Timothy Joseph Harrington
Encyclopedia
Timothy Joseph Harrington (December 19, 1918—March 23, 1997) was an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Worcester
from 1983 to 1994.
, Massachusetts
, and graduated from the College of the Holy Cross
in Worcester
in 1941. He studied at the Grand Seminary of Montreal
in Canada
before returning to Massachusetts, where he earned a Master of Social Work
degree from Boston College
. He was ordained
to the priesthood
by Bishop Thomas Michael O'Leary
on January 19, 1946. He then served as a curate
at St. Bernard's Church in Worcester until 1951, when he became chaplain
at Nazareth Home for Boys in Leicester
and began work with Catholic Charities
. He was director of the House of Our Lady of the Way (1957–1960) and director of Catholic Charities (1960–1968), and was named a papal chamberlain
by Pope John XXIII
in 1960.
On April 2, 1968, Harrington was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of Worcester and Titular Bishop
of Rusuca by Pope Paul VI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following July 2 from Bishop Bernard Joseph Flanagan
, with Bishops John Joseph Wright and Christopher Joseph Weldon
serving as co-consecrators
. He became chief financial officer of the diocese in 1968, and was named chancellor
in 1975. Harrington was appointed the third Bishop of Worcester
by Pope John Paul II
on September 1, 1983. His installation took place at the Cathedral of St. Paul
on October 13, 1983.
Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Harrington submitted his letter of resignation to John Paul II in December 1993. His resignation was accepted on October 27, 1994, and Bishop Daniel Patrick Reilly
was named as his successor. He later died at age 78.
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 served as Bishop of Worcester
Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. The geographic boundaries of the diocese are the same as those of Worcester County, Massachusetts, the geographically largest county of the...
from 1983 to 1994.
Biography
Timothy Harrington was born in HolyokeHolyoke, Massachusetts
Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range of mountains. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 39,880...
, 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...
, and graduated from the College of the Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
in Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
in 1941. He studied at the Grand Seminary of Montreal
Grand séminaire de Montréal
The Grand séminaire de Montréal is the sacerdotal school of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal. The institution was founded by the sulpicians in 1840 on the demands of Ignace Bourget. A branch of Université Laval's faculty of theology was installed in the seminar in 1878...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
before returning to Massachusetts, where 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 Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
. 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 January 19, 1946. He then served 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. Bernard's Church in Worcester until 1951, when he became 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...
at Nazareth Home for Boys in Leicester
Leicester, Massachusetts
Leicester is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,970 at the 2010 census.-History:Leicester was first settled in 1713 and was officially incorporated in 1714....
and began work with Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities is a network of charities whose aim is "to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire church and other people of good will to do the same." It is one of the largest charities in the United States...
. He was director of the House of Our Lady of the Way (1957–1960) and director of Catholic Charities (1960–1968), and was named a papal chamberlain
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"...
by Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
in 1960.
On April 2, 1968, Harrington 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 Worcester 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 Rusuca 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 the following July 2 from Bishop Bernard Joseph Flanagan
Bernard Joseph Flanagan
Bernard Joseph Flanagan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Norwich and Bishop of Worcester .-Biography:...
, with Bishops John Joseph Wright and Christopher Joseph Weldon
Christopher Joseph Weldon
Christopher Joseph Weldon was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Springfield in Massachusetts from 1950 to 1977.-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...
. He became chief financial officer of the diocese in 1968, and was named 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....
in 1975. Harrington was appointed the third Bishop of Worcester
Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. The geographic boundaries of the diocese are the same as those of Worcester County, Massachusetts, the geographically largest county of the...
by 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 ...
on September 1, 1983. His installation took place at the Cathedral of St. Paul
Cathedral of Saint Paul in Worcester
The Cathedral of Saint Paul — informally known as Saint Paul's Cathedral — is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester in Worcester, Massachusetts....
on October 13, 1983.
Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Harrington submitted his letter of resignation to John Paul II in December 1993. His resignation was accepted on October 27, 1994, and Bishop Daniel Patrick Reilly
Daniel Patrick Reilly
Daniel Patrick Reilly is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Norwich and Bishop of Worcester .-Biography:...
was named as his successor. He later died at age 78.