James Thomas O'Dowd
| His Excellency, The Most Reverend James T. O'Dowd | |
|---|---|
| Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| See | Titular See of Cea |
| Appointed | May 22, 1948 |
| In office | June 29, 1948 - February 4, 1950 |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | June 4, 1932 by John Joseph Mitty |
| Consecration | June 29, 1948 by John Joseph Mitty |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 4, 1907 San Francisco, California, US |
| Died | February 4, 1950 (aged 42) San Francisco |
James Thomas O'Dowd (August 4, 1907 – February 4, 1950) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco in California from 1948 to 1950.
Biography
Early life
James O'Dowd was born on August 4, 1907, in San Francisco, California. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco on June 4, 1932 by Archbishop John Joseph Mitty in San Francisco.[1][2] He attended Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he received a Doctor of Philosophy degree.[3]
Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco
On May 22, 1948, Pope Pius XII appointed O'Dowd as the titular bishop of Cea, Greece[4] and auxiliary bishop of San Francisco. He was consecrated at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco by Mitty on June 29, 1948. The principal co-consecrators were Bishop Thomas Arthur Connolly of Seattle and Auxiliary Bishop Hugh Aloysius Donohoe of San Francisco.[2] While auxiliary bishop, he also served as pastor at the Mission Dolores in San Francisco.[3]
Death and legacy
On February 3, 1950, O'Dowd was a passenger in an automobile driven by Reverend Henry Lande.[5][6] After stopping on train tracks, their car was struck by a freight train and dragged 300 feet (91 m).[7] Lande died at the scene; O'Dowd was transported to the Fairfield-Suisun Air Force Base hospital near Fairfield, California. After being transferred to St Mary's Hospital in San Francisco, O'Dowd died the following day of his injuries at age 42. He was interred at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma, California.[2]
Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland, California is named in his memory.[8]
References
- Back to citation "Bishops who are not Ordinaries of Sees". Giga-Catholic. Archived from the original on 2014-01-22. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
- Back to citation occurrence 2.0 Back to citation occurrence 2.1 Back to citation occurrence 2.2 "Bishop James Thomas O'Dowd". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
- Back to citation occurrence 3.0 Back to citation occurrence 3.1 "MOST RFV. J. O'DOWD, AUXILIARY BISHOP, 42". The New York Times. 1950-02-06. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-07-09.
- Back to citation Cheney, David M. "Cea (Titular See)". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Catholic-Hierarchy. Archived from the original on 2018-06-25. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
- Back to citation "Bishop O'Dowd, auxiliary bishop of San Francisco, and superintendent of Catholic schools in the archdiocese, died late Saturday night". Oakland Tribune. Vol. 152, no. 38. 7 February 1950. Retrieved 21 January 2026 – via cdnc.ucr.edu. PDF
- Back to citation "Most Rev. J. O'Dowd, Auxiliary Bishop, 42". nytimes.com. 6 February 1950. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
- Back to citation "Ex-local priest among those killed". From the Reporter. Archived from the original on 2017-12-23. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
- Back to citation "History | Bishop O'Dowd High School". bishopodowd.org. Retrieved 2025-07-09.