Michael J. Fitzgerald (bishop)
Encyclopedia
Michael J. Fitzgerald is an American
Roman Catholic
priest
. He was appointed an auxiliary bishop
of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
by Pope Benedict XVI
on June 22, 2010 and ordained on August 6, 2010.
, New Jersey
, the second of nine children of Edwin and Dorothy (née Bogart) Fitzgerald. He and his family moved to Pennsylvania
when he was a young boy, first to Southwest Philadelphia
and then to King of Prussia
. He received his early education at the parochial school
s of St. Clement Church in Philadelphia and St. Augustine Church in Bridgeport
. He attended Bishop Kenrick High School
in Norristown
from 1962 to 1966.
He graduated from Temple University
with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in English in 1970, and earned a Juris Doctor
from Villanova University School of Law
in 1973. He served as a judicial clerk
in the Court of Common Pleas
in Montgomery County
from 1973 to 1975, and then worked in private practice. After feeling called to the priesthood
, he consulted his pastor
and then entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
in Overbrook
in 1975. He earned a Master of Divinity
degree from St. Charles in 1980.
a priest for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
by Cardinal John Krol. His first assignment was as a parochial vicar
at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Roxborough
, where he remained for one year. He then served at St. Callistus Church in Philadelphia from 1981 to 1982. He was the defender of the bond
(1982-1983) and a judge (1983-1987) on the Metropolitan Tribunal. During his tenure on the tribunal, he resided at Immaculate Conception Parish
in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia.
Fitzgerald then furthered his studies at the Catholic University of America
in Washington, D.C.
, where he earned a Licentiate of Canon Law
in 1989. In 1991, he received a Doctor of Canon Law
degree from the Pontifical Gregorian University
in Rome
. Following his return to Philadelphia, he served as the first director of the Archdiocesan Office for Legal Services from 1991 to 2004. During his tenure as director, he resided at St. Thomas Aquinas Church and afterwards at Annunciation B.V.M. Church, both in South Philadelphia
. He was named a Chaplain of His Holiness
on March 24, 2003.
From 2004 to 2007, Fitzgerald was vice-rector
of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. As vice-rector, he also served as chairman of the Admissions Committee. He became judicial vicar
of the archdiocese in 2007, holding that office until 2010. During his three-year tenure, he resided at St. Patrick's Church in Philadelphia. He also served as a member of the College of Consultor
s, Priests Personnel Board, and Priests' Counsel, and a chaplain
to the Serra Club of Philadelphia and to the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters
.
of Philadelphia and titular bishop
of Tamallula by Pope Benedict XVI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on August 6, 2010 from Cardinal Justin Francis Rigali at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Roman Catholic
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...
priest
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....
. He was appointed an 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 Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. The diocese was...
by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
on June 22, 2010 and ordained on August 6, 2010.
Early life and career
Michael Fitzgerald was born in MontclairMontclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, the second of nine children of Edwin and Dorothy (née Bogart) Fitzgerald. He and his family moved to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
when he was a young boy, first to Southwest Philadelphia
Southwest Philadelphia
Southwest Philadelphia is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The section can be described as extending from the western side of the Schuylkill River to the city line, with the SEPTA Media/Elwyn Line serving as the northern border...
and then to King of Prussia
King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
King of Prussia is a census-designated place in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 19,936. The community took its name in the 18th century from a local tavern named the King of Prussia Inn, which was named after...
. He received his early education at the 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:...
s of St. Clement Church in Philadelphia and St. Augustine Church in Bridgeport
Bridgeport, Pennsylvania
Bridgeport is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 18 miles north of Philadelphia on the Schuylkill River. The old-time industries were paper, flour, cotton, and woolen mills, steel works, brickyards, etc. Bridgeport is six miles east of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania...
. He attended Bishop Kenrick High School
Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic High School
Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic High School was a private, Roman Catholic high school in Norristown, Pennsylvania, United States, and was located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia.-Background:...
in Norristown
Norristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown is a municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, northwest of the city limits of Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River. The population was 34,324 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...
from 1962 to 1966.
He graduated from Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
with a 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 English in 1970, and earned a Juris Doctor
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...
from Villanova University School of Law
Villanova University School of Law
Villanova University School of Law is the law school of Villanova University, the oldest and largest Catholic University in Pennsylvania. Villanova was founded 150 years ago by the Augustinians, a prominent Roman Catholic teaching order...
in 1973. He served as a judicial clerk
Law clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
in the Court of Common Pleas
Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas
The Pennsylvania Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania .The Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of general jurisdiction in the state....
in Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
from 1973 to 1975, and then worked in private practice. After feeling called 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....
, he consulted his 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"....
and then entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary is the seminary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Named for Charles Borromeo, it is located in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania,...
in Overbrook
Overbrook, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Overbrook is a neighborhood northwest of West Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The area contains an assortment of housing from large, old homes to row homes to 3-4 story apartment buildings.-Physical setting:...
in 1975. He earned a Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
degree from St. Charles in 1980.
Priesthood
On May 17, 1980, Fitzgerald was ordainedHoly 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....
a priest for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It covers the City and County of Philadelphia as well as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. The diocese was...
by Cardinal John Krol. His first assignment was as a parochial vicar
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 Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Roxborough
Roxborough, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Roxborough is a neighborhood in the Northwest Philadelphia section of the United States city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is bordered to the southwest, along the Schuylkill River, by the neighborhood of Manayunk, along the northeast by the Wissahickon Creek section of Fairmount Park, and to...
, where he remained for one year. He then served at St. Callistus Church in Philadelphia from 1981 to 1982. He was the defender of the bond
Defender of the Matrimonial Tie
The Defender of the Bond, or Defensor Matrimonii in Latin, is a Catholic church official whose duty is to defend the marriage-bond in the procedure prescribed for the hearing of matrimonial causes which involve the validity or nullity of a marriage already contracted.Benedict XIV, by his Bull "Dei...
(1982-1983) and a judge (1983-1987) on the Metropolitan Tribunal. During his tenure on the tribunal, he resided at Immaculate Conception Parish
Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church (Northern Liberties), Philadelphia
The Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church is located at Front and Allen Streets in Philadelphia, PA 19123 in the Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania section of the city. The parish was founded in 1869, under the leadership of Bishop James Frederick Wood. Twenty-five years...
in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia.
Fitzgerald then furthered his 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....
, where he earned a 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...
in 1989. In 1991, he received a Doctor of Canon Law
Doctor of Canon Law
Doctor of Canon Law is the doctoral-level terminal degree in the studies of canon law of the Roman Catholic Church.It may also be abbreviated I.C.D. or dr.iur.can. , ICDr., D.C.L., D.Cnl., D.D.C., or D.Can.L. . Doctor of both laws are J.U.D...
degree from the Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Gregorian University
The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
in 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...
. Following his return to Philadelphia, he served as the first director of the Archdiocesan Office for Legal Services from 1991 to 2004. During his tenure as director, he resided at St. Thomas Aquinas Church and afterwards at Annunciation B.V.M. Church, both in South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west.-History:...
. He was named a Chaplain of His Holiness
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"...
on March 24, 2003.
From 2004 to 2007, Fitzgerald was vice-rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. As vice-rector, he also served as chairman of the Admissions Committee. He became judicial vicar
Judicial vicar
In the Roman Catholic Church, a judicial vicar is an officer of the diocese who has ordinary power to judge cases in the diocesan ecclesiastical court...
of the archdiocese in 2007, holding that office until 2010. During his three-year tenure, he resided at St. Patrick's Church in Philadelphia. He also served as a member of the College of Consultor
Consultor
A consultor is one who gives counsel, i.e. a counselor.In the Catholic Church, it is a specific title for various advisory positions:*in the Roman Curia, a consultor is a specially appointed expert who may be called upon for advice desired by a department...
s, Priests Personnel Board, and Priests' Counsel, and a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
to the Serra Club of Philadelphia and to the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters
Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters
The Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters are a Roman Catholic religious order of cloistered nuns.The nuns live a contemplative life, focused on perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, offering intercessory prayers for the world. Inside the cloister the nuns wear rose-colored habits in honor of the...
.
Episcopacy
On June 22, 2010, Fitzgerald was appointed auxiliary bishopAuxiliary 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 Philadelphia 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 Tamallula by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
. 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 August 6, 2010 from Cardinal Justin Francis Rigali at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul.