Juan Conway McNabb
Encyclopedia
Juan Conway McNabb is an American
born bishop
in the Catholic Church
and served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Chulucanas in the Piura Region
of Peru
from 1988-2000.
, Wisconsin
and professed religious vows in the Order of St. Augustine. He was ordained a Catholic priest
on May 24, 1952. He taught in high schools sponsored by the Augustinian Community in Chicago, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri
.
On March 4, 1964 Father McNabb was named the first ordinary of the Prelature of Chulucanas by Pope Blessed John XXIII. He was able to attend the third and fourth sessions of the Second Vatican Council
as a voting member.
The prelature was 14000 square miles (36,259.8 km²) and its area was about two thirds mountains and one-third desert. When McNabb came to the area there were no telephones, roads or electricity. There were 140,000 people in the territory and almost all of them were Catholic. There were only a few diocesan priests and six Franciscan
priests from Sicily
. He was not fluent in Spanish
and so he utilized the services of an interpreter until he became fluent.
On April 8, 1967, Pope Paul VI named McNabb Titular Bishop
of Saia Maior, and he was ordained a bishop on June 17, 1967. Archbishop
John Patrick Cody of Chicago
was the ordaining prelate
. Bishop Petrus Canisius Jean van Lierde, OSA
of the Roman Curia
and Archbishop Erasmo Hinojosa Hurtado of Piura were the principal co-consecrators. On December 12, 1988 Pope John Paul II raised the prelature to a diocese and Bishop McNabb became its first bishop.
Because so many of the people in the diocese lived a long way from parish churches or chapels, and there were so few priests to minister to them, a pastoral plan was developed to establish small Christian communities and train lay people as catechists. Bishop McNabb stated, “When I left (Chulucanas
), there was only one priest for every 14,000 people, but you had 23,000 of the laity collaborating on parish ministry in a common program. So, there was someone in ministry for every 23 people." The plan also succeeded in fostering the necessary vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
There was a certaiin amount of danger in the Chulucanas diocese. A corrupt group of people had control of a significant religious festival in the town of Ayabaca
. When Bishop McNabb took the control of the festival from them they forced the pastor into hiding and destroyed his property. Bishop McNabb was required to have a police escort whenever he visited the parish. Marxist guerillas also destroyed his residence.
Bishop McNabb had coronary artery bypass surgery
in 1990, and in 1996 the Rev. Daniel Thomas Turley Murphy
, OSA was named coadjutor bishop
of the diocese. Pope John Paul II accepted Bishop McNabb’s resignation on October 28, 2000, and he returned to the United States. After he left Chulucanas he ministered among Latinos in Illinois
, and then became pastor
of St. Clare of Montefalco parish in Grosse Pointe Park
, Michigan
in 2002.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
born bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
in the 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...
and served as the first bishop of the Diocese of Chulucanas in the Piura Region
Piura Region
Piura is a coastal region in northwestern Peru. The region's capital is Piura and its largest port cities, Paita and Talara, are also among the most important in Peru...
of Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
from 1988-2000.
Biography
John McNabb was born in BeloitBeloit, Wisconsin
Beloit is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2010 census, Beloit had a population of 36,966. The greater Beloit area is home to more than 91,000 residents.-Claim to fame:...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and professed religious vows in the Order of St. Augustine. He was ordained a Catholic priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
on May 24, 1952. He taught in high schools sponsored by the Augustinian Community in Chicago, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
On March 4, 1964 Father McNabb was named the first ordinary of the Prelature of Chulucanas by Pope Blessed John XXIII. He was able to attend the third and fourth 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...
as a voting member.
The prelature was 14000 square miles (36,259.8 km²) and its area was about two thirds mountains and one-third desert. When McNabb came to the area there were no telephones, roads or electricity. There were 140,000 people in the territory and almost all of them were Catholic. There were only a few diocesan priests and six Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
priests from Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. He was not fluent in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and so he utilized the services of an interpreter until he became fluent.
On April 8, 1967, Pope Paul VI named McNabb 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 Saia Maior, and he was ordained a bishop on June 17, 1967. Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
John Patrick Cody of Chicago
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago
The Archdiocese of Chicago was established as a diocese in 1843 and as an Archdiocese in 1880. It serves more than 2.3 million Catholics in Cook and Lake counties in Northeastern Illinois, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The Archdiocese is divided into six vicariates and 31 deaneries...
was the ordaining 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...
. Bishop Petrus Canisius Jean van Lierde, OSA
Order of Saint Augustine
The Order of St. Augustine —historically Ordo Eremitarum Sancti Augustini", O.E.S.A.), generally called Augustinians is a Catholic Religious Order, which, although more ancient, was formally created in the thirteenth century and combined of several previous Augustinian eremetical Orders into one...
of the Roman Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
and Archbishop Erasmo Hinojosa Hurtado of Piura were the principal co-consecrators. On December 12, 1988 Pope John Paul II raised the prelature to a diocese and Bishop McNabb became its first bishop.
Because so many of the people in the diocese lived a long way from parish churches or chapels, and there were so few priests to minister to them, a pastoral plan was developed to establish small Christian communities and train lay people as catechists. Bishop McNabb stated, “When I left (Chulucanas
Chulucanas
Chulucanas is a town in Piura Region, Peru. It is located at around .The town is famous for its pottery. Originally dating from pre-Inca times it is today exported all over the world. Designs are varied, but are predominated by black and white. There are several bigger companies but a lot of small...
), there was only one priest for every 14,000 people, but you had 23,000 of the laity collaborating on parish ministry in a common program. So, there was someone in ministry for every 23 people." The plan also succeeded in fostering the necessary vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
There was a certaiin amount of danger in the Chulucanas diocese. A corrupt group of people had control of a significant religious festival in the town of Ayabaca
Ayabaca
Ayabaca is a town located in the highlands of the Piura Region in northwestern Peru. It is located in the Ayabaca Province and is capital of that province. The town is located at 2,815 meters above sea level and has good weather...
. When Bishop McNabb took the control of the festival from them they forced the pastor into hiding and destroyed his property. Bishop McNabb was required to have a police escort whenever he visited the parish. Marxist guerillas also destroyed his residence.
Bishop McNabb had coronary artery bypass surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery
Coronary artery bypass surgery, also coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and colloquially heart bypass or bypass surgery is a surgical procedure performed to relieve angina and reduce the risk of death from coronary artery disease...
in 1990, and in 1996 the Rev. Daniel Thomas Turley Murphy
Daniel Thomas Turley Murphy
Daniel Thomas Turley Murphy is an American born bishop in the Catholic Church and has been the bishop of the Diocese of Chulucanas in the Piura Region of Peru since 2000.-Biography:...
, OSA was named coadjutor bishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
of the diocese. Pope John Paul II accepted Bishop McNabb’s resignation on October 28, 2000, and he returned to the United States. After he left Chulucanas he ministered among Latinos in 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,...
, and then became 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. Clare of Montefalco parish in Grosse Pointe Park
Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan
Grosse Pointe Park is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 11,555 at the 2010 census. Bordering on Detroit with frontage on southern Lake Saint Clair, it is the westernmost of the noted Grosse Pointe suburbs, with the oldest overall housing stock of the five cities...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
in 2002.