Joseph Francis Flannelly | |
|---|---|
| Auxiliary Bishop of New York | |
| In office | 1948-1969 |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | September 1, 1918 |
| Consecration | December 16, 1949 by Cardinal Francis Spellman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1894-10-22)October 22, 1894 |
| Died | May 23, 1973(1973-05-23) (aged 78) New York City |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Education | Cathedral College |
| Alma mater | St. Joseph's Seminary |
| Motto | Pro Hominibus ad Deum (Ordained for men in the things that appertain to God) |
Joseph Francis Flannelly (October 22, 1894—May 23, 1973) was an American prelate of theRoman Catholic Church. He served as anauxiliary bishop of theArchdiocese of New York from 1948 to 1969.
Joseph Flannelly was born on October 22, 1894, inNew York City to Michael J. and Mary A. (née Considine) Flannelly.[1] He attendedCathedral College in Queens, New York, and made his theological studies atSt. Joseph's Seminary inYonkers, New York.[2]
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Flannelly was ordained to thepriesthood for the Archdiocese of New York in New York on September 1, 1918, by BishopThomas Walsh.[3] After his ordination, the archdiocese assigned Flannelly ascurate at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Yonkers.[4] He supervised theparochial school at Our Lady, taught singing, and organized and coached the schoolbaseball andbasketball teams. He also served aschaplain of the local fire department.[4]
In 1938, after 20 years at Our Lady, the archdiocese transferred Flannelly toSt. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan, where he served as an assistant to Monsignor Michael J. Lavelle, the rector of the cathedral.[4] The following year he succeeded Lavelle as rector, a post he held until his retirement in 1969.[2]
Under Flannelly's guidance, St. Patrick's underwent extensive changes; these changes included the installation of a newaltar and arose window in the west wall of the edifice, major improvements of theorgan, and the completion of five sculptured bronze doors facing theFifth Avenue entrance.[4]
The Vatican named Flannelly as apapal chamberlain in 1941 and adomestic prelate in 1943. In August 1948, he celebrated therequiem mass at St. Patrick's for the professional baseball playerBabe Ruth.[1]
On November 9, 1948, Flannelly was appointedauxiliary bishop of New York andtitular bishop of Metelis byPope Pius XII.[3] After receiving news of his appointment, Flannelly stated, "I am delighted, of course, that I am going to be a successor of the Apostles, and I am humbly grateful to God."[1] He received hisepiscopalconsecration on December 16, 1948, from CardinalFrancis Spellman, with Auxiliary BishopsJoseph Donahue andStephen Donahue serving asco-consecrators, at St. Patrick's.[3]
At his consecration, Flannelly wore thevestments used by Spellman and Pius XII at their own consecrations.[5] He received theepiscopal ring of CardinalPatrick Hayes and thepectoral cross of ArchbishopJohn Hughes.[6] Flannelly selected as his episcopalmotto:"Pro Hominibus ad Deum," which, freely translated, means, "Ordained for men in the things that appertain to God" (Hebrews 5:1).[5]
In 1950, Flannelly issued an admonition to be read at each of the seven Sunday masses in St. Patrick's Cathedral:
"We note with alarm and regret the growing custom of holding parties in business offices on the days immediately preceding Christmas. We caution the faithful against such parties for the following reasons: 1) these parties ignore the sacred character of Advent, which is a time of becoming preparation for the coming of our divine Savior; 2) the days immediately preceding Christmas are invariably days of fast and abstinence...3) at many of these parties there is excessive use of intoxicating drinks. These sinful excesses cause untold harm in various ways to the participants and their families. They corrupt the morals and lower the morale of the community and the nation."[7]
Flannelly was an ardent proponent of the restoration ofreligion to thepublic school system, and was once quoted as having said that
"...in the face ofCommunist activities bent on taking God out of government and business, the most important first thing we have to do is put religion back in education."[4]
Flannelly received honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from bothManhattan College andFordham University, both in the Bronx.[4]
After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Flannelly resigned as auxiliary bishop of New York on November 8, 1969.[3] He died on May 23, 1973, atSt. Clare's Hospital in Manhattan at age 78.[4]
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by – | Auxiliary Bishop of New York 1948–1969 | Succeeded by – |
