John Edmund Fitzmaurice (January 8, 1839—June 18, 1920) was the fourth 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...

 Bishop of Erie

Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie is a Roman Catholic diocese in western Pennsylvania. It was founded on July 29, 1853. It is one of seven suffragan sees in Pennsylvania that make up the Ecclesiastical Province of Philadelphia, which is headed by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia.-...

 (1899–1920).

Fitzmaurice was born in Newtown-Sandes

Moyvane

Moyvane is a small village in County Kerry in the south west of Ireland. It is situated off the N69 road between Listowel to the South-West and Tarbert to the North...

, 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...

, and began studying law

Law

Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...

 at age fifteen. In 1858 he came to the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, where he began his studies 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 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, 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...

. 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....

 by Bishop James Frederick Wood

James Frederick Wood

James Frederick Bryan Wood was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the fifth Bishop and first Archbishop of Philadelphia, serving between 1860 and his death in 1883.-Early life:...

 on December 21, 1862, and 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. John's and St. Paul's 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,...

. After serving 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. Agatha's, he became 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 Seminary in 1886. His nephew, Edmond John Fitzmaurice

Edmond John Fitzmaurice

Edmond John Fitzmaurice was an Irish-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Wilmington from 1925 to 1960.-Biography:...

, was also rector of St. Charles (1920-25) as well as Bishop of Wilmington

Roman Catholic Diocese of Wilmington

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 (1925-60).

On December 14, 1897, Fitzmaurice was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Erie

Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie is a Roman Catholic diocese in western Pennsylvania. It was founded on July 29, 1853. It is one of seven suffragan sees in Pennsylvania that make up the Ecclesiastical Province of Philadelphia, which is headed by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese 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 Amisus by Pope Leo XIII

Pope Leo XIII

Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...

. 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 February 24, 1898 from Archbishop Patrick John Ryan

Patrick John Ryan

Patrick John Ryan was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1884 until his death in 1911.-Early life and education:...

, with Bishops Ignatius Frederick Horstmann and Edmond Francis Prendergast

Edmond Francis Prendergast

Edmond Francis Prendergast was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1911 until his death in 1918.-Biography:...

 seving 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 succeeded Tobias Mullen

Tobias Mullen

Tobias Mullen was an Irish-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Erie from 1868 to 1899.-Biography:...

 as Bishop on September 15, 1899. During his 21-year-long tenure, Fitzmaurice established several parishes and dedicated St. Peter's Cathedral

St. Peter Cathedral, Erie

St. Peter Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church located in at 230 West 10th Street in Erie, Pennsylvania.-History:Plans for the building of St. Peter Cathedral were initiated in 1873 by Bishop Tobias Mullen of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. The cornerstone was laid in a formal ceremony held on...

(1911). He later died at age 81.