Edward William O'Rourke (October 31, 1917 – September 29, 1999) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the sixth bishop of the
Diocese of Peoria in Illinois from 1971 to 1990.
Biography
Early life
One of eleven children, Edward O'Rourke was born on October 31, 1917, in
Downs, Illinois, to Martin and Mary (née Hickey) O'Rourke.
He decided to become 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 deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
following his
confirmation
In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant (religion), covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. The ceremony typically involves laying on o ...
in 1930, and later recalled he "never had a moment of doubt that this was
iscalling."
After attending Downs High School (1931–1935) and St. Henry College (1935–1938), he studied at
St. Mary of the Lake Seminary
The University of Saint Mary of the Lake (USML) is a Private university, private Roman Catholic seminary in Mundelein, Illinois. It is the principal seminary and theology, school of theology for the formation of priests in the Roman Catholic A ...
in Mundelein, Illinois.
Priesthood
Edward O'Rourke was
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...
to the priesthood by Bishop
Joseph H. Schlarman on May 28, 1944.
He then served as an assistant chaplain at the
Newman Centre of the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC, U of I, Illinois, or University of Illinois) is a public land-grant research university in the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area, Illinois, United States. Established in 1867, it is the f ...
until 1960.
He also helped find housing and employment for hundreds of people fleeing Communist regimes in
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...
.
From 1960 to 1971, O'Rourke served as
executive director of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference.
He helped establish hundreds of economic development committees, cooperatives and other self-help programs in the United States and abroad.
During the 1960s, he lectured widely on his experiences in developing countries, traveling more than 140,000 miles to 19 nations in one year alone.
Bishop of Peoria
On May 24, 1971, O'Rourke was appointed bishop of the Diocese of Peoria by
Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul 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 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding John XXII ...
.
He received his
episcopal consecration
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...
on July 15, 1971, from Cardinal
John Cody, with Bishops
John Franz and
George Speltz 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 Churche ...
.
Later that year, O'Rourke sold the episcopal residence on Glen Oak Avenue and moved to a one-bedroom brick ranch house near
St. Mary's Cathedral, donating the money to the diocesan fund for retired priests.
He established the first Diocesan Pastoral Council in 1974.
That same year he established he replaced the old system of six deaneries by dividing the diocese into fifteen vicariates. He ordained the first
permanent deacons
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions.
Major Christian denominations, such as the Catholi ...
of the diocese in 1976.
In 1976, O'Rourke was aboard
TWA Flight 355 from
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
to
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
when it was
hijacked by
Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
n separatists.
He was offered a chance to leave the plane but declined; he led the passengers in prayer and tried to persuade the hijackers to surrender.
During his tenure, O'Rourke established the Annual Stewardship Appeal (now known as the Annual Diocesan Appeal) and the Teens Encounter Christ program.
He consolidated Costa Catholic School in
Galesburg, Illinois
Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, United States. The city is northwest of Peoria, Illinois, Peoria. At the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, its population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County and the principal cit ...
, (1972), Jordan Catholic School in
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is a city in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The population was 37,108 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located at the confluence of the Rock River (Mississippi River tributary), Rock a ...
, (1974), La Salle Catholic School (1978) and
Peoria Notre Dame High School
Peoria Notre Dame High School is a Catholic parochial high school in Peoria, Illinois. It is the largest school in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria with approximately 815 students. It has a college preparatory curriculum, and according to the ...
(1988).
He suffered from a number of health problems; he once underwent a
hip replacement
Hip replacement is a surgery, surgical procedure in which the hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant (medicine), implant, that is, a hip prosthesis. Hip replacement surgery can be performed as a total replacement or a hemi/semi(half) repl ...
surgery
Surgery is a medical specialty that uses manual and instrumental techniques to diagnose or treat pathological conditions (e.g., trauma, disease, injury, malignancy), to alter bodily functions (e.g., malabsorption created by bariatric surgery s ...
, suffered a
stroke
Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...
in 1985, and was forced to use a
pacemaker
A pacemaker, also known as an artificial cardiac pacemaker, is an implanted medical device that generates electrical pulses delivered by electrodes to one or more of the chambers of the heart. Each pulse causes the targeted chamber(s) to co ...
.
Retirement and legacy
On January 22, 1990,
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005.
In his you ...
accepted O'Rourke's resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Peoria.
A few months after his retirement, he founded Renaissance Stand, an organization designed to help the
long-term unemployed obtain jobs and job training.
Edward O'Rourke died in Peoria on September 29, 1999, at age 81. He is buried in the Bishop's Mausoleum at St. Mary's Cemetery in Peoria.
Viewpoints
Poverty
O'Rourke was a strong supporter of self-help projects to aid the poor over handouts, and favored non-governmental over government aid because he believed that governmental aid could end with a change in the policy or in the
party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a Hospitality, host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will oft ...
in power.
Rural life
In 1960, O'Rourke declared,
"We must not exchange the family farm system for a few 'general farms incorporated.' Such an exchange would be tragic for families on the land and for nations as a whole. In America we have an agriculture which is efficient, which is conducive to good family life, which is a bulwark of religion and democracy. Let us not exchange it for a type of agriculture which has failed in every place and every age in which it has been tried."
In 1967, O'Rourke issued a critique of
industrial agriculture
Industrial agriculture is a form of modern farming that refers to the industrialized production of crops and animals and animal products like eggs or milk. The methods of industrial agriculture include innovation in agricultural machinery and ...
, saying,
"It neglects entirely the spiritual, social and cultural values of rural living. It means the uprooting of thousands of rural families...The spiritual, social and cultural values of the farm family and given priority in determining our agricultural priorities."
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Orourke, Edward William
People from McLean County, Illinois
University of Saint Mary of the Lake alumni
1917 births
1999 deaths
Roman Catholic bishops of Peoria
20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States