Charles Borromeo McLaughlin (September 28, 1913 – December 14, 1978) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first

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 ...

of the new Diocese of Saint Petersburg in Florida from 1968 to 1978. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the

Diocese of Raleigh The Diocese of Raleigh is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church that covers the eastern half of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan ...

in North Carolina from 1964 to 1968.

Biography

Early life

Charles McLaughlin was born on September 28, 1913, in the

Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

borough of New York City. After completing

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

, McLaughlin was ordained a

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...

of the

Archdiocese of New York The Archdiocese of New York ( la, Archidiœcesis Neo-Eboracensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in the State of New York. It encompasses the boroug ...

by Cardinal

Francis Spellman Francis Joseph Spellman (May 4, 1889 – December 2, 1967) was an American bishop and cardinal of the Catholic Church. From 1939 until his death in 1967, he served as the sixth Archbishop of New York; he had previously served as an auxiliary ...

on June 6, 1941. McLaughlin later served as pastor of Our Lady of Grace Parish in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Auxiliary Bishop of Raleigh

McLaughlin was named titular bishop of

Risinium Rhizon ( grc, Ῥίζων; la, Risinium) was a city in classical and Roman antiquity. Rhizon is the oldest settlement in the Bay of Kotor and the modern town of Risan (modern Montenegro) stands near the old city. Originally it was an Illyrian sett ...

and auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Raleigh 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 ...

on January 13, 1964. McLaughlin received his episcopal consecration at Our Lady of Grace Church in

Greensboro, North Carolina Greensboro (; formerly Greensborough) is a city in and the county seat of Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, third-most populous city in North Carolina after Charlotte, North Car ...

, on April 15, 1964, from Bishop Vincent Waters. McLaughlin, a licensed pilot, often flew from one church event to another, earning him the nickname "Hurricane Charlie."

Bishop of St. Petersburg

On May 8, 1968, Paul VI established the Diocese of St. Petersburg, with McLaughlin as its first bishop. He was installed on June 17, 1968. The newly created diocese stretched from Crystal River to

Ft. Myers Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in southwestern Florida and the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's ...

, encompassing eleven Florida counties. His first task was to establish a new diocesan structure to unify priests, personnel, policy, and people from the two dioceses. He also faced the challenge of dealing with the rapidly increasing population within his diocese. McLaughlin implemented the reforms 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 ...

. Charles McLaughlin died in St. Petersburg on December 14, 1978.

Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School (BMCHS) is a private high school located in northern Pasco County, Florida, United States, not far from Spring Hill, in the Diocese of St. Petersburg. BMCHS is fully accredited by the Southern Association ...

, a private, Catholic school in Spring Hill,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

, is named for him. Knights of Columbus Assembly 1818 in

Venice, Florida Venice is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The city includes what locals call "Venice Island", a portion of the mainland that is accessed via bridges over the artificially created Intracoastal Waterway. The city is located in S ...

, bears his name as well.

References

;Additional sources * {{DEFAULTSORT:McLaughlin, Charles Borromeo Roman Catholic bishops of Saint Petersburg Participants in the Second Vatican Council 1913 births 1978 deaths 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States