John L. May
Encyclopedia
John Lawrence May was an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Mobile
(1969–1980) and Archbishop of St. Louis (1980–1992).
, Illinois
, to Peter Michael and Catherine (née Allare) May. He received his early education at the parochial school of St. Nicholas Church in his native city, and attended Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary
in Chicago
, from where he graduated in 1940. His theological studies were made at St. Mary of Lake Seminary
in Mundelein
. where he earned a Licentiate of Sacred Theology
. May was of Luxembourgian
ancestry.
to the priesthood
by Cardinal Samuel Stritch. His first assignment was as a curate
at St. Gregory Church in Chicago, where he remained until he became chaplain
of Mercy Hospital
in 1956. From 1959 to 1967, he served as vice-president and general secretary of the Catholic Church Extension Society
, becoming president in 1967. He also taught at St. Gregory the Great High School
and Loyola University
, and served on the archdiocesan marriage tribunal.
of Chicago and Titular Bishop
of Tagarbala by Pope Paul VI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following August 24 from Cardinal John Cody, with Bishops Cletus F. O'Donnell
and Aloysius John Wycislo
serving as co-consecrators
, at Holy Name Cathedral
. In addition to his episcopal duties, he served as pastor
of Christ the King Church in Chicago.
, May was appointed the seventh Bishop of Mobile
, Alabama
, on September 29, 1969. His installation took place on the following December 10 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. During his 10-year-long tenure in Mobile, he established eight parishes and two deaneries, dedicated twelve churches, founded two schools, and erected a convent. He also dedicated several other institutions, including parish centers, elderly homes, and a new wing and intensive-care unit at Providence Hospital
.
May continued to implement the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council
, authorizing the laity to distribute Communion, the reception of Communion in the hand, and a new rite for the Sacrament of Penance
. He founded an Office of Youth Ministry, Diocesan Pastoral Council
, and Diocesan Board of Catholic Education. He also established a retirement program for all lay church employees, a new health insurance program, a marriage preparation program, and pro-life
programs. In 1977, he imposed a term limit of six years for parish priests in the diocese. He ordained the diocese's first class of permanent deacons
in 1979.
, by Pope John Paul II
. He was installed at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
on March 25, 1980. During his 12-year-long tenure, he proved to be very committed to ecumenism
and racial harmony. He encouraged an active dialogue between Christians of all denominations, and ordained J. Terry Steib
as St. Louis' first African American
auxiliary bishop. He also appointed the archdiocese's first chief financial officer and the first woman to serve as superintendent
of Catholic schools. As he had done in Mobile, he started a self-insurance program in the archdiocese and improved the retirement program for lay employees.
An advocate for the poor and homeless, he greatly expanded the programs of Catholic Charities
, and initiated a pro-life program designed to directly assist women with crisis pregnancies. He served as President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops
from 1986 to 1989; in this position, he served as spokesman for the Catholic Church in the United States. Due to a decline in the number of seminarians, May was forced to consolidate the archdiocesan seminary system. In 1987, he merged Cardinal Glennon College and Kenrick Seminary to form Kenrick-Glennon Seminary
.
. For this reason, he resigned as Archbishop on December 9 of that year. He died over a year later at a St. Louis nursing home, aged 71. He was buried in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
.
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 Mobile
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile
The Archdiocese of Mobile is a Roman Catholic archdiocese comprising the lower 28 counties of Alabama. It is the metropolitan seat of the Province of Mobile, which includes the suffragan bishopric sees of the Diocese of Biloxi, the Diocese of Jackson, and the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama...
(1969–1980) and Archbishop of St. Louis (1980–1992).
Early life and education
John May was born in EvanstonEvanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, to Peter Michael and Catherine (née Allare) May. He received his early education at the parochial school of St. Nicholas Church in his native city, and attended Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary was an American seminary preparatory school administered by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago for young men considering the priesthood...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, from where he graduated in 1940. His theological studies were made at St. Mary of Lake Seminary
University of Saint Mary of the Lake
University of Saint Mary of the Lake, also called Mundelein Seminary, is the principal seminary and school of theology for the formation of priests in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, governed from Chicago, Illinois in the United States. It is recognized as the first institution of higher...
in Mundelein
Mundelein, Illinois
Mundelein is a village in Lake County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 31,064.-History:The community now known as Mundelein has been inhabited since at least 1650, when the Potowatami Indians were known to have been trading with French fur traders....
. where he earned a Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate of Sacred Theology
Licentiate of Sacred Theology is the title of the second cycle of studies of a Faculty of Theology offered by a pontifical universities or ecclesiastical faculties of sacred theology. An Ecclesiastical Faculty offers three cycles of study: Baccalaureate or fundamentals, Licentiate or specialized,...
. May was of Luxembourgian
Luxembourgers
Luxembourgers are an ethnic group native to Luxembourg sharing Luxembourgian culture and being of Luxembourgian descent.-Location:Most ethnic Luxembourgers live in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, a small country located in Europe between Germany, France and Belgium and are a mixture of Latin and...
ancestry.
Priesthood
On May 3, 1947, May 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 Samuel Stritch. His first assignment was 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. Gregory Church in Chicago, where he remained until 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...
of Mercy Hospital
Mercy Hospital and Medical Center
Mercy Hospital and Medical Center is a Catholic teaching hospital in Chicago. Established in 1852, The hospital was the first chartered hospital in Chicago. In 1859, Mercy Hospital became the first Catholic hospital to affiliate with a medical school — Lind Medical School — and the...
in 1956. From 1959 to 1967, he served as vice-president and general secretary of the Catholic Church Extension Society
Catholic Church Extension Society
The Catholic Church Extension Society of the United States of America is a charitable organization affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church that seeks to support the Church's activities in under-resourced and isolated communities in the United States...
, becoming president in 1967. He also taught at St. Gregory the Great High School
St. Gregory the Great High School
St. Gregory the Great High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Chicago, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.-Background:...
and Loyola University
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
, and served on the archdiocesan marriage tribunal.
Chicago
On June 16, 1967, May 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 Chicago 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 Tagarbala 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 August 24 from Cardinal John Cody, with Bishops Cletus F. O'Donnell
Cletus F. O'Donnell
Cletus Francis O'Donnell was the second bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Madison, in Madison, Wisconsin.Born in Waukon, Iowa, he was ordained to the priesthood on May 3, 1941, for the Archdiocese of Chicago...
and Aloysius John Wycislo
Aloysius John Wycislo
Aloysius John Wycisło was the 8th bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin. He served from 1968 to 1983 after serving as an auxiliary bishop in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago.-Background:...
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 Holy Name Cathedral
Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago
Holy Name Cathedral, formally the Cathedral of the Holy Name, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, one of the largest Roman Catholic dioceses in the United States. It is also the parish church of the Archbishop of Chicago...
. 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 Christ the King Church in Chicago.
Mobile
Following the resignation of Bishop Thomas Joseph ToolenThomas Joseph Toolen
Thomas Joseph Toolen was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Mobile from 1927 to 1969, and was given the personal title of Archbishop in 1954.-Early life and education:...
, May was appointed the seventh Bishop of Mobile
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile
The Archdiocese of Mobile is a Roman Catholic archdiocese comprising the lower 28 counties of Alabama. It is the metropolitan seat of the Province of Mobile, which includes the suffragan bishopric sees of the Diocese of Biloxi, the Diocese of Jackson, and the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, on September 29, 1969. His installation took place on the following December 10 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. During his 10-year-long tenure in Mobile, he established eight parishes and two deaneries, dedicated twelve churches, founded two schools, and erected a convent. He also dedicated several other institutions, including parish centers, elderly homes, and a new wing and intensive-care unit at Providence Hospital
Providence Hospital (Mobile)
Providence Hospital is a 349-bed high-rise hospital in the U.S. city of Mobile, Alabama. The hospital tower was completed in 1987. The building sits at the center of a campus, it rises approximately and 11 stories...
.
May continued to implement the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
, authorizing the laity to distribute Communion, the reception of Communion in the hand, and a new rite for the Sacrament of Penance
Sacrament of Penance (Catholic Church)
In the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is the method by which individual men and women may be freed from sins committed after receiving the sacrament of Baptism...
. He founded an Office of Youth Ministry, Diocesan Pastoral Council
Pastoral Council
Not to be confused with Parish councilIn Catholic dioceses and parishes, Pastoral Councils may be established by the diocesan Bishop or pastor. They are consultative bodies which serve to advise them regarding pastoral issues....
, and Diocesan Board of Catholic Education. He also established a retirement program for all lay church employees, a new health insurance program, a marriage preparation program, and pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
programs. In 1977, he imposed a term limit of six years for parish priests in the diocese. He ordained the diocese's first class of permanent deacons
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in 1979.
St. Louis
On January 24, 1980, May was appointed the sixth Archbishop of St. Louis, MissouriMissouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, 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 ...
. He was installed at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, also known as the Saint Louis Cathedral or the New Cathedral, was completed in 1914 in St. Louis, Missouri, as the archdiocesan replacement for the Cathedral of St. Louis, King of France...
on March 25, 1980. During his 12-year-long tenure, he proved to be very committed to 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 racial harmony. He encouraged an active dialogue between Christians of all denominations, and ordained J. Terry Steib
J. Terry Steib
James Terry Steib, S.V.D. is an African American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the fourth and current Bishop of Memphis.-Biography:...
as St. Louis' first 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...
auxiliary bishop. He also appointed the archdiocese's first chief financial officer and the first woman to serve as superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
of Catholic schools. As he had done in Mobile, he started a self-insurance program in the archdiocese and improved the retirement program for lay employees.
An advocate for the poor and homeless, he greatly expanded the programs of 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...
, and initiated a pro-life program designed to directly assist women with crisis pregnancies. He served as President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
from 1986 to 1989; in this position, he served as spokesman for the Catholic Church in the United States. Due to a decline in the number of seminarians, May was forced to consolidate the archdiocesan seminary system. In 1987, he merged Cardinal Glennon College and Kenrick Seminary to form Kenrick-Glennon Seminary
Kenrick-Glennon Seminary
Kenrick–Glennon Seminary is a private not-for-profit Roman Catholic Seminary located in Shrewsbury, Missouri in St. Louis County. The Seminary is named after Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick and Cardinal John J. Glennon, former Archbishops of Saint Louis. The Seminary traces its origins to the...
.
Later life and death
In July 1992, May was diagnosed with brain cancerBrain tumor
A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...
. For this reason, he resigned as Archbishop on December 9 of that year. He died over a year later at a St. Louis nursing home, aged 71. He was buried in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, also known as the Saint Louis Cathedral or the New Cathedral, was completed in 1914 in St. Louis, Missouri, as the archdiocesan replacement for the Cathedral of St. Louis, King of France...
.