Norman Francis McFarland
Encyclopedia
Norman Francis McFarland, D.D., J.C.D., (February 21, 1922–April 16, 2010) was the second Roman Catholic Bishop
of the Diocese of Orange
and Apostolic Administrator
of the Diocese of Reno
.
as the third oldest son of Francis and Agnes (Kotchevar) McFarland. He went to public schools and eventually attended Saint Joseph Seminary in Mountain View, California
. McFarland earned his Bachelor of Arts
Degree in 1943 at Saint Patrick Major Seminary
. He was ordained to the priesthood
on June 15, 1946 by Archbishop
John J. Mitty for the Archdiocese of San Francisco
.
In 1946, McFarland was an associate pastor at St. Andrew's in Oakland, California
when he was selected by Archbishop Mitty to attend Catholic University of America. He earned a Doctorate in Canon Law
and returned to the archdiocese. McFarland served in a number of archdiocesan positions to include served as a marriage tribunal official as well as a professor at Lone Mountain College
and San Francisco College for Women.
as the archdiocese's Auxiliary Bishop
on June 5, 1970. He was ordained as a bishop
on September 5, 1970 as the Titular Bishop
of Bida by Archbishop Joseph McGucken
. His principal co-consecrators were Bishops Hugh Donohoe
. and Merlin Guilfoyle McFarland was appointed as the Vicar for Finance, Vicar for Seminarians, and Pastor in residence at Old Mission Dolores
.
upon the resignation of Bishop Michael Joseph Green. As the administrator, he was in charge of finances for all of Nevada and is credited with covering "its debt by spending eight days on the phone asking bishops around the country for grants and low-interest loans." McFarland became Reno's ordinary
on February 10, 1976. As its diocesan bishop, McFarland expanded the funding for Catholic Charities
.
. Johnson was the first Bishop of Orange which is the second-largest diocese in California. McFarland was consecrated
as its bishop on February 24, 1987.
In 1995, after hearing McFarland's homily
at the Red Mass
for Orange County
, several Orange County Bar Association
member lawyers formed the St. Thomas More
Society of Orange County.
Prior to his 76th birthday in 1998, McFarland submitted his resignation which was accepted by Pope John Paul II.
Ring of Honor. McFarland was recognized during the annual spring Ring of Honor and Founders Circle Dinner for his contributions towards their community.
McFarland suffered a heart attack and died on April 16, 2010. His Mass of the Resurrection was held at the Holy Family Cathedral
in Orange, California
on April 23, 2010.
is delineated from Cardinal Scipione Rebiba
. 91% of the world's more than 4,000 Catholic bishops alive today trace their episcopal lineage back to Rebiba.
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....
of the Diocese of Orange
Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange is a particular church of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church whose territory comprises the whole of Orange County, California, in the United States...
and 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 the Diocese of Reno
Roman Catholic Diocese of Reno
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Reno is an ecclesiastical territory of the Roman Catholic Church in the northern Nevada region of the United States, centered on the city of Reno. With the urging of Cardinal George Mundelein, Archbishop of Chicago, Pope Pius XI established the Diocese on March 27, 1931...
.
Early life and pastoral appointments
Norman McFarland was born in Martinez, CaliforniaMartinez, California
Martinez is a city and the county seat of Contra Costa County, California, United States. The population was 35,824 at the 2010 census. The downtown is notable for its large number of preserved old buildings...
as the third oldest son of Francis and Agnes (Kotchevar) McFarland. He went to public schools and eventually attended Saint Joseph Seminary in Mountain View, California
Mountain View, California
-Downtown:Mountain View has a pedestrian-friendly downtown centered on Castro Street. The downtown area consists of the seven blocks of Castro Street from the Downtown Mountain View Station transit center in the north to the intersection with El Camino Real in the south...
. McFarland earned his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
Degree in 1943 at Saint Patrick Major Seminary
Saint Patrick Seminary, Menlo Park
Saint Patrick's Seminary and University in Menlo Park, California is a Roman Catholic post-graduate seminary whose primary mission is the formation of clergy for Western and Pacific Rim dioceses, orders, religious congregations and secular institutes...
. He was ordained to the priesthood
Presbyterium
Presbyterium is a modern term used in the Catholic Church and Eastern Catholic Churches after the Second Vatican Council in reference to a college of priests, in active ministry, of an individual particular church such as a diocese or eparchy...
on June 15, 1946 by 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...
John J. Mitty for the Archdiocese of San Francisco
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States. It covers the City and County of San Francisco and the Counties of Marin and San Mateo...
.
In 1946, McFarland was an associate pastor at St. Andrew's in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
when he was selected by Archbishop Mitty to attend Catholic University of America. He earned a Doctorate in Canon Law
Doctor of Canon Law
Doctor of Canon Law is the doctoral-level terminal degree in the studies of canon law of the Roman Catholic Church.It may also be abbreviated I.C.D. or dr.iur.can. , ICDr., D.C.L., D.Cnl., D.D.C., or D.Can.L. . Doctor of both laws are J.U.D...
and returned to the archdiocese. McFarland served in a number of archdiocesan positions to include served as a marriage tribunal official as well as a professor at Lone Mountain College
Lone Mountain College
Lone Mountain College was a college acquired by the University of San Francisco in 1978. It was founded by the Religious of the Sacred Heart as Sacred Heart Academy in Menlo Park, California in 1898 and became College of the Sacred Heart in 1921...
and San Francisco College for Women.
Archdiocese of San Francisco
McFarland was appointedAppointment of Catholic bishops
The appointment of bishops in the Catholic Church is a complicated process. Outgoing bishops, neighbouring bishops, the faithful, the apostolic nuncio, various members of the Roman Curia, and the pope all have a role in the selection...
as the archdiocese's 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...
on June 5, 1970. He was ordained as a bishop
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....
on September 5, 1970 as the 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 Bida by Archbishop Joseph McGucken
Joseph Thomas McGucken
Joseph Thomas McGucken was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Sacramento and Archbishop of San Francisco .-Biography:...
. His principal co-consecrators were Bishops Hugh Donohoe
Hugh Aloysius Donohoe
Hugh Aloysius Donohoe was an American Roman Catholic clergyman.Born in San Francisco, California, Donohoe was educated at St. Patrick Seminary in Menlo Park and at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 14, 1930. He then served as a...
. and Merlin Guilfoyle McFarland was appointed as the Vicar for Finance, Vicar for Seminarians, and Pastor in residence at Old Mission Dolores
Mission San Francisco de Asís
Mission San Francisco de Asís, or Mission Dolores, is the oldest surviving structure in San Francisco and the sixth religious settlement established as part of the California chain of missions...
.
Diocese of Reno
On December 6, 1974 McFarland was appointed as the Apostolic Administrator of the Reno Diocese by Pope Paul VIPope 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...
upon the resignation of Bishop Michael Joseph Green. As the administrator, he was in charge of finances for all of Nevada and is credited with covering "its debt by spending eight days on the phone asking bishops around the country for grants and low-interest loans." McFarland became Reno's 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...
on February 10, 1976. As its diocesan bishop, McFarland expanded the funding for 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...
.
Diocese of Orange
McFarland was appointed as the Bishop of the Diocese of Orange on December 29, 1986 upon the death of Bishop William Johnson by Pope John Paul IIPope 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 ...
. Johnson was the first Bishop of Orange which is the second-largest diocese in California. McFarland was consecrated
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...
as its bishop on February 24, 1987.
In 1995, after hearing McFarland's homily
Homily
A homily is a commentary that follows a reading of scripture. In Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox Churches, a homily is usually given during Mass at the end of the Liturgy of the Word...
at the Red Mass
Red Mass
A Red Mass is a Mass celebrated annually in the Catholic Church for judges, attorneys, law school professors, students, and government officials...
for Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, several Orange County Bar Association
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
member lawyers formed the St. Thomas More
Thomas More
Sir Thomas More , also known by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII of England and, for three years toward the end of his life, Lord Chancellor...
Society of Orange County.
Prior to his 76th birthday in 1998, McFarland submitted his resignation which was accepted by Pope John Paul II.
Final years
In 2003, McFarland was inducted to the Mater Dei High SchoolMater Dei High School (Santa Ana, California)
Mater Dei High School is a private, Catholic, co-educational secondary school in Santa Ana, California. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. With an enrollment of 2,100 students Mater Dei High School is one of the largest Catholic high schools in the United States...
Ring of Honor. McFarland was recognized during the annual spring Ring of Honor and Founders Circle Dinner for his contributions towards their community.
McFarland suffered a heart attack and died on April 16, 2010. His Mass of the Resurrection was held at the Holy Family Cathedral
Cathedral of the Holy Family in Orange
Cathedral of the Holy Family in Orange is a cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It is the mother church of the Diocese of Orange and is the seat of the prelate bishop. It is located in the City of Orange in the state of California....
in Orange, California
Orange, California
Southern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
on April 23, 2010.
Episcopal succession
McFarland's direct Apostolic successionApostolic Succession
Apostolic succession is a doctrine, held by some Christian denominations, which asserts that the chosen successors of the Twelve Apostles, from the first century to the present day, have inherited the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority, power, and responsibility that were...
is delineated from Cardinal Scipione Rebiba
Scipione Rebiba
Scipione Rebiba was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.He is of particular significance as more than 90% of all living Catholic bishops can trace their episcopal lineage back to him.-Biography:...
. 91% of the world's more than 4,000 Catholic bishops alive today trace their episcopal lineage back to Rebiba.