John Joseph Maguire
Encyclopedia
John Joseph Maguire was an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as auxiliary bishop
(1959-65) and coadjutor archbishop
(1965-80) in the Archdiocese of New York
.
to James and Ellen Marie (née Shea) Maguire. He attended Regis High School
and Cathedral College
in his native city, and began his studies for the priesthood
at St. Joseph's Seminary
in Yonkers
. Two years later he was sent by Cardinal Patrick Joseph Hayes to continue his studies at the Pontifical North American College
in Rome
.
a priest by Archbishop Giuseppe Palica
in the Basilica of St. John Lateran
. Upon his return to New York, his knowledge of Italian
led to his first assignment as a curate
at St. Patrick's Old Cathedral
, which had a large Italian American
congregation. He served as assistant chancellor
of the Archdiocese of New York
from 1940 to 1945, advancing to vice-chancellor in 1945 and chancellor in 1947. He was raised to the rank of a Domestic Prelate
in 1948. In 1953, he became vicar general
of the archdiocese, a post in which he remained until 1980.
of New York and Titular Bishop
of Antiphrae by Pope Pius XII
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following June 29 from Cardinal Francis Spellman, with Bishops Joseph Francis Flannelly
and James Griffiths
serving as co-consecrators
, at St. Patrick's Cathedral
. He assumed as his episcopal motto
: Tutam Recludo Semitan (Latin
: "Disclose a way of life free of danger"). Known as a champion for racial justice, he encouraged New York Catholics to participate in the 1963 March on Washington
, during which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
delivered his historic "I Have a Dream
" speech. He later joined other religious leaders in an amicus curiae
brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court
to find racial discrimination in the sale of housing unconstitutional. In addition to his advocacy for civil rights, he was an outspoken supporter of ecumenism
and frequently participated in joint services with clergymen from other faiths. He also took a special interest in the Hispanic Catholic community, learning Spanish
and often traveling to Puerto Rico
.
On September 15, 1965, Maguire was named Coadjutor Archbishop
of New York and Titular Archbishop of Tabalta by Pope Paul VI
. His appointment placed New York in the unique, but not unprecedented, situation of having two archbishops at the same time. A coadjutor bishop is usually named when the ordinary
of a diocese is ill or close to retirement, or when a diocese is particularly large; the 76-year-old Cardinal Spellman had recently undergone prostate
surgery. However, unlike most coadjutor bishops, Maguire did not possess the automatic right of succession. Following Spellman's death in December 1967, Maguire was elected by the archdiocesan board of consultors to serve as Apostolic Administrator
of New York until the appointment of a replacement. In the interim he was mentioned as a top candidate to fill the vacant post, but it ultimately went to then-auxiliary Bishop Terence Cooke in March 1968.
, aged 84. Upon his death, Cardinal John Joseph O'Connor said, "For myself, Archbishop Maguire was the linchpin which linked the archdiocese of yesterday with the archdiocese of today." He is interred in the crypt beneath the main altar of St. Patrick's Cathedral.
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 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...
(1959-65) and coadjutor archbishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
(1965-80) in the Archdiocese of New York
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York covers New York, Bronx, and Richmond counties in New York City , as well as Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties in New York state. There are 480 parishes...
.
Early life and education
John Maguire was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to James and Ellen Marie (née Shea) Maguire. He attended Regis High School
Regis High School (New York City)
Regis High School is a private Jesuit university-preparatory school for academically gifted Roman Catholic young men located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Annual class enrollment is limited to approximately 135 male students from the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut tri-state area...
and Cathedral College
Cathedral Preparatory Seminary (Queens)
Cathedral Preparatory Seminary is a private, Roman Catholic high school and seminary in Elmhurst, Queens, New York. It is located within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn...
in his native city, and 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. Joseph's Seminary
St. Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie
St. Joseph's Seminary and College, sometimes referred to as Dunwoodie, after the Yonkers, New York neighborhood it is located in, is the major seminary of the Archdiocese of New York. Its primary mission is to form men for the priesthood in the Catholic Church...
in Yonkers
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
. Two years later he was sent by Cardinal Patrick Joseph Hayes to continue his studies at the Pontifical North American College
Pontifical North American College
The Pontifical North American College is a Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy educating seminarians for the dioceses in the United States and providing a residence for American priests studying in Rome. It was founded in 1859 by Blessed Pope Pius IX and was granted pontifical...
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...
.
Priesthood
On December 22, 1928, Maguire 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 by Archbishop Giuseppe Palica
Giuseppe Palica
Giuseppe Palica was an italian Archbishop.Born on 8 October 1869 in Rome, he was ordained priest on 18 December 1892.On 25 April 1917 he was appointed vice-gerent of Rome and titular archbishop of Philippi....
in the Basilica of St. John Lateran
Basilica of St. John Lateran
The Papal Archbasilica of St. John Lateran , commonly known as St. John Lateran's Archbasilica and St. John Lateran's Basilica, is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope...
. Upon his return to New York, his knowledge of Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
led to his first assignment 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. Patrick's Old Cathedral
St. Patrick's Old Cathedral, New York
The Basilica of Saint Patrick's Old Cathedral, or Old St. Patrick's, is located at 260-264 Mulberry Street between Prince and Houston Streets in the Nolita neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, with the primary entrance currently located on Mott Street...
, which had a large Italian American
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
congregation. He served as assistant 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....
of the Archdiocese of New York
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York covers New York, Bronx, and Richmond counties in New York City , as well as Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester counties in New York state. There are 480 parishes...
from 1940 to 1945, advancing to vice-chancellor in 1945 and chancellor in 1947. He was raised to the rank of 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 1948. In 1953, he became 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, a post in which he remained until 1980.
Episcopacy
On May 16, 1959, Maguire 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 New York 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 Antiphrae 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....
. 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 June 29 from Cardinal Francis Spellman, with Bishops Joseph Francis Flannelly
Joseph Francis Flannelly
Joseph Francis Flannelly was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York from 1948 to 1969.-Biography:...
and James Griffiths
James Henry Ambrose Griffiths
James Henry Ambrose Griffiths was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York from 1950 to 1964.-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 St. Patrick's Cathedral
St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
The Cathedral of St. Patrick is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral church in the United States...
. He assumed as his episcopal motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
: Tutam Recludo Semitan (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...
: "Disclose a way of life free of danger"). Known as a champion for racial justice, he encouraged New York Catholics to participate in the 1963 March on Washington
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was the largest political rally for human rights in United States history and called for civil and economic rights for African Americans. It took place in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, August 28, 1963. Martin Luther King, Jr...
, during which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
delivered his historic "I Have a Dream
I Have a Dream
"I Have a Dream" is a 17-minute public speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered on August 28, 1963, in which he called for racial equality and an end to discrimination...
" speech. He later joined other religious leaders in an amicus curiae
Amicus curiae
An amicus curiae is someone, not a party to a case, who volunteers to offer information to assist a court in deciding a matter before it...
brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
to find racial discrimination in the sale of housing unconstitutional. In addition to his advocacy for civil rights, he was an outspoken supporter of ecumenism
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
and frequently participated in joint services with clergymen from other faiths. He also took a special interest in the Hispanic Catholic community, learning Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and often traveling to Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
.
On September 15, 1965, Maguire was named Coadjutor Archbishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
of New York and Titular Archbishop of Tabalta 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...
. His appointment placed New York in the unique, but not unprecedented, situation of having two archbishops at the same time. A coadjutor bishop is usually named when the ordinary
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 a diocese is ill or close to retirement, or when a diocese is particularly large; the 76-year-old Cardinal Spellman had recently undergone prostate
Prostate
The prostate is a compound tubuloalveolar exocrine gland of the male reproductive system in most mammals....
surgery. However, unlike most coadjutor bishops, Maguire did not possess the automatic right of succession. Following Spellman's death in December 1967, Maguire was elected by the archdiocesan board of consultors to serve as Apostolic Administrator
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
of New York until the appointment of a replacement. In the interim he was mentioned as a top candidate to fill the vacant post, but it ultimately went to then-auxiliary Bishop Terence Cooke in March 1968.
Later life and death
After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Maguire resigned as coadjutor archbishop on January 8, 1980. During his retirement, he resided at St. Patrick's Cathedral. He later died at St. Vincent's HospitalSaint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center
Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers ' was a healthcare system, anchored by its flagship hospital, St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan, locally referred to as "St. Vincent's". St. Vincent's was founded in 1849 and closed in 2010...
, aged 84. Upon his death, Cardinal John Joseph O'Connor said, "For myself, Archbishop Maguire was the linchpin which linked the archdiocese of yesterday with the archdiocese of today." He is interred in the crypt beneath the main altar of St. Patrick's Cathedral.