James Anthony Griffin
Encyclopedia
James Anthony Griffin is an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Columbus
from 1983 to 2004.
, Ohio
, to Thomas Anthony Griffin and Margaret Mary Hanousek. He attended St. Angela Merici School in Fairview Park, and St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland
. He attended St. Charles College
in Catonsville
, Maryland
, and Borromeo College in Wickliffe
, Ohio
, where he received his Bachelor of Arts
degree in Philosophy
. He attended St. Mary Seminary in Cleveland. Bishop John Krol ordained
him to the priesthood
on May 28, 1960, in St. John Cathedral.
Griffin spent one year as Associate Pastor
at St. Jerome Parish in Cleveland. In 1961, he was sent to Rome
to pursue graduate studies in Church Law
. He received his Licentiate of Canon Law
magna cum laude
from the Pontifical Lateran University
in 1963. Upon his return to the Cleveland Diocese
, Griffin served as Secretary
-Notary
of the Marriage Court
of the Cleveland Diocese for two years. He was appointed to the Chancery
Staff in 1965, and served as Associate Chancellor
and Vice Chancellor. During that time, he attended night classes at Cleveland State University
and received his Doctorate in Civil Law
summa cum laude
in 1972. He passed the Ohio Bar and is a licensed attorney
. Griffin served as Chancellor of the Diocese of Cleveland from 1973 until 1978.
In January 1978, he was appointed by Bishop James Hickey as Vicar General
of the Cleveland Diocese and Administrator pro tem of St. John Cathedral in Cleveland. In April of that year, he was appointed pastor
of St. William Parish in Euclid
. In June 1979, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of the Diocese of Cleveland. Pope John Paul II
appointed Griffin the tenth Bishop
of the Diocese of Columbus
, Ohio on February 7, 1983. He was installed
as Bishop of the Diocese of Columbus on April 25, 1983.
While serving as Bishop of Columbus, Griffin established the Foundation of the Catholic Diocese of Columbus (1985); inaugurated far-reaching planning processes for the Diocese; initiated the Legacy of Catholic Learning (1989) and Challenge In Changing Times (2000) campaigns to help meet the educational and future needs of the Diocese; and helped initiate the community-wide, faith-based task force titled “Breaking The Silence” that continues to work to reduce family violence. Bishop Griffin also served on a number of committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
and was President of Catholic Relief Services
(1991–1995).
Bishop Griffin announced his retirement on October 14, 2004, citing limitations brought on by age and arthritis
that detracted from the energy necessary to serve the Church of Columbus as he had been accustomed. He announced concurrently that John Paul II had selected Bishop Frederick F. Campbell
of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
as his successor.
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 Columbus
Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus is a Roman Catholic diocese in the Ecclesiastical Province of Cincinnati covering 23 counties in Ohio. The episcopal see of the diocese is situated at Columbus, Ohio. The diocese was erected on March 3, 1868 by Pope Pius IX out of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati...
from 1983 to 2004.
Biography
The fifth of seven children, Griffin was born in Fairview ParkFairview Park, Ohio
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 420,690 people, 7,856 households, and 4,713 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,742.2 people per square mile . There were 8,152 housing units at an average density of 1,736.1 per square mile...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, to Thomas Anthony Griffin and Margaret Mary Hanousek. He attended St. Angela Merici School in Fairview Park, and St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. He attended St. Charles College
St. Charles College, Maryland
St. Charles College was a seminary college in Catonsville, Maryland, originally from Ellicott City, Maryland.- 1776:Charles Carroll of Carrollton signs the Declaration of Independence for Maryland. One of the wealthiest men in the Americas, Carroll staked his fortune on the American Revolution...
in Catonsville
Catonsville, Maryland
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:In 2010 Catonsville had a population of 41,567...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, and Borromeo College in Wickliffe
Wickliffe, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there are 13,484 people, 5,604 households, 3,754 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,898.2 people per square mile . There are 5,787 housing units at an average density of 1,243.8 per square mile...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, where he received his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
. He attended St. Mary Seminary in Cleveland. Bishop John Krol 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....
him 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....
on May 28, 1960, in St. John Cathedral.
Griffin spent one year as Associate Pastor
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 St. Jerome Parish in Cleveland. In 1961, he was sent to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
to pursue graduate studies in Church Law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
. He received his Licentiate of Canon Law
Licentiate of Canon Law
Licentiate of Canon Law is the title of an advanced graduate degree with canonical effects in the Roman Catholic Church offered by pontifical universities and ecclesiastical faculties of canon law...
magna cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
from the Pontifical Lateran University
Pontifical Lateran University
The Pontifical Lateran University is a university by pontifical right based in Rome, Italy. The university also hosts the central session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family...
in 1963. Upon his return to the Cleveland Diocese
Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland is a Roman Catholic diocese in Ohio. It was erected on April 23, 1847 by Pope Pius IX. The diocese lost territory in 1910 when the Diocese of Toledo was erected by Pope Pius X, and in 1943 when the Diocese of Youngstown was erected by Pope Pius XII...
, Griffin served as Secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
-Notary
Notary
A notary is a lawyer or person with legal training who is licensed by the state to perform acts in legal affairs, in particular witnessing signatures on documents...
of the Marriage Court
Ecclesiastical court
An ecclesiastical court is any of certain courts having jurisdiction mainly in spiritual or religious matters. In the Middle Ages in many areas of Europe these courts had much wider powers than before the development of nation states...
of the Cleveland Diocese for two years. He was appointed to the Chancery
Curia (Roman Catholic Church)
In Roman Catholicism, a curia consists of a group of officials who assist in the governance of a particular Church. These curias range from the relatively simple diocesan curia, to the larger patriarchal curias, to the Roman Curia, which is the central government of the Catholic Church.Other...
Staff in 1965, and served as Associate 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....
and Vice Chancellor. During that time, he attended night classes at Cleveland State University
Cleveland State University
Cleveland State University is a public university located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 when the state of Ohio assumed control of Fenn College, and it absorbed the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1969...
and received his Doctorate in Civil Law
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
summa cum laude
Latin honors
Latin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
in 1972. He passed the Ohio Bar and is a licensed attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
. Griffin served as Chancellor of the Diocese of Cleveland from 1973 until 1978.
In January 1978, he was appointed by Bishop James Hickey as Vicar General
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the Cleveland Diocese and Administrator pro tem of St. John Cathedral in Cleveland. In April of that year, he was appointed 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. William Parish in Euclid
Euclid, Ohio
Euclid is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area, and borders Cleveland. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 48,920...
. In June 1979, he 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 the Diocese of Cleveland. Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
appointed Griffin the tenth Bishop
Ordinary
In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...
of the Diocese of Columbus
Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus is a Roman Catholic diocese in the Ecclesiastical Province of Cincinnati covering 23 counties in Ohio. The episcopal see of the diocese is situated at Columbus, Ohio. The diocese was erected on March 3, 1868 by Pope Pius IX out of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati...
, Ohio on February 7, 1983. He was 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...
as Bishop of the Diocese of Columbus on April 25, 1983.
While serving as Bishop of Columbus, Griffin established the Foundation of the Catholic Diocese of Columbus (1985); inaugurated far-reaching planning processes for the Diocese; initiated the Legacy of Catholic Learning (1989) and Challenge In Changing Times (2000) campaigns to help meet the educational and future needs of the Diocese; and helped initiate the community-wide, faith-based task force titled “Breaking The Silence” that continues to work to reduce family violence. Bishop Griffin also served on a number of committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
and was President of Catholic Relief Services
Catholic Relief Services
Catholic Relief Services is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Founded in 1943 by the U.S. bishops, the agency provides assistance to 130 million people in more than 90 countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and...
(1991–1995).
Bishop Griffin announced his retirement on October 14, 2004, citing limitations brought on by age and arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
that detracted from the energy necessary to serve the Church of Columbus as he had been accustomed. He announced concurrently that John Paul II had selected Bishop Frederick F. Campbell
Frederick F. Campbell
Frederick Francis Campbell is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the eleventh and current Bishop of Columbus.-Early life and education:...
of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. It is led by the prelature of an archbishop which administers the archdiocese from the cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis...
as his successor.