William A. Griffin
Encyclopedia
William Aloysius Griffin (November 20, 1885—January 1, 1950) was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Trenton
from 1940 until his death in 1950.
, New Jersey
, the eleventh of twelve children of John J. and Catherine (née Lyons) Griffin. One of his brothers, John J. Griffin, was city attorney
of Elizabeth and a Democratic
member of the New Jersey General Assembly
. He received his early education at the parochial school
of St. Patrick Church in his native city, and then attended St. Patrick High School
, also in Elizabeth. He attended Seton Hall College
in South Orange
before studying for the priesthood
at Immaculate Conception Seminary
.
a priest for the Diocese of Newark
on August 15, 1910. His first assignment was as principal
of Bayley Hall, a grammar school
attached to Seton Hall College. A member of the faculty at Seton Hall for fifteen years, he taught Latin
, Greek
, and English
in the preparatory school before becoming professor of philosophy
and English in the college.
In December 1924, Griffin was appointed diocesan director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith
. He later became national treasurer
of the same organization in 1935. From 1929 to 1938, he was pastor
of St. Michael Church in Jersey City
. He was named a papal chamberlain
in 1930. He also served as administrator of St. John Church and St. Augustine Church in Newark
, and state chaplain
of the Ancient Order of Hibernians
and the Catholic Daughters of the Americas
.
of Newark and titular bishop
of Sanavo by Pope Pius XI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following May 1 from Archbishop Thomas J. Walsh, with Bishops John A. Duffy
and Moses E. Kiley
serving as co-consecrators
, at Sacred Heart Cathedral
. As an auxiliary bishop, he served as rector
of Immaculate Conception Seminary.
, he was named Bishop of Trenton
on May 21, 1940. His installation took place at St. Mary's Cathedral
on July 23 of that year.
Griffin died from a stroke
at the home of his brother-in-law and sister in Elizabeth, at age 64.
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 Trenton
Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in southern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes the counties of Burlington, Monmouth, Ocean, and Mercer ....
from 1940 until his death in 1950.
Early life and education
Griffin was born in ElizabethElizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 124,969, retaining its ranking as New Jersey's fourth largest city with an increase of 4,401 residents from its 2000 Census population of 120,568...
, 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 eleventh of twelve children of John J. and Catherine (née Lyons) Griffin. One of his brothers, John J. Griffin, was city attorney
City attorney
A city attorney can be an elected or appointed position in city and municipal government in the United States. The city attorney is the attorney representing the city or municipality....
of Elizabeth and a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the New Jersey General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
. 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:...
of St. Patrick Church in his native city, and then attended St. Patrick High School
St. Patrick High School (New Jersey)
St. Patrick High School Academy is a co-educational four-year Catholic high school in Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States. The school operates under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark...
, also in Elizabeth. He attended Seton Hall College
Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
in South Orange
South Orange, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,964 people, 5,522 households, and 3,766 families residing in the township. The population density was 5,945.3 people per square mile . There were 5,671 housing units at an average density of 1,987.5 per square mile...
before studying 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 Immaculate Conception Seminary
Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology
The Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology is part of Seton Hall University, the Roman Catholic university of New Jersey, and is located in South Orange. ICCST is one of the oldest Catholic seminaries in the United States. The university is the oldest diocesan university in the country....
.
Priesthood
Griffin 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 Diocese of Newark
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
The Archdiocese of Newark is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jersey counties of Bergen, Union, Hudson and Essex .-History:Originally established as the Diocese of...
on August 15, 1910. His first assignment was as principal
Head teacher
A head teacher or school principal is the most senior teacher, leader and manager of a school....
of Bayley Hall, a grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
attached to Seton Hall College. A member of the faculty at Seton Hall for fifteen years, he taught Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in the preparatory school before becoming professor of philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and English in the college.
In December 1924, Griffin was appointed diocesan director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith
Society for the Propagation of the Faith
The Society for the Propagation of the Faith is an international association for the assistance by prayers and alms of Catholic missionary priests, brothers, and nuns engaged in preaching the Gospel in non-Catholic countries...
. He later became national treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
of the same organization in 1935. From 1929 to 1938, he was 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. Michael Church in Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
. He 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"...
in 1930. He also served as administrator of St. John Church and St. Augustine Church in Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, and state 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...
of the Ancient Order of Hibernians
Ancient Order of Hibernians
The Ancient Order of Hibernians is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. Members must be Catholic and either Irish born or of Irish descent. Its largest membership is now in the United States, where it was founded in New York City in 1836...
and the Catholic Daughters of the Americas
Catholic Daughters of the Americas
Catholic Daughters of the Americas was founded in 1903 in New York by John E. Carberry and Knights of Columbus as "National order of Daughters of Isabella," and is one of the largest women's organizations in the Americas. It was renamed as Catholic Daughters of the Americas in 1921, and in 1925 it...
.
Newark
On February 26, 1938, Griffin 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 Newark 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 Sanavo 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 May 1 from Archbishop Thomas J. Walsh, with Bishops John A. Duffy
John A. Duffy
John Aloysius Duffy was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Syracuse from 1933 to 1937, and as Bishop of Buffalo from 1937 until his death.-Early life and ministry:...
and Moses E. Kiley
Moses E. Kiley
Moses Elias Kiley was a Canadian-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Trenton and Archbishop of Milwaukee .-Early life and education:...
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 Sacred Heart Cathedral
Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Newark, New Jersey
The Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the fifth-largest cathedral in North America, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. It is located at 89 Ridge Street in Newark, New Jersey. Envisioned as a "fitting monument to the faith," construction began in 1899 and was finished in...
. As an auxiliary bishop, he served as 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 Immaculate Conception Seminary.
Trenton
Following the promotion of Bishop Kiley to Archbishop of MilwaukeeRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee is a Roman Catholic archdiocese headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the United States. It encompasses the City of Milwaukee, as well as the counties of Dodge, Fond du Lac, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha, all...
, he was named Bishop of Trenton
Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in southern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes the counties of Burlington, Monmouth, Ocean, and Mercer ....
on May 21, 1940. His installation took place at St. Mary's Cathedral
Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption (Trenton, New Jersey)
The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, also known as St. Mary’s Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral in Trenton, New Jersey, United States. It is the seat of the Diocese of Trenton. -History:...
on July 23 of that year.
Griffin died from a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
at the home of his brother-in-law and sister in Elizabeth, at age 64.