John Joseph McCort | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Altoona | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| Diocese | Altoona |
| Appointed | October 22, 1920 |
| Term ended | April 21, 1936 (his death) |
| Predecessor | Eugene A. Garvey |
| Successor | Richard Thomas Guilfoyle |
| Other posts | Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia (1912-1920) Coadjutor Bishop of Altoona (1920) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | October 14, 1883 by Jeremiah F. Shanahan |
| Consecration | September 17, 1912 by Edmond Francis Prendergast |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1860-02-16)February 16, 1860 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | April 21, 1936(1936-04-21) (aged 76) Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
John Joseph McCort (February 16, 1860 – April 21, 1936) was an American prelate of theCatholic Church. He served asbishop of Altoona in Pennsylvania from 1920 until his death in 1936.
John McCort was born on February 16, 1860, inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, to James and Sarah (née McCrystal) McCort, who were natives of Ireland.[1] His father died during theAmerican Civil War, having enlisted in the110th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment of theUnion Army.[2] McCort received his early education under theChristian Brothers at the parochial school ofSt. Michael's Parish, which later becameLa Salle College High School.[2] After completing his courses there, McCort studied atLa Salle College in Philadelphia and then enteredSt. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia in 1876 to prepare for the priesthood.[1]
McCort was ordained a priest for theArchdiocese of Philadelphia on October 14, 1883, by BishopJeremiah F. Shanahan.[3] A few months shy of the canonical age of 24, McCort was granted a special dispensation from the Vatican to be ordained due to health issues.[4] Following his ordination, the archdiocese assigned McCort to the faculty of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, where he taught Latin,rhetoric, mathematics, Catholic history, andliturgy for the next 16 years.[5] In June 1899, he was appointed to succeedJohn W. Shanahan as pastor of Our Mother of Sorrows Parish in theMill Creek neighborhood ofWest Philadelphia.[2]
McCort served as pastor of Our Mother of Sorrows until 1920. He was namedfiscal procurator of the archdiocese in 1905, amonsignor in 1910, andvicar general in 1911.[1]
On June 28, 1912, McCort was appointedauxiliary bishop of Philadelphia andtitular bishop ofAzotus byPope Pius X.[3] He received his episcopal consecration on September 17, 1912, from ArchbishopEdmond Francis Prendergast, with BishopsJohn W. Shanahan andJohn Edmund Fitzmaurice serving as co-consecrators, at theCathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia[3] As auxiliary bishop, he assisted Prendergast with the administration of the archdiocese while retaining his role as pastor of Our Mother of Sorrows. He was instrumental in founding Misericordia Hospital (nowMercy Philadelphia Hospital) andWest Philadelphia Catholic High School for Boys.[2]
On June 22, 1916, McCort was notified of his appointment asBishop of Monterey-Los Angeles byPope Benedict XV.[4][6] However, Prendergast wrote to Rome with McCort's consent, asking them to rescind the appointment, so that McCort could continue to assist the ailing Pendergast in Philadelphia.[7] Benedict XV accepted Prendergast's request in November 1916.[8]
Following Prendergast's death in February 1918, there was considerable public support in Philadelphia for McCort's appointment as archbishop.[9] However, the appointment ultimately went toDennis Joseph Dougherty, theBishop of Buffalo and McCort's former colleague at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. McCort had a strained relationship with Dougherty, especially after McCort resigned from several diocesan positions following Dougherty's appointment.[10]
On January 27, 1920, McCort was appointedcoadjutor bishop with the right of succession to BishopEugene A. Garvey ofAltoona.[3] Upon Garvey's death on October 22, 1920, McCort succeeded him as the second bishop of Altoona.[3]
Upon McCort's arrival in 1920, the Diocese of Altoona contained 148 priests, 110 churches, 91 parishes, 42 parochial schools, and a Catholic population of 123,756.[11] By the time of his death in 1936, there were 197 priests, 129 churches, 111 parishes, 50 parochial schools, and a Catholic population that had fallen to 100,634 during theGreat Depression.[12] In 1922, McCort established Altoona Catholic High School (nowBishop Guilfoyle High School) and Johnstown Catholic High School in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.[5] McCort laid the cornerstone for the newCathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in May 1926, but construction temporarily halted in 1929 due to thestock market crash. The cathedral was finally dedicated in September 1931.[13]
On the occasion of his golden jubilee as a priest in October 1933, McCort was named anassistant to the papal throne byPope Pius XI.[14]
In February 1936, McCort was admitted to Mercy Hospital atJohnstown after receiving injuries from a fall during a visit in Philadelphia.[15] His health began to fail and he was in acoma for several days before his death in Johnstown on April 21, 1936.[5] He is buried in the crypt of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.[16]
Johnstown Catholic High School is nowBishop McCort Catholic Academy.[17]
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Bishop of Altoona 1920–1936 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by – | Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia 1912–1920 | Succeeded by – |
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