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John Edmund Fitzmaurice

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John Edmund Fitzmaurice
Bishop of Erie
Titular Bishop of Amisus
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
SeeDiocese of Erie
In officeSeptember 15,1899 –
June 18, 1920
PredecessorTobias Mullen
SuccessorJohn Mark Gannon
Previous post(s)Coadjutor Bishop of Erie (1898–1899)
Orders
OrdinationDecember 21, 1862
by James Frederick Wood
ConsecrationFebruary 24, 1898
by Patrick John Ryan
Personal details
Born(1839-01-08)January 8, 1839
DiedJune 18, 1920(1920-06-18) (aged 81)
Erie, Pennsylvania, US
EducationSt. 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

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Early life

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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

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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

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  1. ^ a b c  Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Diocese of Erie". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  2. ^ a b c d "Bishop John Edmund Fitzmaurice". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney.
  3. ^ "About the Diocese: Continued Expansion (1900-1920)". Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28.
  4. ^ "Bishops of the Diocese of Erie", Saint Peter Cathedral
Catholic Church titles
New title — TITULAR —
Bishop of Amisus
1897–1899
Vacant
Title next held by
Aquilino Ferreyra y Alvarez
Preceded by Bishop of Erie
1899–1920
Succeeded by