Michael William Hyle (October 13, 1901 – December 26, 1967) 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 of the Diocese of Wilmington in Delaware from 1960 until his death in 1967.

Biography

Early life

Michael Hyle was born on October 13, 1901, in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, to John and Elizabeth (née McCloskey) Hyle. He attended St. Charles College in Catonsville, Maryland and afterwards St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, obtaining a

Bachelor of Sacred Theology The Baccalaureate in Sacred Theology ( la, Sacrae Theologiae Baccalaureus; abbreviated STB), not to be confused with a Bachelor of Arts in Theology, is the first of three ecclesiastical degrees in theology (the second being the Licentiate in Sacre ...

degree there in 1922. Hyle then went to Rome to attend the Pontifical North American College and the Urban College of Propaganda, earning a Licentiate of Sacred Theology in 1926.

Priesthood

Hyle 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 for the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Rome by Archbishop Giuseppe Palica on March 12, 1927. After doing pastoral work in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

from 1927 to 1943, Hyle served as

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

at a parish in

Libertytown, Maryland Libertytown is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Frederick County, in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 950. The Abraham Jones House was listed on the National Register of His ...

, until 1946.St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church, Libertytown, Maryland-History
/ref> Hyle was then transferred to a parish in Bradshaw, Maryland (1946–1957), and finally one in Baltimore (1957–1958).

Coadjutor Bishop and Bishop of Wilmington

On July 3, 1958, Hyle was appointed coadjutor bishop, with right of succession, of the Diocese of Wilmington 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 ...

of ''Christopolis'' by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration on September 24, 1958, at the Basilica of the Assumption (Baltimore) from Archbishop

Amleto Cicognani Amleto Giovanni Cicognani (24 February 1883 – 17 December 1973) was an Italian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Vatican Secretary of State from 1961 to 1969, and Dean of the College of Cardinals from 1972 until his death. C ...

, with Archbishop

Albert Meyer Albert Meyer may refer to: *Albert Meyer (politician) (1870–1953), member of the Swiss Federal Council, 1929–1938 * Albert Gregory Meyer (1903–1965), Archbishop of Chicago * Albert J. Meyer (economist) (1919–1983), American economist * Albe ...

and Bishop Jerome Sebastian serving as co-consecrators. As coadjutor bishop, Hyle also served as

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' ...

of the diocese and pastor of Christ Our King Parish. Upon the retirement of Bishop Edmond Fitzmaurice on March 2, 1960, Hyle succeeded him immediately as the fifth bishop of Wilmington. He attended all four sessions of 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 ...

in Rome between 1962 and 1965. He dedicated much of his administration to the implementation of the Council's reforms, encouraging the formation of parish councils and the ecumenical movement. Hyle also established St. Mark's High School in Wilmington and the

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 ma ...

Newman Centre Newman Centers, Newman Houses, Newman Clubs, or Newman Communities are Catholic campus ministry centers at secular universities. The movement was inspired by the writings of Cardinal John Henry Newman encouraging societies for Catholic stude ...

(Thomas More Oratory) in Newark, Delaware. Michael Hyle died on December 26, 1967, at age 66 in Wilmington; he was the first bishop of Wilmington to die while still in office.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hyle, Michael William 1901 births 1967 deaths St. Charles College (Maryland) alumni St. Mary's Seminary and University alumni University of Delaware people Religious leaders from Baltimore Roman Catholic bishops of Wilmington 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Participants in the Second Vatican Council