Edward Cornelius O'Leary (August 21, 1920 – April 2, 2002) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Latin Church diocese of

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

in Maine from1974 to 1988 and as auxiliary bishop of the same diocese from 1970 to 1974

Biography

Early life

Edward O'Leary was born on August 21, 1920, in Bangor, Maine, in 1920. He studied at the

College of the Holy Cross The College of the Holy Cross is a private, Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, about 40 miles (64 km) west of Boston. Founded in 1843, Holy Cross is the oldest Catholic college in New England and one of the oldest ...

in Worcester, Massachusetts, obtaining his bachelor's degree. He then attended St. Paul's Seminary in Ottawa, Ontario, where he received a

Licentiate of Sacred Theology Licentiate in Sacred Theology ( la, Sacrae Theologiae Licentiatus; abbreviated STL) is the second of three ecclesiastical degrees in theology (the first being the Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology and the third being the Doctorate in Sacred Theol ...

Priesthood

O'Leary was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Portland by Bishop

Joseph McCarthy Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visi ...

on June 15, 1946. He was assigned as a

curate A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...

at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Parish, then served at Sacred Heart Parish in Portland and at St. Margaret's Parish in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. O'Leary was named

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

of the diocese, and a

domestic prelate Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ca ...

by Pope John XXIII in 1959. O'Leary served as pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Brunswick, Maine, from 1967 to 1971.

Auxiliary Bishop of Portland

On November 16, 1970, O'Leary was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Portland and Titular Bishop of Moglaena by Pope Paul VI. He received his

episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...

consecration Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

on January 25, 1971, from Bishop Peter Gerety, with bishops Bernard Flanagan and

Lawrence Graves Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

serving as

co-consecrators A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches, ...

, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland.

Bishop of Portland

Following the promotion of Bishop Gerety to

Archbishop of Newark The Archdiocese of Newark is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northeastern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jers ...

in New Jersey in April 1974, Paul VI appointed O'Leary as the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Portland on October 16, 1974. He was installed on December 18, 1974. During his tenure, O'Leary was forced to address the problems of an increasing population but a decline in priestly vocations. He encouraged the greater involvement of

laity In religious organizations, the laity () consists of all members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non-ordained members of religious orders, e.g. a nun or a lay brother. In both religious and wider secular usage, a layperson ...

and women in church administration, and developed a system of parish councils. The Portland Diocese also joined the Maine Council of Churches during this time. O'Leary took frequent public stands on a number of

social issues A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society and ones that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's cont ...

of importance to the Church, endorsing a referendum on

pornography Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults,

and opposing the Maine Equal Rights Amendment (which he believed would enforce taxpayer-funded abortions). He also worked to assist HIV/AIDS victims through the Church's social services program. It was also customary for O'Leary to visit all the hospitals every Christmas Day.

Death and legacy

On September 27, 1988, Pope John Paul II accepted O'Leary's resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Portland. Edward O'Leary died in Portland on April 2, 2002, at age 81.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oleary, Edward Cornelius People from Bangor, Maine Roman Catholic bishops of Portland 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States College of the Holy Cross alumni 1920 births 2002 deaths