George G. Higgins
Encyclopedia
Msgr.
George Gilmary Higgins (January 21, 1916 - May 1, 2002) was a renowned labor activist. He is known as the "labor priest," and has been a moving force in the Roman Catholic church's support for the late Cesar Chavez
and his union movement.
Higgins was a native of Chicago
, Illinois
, where he attended Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary
and the University of St. Mary of the Lake, where he studied under the visionary rector Msgr. Reynold Henry Hillenbrand
. He was ordained for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1940. He studied at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, obtaining a Master's degree in Economics in 1942 and a Ph.D. in 1944.
Higgins served on the staff of the National Catholic Welfare Conference (NCWC), now known as the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB)/United States Catholic Conference(USCC), from 1944 to 1980 and was Director of their Social Action Department, 1954-1967.He was elevated to Papal Chamberlain with the title of Monsignor in 1953 and was named a Domestic Prelate in 1959.
Higgins taught at the Catholic University of America, served as chairman of the public review board of the United Auto Workers
and chairman of the board of the United Farmworkers' Martin Luther King, Jr. Fund.
He was the author of the syndicated column "The Yardstick," and was the author of numerous other writings on worker justice
in light of Catholic social teaching
.
President Clinton presented Higgins with the Medal of Freedom
in August 2000 in recognition of his role as a vocal supporter of the labor movement and an advocate for social justice
. Higgins was the 2000 recipient of the Pacem in Terris Award
. It was named after a 1963 encyclical
letter by Pope John XXIII
that calls upon all people of good will to secure peace among all nations. Pacem in Terris
is Latin
for 'Peace on Earth.'
He died in La Grange, Illinois
on May 1, 2002.
The George Gilmary Higgins papers are housed at the American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C.
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"...
George Gilmary Higgins (January 21, 1916 - May 1, 2002) was a renowned labor activist. He is known as the "labor priest," and has been a moving force in the Roman Catholic church's support for the late Cesar Chavez
César Chávez
César Estrada Chávez was an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist who, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers ....
and his union movement.
Higgins was a native of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, where he attended Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary was an American seminary preparatory school administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago for young men considering the priesthood...
and the University of St. Mary of the Lake, where he studied under the visionary rector Msgr. Reynold Henry Hillenbrand
Reynold Henry Hillenbrand
Reynold Henry Hillenbrand was a seminal American Roman Catholic Church leader in the Liturgical Movement, Chicago priest and seminary rector,...
. He was ordained for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1940. He studied at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, obtaining a Master's degree in Economics in 1942 and a Ph.D. in 1944.
Higgins served on the staff of the National Catholic Welfare Conference (NCWC), now known as the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB)/United States Catholic Conference(USCC), from 1944 to 1980 and was Director of their Social Action Department, 1954-1967.He was elevated to Papal Chamberlain with the title of Monsignor in 1953 and was named a Domestic Prelate in 1959.
Higgins taught at the Catholic University of America, served as chairman of the public review board of the United Auto Workers
United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
and chairman of the board of the United Farmworkers' Martin Luther King, Jr. Fund.
He was the author of the syndicated column "The Yardstick," and was the author of numerous other writings on worker justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
in light of Catholic social teaching
Catholic social teaching
Catholic social teaching is a body of doctrine developed by the Catholic Church on matters of poverty and wealth, economics, social organization and the role of the state...
.
President Clinton presented Higgins with the Medal of Freedom
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is an award bestowed by the President of the United States and is—along with thecomparable Congressional Gold Medal bestowed by an act of U.S. Congress—the highest civilian award in the United States...
in August 2000 in recognition of his role as a vocal supporter of the labor movement and an advocate for social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
. Higgins was the 2000 recipient of the Pacem in Terris Award
Pacem in Terris Award
The Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award is a Catholic peace award which has been given annually since 1964, in commemoration of the 1963 encyclical letter "Pacem in Terris" of Pope John XXIII...
. It was named after a 1963 encyclical
Encyclical
An encyclical was originally a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Catholic Church. At that time, the word could be used for a letter sent out by any bishop...
letter 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...
that calls upon all people of good will to secure peace among all nations. Pacem in Terris
Pacem in Terris
Pacem in Terris was a papal encyclical issued by Pope John XXIII on 11 April 1963. It was the last encyclical drafted by John XXIII, who died from cancer two months after its completion ....
is Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for 'Peace on Earth.'
He died in La Grange, Illinois
La Grange, Illinois
La Grange, a suburb of Chicago, is a village in Cook County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 15,608 at the 2000 census.-History:...
on May 1, 2002.
The George Gilmary Higgins papers are housed at the American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C.