Joseph Edward McCarthy (November 14, 1876 – September 8, 1955) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Portland in Maine from 1932 until his death in 1955.

Biography

Early life

Joseph McCarthy was born on November 14, 1876, in Waterbury, Connecticut. He attended 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. McCarthy was ordained to the priesthood in Paris by Bishop Félix-Jules-Xavier Jourdan de la Passardière for the

Archdiocese of Hartford The Archdiocese of Hartford is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Hartford, Litchfield and New Haven counties in the U.S. State of Connecticut. The archdiocese includes about 470,000 Catholics, more ...

on July 4, 1903. He then taught Greek and

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

at St. Thomas Seminary in

Bloomfield, Connecticut Bloomfield is a suburb of Hartford in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town's population was 21,535 at the 2020 census. Bloomfield is best known as the headquarters of healthcare services company Cigna. History Originally land ...

Bishop of Portland

On May 13, 1932, McCarthy was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Portland by

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...

. 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 August 24, 1932, from Bishop Maurice F. McAuliffe, with Bishops John Nilan and John Peterson 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, ...

. McCarthy's consecration was the first to be broadcast by radio in the United States. During the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, McCarthy used his power as a corporation sole to remove the burden of debt by offering the property holdings as

security Security is protection from, or resilience against, potential harm (or other unwanted coercive change) caused by others, by restraining the freedom of others to act. Beneficiaries (technically referents) of security may be of persons and social ...

for a successful bond issue. By 1936 he had stabilized the financial situation of the diocese. In 1938, McCarthy purchased the former Portland home of railroad executive Morris McDonald as his official residence. He opened numerous

elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...

s, high schools, and colleges during his tenure. He received Daniel Feeney as an auxiliary bishop in 1946, delegating much of the administration of the diocese to Feeny due to his own declining health. Joseph McCarthy died in Portland, Maine, on September 8, 1955, at age 78. He is buried in Waterbury.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCarthy, Joseph Edward 1876 births 1955 deaths College of the Holy Cross alumni People from Waterbury, Connecticut Roman Catholic bishops of Portland 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Catholics from Connecticut