John Edmund Fitzmaurice
| His Excellency, The Most Reverend John Edmund Fitzmaurice | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Erie Titular Bishop of Amisus | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| See | Diocese of Erie |
| In office | September 15, 1899 – June 18, 1920 |
| Predecessor | Tobias Mullen |
| Successor | John Mark Gannon |
| Previous post | Coadjutor Bishop of Erie (1898–1899) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | December 21, 1862 by James Frederick Wood |
| Consecration | February 24, 1898 by Patrick John Ryan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 8, 1839 Newtown-Sandes, County Kerry, Ireland |
| Died | June 18, 1920 (aged 81) Erie, Pennsylvania, US |
| Education | St. Charles Borromeo Seminary |
John Edmund Fitzmaurice (January 8, 1839 – June 18, 1920) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Erie in Pennsylvania (1899–1920).
Biography
Early life
John Fitzmaurice was born on January 8, 1839, in Newtown-Sandes, County Kerry in Ireland. He began studying law at age fifteen. In 1858, he immigrated to the United States, where he began his studies for the priesthood at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1]
Fitzmaurice was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop James Wood on December 21, 1862,[2] and then served as a curate at St. John's and St. Paul's Parishes in Philadelphia.[1] After serving as pastor of St. Agatha's Parish in Philadelphia, he became rector of St. Charles Seminary in 1886.[1] His nephew, Edmond John Fitzmaurice, was also rector of St. Charles (1920–1925) as well as Bishop of Wilmington (1925–1960).
Coadjutor Bishop and Bishop of Erie
On December 14, 1897, Fitzmaurice was appointed coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Erie and titular bishop of Amisus by Pope Leo XIII.[2] He received his episcopal consecration on February 24, 1898, from Archbishop Patrick Ryan, with Bishops Ignatius Horstmann and Edmond Prendergast serving as co-consecrators.[2] He succeeded Tobias Mullen as Bishop on September 15, 1899.[2]
During his 21-year-long tenure as bishop, Fitzmaurice established several parishes and dedicated St. Peter's Cathedral in Erie (1911).[3] The Sisters of St. Joseph added an annex to St. Vincent's Hospital in Erie and in 1901 a nursing school.
Toward the end of his life, Fitzmaurice went blind; John Fitzmaurice died June 18, 1920, at age 81 in Erie, Pennsylvania.[4]
References
- Back to citation occurrence 1.0 Back to citation occurrence 1.1 Back to citation occurrence 1.2 Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Diocese of Erie". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- Back to citation occurrence 2.0 Back to citation occurrence 2.1 Back to citation occurrence 2.2 Back to citation occurrence 2.3 "Bishop John Edmund Fitzmaurice". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney.
- Back to citation "About the Diocese: Continued Expansion (1900-1920)". Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28.
- Back to citation "Bishops of the Diocese of Erie", Saint Peter Cathedral