Gerald Patrick Aloysius O'Hara
Encyclopedia
Gerald Patrick Aloysius O'Hara (May 4, 1895—July 16, 1963) was an American
prelate
of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Savannah
(1935-59), Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland
(1951-54), and Apostolic Delegate to Great Britain
(1954-63).
, Pennsylvania
, to Patrick James and Margaret (née Carney) O'Hara. His father was a dentist
. He attended Our Mother of Sorrows School and St. Joseph's College High School, both in Philadelphia
. From 1911 to 1918, he studied at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
in Overbrook. He then furthered his studies in Rome
at the Pontifical Roman Seminary
, from where he obtained a Doctor of Divinity
degree in 1921.
to the priesthood
by Cardinal Basilio Pompilj
on April 3, 1920. He earned a doctorate in canon and civil law from the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare
in 1924. He spent several years studying abroad, traveling through Europe
and the Middle East
. Following his return to Pennsylvania in 1926, O'Hara became private secretary
to Cardinal Dennis Joseph Dougherty
, the Archbishop of Philadelphia
. He also served as a judge
on the archdiocesan matrimonial court
.
of Philadelphia and Titular Bishop
of Heliopolis in Phoenicia by Pope Pius XI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following May 21 from Cardinal Dougherty, with Bishops John Bernard MacGinley
and Thomas Charles O'Reilly
serving as co-consecrators
, at the Cathedral of Ss. Peter and Paul. In addition to his episcopal duties, he served as pastor
of the Church of the Nativity and vicar general
of the archdiocese. He was also president
of the American Catholic Historical Association
from 1934 to 1936.
On November 26, 1935, O'Hara was appointed the ninth Bishop of Savannah
, Georgia
, succeeding the retiring Bishop Michael Joseph Keyes
. During his tenure, he erected the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta
, which was dedicated by Cardinal Dougherty in January 1939. The cathedral was built on the former site of Ku Klux Klan
gatherings, and O'Hara even invited Imperial Wizard
Hiram Wesley Evans
to the dedication. He once stormed at the office of a Savannah newspaper after the paper claimed that Saint Patrick
once granted women the privilege to woo during Leap Year
. Known as a liberal
who was a leader in church efforts to improve race relations
, he launched a seven-point social and racial program in the 1930s, calling for aid to African American
children and heightened awareness of rural issues.
In addition to his role as diocesan bishop, O'Hara was named regent of the Apostolic Nunciature
to Romania
, in Bucharest
, on February 19, 1947. His vicar general
and chancellor
assumed the active administration of the diocese. During his time there, he became an outspoken opponent of the Communist regime
. However, in 1950, the Romanian government
accused him of espionage and expelled them from the country. Specifically, he was charged with supplying military, political, and economic information to Western
legations; he denied the accusations, calling them "lies from first to last." Returning to the United States, he accused the Romanians of terrorism
, insisting, "Our interest was solely the welfare of 3,000,000 Catholic people in Romania." On July 12, 1950, O'Hara was given the personal title of Archbishop
by Pope Pius XII
. Shortly afterwards, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland
on November 27, 1951. In 1953 Paul Blanshard
, author of American Freedom and Catholic Power
, unsuccessfully petitioned the U.S. Department of State
to revoke O'Hara's citizenship because Blanshard believed that, as an American-born bishop with an American diocese working in Ireland, he was violating the McCarran Act
by serving as an agent of a foreign power.
On June 8, 1954, O'Hara was named Apostolic Delegate to Great Britain
. As Apostolic Delegate, his jurisdiction also included Malta
, Gibraltar
, and Bermuda
. Drained by his dual duties as papal diplomat and diocesan bishop, he resigned as Bishop of Savannah on November 12, 1959; he was named Titular Archbishop
of Pessinus by Pope John XXIII
on the same date. In 1960 he became the first papal representative to visit the Houses of Parliament
in more than 400 years. O'Hara later died from a heart attack
at his residence in Wimbledon
section of London
, aged 68. His Requiem Mass
was celebrated by Archbishop John Carmel Heenan at Westminster Cathedral
. His body was then flown back to Philadelphia, where he is buried in the crypt
of the Cathedral of Ss. Peter and Paul.
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 Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Savannah
Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States comprising the southern counties of the state of Georgia...
(1935-59), Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland
Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland
The Holy See, as the central government of the Catholic Church , has full diplomatic ties with Ireland as well as many other countries worldwide. The current Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland is Archbishop-elect Monsignor Charles John Brown...
(1951-54), and Apostolic Delegate to Great Britain
Nunciature to Great Britain
The Nunciature to Great Britain is an ecclesiastical office of the Roman Catholic Church in Great Britain. It is a diplomatic post of the Holy See, whose representative is called the Apostolic Nuncio to the Court of St. James with the rank of an ambassador. The office of the nunciature is located...
(1954-63).
Early life and education
Gerald O'Hara was born in the Green Ridge section of ScrantonScranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
, 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...
, to Patrick James and Margaret (née Carney) O'Hara. His father was a dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
. He attended Our Mother of Sorrows School and St. Joseph's College High School, both in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. From 1911 to 1918, he studied at 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. He then furthered his studies 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...
at the Pontifical Roman Seminary
Pontifical Roman Seminary
The Pontifical Roman Seminary is a seminary in Rome, Italy located at the Basilica of St. John Lateran.Its teachings are based on the Roman Pontifical.-History:...
, from where he obtained a Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
degree in 1921.
Priesthood
O'Hara 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....
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 Cardinal Basilio Pompilj
Basilio Pompilj
Basilio Pompilj was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Vicar General of Rome from 1913 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1911.-Biography:...
on April 3, 1920. He earned a doctorate in canon and civil law from the Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare
Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare
Pontifical Roman Athenaeum S. Apollinare was a university named after Saint Apollinaris. Notable people who have attended include:*Alfredo Ottaviani*Amleto Giovanni Cicognani*Eugène-Gabriel-Gervais-Laurent Tisserant*Benedetto Aloisi Masella*Gustavo Testa...
in 1924. He spent several years studying abroad, traveling through Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. Following his return to Pennsylvania in 1926, O'Hara became private secretary
Personal assistant
A personal assistant or personal aide is someone who assists in daily business or personal tasks. It is common in design to have a PDA, or personal design assistant....
to Cardinal Dennis Joseph Dougherty
Dennis Joseph Dougherty
Dennis Joseph Dougherty was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1918 until his death in 1951, and was created a cardinal in 1921.-Early life and education:...
, the Archbishop 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...
. He also served as a judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
on the archdiocesan matrimonial court
Ecclesiastical court
An ecclesiastical court is any of certain courts having jurisdiction mainly in spiritual or religious matters. In the Middle Ages in many areas of Europe these courts had much wider powers than before the development of nation states...
.
Episcopacy
On April 26, 1929, O'Hara 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 Heliopolis in Phoenicia 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 21 from Cardinal Dougherty, with Bishops John Bernard MacGinley
John Bernard MacGinley
John Bernard MacGinley was an Irish-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Nueva Caceres and Bishop of Monterey-Fresno .-Biography:...
and Thomas Charles O'Reilly
Thomas Charles O'Reilly
Thomas Charles O'Reilly was a Roman Catholic bishop.O'Reilly was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Patrick and Delia O'Reilly. After attending Spencerian Business College , he studied at St. Ignatius College and St. Mary's Seminary in Cleveland...
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 the Cathedral of Ss. Peter and Paul. In addition to his episcopal duties, he 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 the Church of the Nativity and vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the archdiocese. He was also president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the American Catholic Historical Association
American Catholic Historical Association
The American Catholic Historical Association was founded by Peter Guilday in Cleveland, Ohio, in December, 1919 as a national society that would bring together scholars interested in the history of the Catholic Church or in Catholic aspects of secular history...
from 1934 to 1936.
On November 26, 1935, O'Hara was appointed the ninth Bishop of Savannah
Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southern United States comprising the southern counties of the state of Georgia...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, succeeding the retiring Bishop Michael Joseph Keyes
Michael Joseph Keyes
Michael Joseph Keyes, S.M. was an Irish-born Roman Catholic bishop.Keyes was born in Dingle, County Kerry, and ordained as a priest of the Society of Mary on June 21, 1907....
. During his tenure, he erected the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, which was dedicated by Cardinal Dougherty in January 1939. The cathedral was built on the former site of Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
gatherings, and O'Hara even invited Imperial Wizard
Grand Wizard
Grand Wizard was the title given to the leader of the Reconstruction-era Ku Klux Klan which existed from 1866 to 1871.In 1915, the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan was created, initially as a fraternal organization. The highest-ranking leader of the latter organization was the Imperial Wizard. National...
Hiram Wesley Evans
Hiram Wesley Evans
Hiram Wesley Evans was Imperial Wizard of the "second" Ku Klux Klan from 1922 until 1939. Evans succeeded William Joseph Simmons in the position of the Imperial Wizard in November 1922...
to the dedication. He once stormed at the office of a Savannah newspaper after the paper claimed that Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland or the Apostle of Ireland, although Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille are also formally patron saints....
once granted women the privilege to woo during Leap Year
Leap year
A leap year is a year containing one extra day in order to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year...
. Known as a liberal
Liberalism in the United States
Liberalism in the United States is a broad political philosophy centered on the unalienable rights of the individual. The fundamental liberal ideals of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion for all belief systems, and the separation of church and state, right to due process...
who was a leader in church efforts to improve race relations
Race in the United States
The United States is a racially diverse country. Modern issues of "race", as well as its impact in the political and economic development of the nation, have been examined by numerous historians and researchers across a variety of academic disciplines....
, he launched a seven-point social and racial program in the 1930s, calling for aid to African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
children and heightened awareness of rural issues.
In addition to his role as diocesan bishop, O'Hara was named regent of the Apostolic Nunciature
Nuncio
Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin word, Nuntius, meaning "envoy." This article addresses this title as well as derived similar titles, all within the structure of the Roman Catholic Church...
to Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, on February 19, 1947. His vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
and 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....
assumed the active administration of the diocese. During his time there, he became an outspoken opponent of the Communist regime
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
. However, in 1950, the Romanian government
Government of Romania
The Government of Romania forms one half of the country's executive branch . It is headed by the Prime-Minister, and consists of the Ministries, various subordinated institutions and agencies, and the 42 Prefectures...
accused him of espionage and expelled them from the country. Specifically, he was charged with supplying military, political, and economic information to Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
legations; he denied the accusations, calling them "lies from first to last." Returning to the United States, he accused the Romanians of terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
, insisting, "Our interest was solely the welfare of 3,000,000 Catholic people in Romania." On July 12, 1950, O'Hara was given the personal title of 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...
by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
. Shortly afterwards, he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland
Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland
The Holy See, as the central government of the Catholic Church , has full diplomatic ties with Ireland as well as many other countries worldwide. The current Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland is Archbishop-elect Monsignor Charles John Brown...
on November 27, 1951. In 1953 Paul Blanshard
Paul Blanshard
Paul Beecher Blanshard was a controversial American author, assistant editor of The Nation magazine, lawyer, socialist, secular humanist, and from 1949 an outspoken critic of Catholicism....
, author of American Freedom and Catholic Power
American Freedom and Catholic Power
American Freedom and Catholic Power is an anti-Catholic book by American writer Paul Blanshard, published in 1949 by Beacon Press, which asserted that America had a "Catholic problem" in that the Church was an "undemocratic system of alien control". The book has been recognized as bigoted and...
, unsuccessfully petitioned the U.S. Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
to revoke O'Hara's citizenship because Blanshard believed that, as an American-born bishop with an American diocese working in Ireland, he was violating the McCarran Act
McCarran Internal Security Act
The Internal Security Act of 1950, , also known as the Subversive Activities Control Act or the McCarran Act, after Senator Pat McCarran , is a United States federal law of the McCarthy era. It was passed over President Harry Truman's veto...
by serving as an agent of a foreign power.
On June 8, 1954, O'Hara was named Apostolic Delegate to Great Britain
Nunciature to Great Britain
The Nunciature to Great Britain is an ecclesiastical office of the Roman Catholic Church in Great Britain. It is a diplomatic post of the Holy See, whose representative is called the Apostolic Nuncio to the Court of St. James with the rank of an ambassador. The office of the nunciature is located...
. As Apostolic Delegate, his jurisdiction also included Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, and Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
. Drained by his dual duties as papal diplomat and diocesan bishop, he resigned as Bishop of Savannah on November 12, 1959; he was named Titular Archbishop
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 Pessinus 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...
on the same date. In 1960 he became the first papal representative to visit the Houses of Parliament
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
in more than 400 years. O'Hara later died from a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at his residence in Wimbledon
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
section of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, aged 68. His Requiem Mass
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
was celebrated by Archbishop John Carmel Heenan at Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral of the Archbishop of Westminster...
. His body was then flown back to Philadelphia, where he is buried in the crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
of the Cathedral of Ss. Peter and Paul.