James E. Kearney
Encyclopedia
James Edward Kearney was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Salt Lake City
(1932–37) and Bishop of Rochester
(1937–66).
, Iowa
, the second of the three sons of William Patrick and Rosina (née O'Doherty) Kearney. His parents were Irish
immigrants who were originally from County Donegal
. In 1886, at age 2, he moved with his family to New York City
, where his father worked in retail furniture sales. He received his early education at Public School No. 27 since there was no parochial school
at his home parish, St. Agnes Church.
Kearney graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School
in 1901, and then attended the Teachers College
of Columbia University
, where he earned a Regents license to teach in New York State
. In 1903, he began his studies for the priesthood
at St. Joseph's Seminary
in Yonkers
. He was designated in 1908 to complete his theological studies at the Catholic University of America
in Washington, D.C.
took place a year ahead of his class. Kearney was ordained by Bishop Thomas Cusack
on September 19, 1908. He earned a Licentiate of Sacred Theology
from the Catholic University in 1909. Following his return to New York City, he was assigned as a curate
at St. Cecilia's Church, where he remained until 1928. In addition to his pastoral duties, he taught at Cathedral College
.
Kearney served as the first pastor
of St. Francis Xavier's Church
from 1928 to 1932 and founded the parish school there in 1929. During his tenure at St. Francis Xavier, he also served as professor of religion at Good Counsel College
in White Plains
and as superintendent
of parochial schools in the Bronx.
in Utah
by Pope Pius XI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following October 28 from Cardinal Patrick Joseph Hayes, with Bishops John Joseph Mitty
and John Joseph Dunn
serving as co-consecrators
, at St. Patrick's Cathedral
. His installation took place at the Cathedral of the Madeleine
on November 24 of that year.
In 1936, Kearney spoke before the Knights of Columbus
, urging them to fight communism
and saying, "The spirit of Christ has been driven out of one organization after another...When statesmen meet no thought of God or representative of God is in their council."
, Kearney was appointed the fifth Bishop of Rochester
in New York on October 21, 1937. He was installed on November 11 of that year. During his 29-year tenure, he increased the number of Catholics in the diocese from 223,657 to 361,790; parishes from 129 to 155; priests from 289 to 371; and parochial schools from 72 to 99. He attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council
between 1962 and 1965. He also served as state chaplain to the Knights of Columbus and moderator of the Newman Club Federation.
During World War II
, Kearney declared, "The spirit of Christianity
can dictate a lasting peace, but secularism
, exploitation or totalitarianism
cannot, whether of Nazi
, Communist or Facist
variety." He condemned the "mad craze for entertainment" in modern society, including picture magazine
s, saying man had brought evil upon himself because he did not "pause to take stock of his relationship with God." In 1947, he denounced the film Forever Amber
as a "glorification of immorality and licentiousness," and encouraged Catholics to boycott the film.
He accused colleges of teaching their students "cynical precepts" and causing them to distrust the "perfect lessons they learned at their mother's knee." He also said, "Those who declare it doesn't make any difference what we believe in an attempt to attain religious harmony will fail. For religious intolerance was created...by people who sold dogmatic teaching short."
of Tabaicara by Pope Paul VI
on the same date. He resigned his titular see
on January 18, 1971. He later died at St. Ann's Home in Rochester
, at age 92.
In addition, Kearney Hall, located on the campus of Saint John Fisher College
, is named for his mother.
Bishop Kearney also did much of the original planning that led to the foundation of McQuaid Jesuit High School
.
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 Salt Lake City
Roman Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, officially in Latin Dioecesis Civitatis Lacus Salsi, is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It comprises the entire state of Utah. Also known as the Utah Catholic Church or the See of Salt Lake City, its mother church is the...
(1932–37) and Bishop of Rochester
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester is a diocese of the Catholic Church in the Greater Rochester region of New York State in the United States. The region that the Diocese comprises extends from its northern border on the south shore of Lake Ontario through the Finger Lakes region to its...
(1937–66).
Biography
James Kearney was born in Red OakRed Oak, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 5,742 in the city, with a population density of . There were 2,887 housing units, of which 2,406 were occupied....
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, the second of the three sons of William Patrick and Rosina (née O'Doherty) Kearney. His parents were Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
immigrants who were originally from County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
. In 1886, at age 2, he moved with his family to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where his father worked in retail furniture sales. He received his early education at Public School No. 27 since there was no parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
at his home parish, St. Agnes Church.
Kearney graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School
DeWitt Clinton High School
DeWitt Clinton High School is an American high school located in the Bronx, New York City, New York.-History:Clinton opened in 1897 at 60 West 13th Street at the northern end of Greenwich Village under the name of Boys High School, although this Boys High School was not related to the one in Brooklyn...
in 1901, and then attended the Teachers College
Teachers College, Columbia University
Teachers College, Columbia University is a graduate school of education located in New York City, New York...
of Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, where he earned a Regents license to teach in New York State
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. In 1903, he began his studies for 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....
at St. Joseph's Seminary
St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie
St. Joseph's Seminary and College, sometimes referred to as Dunwoodie, after the Yonkers, New York neighborhood it is located in, is the major seminary of the Archdiocese of New York. Its primary mission is to form men for the priesthood in the Catholic Church...
in Yonkers
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
. He was designated in 1908 to complete his theological studies at the Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Priesthood
In anticipation of his assignment to the Catholic University, his priestly ordinationHoly 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....
took place a year ahead of his class. Kearney was ordained by Bishop Thomas Cusack
Thomas Cusack (bishop)
Thomas Francis Cusack was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Albany from 1915 until his death in 1918.-Biography:...
on September 19, 1908. He earned 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,...
from the Catholic University in 1909. Following his return to New York City, he was assigned as 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 St. Cecilia's Church, where he remained until 1928. In addition to his pastoral duties, he taught at Cathedral College
Cathedral Preparatory Seminary (Queens)
Cathedral Preparatory Seminary is a private, Roman Catholic high school and seminary in Elmhurst, Queens, New York. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn...
.
Kearney served as the first 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. Francis Xavier's Church
St. Francis Xavier's Church (Bronx, New York)
The Church of St. Francis Xavier is a Roman Catholic parish church under the authority of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, located at 1658 Lurting Avenue, Morris Park, in the Bronx. The parish has a church and school, both of which were founded by the Rev...
from 1928 to 1932 and founded the parish school there in 1929. During his tenure at St. Francis Xavier, he also served as professor of religion at Good Counsel College
Pace University
Pace University is an American private, co-educational, and comprehensive multi-campus university in the New York metropolitan area with campuses in New York City and Westchester County, New York.-Programs:...
in White Plains
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
and as superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
of parochial schools in the Bronx.
Salt Lake City
On July 1, 1932, Kearney was appointed the fourth Bishop of Salt Lake CityRoman Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, officially in Latin Dioecesis Civitatis Lacus Salsi, is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It comprises the entire state of Utah. Also known as the Utah Catholic Church or the See of Salt Lake City, its mother church is the...
in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
by Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
. 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 the following October 28 from Cardinal Patrick Joseph Hayes, with Bishops John Joseph Mitty
John Joseph Mitty
John Joseph Mitty was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the third Bishop of Salt Lake City and the fourth Archbishop of San Francisco .-Early life and education:...
and John Joseph Dunn
John Joseph Dunn
John Joseph Dunn was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York from 1921 until his death in 1933.-Biography:...
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 St. Patrick's Cathedral
St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
The Cathedral of St. Patrick is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral church in the United States...
. His installation took place at the Cathedral of the Madeleine
Cathedral of the Madeleine
The Cathedral of the Madeleine is a Roman Catholic church in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It was completed in 1909, and currently serves as the cathedral, or mother church, of the Diocese of Salt Lake City. It is the only cathedral in the U.S. under the patronage of St. Mary Magdalene.The...
on November 24 of that year.
In 1936, Kearney spoke before the Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
, urging them to fight communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and saying, "The spirit of Christ has been driven out of one organization after another...When statesmen meet no thought of God or representative of God is in their council."
Rochester
Following the promotion of Bishop Edward Mooney to the Archdiocese of DetroitRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church covering the Michigan counties of Lapeer, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne...
, Kearney was appointed the fifth Bishop of Rochester
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester is a diocese of the Catholic Church in the Greater Rochester region of New York State in the United States. The region that the Diocese comprises extends from its northern border on the south shore of Lake Ontario through the Finger Lakes region to its...
in New York on October 21, 1937. He was installed on November 11 of that year. During his 29-year tenure, he increased the number of Catholics in the diocese from 223,657 to 361,790; parishes from 129 to 155; priests from 289 to 371; and parochial schools from 72 to 99. He attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
between 1962 and 1965. He also served as state chaplain to the Knights of Columbus and moderator of the Newman Club Federation.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Kearney declared, "The spirit of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
can dictate a lasting peace, but secularism
Secularism
Secularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
, exploitation or totalitarianism
Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible...
cannot, whether of Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
, Communist or Facist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
variety." He condemned the "mad craze for entertainment" in modern society, including picture magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s, saying man had brought evil upon himself because he did not "pause to take stock of his relationship with God." In 1947, he denounced the film Forever Amber
Forever Amber (film)
Forever Amber is a 1947 film directed by Otto Preminger and starring Linda Darnell and Cornel Wilde. It was based on the book of the same name. It also starred Richard Greene, George Sanders, Glenn Langan, Richard Haydn, Dolores Hart, and Jessica Tandy...
as a "glorification of immorality and licentiousness," and encouraged Catholics to boycott the film.
He accused colleges of teaching their students "cynical precepts" and causing them to distrust the "perfect lessons they learned at their mother's knee." He also said, "Those who declare it doesn't make any difference what we believe in an attempt to attain religious harmony will fail. For religious intolerance was created...by people who sold dogmatic teaching short."
Later life and death
On October 21, 1966, Kearney retired as Bishop of Rochester; he was appointed Titular BishopTitular 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 Tabaicara 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...
on the same date. He resigned his titular see
Titular see
A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular bishop", "titular metropolitan", or "titular archbishop"....
on January 18, 1971. He later died at St. Ann's Home in Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, at age 92.
Legacy
The following buildings or schools are named after Bishop Kearney:- Bishop Kearney High School (Irondequoit, New York), near Rochester
- Kearney Residence Hall, located on the campus of Nazareth CollegeNazareth College (New York)Nazareth College of Rochester, NY, is a private liberal arts college in Pittsford, New York, a suburb of Rochester.-History:Nazareth was founded in 1924 by the Sisters of St. Joseph. The first class, comprising 25 young women, began their studies in a large mansion on Lake Avenue in Rochester, New...
In addition, Kearney Hall, located on the campus of Saint John Fisher College
Saint John Fisher College
St. John Fisher College is a private liberal arts college located in Pittsford, New York, United States, an eastern suburb of Rochester. Fisher is ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the "Tier 1" Northern Master's Universities, while U.S News rates admissions to the College as...
, is named for his mother.
Bishop Kearney also did much of the original planning that led to the foundation of McQuaid Jesuit High School
McQuaid Jesuit High School
McQuaid Jesuit High School is an all-male, Jesuit college preparatory high school located in Rochester, New York, USA. Named after Bernard J. McQuaid, the first bishop of the Rochester diocese, McQuaid is located at 1800 Clinton Avenue South, in the suburb of Brighton.McQuaid was founded in 1954 in...
.