Joseph Thomas McGucken (March 13, 1902 – October 6, 1983) was an American prelate 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 an auxiliary bishop of the
Archdiocese of Los Angeles
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles ( la, Archidiœcesis Angelorum in California, es, Arquidiócesis de Los Ángeles) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in th ...
(1941–1955), coadjutor bishop and bishop of the
Diocese of Sacramento
The Diocese of Sacramento is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States. The diocese's see is Sacramento, it is led by a bishop who pastors the mother church ...
(1955–1962) and archbishop of the
Archdiocese of San Francisco
The Archdiocese of San Francisco (Latin language, Latin: ''Archdiœcesis Sancti Francisci''; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Archidiócesis de San Francisco'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the north ...
(1962–1977).
Biography
Early life
Joseph McGucken was born on March 13, 1902, in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
,
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, to Joseph A. and Mary Agnes (née Flynn) McGucken.
He attended
Polytechnic High School in his native city. He studied engineering at the
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
for two years before beginning his studies for the
priesthood at
St. Patrick's Seminary in
Menlo Park.
He continued his studies at the
Pontifical North American College
The Pontifical North American College (NAC) is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy, that prepares seminarians to become priests in the United States and elsewhere. The NAC also provides a residence for Pri ...
in Rome, where he obtained a
Doctor of Divinity
A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity.
In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...
degree in 1928.
Priesthood
While in Rome, he 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 va ...
a priest for what was then the Diocese of Los Angelese-San Diego on January 15, 1928.
Following his return to Los Angeles, he served as secretary to Archbishop
John Joseph Cantwell
John Joseph Cantwell (December 1, 1874 – October 30, 1947) was an Irish-born American prelate of the Catholic Church. He led the Archdiocese of Los Angeles from 1917 until his death in 1947, becoming its first archbishop in 1936. Cantwell w ...
from 1929 to 1938.
He was named 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 ...
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 ...
in 1937, and served as
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
Archdiocese of Los Angeles
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles ( la, Archidiœcesis Angelorum in California, es, Arquidiócesis de Los Ángeles) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in th ...
from 1938 to 1948.
He was raised by
Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII ( it, Pio XII), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (; 2 March 18769 October 1958), was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2 March 1939 until his death in October 1958. Before his e ...
to the rank of
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 ...
in 1939.
Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles
On February 4, 1941, McGucken was appointed
Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles and
Titular Bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.
By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...
of ''Sanavus'' by Pope Pius XII.
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 March 19, 1941, from Archbishop Cantwell, with Bishops
Daniel Gercke and
Philip George Scher Philip George Scher (February 22, 1880 – January 3, 1953) was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Monterey-Fresno from 1933 until his death in 1953.
Biography
Philip Scher was born in Belleville, Illin ...
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, ...
.
In addition to his episcopal duties, McGucken served as pastor at
St. Andrew's Parish in
Pasadena, California
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district.
I ...
, (1944–1955) and
vicar general
A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...
of the archdiocese (1948–1955).
Coadjutor Bishop and Bishop of Sacramento
Pius XII named McGucken as
coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop (or bishop coadjutor) is a bishop in the Catholic, Anglican, and (historically) Eastern Orthodox churches whose main role is to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese. The coadjutor (literally, "co ...
of the Diocese of Sacramento on October 26, 1955. St. Andrew's parish gave McGucken a farewell celebration at the
Pasadena Civic Auditorium
The Pasadena Convention Center is a convention center in Pasadena, California. It consists of three buildings.
Pasadena Civic Auditorium
The Civic Auditorium, one of the major structures in the Pasadena Civic Center District, was built in 1931 an ...
, with performances by singer
Dennis Day
Dennis Day (born Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty; May 21, 1916 – June 22, 1988) was an American actor, comedian, and singer. He was of Irish descent.
Early life
Day was born and raised in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx, New York City, the ...
, several choirs, and a US Army
color guard
In Military, military organizations, a colour guard (or color guard) is a detachment of soldiers assigned to the protection of Colours, standards and guidons, regimental colours and the national flag. This duty is so prestigious that the militar ...
.
When Bishop
Robert Armstrong died on January 14, 1957, McGucken automatically succeeded him. In his five years as bishop, he authorized, built or approved for development nine parishes, three high schools, 33 new church buildings and one minor seminary.
Archbishop of San Francisco
On February 19, 1962, McGucken was appointed
Archbishop of San Francisco
The Archdiocese of San Francisco (Latin: ''Archdiœcesis Sancti Francisci''; Spanish: ''Archidiócesis de San Francisco'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northern California region of the Unite ...
; he was installed on April 3, 1962.
In 1962 the
existing St. Mary's Cathedral, built in 1891, was destroyed by fire. McGucken gathered his consultants to begin the process of planning and constructing a new Cathedral of St. Mary. Architectural critic
Allan Temko
Allan Bernard Temko (February 4, 1924 – January 25, 2006) was an architectural critic and writer based in San Francisco.
History
Born in New York City and raised in Weehawken, New Jersey, Temko served as a U.S. Navy officer in World War II, ...
advocated a bold, new cathedral that would reflect San Francisco's status as a major international urban center. McGucken added two internationally known architects to his team, Italian-born
Pietro Belluschi
Pietro Belluschi (August 18, 1899 – February 14, 1994) was an Italian-American architect. A leading figure in modern architecture
Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based up ...
from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
, who was placed in charge of designs, and
Pier Luigi Nervi
Pier Luigi Nervi (21 June 1891 – 9 January 1979) was an Italian engineer and architect. He studied at the University of Bologna graduating in 1913. Nervi taught as a professor of engineering at Rome University from 1946 to 1961 and is known wor ...
, an engineer from Rome, who took over structural concerns. The strikingly modern design which was presented was met with high praise and has been called the "first cathedral truly of our time and in harmony with the liturgical reforms of the Council."
![Joseph McGucken vault, Holy Cross](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Joseph_McGucken_vault%2C_Holy_Cross.JPG)
In 1966, McGucken publicly voiced his support for the efforts of
Cesar Chávez to organize farmworkers in California's vineyards. McGucken's stand led one vineyard spokesman to warn that "the Church leaders had better start looking for other financial means to carry out their radical theories."
Retirement and legacy
On February 16, 1977, Pope Paul VI accepted McGucken's resignation as Archbishop of San Francisco. Thomas McGucken died on October 6, 1983. He is buried in the Archbishops' Crypt at
Holy Cross Cemetery in
Colma, California
Colma (Ohlone for "Springs") is a small incorporated List of municipalities in California, town in San Mateo County, California, on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 1,507 at the 2020 census. The town w ...
.
In 1994, Terence McAteer made public an accusation that he was raped in 1967 by Rev. Austin Peter Keegan, a priest in the archdiocese, when he was ten years old. McAteer had reported the rape in 1976 to Reverend Vincent Ring, who informed McGucken. Three years later, Keegan sexually assaulted another boy.
Clashes with Fr Eugene Boyle
Father
Eugene Boyle was a priest directly under McGucken's authority in San Francisco during McGucken's tenure as Archbishop. While not antagonistic to Boyle (in fact the two always remained respectful of each other), Boyle and McGucken did clash over a number of issues. Boyle was an explicitly progressive priest during the 1960s and 1970s, spurred on by the developments of the
Second Vatican Council
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st Catholic ecumenical councils, ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions) ...
. Boyle campaigned on behalf of San Francisco's African American community as well as engaging with the
American Civil Rights Movement
The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the United ...
. He also supported the
United Farm Workers
The United Farm Workers of America, or more commonly just United Farm Workers (UFW), is a labor union for farmworkers in the United States. It originated from the merger of two workers' rights organizations, the Agricultural Workers Organizing ...
and The
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party (BPP), originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, was a Marxist-Leninist and black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton in October 1966 in Oakland, Califo ...
.
McGurken did not oppose the right of priests such as Boyle to support
social justice
Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fu ...
movements. However, when Boyle was involved in a number of controversies and conservative sections of the Californian public pushed back against him , McGucken tried to err on the side of caution and sided against Boyle. The back and forth between Boyle and McGucken would dominate much of McGucken's term as archbishop.
See also
*
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco
The Archdiocese of San Francisco (Latin: ''Archdiœcesis Sancti Francisci''; Spanish: ''Archidiócesis de San Francisco'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northern California region of the Unite ...
Notes
Further reading
* Burns, Jeffrey M. "Postconciliar Church as Unfamiliar Sky: The Episcopal Styles of Cardinal James F. McIntyre and Archbishop Joseph T. McGucken." ''US Catholic Historian'' 17.4 (1999): 64-8
online
* Weber, Francis J. ''Archbishop Joseph T McGucken (1902-1983): A Personal Memoir'' (Mission Hills: Archival Center, 1996).
Episcopal succession
{{DEFAULTSORT:McGucken, Joseph Thomas
UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni
Roman Catholic archbishops of San Francisco
Roman Catholic bishops of Sacramento
Participants in the Second Vatican Council
20th-century Roman Catholic archbishops in the United States
People from Los Angeles
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles
1902 births
1983 deaths