Bishop Geoffrey Ignatius Burke MA (31 July 1913 – 13 October 1999) was an

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bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Early life

Geoffrey Burke was born in Whalley Range, Manchester, in 1913, the son of Doctor Peter Burke and his wife Margaret Mary. He was one of seven children and his elder brother Donatus also became a Priest of the Salford Diocese, he was educated at

St Bede's College, Manchester ("He never relaxed in idleness") , established = 1876 , closed = , type = Independent day school Public School , religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic , president = , head_label = Headteacher , head ...

, from 1924 and

Stonyhurst College Stonyhurst College is a co-educational Catholic Church, Roman Catholic independent school, adhering to the Society of Jesus, Jesuit tradition, on the Stonyhurst, Stonyhurst Estate, Lancashire, England. It occupies a Grade I listed building. Th ...

from 1928. He studied for the Priesthood at

Oscott College St Mary's College in New Oscott, Birmingham, often called Oscott College, is the Roman Catholic seminary of the Archdiocese of Birmingham in England and one of the three seminaries of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Purpose Oscott Coll ...

where he was ordained on 29 June 1937 by Archbishop

Thomas Leighton Williams Thomas Cuthbert Leighton Williams (20 March 1877 – 1 April 1946) was an English clergyman who served in the Roman Catholic Church as the Archbishop of Birmingham from 1929 to 1946. He was born in Handsworth, Birmingham on 20 March 1877 to J ...

. He then went to

Downing College, Cambridge Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge and currently has around 650 students. Founded in 1800, it was the only college to be added to Cambridge University between 1596 and 1869, and is often described as the olde ...

, where he gained his MA in 1940.

Career

Returning to the Salford Diocese in 1940, Fr Burke was appointed as Professor at St Bede's College, becoming Prefect of Studies in 1950 and Vice-Rector in 1953. In 1966 following the retirement of Monsignor Thomas Duggan through ill health, Burke was appointed Rector of the College but only remained in the post for a year before being appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Salford by

Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...

in 1967 to assist Bishop Thomas Holland. He took the title of Titular Bishop of Vagrauta, being consecrated in

Salford Cathedral The Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist, usually known as Salford Cathedral, is a Catholic cathedral on Chapel Street in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is the seat of the Bishop of Salford and mother church of the Diocese of Sal ...

on 29 June 1967 by Bishop Holland. He then took up residence at Salford Cathedral House.

Later life

Bishop Burke continued in his role of Auxiliary Bishop following Bishop Holland's retirement and during the early years of Bishop (later Archbishop)

Patrick Kelly Patrick or Paddy Kelly may refer to: Politicians * Patrick Kelly (Irish politician) (1875–1934), Irish soldier, farmer and politician, Teachta Dála (TD) for Clare 1927–1932 * Patrick Kelly (Canadian politician) (1846–1916), Prince Edward I ...

's time as Bishop of Salford.

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

accepted Bishop Burke's retirement on 12 September 1988. Bishop Burke took up residence at Nazareth House,

Prestwich Prestwich ( ) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester, England, north of Manchester city centre, north of Salford and south of Bury. Historically part of Lancashire, Prestwich was the seat of the ancient parish o ...

, and then later at the

Little Sisters of the Poor The Little Sisters of the Poor (french: Petites Sœurs des pauvres) is a Catholic religious institute for women. It was founded by Jeanne Jugan. Having felt the need to care for the many impoverished elderly who lined the streets of French towns ...

Longsight Longsight is an inner city suburb of Manchester, England, located south of the city centre. It is bounded by Ardwick and West Gorton to the north; Levenshulme to the south; and Chorlton-on-Medlock, Victoria Park and Fallowfield to the west. ...

, where he died on 13 October 1999, aged 86.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burke, Geoffrey 1913 births 1999 deaths 20th-century Roman Catholic titular bishops People educated at St Bede's College, Manchester Alumni of Downing College, Cambridge 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in England People from Whalley Range