His Excellency, The Most Reverend James Patterson Lyke | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Atlanta | |
| See | Atlanta |
| Installed | June 24, 1991 |
| Term ended | December 27, 1992 |
| Predecessor | Eugene Antonio Marino |
| Successor | John Francis Donoghue |
| Other post(s) | Auxiliary Bishop of Cleveland (1979–1990) Apostolic Administrator of Atlanta (1990–1991) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | June 24, 1966 |
| Consecration | August 1, 1979 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1939-02-18)February 18, 1939 |
| Died | December 27, 1992(1992-12-27) (aged 53) Atlanta,Georgia |
| Buried | Arlington Memorial Park inSandy Springs, Georgia |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Motto | Christus pax Christ is peace |
| Styles of James Patterson Lyke | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
James Patterson Lyke,O.F.M. (February 18, 1939 – December 27, 1992) was anAfrican-American Catholic prelate who served asArchbishop of Atlanta from 1991 to 1992. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of theDiocese of Cleveland from 1979 to 1990. He was the secondAfrican-American archbishop in history.
James Lyke was born on February 18, 1939, on theSouth Side ofChicago,Illinois, the youngest of seven children of Amos and Ora (née Sneed) Lyke.[1] Amos Lyke abandoned the family, leaving Ora Lyke to raise the children in impoverished surroundings, relying onwelfare checks.[2] The family lived in a flat with no beds and a coal stove, before moving toWentworth Gardens, ahousing project.[2]
Ora Lyke, aBaptist, sent James Lyke to St. George Catholic School when he was in the fourth grade to keep him out of trouble. She washed the St. George Church laundry to help pay the school tuition. She and six of her children later converted toCatholicism.[2]
Deciding to become a priest, James Lyke joined theFranciscan order in 1959, studying at the St. Francis Novitiate inTeutopolis, Illinois. He later obtained hisBachelor of Arts degree in philosophy at Our Lady of Angels House of Philosophy throughQuincy College in Quincy, Illinois. He received aMaster of Divinity degree from St. Joseph Theological Seminary inTeutopolis, Illinois.
Lyke was ordained a priest at St. Francis Church in Teutopolis on June 24, 1966, by BishopWilliam O’Connor.[3] After his 1966 ordination, the Franciscans assigned Lyke to teach atPadua High School in Cleveland. While at Padua, Lyke led the localOperation Breadbasket campaign to help the African-American community.[4]
After the assassination ofDr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, Lyke requested that the Franciscans assign him to a parish inTennessee. They sent him to serve as pastor to St. Thomas Parish inMemphis, becoming the first African-American priest in Tennessee. During this period, he also served as president of theNational Office for Black Catholics.[4]
In 1977, the Franciscans appointed Lyke as director of the Newman Center atGrambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana.[1]
Pope John Paul II named Lyke as an auxiliary bishop of Cleveland and titular bishop ofFurnos Major on June 30, 1979.[5][3] He was consecrated in Cleveland by CardinalJames Hickey on August 1`, 1979. Lyke obtained aDoctor of Theology degree in 1981 from theUnion Graduate School inCincinnati, Ohio.[6]
While serving as auxiliary bishop, Lyke coordinated the group that producedLead Me, Guide Me: The African American Catholic Hymnal in 1987.[7]
After the resignation of ArchbishopEugene Marino due to scandal, thecollege of consultors for the archdiocese appointed Lyke asapostolic administrator of Atlanta on July 10, 1990. John Paul II appointed him as archbishop there on April 30, 1991,[8][9] and he was installed on June 24, 1991.[3]
Lyke died ofkidney cancer on December 27, 1992. At the time of his death, Lyke was the highest-ranking African-American Catholic clergyman in the nation.[10]
The following institutions have been named after Lyke:
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Archbishop of Atlanta 1990–1992 | Succeeded by |
