in Little Rock. He then studied at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, and at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C...
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Following the promotion of Bishop Gerety to Archbishop of Newark
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
The Archdiocese of Newark is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jersey counties of Bergen, Union, Hudson and Essex .-History:Originally established as the Diocese of...
in April 1974, O'Leary was named to succeed him as the ninth Bishop of Portland
Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States comprising the entire state of Maine...
on October 16, 1974. He was formally installed
Enthronement
An enthronement is a ceremony of inauguration, involving a person—usually a monarch or religious leader—being formally seated for the first time upon their throne. This ritual is generally distinguished from a coronation because there is no crown or other regalia that is physically...
on December 18 of that year.
During his tenure, O'Leary was forced to address the problems of an increasing population but a decline in priestly vocations. He encouraged the greater involvement of laity
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
and women in church administration, and developed a system of parish councils
Parish council (US Catholic Church)
Not to be confused with Pastoral CouncilIn American Roman Catholic parishes, the parish council arose after Vatican II in the new era of lay participation in parish decision making. It was a response to the Vatican II Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People...
. The Portland Diocese also joined the Maine Council of Churches during this time. O'Leary took frequent public stands on a number of social issues
Social issues
Social issues are controversial issues which relate to people's personal lives and interactions. Social issues are distinguished from economic issues...
of importance to the Church, endorsing a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
on pornography
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
and opposing the Maine Equal Rights Amendment (which he believed would enforce tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
payer-funded abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
s). He also targeted AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
victims for the Church's social services program. It was also customary for Bishop O'Leary to visit all the hospitals every Christmas Day.
After fourteen years as bishop, O'Leary retired due to health reasons on September 27, 1988. He later died at age 81. He was brother of the sister-in-law of Bishop Thomas Vose Daily
Thomas Vose Daily
Thomas Vose Daily was the sixth Roman Catholic bishop of Brooklyn from 1990 to 2003 and since then has been Bishop Emeritus of the Brooklyn Diocese.-Early life and ordination:...
.
He is fondly remembered for his quick wit, ready laugh, and unfailing affability. He remained Bishop Emeritus of Portland until his death on April 2, 2002.