Christopher Joseph Weldon (September 6, 1905 – March 19, 1982) was an American

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pre ...

of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. He served as bishop Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts from 1950 to 1977. In 2020, an investigation by the Diocese of Springfield determined that an accusation of sexual abuse of a minor against Weldon was highly credible.

Biography

Early years

Christopher Weldon was born in the

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

section of New York City to Patrick and Mary (née Dwyer) Weldon. After graduating from Public School 9 in Manhattan in 1918, he entered the Grand Seminary of Montreal in Montreal, Quebec. In 1924, Weldon returned to New York to study at St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers.

Priesthood

Weldon was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

to the priesthood on September 21, 1929, at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan. Weldon then completed his

graduate studies Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree. The organization and stru ...

at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. His first pastoral assignment was as assistant pastor at St. John the Evangelist Parish in

White Plains, New York (Always Faithful) , image_seal = WhitePlainsSeal.png , seal_link = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = U.S. state, State , su ...

, followed by a term at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Mount Kisco, New York. From 1931 to 1935, Weldon served as

spiritual director Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divinity, divine, or to learn and grow in their personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of their encounters ...

at the Newman School in Lakewood,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. He left New Jersey in 1935 to become pastor at St. John Chrysostom Church in Bronx, New York. After one year, he was moved to Blessed Sacrament Church in Manhattan. In 1942, after the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Weldon left New York to serve in the

United States Navy Chaplain Corps The United States Navy Chaplain Corps is the body of military chaplains of the United States Navy who are commissioned naval officers. Their principal purpose is "to promote the spiritual, religious, moral, and personal well-being of the mem ...

. Discharged from the Navy in 1946, he returned to New York, where he became master of ceremonies to Cardinal

Francis Spellman Francis Joseph Spellman (May 4, 1889 – December 2, 1967) was an American bishop and cardinal of the Catholic Church. From 1939 until his death in 1967, he served as the sixth Archbishop of New York; he had previously served as an auxiliary ...

. Serving as executive director of

Catholic Charities The Catholic Church operates numerous charitable organizations. Catholic spiritual teaching includes spreading the Gospel, while Catholic social teaching emphasises support for the sick, the poor and the afflicted through the corporal and spi ...

from 1947 to 1950, he was raised to the rank of a

papal chamberlain A Papal Gentleman, also called a Gentleman of His Holiness, is a lay attendant of the pope and his papal household in Vatican City. Papal gentlemen serve in the Apostolic Palace near St. Peter's Basilica in ceremonial positions, such as escorting d ...

in 1947 and a domestic prelate in 1948.

Bishop of Springfield

On January 28, 1950, Weldon was appointed the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Springfield by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration on March 24, 1950, from Cardinal Spellman, with Archbishop

Richard Cushing Richard James Cushing (August 24, 1895 – November 2, 1970) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Boston from 1944 to 1970 and was made a cardinal in 1958. Cushing's main role was as fundraiser and builder ...

and Bishop Stephen Joseph Donahue serving as co-consecrators. During his tenure, Weldon oversaw the construction of Cathedral High School and Our Lady of Lourdes School in Springfield, added a wing to Farren Memorial Hospital in

Montague, Massachusetts Montague is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,580 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts metropolitan statistical area. The villages of Montague Center, Montague City, Lake ...

, and built Mont Marie, the motherhouse of the

Sisters of St. Joseph The Sisters of St. Joseph, also known as the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, abbreviated CSJ or SSJ, is a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women founded in Le Puy-en-Velay, France, in 1650. This congregation, named for S ...

of Springfield. He erected 10 new parishes, and constructed 11 new churches and several parish centers. Weldon established a center for the

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apostolate in Springfield, and a diocesan

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in 1954. He attended the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...

from 1962 to 1965, and served as

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Elms College The College of Our Lady of the Elms, often called Elms College, is a private Roman Catholic in Chicopee, Massachusetts. History The Sisters of St. Joseph and the Diocese of Springfield co-founded Elms as a girls' preparatory academy in Pitt ...

from 1958 to 1977.

Retirement and legacy

After 27 years as bishop, Weldon resigned on October 15, 1977. He died on March 19, 1982, at Mercy Hospital in Springfield at age 76. In September 2018, a Diocesan Review Board notified Bishop

Mitchell T. Rozanski Mitchell Thomas Rozanski (born August 6, 1958) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as the archbishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis in Missouri since 2020. He previously served as bishop of the Diocese ...

that it had found an allegation of sexual abuse by Weldon credible. The board cited a Chicopee resident who said that Weldon had abused him a child. The board later split on the case, with several members saying that the victim did not name Weldon directly, while three others present maintained they had witnessed otherwise. In June 2019, Rozanski met with the victim, saying he found the allegations "deeply troubling". In June 2020, an investigation by retired Superior Court Judge Peter A. Velis found the victim's claim "to be unequivocally credible." After Velis' findings were released, Rozanski asked Trinity Health of New England to remove Weldon's name from its rehabilitation center, the former Farren Memorial Hospital. Weldon's remains were disinterred and moved to more secluded spot in the cemetery. He ordered the removal of all photographs, memorials and other mentions of Weldon from all diocesan facilities, schools and churches.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weldon, Christopher Joseph 1905 births 1982 deaths People from the Bronx Catholic University of America alumni Participants in the Second Vatican Council United States Navy chaplains World War II chaplains 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Roman Catholic bishops of Springfield in Massachusetts Elms College faculty Catholics from New York (state) Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals in the United States Military personnel from Massachusetts