James Thomas McHugh | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Rockville Centre | |
| See | Diocese of Rockville Centre |
| Installed | January 4, 2000 |
| Term ended | December 10, 2000 |
| Predecessor | John R. McGann |
| Successor | William Murphy |
| Other posts | Auxiliary Bishop of Newark (1988–1989) Bishop of Camden (1989–1998) Coadjutor Bishop of Rockville Centre (1998–2000) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 25, 1957 by Thomas Aloysius Boland |
| Consecration | January 25, 1988 by Theodore McCarrick |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1932-01-03)January 3, 1932 |
| Died | December 10, 2000(2000-12-10) (aged 68) |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| Education | Seton Hall University Immaculate Conception Seminary Fordham University Catholic University of America Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) |
| Motto | Quid retribuam Domino (What shall I return to the Lord) |
James Thomas McHugh (January 3, 1932 – December 10, 2000) was an Americanprelate of theCatholic Church who served as bishop ofDiocese of Rockville Centre in New York during the year 2000.
McHugh previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark in New Jersey from 1987 to 1989, as bishop of theDiocese of Camden in New Jersey from 1989 to 1998 and as coadjutor bishop of Rockville Centre from 1998 to early 2000.
McHugh was born on January 3, 1932, inOrange, New Jersey, to James T. and Caroline (née Scavone) McHugh.[1] He received his early education at theparochial school of St. Venantius Parish, and attendedOur Lady of the Valley High School, both in Orange.[2] He enrolled atSeton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, earning aBachelor of Arts degree inclassical languages.[1] McHugh then began his studies for the priesthood atImmaculate Conception Seminary in Darlington, New Jersey, receiving aMaster of Divinity degree.[2]
On May 25, 1957, McHugh wasordained a priest of theArchdiocese of Newark at theCathedral of the Sacred Heart in Newark, New Jersey by ArchbishopThomas Aloysius Boland.[3] After his ordination, the archdiocese assigned McHugh as acurate at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish inNewark. He was later transferred to Holy Trinity Parish inFort Lee, New Jersey.[1] He served as a member of the Archdiocesan Family Life Committee from 1962 to 1965.[2]
In addition to his pastoral duties, McHugh did graduate work in sociology atFordham University inNew York City from 1963 to 1965.[1] He served as moderator of the Bergen County Catholic Physicians' Guild (1964–1965) and of the Bergen County Catholic Nurses' Council (1963–1965).[2] He continued his studies in sociology at theCatholic University of America inWashington, D.C., from 1965 to 1967.[2] In 1965, McHugh joined the staff of theNational Conference of Catholic Bishops, where he served as director of the Family Life Bureau (1965–1975), director of theNational Right to Life Committee (1967), and of the Office of Pro-Life Activities (1972–1978).[1][4] While in that position he caused controversy when, in response to US PresidentRichard Nixon's July 1969 proposal of federal funding ofartificial contraception as a means of population control, McHugh said Nixon's message was "a positive and constructive approach to the problem."[5] The Vatican named McHugh as apapal chamberlain in 1971 and as anhonorary prelate in 1986.[1]
McHugh was a visiting lecturer intheology atPrinceton Theological Seminary (1974), Immaculate Conception Seminary (1976–81), andAmerican College of Louvain in Belgium (1976).[2] He became director of the Diocesan Development Program forNatural Family Planning in 1981.[1] From 1978 to 1981, he studiedmoral theology with a concentration inmedical ethics at thePontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) inRome where he earned adoctorate in theology.[1] He then served as a visiting lecturer at thePontifical Lateran University in 1982.[2] He served as special assistant at the World Synod of Bishops on "The Christian Family in the Contemporary World" in 1980, and was appointed to the delegation of thePermanent Observer Mission of theHoly See to theUnited Nations in 1983.[2] He was appointed archdiocesanvicar for Parish and Family Life in 1986.[2]
On November 20, 1987, McHugh was appointed as anauxiliary bishop of Newark andtitular bishop ofMorosbisdus byPope John Paul II.[3] He received hisepiscopalconsecration on January 25, 1988, from ArchbishopTheodore Edgar McCarrick, with ArchbishopPeter Leo Gerety and BishopWalter William Curtis serving asco-consecrators, at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.[3] He selected as his episcopalmotto:Quid retribuam Domino, meaning, "What shall I return to the Lord" (Psalms 116:12).[6]
Following the retirement of BishopGeorge Guilfoyle, McHugh was named the fifth bishop of Camden on May 13, 1989, by John Paul II.[3] His installation took place at theCathedral of the Immaculate Conception on June 20, 1989.[3] During his nine-year tenure, he undertook a major reorganization of the diocese's administrative structure and authorized the relocation of the diocesan headquarters to downtown Camden.[7] He presided over a diocesansynod in September 1992.[7] McHugh created a $63 million Catholic Education Endowment Fund for schools and religious education programs, a five-point plan to reinvigorate Catholic high schools, and led a campaign to support legislation forschool vouchers in theNew Jersey State Legislature.[2]
McHugh served as a delegate atUnited Nations-sponsored conferences on the environment (1992 inRio de Janeiro) and on population and development (1994 inCairo).[2]
McHugh was appointedcoadjutor bishop of Rockville Centre by John Paul II on December 7, 1998, effective February 22, 1999. He succeeded to the office of diocesan bishop by right of succession on January 4, 2000.[3]
McHugh died on December 10, 2000, inRockville Centre, New York, at age 68.[3]
In November 2020, a Vatican investigation into the case of defrocked former cardinalTheodore McCarrick identified McHugh as one of three bishops who "provided inaccurate and incomplete information to the Holy See regarding McCarrick’s sexual conduct with young adults" when McCarrick was a candidate forarchbishop of Washington in 2000.[8][9]
{{cite book}}:|last1= has generic name (help)| Catholic Church titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Bishop of Rockville Centre 2000–2000 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Bishop of Camden 1989–1998 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by – | Auxiliary Bishop of Newark, New Jersey 1987–1989 | Succeeded by – |
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