Most Rev Edmond John Fitzmaurice
Fourth Bishop of Wilmington
Edmond John Fitzmaurice was an Irish-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Wilmington from 1925 to 1960.
Edmond was born in Tarbert, County Kerry, to William and Joan (née Costello) Fitzmaurice. He studied at St. Brendan's College in Killarney and at the College of Sint-Truiden in Belgium. He continued his studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, where he earned a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree. He was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Pietro Respighi on May 28, 1904.
Fitzmaurice came to the United States in 1904, and became a curate at Annunciation Church in Philadelphia PA. He served as professor of theology at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary (1906–14) and chancellor of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (1914–20). From 1920 to 1925, he served as rector of St Charles Seminary. His uncle, John Edmund Fitzmaurice, had also served as rector of St Charles (1886–97) as well as Bishop of Erie (1899–1920).
On July 24, 1925, Fitzmaurice was appointed the fourth Bishop of Wilmington, Delaware, by Pope Pius XI. He received his episcopal consecration on the following November 30 from Cardinal Dennis Dougherty, with Bishops John Swint and Andrew Brennan serving as co-consecrators. During his 35-year tenure, he oversaw an increase in the Catholic population from 34,000 to 85,000. To accommodate these numbers, he founded 17 new parishes, 8 missions, and 19 elementary and 9 secondary schools. He donated his personal residence in 1959 to provide a location for the founding of St. Edmond's Academy (which was named in his honor).
Fitzmaurice encouraged participation in Catholic Charities, and founded the Catholic Welfare Guild, Catholic Youth Organization, Society for the Propagation of the Faith, and Knights of Columbus, as well as the Catholic Interracial Council, Catholic Forum of the Air, Catholic Television Guild, Diocesan Book Forum, Catholic Education Guild, and Young Christian Workers. In 1945, he ordered the Catholic parents of public school students to prohibit their children from attending sex education courses, which he described as "offensive to the Catholic conscience."
Fitzmaurice retired as Bishop of Wilmington on March 2, 1960. He was appointed Titular Archbishop of Constantia in Scythia on the same date. He was the first priest of the Diocese of Wilmington to reach the level of Archbishop. He died at St Francis Hospital in Wilmington in 1962, at age 81.
Fourth Bishop of Wilmington
Edmond John Fitzmaurice was an Irish-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Wilmington from 1925 to 1960.
Edmond was born in Tarbert, County Kerry, to William and Joan (née Costello) Fitzmaurice. He studied at St. Brendan's College in Killarney and at the College of Sint-Truiden in Belgium. He continued his studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, where he earned a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree. He was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Pietro Respighi on May 28, 1904.
Fitzmaurice came to the United States in 1904, and became a curate at Annunciation Church in Philadelphia PA. He served as professor of theology at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary (1906–14) and chancellor of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (1914–20). From 1920 to 1925, he served as rector of St Charles Seminary. His uncle, John Edmund Fitzmaurice, had also served as rector of St Charles (1886–97) as well as Bishop of Erie (1899–1920).
On July 24, 1925, Fitzmaurice was appointed the fourth Bishop of Wilmington, Delaware, by Pope Pius XI. He received his episcopal consecration on the following November 30 from Cardinal Dennis Dougherty, with Bishops John Swint and Andrew Brennan serving as co-consecrators. During his 35-year tenure, he oversaw an increase in the Catholic population from 34,000 to 85,000. To accommodate these numbers, he founded 17 new parishes, 8 missions, and 19 elementary and 9 secondary schools. He donated his personal residence in 1959 to provide a location for the founding of St. Edmond's Academy (which was named in his honor).
Fitzmaurice encouraged participation in Catholic Charities, and founded the Catholic Welfare Guild, Catholic Youth Organization, Society for the Propagation of the Faith, and Knights of Columbus, as well as the Catholic Interracial Council, Catholic Forum of the Air, Catholic Television Guild, Diocesan Book Forum, Catholic Education Guild, and Young Christian Workers. In 1945, he ordered the Catholic parents of public school students to prohibit their children from attending sex education courses, which he described as "offensive to the Catholic conscience."
Fitzmaurice retired as Bishop of Wilmington on March 2, 1960. He was appointed Titular Archbishop of Constantia in Scythia on the same date. He was the first priest of the Diocese of Wilmington to reach the level of Archbishop. He died at St Francis Hospital in Wilmington in 1962, at age 81.
Most Rev Edmond John Fitzmaurice
Fourth Bishop of Wilmington
Edmond John Fitzmaurice was an Irish-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Wilmington from 1925 to 1960.
Edmond was born in Tarbert, County Kerry, to William and Joan (née Costello) Fitzmaurice. He studied at St. Brendan's College in Killarney and at the College of Sint-Truiden in Belgium. He continued his studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, where he earned a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree. He was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Pietro Respighi on May 28, 1904.
Fitzmaurice came to the United States in 1904, and became a curate at Annunciation Church in Philadelphia PA. He served as professor of theology at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary (1906–14) and chancellor of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (1914–20). From 1920 to 1925, he served as rector of St Charles Seminary. His uncle, John Edmund Fitzmaurice, had also served as rector of St Charles (1886–97) as well as Bishop of Erie (1899–1920).
On July 24, 1925, Fitzmaurice was appointed the fourth Bishop of Wilmington, Delaware, by Pope Pius XI. He received his episcopal consecration on the following November 30 from Cardinal Dennis Dougherty, with Bishops John Swint and Andrew Brennan serving as co-consecrators. During his 35-year tenure, he oversaw an increase in the Catholic population from 34,000 to 85,000. To accommodate these numbers, he founded 17 new parishes, 8 missions, and 19 elementary and 9 secondary schools. He donated his personal residence in 1959 to provide a location for the founding of St. Edmond's Academy (which was named in his honor).
Fitzmaurice encouraged participation in Catholic Charities, and founded the Catholic Welfare Guild, Catholic Youth Organization, Society for the Propagation of the Faith, and Knights of Columbus, as well as the Catholic Interracial Council, Catholic Forum of the Air, Catholic Television Guild, Diocesan Book Forum, Catholic Education Guild, and Young Christian Workers. In 1945, he ordered the Catholic parents of public school students to prohibit their children from attending sex education courses, which he described as "offensive to the Catholic conscience."
Fitzmaurice retired as Bishop of Wilmington on March 2, 1960. He was appointed Titular Archbishop of Constantia in Scythia on the same date. He was the first priest of the Diocese of Wilmington to reach the level of Archbishop. He died at St Francis Hospital in Wilmington in 1962, at age 81.
Fourth Bishop of Wilmington
Edmond John Fitzmaurice was an Irish-born prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Wilmington from 1925 to 1960.
Edmond was born in Tarbert, County Kerry, to William and Joan (née Costello) Fitzmaurice. He studied at St. Brendan's College in Killarney and at the College of Sint-Truiden in Belgium. He continued his studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, where he earned a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree. He was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Pietro Respighi on May 28, 1904.
Fitzmaurice came to the United States in 1904, and became a curate at Annunciation Church in Philadelphia PA. He served as professor of theology at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary (1906–14) and chancellor of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (1914–20). From 1920 to 1925, he served as rector of St Charles Seminary. His uncle, John Edmund Fitzmaurice, had also served as rector of St Charles (1886–97) as well as Bishop of Erie (1899–1920).
On July 24, 1925, Fitzmaurice was appointed the fourth Bishop of Wilmington, Delaware, by Pope Pius XI. He received his episcopal consecration on the following November 30 from Cardinal Dennis Dougherty, with Bishops John Swint and Andrew Brennan serving as co-consecrators. During his 35-year tenure, he oversaw an increase in the Catholic population from 34,000 to 85,000. To accommodate these numbers, he founded 17 new parishes, 8 missions, and 19 elementary and 9 secondary schools. He donated his personal residence in 1959 to provide a location for the founding of St. Edmond's Academy (which was named in his honor).
Fitzmaurice encouraged participation in Catholic Charities, and founded the Catholic Welfare Guild, Catholic Youth Organization, Society for the Propagation of the Faith, and Knights of Columbus, as well as the Catholic Interracial Council, Catholic Forum of the Air, Catholic Television Guild, Diocesan Book Forum, Catholic Education Guild, and Young Christian Workers. In 1945, he ordered the Catholic parents of public school students to prohibit their children from attending sex education courses, which he described as "offensive to the Catholic conscience."
Fitzmaurice retired as Bishop of Wilmington on March 2, 1960. He was appointed Titular Archbishop of Constantia in Scythia on the same date. He was the first priest of the Diocese of Wilmington to reach the level of Archbishop. He died at St Francis Hospital in Wilmington in 1962, at age 81.
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