Vincent Martin Leonard (December 11, 1908 – August 28, 1994) 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

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 Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania from 1969 to 1983.

Biography

Early life

Vincent Leonard was born on December 11, 1908, in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

, one of nine children of Francis and Catherine (née Dolan) Leonard. His father worked in the steel mills. He was raised in the

Hill District The Hill District is a grouping of historically African American neighborhoods in the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Beginning in the years leading up to World War I, "the Hill" was the cultural center of black life in the city and a major cent ...

neighborhood of Pittsburgh, and received his early education at the parochial school of St. Brigid Parish. After graduating from Duquesne University Preparatory School, he studied at

Duquesne University Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit ( or ; Duquesne University or Duquesne) is a private Catholic research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit , image = Holy Gh ...

in Pittsburgh and then at St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe.

Priesthood

Leonard 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 Diocese of Pittsburgh by Bishop Hugh C. Boyle on June 16, 1935. His first assignment was as assistant chaplain at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, where he remained for two years. From 1937 to 1950, he was resident chaplain of Allegheny County Home and Woodville State Hospital. He was later named assistant chancellor (1950), chancellor (1951), 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' ...

(1959) of the diocese. In addition to these duties, Boyle 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 ...

of St. Patrick Parish in the Strip District (1955–1967) and of St. Philip Parish in

Crafton, Pennsylvania Crafton is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, west of downtown Pittsburgh. The population grew from 1,927 in 1900 to 4,583 in 1910 and to 7,163 in 1940. The population was 6,099 at the 2020 census. History Crafton is nam ...

(1967–1969). He was named a domestic prelate by Pope Pius XII in 1952.

Auxiliary Bishop and Bishop of Pittsburgh

On February 28, 1964, Leonard was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh 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 ''Arsacal'' 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 State from 21 June 1963 to his death in Augus ...

. He received his episcopal consecration on April 21, 1964, from Bishop John Wright, with Bishops Richard Henry Ackerman and William G. Connare serving as co-consecrators. He selected as his episcopal

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...

: ''Ut Christum Lucrifaciam'' ("That I may gain Christ"). After Bishop Wright was named to head the

Congregation for the Clergy The Dicastery for the Clergy, formerly named Congregation for the Clergy (; formerly the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy and Sacred Congregation of the Council), is the dicastery of the Roman Curia responsible for overseeing matters regardi ...

, Leonard was appointed the ninth bishop of Pittsburgh on June 1, 1969. During his tenure, he became one of the first bishops in the United States to make his diocesan financial reports public, and established a due-process system to allow Catholics to appeal any administrative decision they believed was a violation of

canon law Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

. In 1974, he threatened three priests with disciplinary action for giving Communion in the hand when it was not yet permitted in the United States. He also served on the Pro-Life Committee of the

National Conference of Catholic Bishops The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Conference (US ...

and on the Health Affairs Committee of the

United States Catholic Conference The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and United States Catholic Conference (US ...

Retirement and legacy

Pope Paul II Pope Paul II ( la, Paulus II; it, Paolo II; 23 February 1417 – 26 July 1471), born Pietro Barbo, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 30 August 1464 to his death in July 1471. When his maternal uncle Eugene IV ...

accepted Leonard's resignation as Bishop of Pittsburgh on June 30, 1983, due to arthritis. Vincent Leonard died on August 28, 1994, from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

at the Little Sisters of the Poor Home in Pittsburgh, at age 85. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery in the Hazelwood neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

References

External links

Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh History of Bishops webpage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leonard, Vincent M. 1908 births 1994 deaths American Roman Catholic clergy of Irish descent Burials at Calvary Catholic Cemetery (Pittsburgh) Religious leaders from Pittsburgh Roman Catholic bishops of Pittsburgh Duquesne University alumni 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Participants in the Second Vatican Council