Michael Joseph Begley
Encyclopedia
Michael Joseph Begley was an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He was the first Bishop of Charlotte
, North Carolina
from 1972 until 1984.
, Massachusetts
, to Dennis and Anna (née Moynahan) Begley. His father came to the United States
from County Kerry
in Ireland
. He received his early education at West Springfield public schools and at Cathedral High School
. He studied at Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg
, Maryland
, from where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts
degree in 1930. He was ordained
to the priesthood
by Bishop Thomas Michael O'Leary
on May 26, 1934, for the Diocese of Raleigh
, North Carolina
. His first assignments were at St. Mary Church in Wilmington
and at St. Edward Church in High Point
.
He then served as pastor
of St. Therese Church in Wrightsville Beach, Immaculate Conception Church in Wilmington (1938–1942), and at St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem
(1942–1955). He earned a Master of Social Work
degree from the University of North Carolina
in 1949, and was named a Domestic Prelate
in 1954. In 1955, he became the first pastor of St. Ann Church in Charlotte
. He was later made superintendent
of Raleigh's Catholic orphanage
and pastor of Our Lady of Grace Church
in Greensboro
.
On November 30, 1971, Begley was appointed the first Bishop
of the newly-erected Diocese of Charlotte
by Pope Paul VI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on January 12, 1972 from Archbishop Luigi Raimondi
, with Bishops Vincent Stanislaus Waters
and George Edward Lynch serving as co-consecrators
. He selected as his motto: "Diligimus Fratres" ("We Have Loved the Brethren"). In addition to his duties as a diocesan bishop, he also served as chairman
of the Catholic Committee on Appalachia. In this capacity, he led 26 other bishops from 13 states in issuing a joint pastoral letter "This Land is Home to Me" on the state of the powerless in the region. A supporter of capital punishment
, Begley endorsed the 1984 execution of Velma Barfield
, noting, "The state has a right to decide on the death penalty and this is one instance when they chose that right." Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Begley submitted his letter of resignation to Pope John Paul II
in March 1984. His resignation was accepted on May 29, 1984, and was succeeded by John Francis Donoghue.
Begley died at Maryfield Nursing Home in High Point, aged 92. He was a cousin of Bishop William Joseph Hafey
, and baptized Bishop Peter Joseph Jugis as a child.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
clergyman 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 was the first Bishop of Charlotte
Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, formally in Latin Dioecesis Carolinana, is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States comprising the counties of western North Carolina divided into ten vicariates named for and administered from Albemarle, Asheville, Boone,...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
from 1972 until 1984.
Biography
Begley was born in West SpringfieldWest Springfield, Massachusetts
The Town of West Springfield is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 28,391 at the 2010 census...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, to Dennis and Anna (née Moynahan) Begley. His father came to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
in Ireland
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...
. He received his early education at West Springfield public schools and at Cathedral High School
Cathedral High School (Springfield, Massachusetts)
Cathedral High School is a Catholic co-educational college-preparatory High School in Springfield, Massachusetts. Opened in 1883 by the Sisters of Saint Joseph at the diocese's Saint Michael's Cathedral, its current facility has been at 260 Surrey Road since 1959 in one of the city's residential...
. He studied at Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg
Emmitsburg, Maryland
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,290 people, 811 households, and 553 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,992.9 people per square mile . There were 862 housing units at an average density of 750.2 per square mile...
, 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...
, from where he obtained 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 1930. He was 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....
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....
by Bishop Thomas Michael O'Leary
Thomas Michael O'Leary
Thomas Michael O'Leary was the third Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield in Massachusetts .The third of seven children, O'Leary was born in Dover, New Hampshire, to Michael and Margaret O'Leary...
on May 26, 1934, for the Diocese of Raleigh
Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh
The Diocese of Raleigh is a Roman Catholic diocese that covers the eastern half of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The bishop is seated at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Raleigh, North Carolina.- Establishment :...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. His first assignments were at St. Mary Church in Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
and at St. Edward Church in High Point
High Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....
.
He then served as 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. Therese Church in Wrightsville Beach, Immaculate Conception Church in Wilmington (1938–1942), and at St. Leo the Great Church in Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
(1942–1955). He earned a Master of Social Work
Master of Social Work
The Master of Social Work is a master's degree in social workand especiality of sociology.- United States :In the United States, MSW degrees must be received from a graduate school that has been approved by the Council on Social Work Education...
degree from the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
in 1949, and was named a Domestic Prelate
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"...
in 1954. In 1955, he became the first pastor of St. Ann Church in Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. He was later made 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 Raleigh's Catholic orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
and pastor of Our Lady of Grace Church
Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church (Greensboro, North Carolina)
Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church is the largest Roman Catholic Church in Greensboro, North Carolina. The church was one of the first catholic churches built in Greensboro, and is of the Gothic style architecture. The church was built as a memorial to Ethel Clay Price, a devout Catholic whose...
in Greensboro
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
.
On November 30, 1971, Begley was appointed the first 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 newly-erected Diocese of Charlotte
Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, formally in Latin Dioecesis Carolinana, is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States comprising the counties of western North Carolina divided into ten vicariates named for and administered from Albemarle, Asheville, Boone,...
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...
. 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 January 12, 1972 from Archbishop Luigi Raimondi
Luigi Raimondi
Luigi Raimondi was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints from 1973 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1973....
, with Bishops Vincent Stanislaus Waters
Vincent Stanislaus Waters
Vincent Stanislaus Waters was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Raleigh from 1945 until his death in 1974.-Biography:...
and George Edward Lynch 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...
. He selected as his motto: "Diligimus Fratres" ("We Have Loved the Brethren"). In addition to his duties as a diocesan bishop, he also served as chairman
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
of the Catholic Committee on Appalachia. In this capacity, he led 26 other bishops from 13 states in issuing a joint pastoral letter "This Land is Home to Me" on the state of the powerless in the region. A supporter of capital punishment
Capital punishment in the United States
Capital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence...
, Begley endorsed the 1984 execution of Velma Barfield
Velma Barfield
Margie Velma Barfield was a serial killer, convicted of six murders. She was the first woman in the United States to be executed after the 1976 resumption of capital punishment and the first since 1962...
, noting, "The state has a right to decide on the death penalty and this is one instance when they chose that right." Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Begley submitted his letter of resignation to 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 ...
in March 1984. His resignation was accepted on May 29, 1984, and was succeeded by John Francis Donoghue.
Begley died at Maryfield Nursing Home in High Point, aged 92. He was a cousin of Bishop William Joseph Hafey
William Joseph Hafey
William Joseph Hafey was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Raleigh and Bishop of Scranton .-Biography:...
, and baptized Bishop Peter Joseph Jugis as a child.