AMERICAN RELIGIOUS LEADER. Most Reverend John L. May was the sixth Roman Catholic Archbishop of St. Louis, Missouri, serving from 1980 to 1992. He also held positions as Preisdent of the National Council of Catholic Bishops and the United States Catholic Conference.
A native of the Chicago, Illinois suburb of Lombard, he attended Mundelein Seminary and was ordained at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago in 1947 by Cardinal Samuel Stritch. After a variety of pastoral assignments in Chicago, he was named Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago from 1967-1969, and then the Bishop of Mobile, Alabama from 1969-1980. During his tenure in Alabama, he acquired key insights into cultural and racial issues that would be valuable in his administrative and pastoral skills as Archbishop of St. Louis.
During his tenure in St. Louis, May was known for several major accomplishments, including the completion of the domed "New" St. Louis Cathedral Basilica mosaics, described as the largest collection of mosaics in North America and one of the largest in the world. May was also known for his positive impact on race relations, an increased role for women, ecumenism, and liturgical renewal--as well as his ongoing support for the economic and cultural revitalization of the City of St. Louis.
During his administration, May relocated his episcopal residence from the affluent St. Louis County suburb of Ladue back to the Cardinal Archbishop's former home near the New Cathedral Basilica within the City of St. Louis, noting he was "the Archbishop of St. Louis and should reside there."
Archbishop May served St. Louis for more than 12 years before becoming afflicted with a brain tumor. He died a year later. After a wake and funeral Mass concelebrated by nearly all the U.S. Archbishops bishops and Archdiocesan clergy, May's body was entombed in the Archbishop's Crypt in the New Cathedral Basilica immediately beneath cathedral builder, John Cardinal Glennon.
Archbishop May is remembered with a bronze tablet in the All Souls Chapel of the New St. Louis Cathedral Basilica, as well as a street dedication at the Rigali Pastoral Center in Shrewsbury, MO, a southwest St. Louis suburb. The annual Archbishop John L. May Service Award recognizing Catholic high school students who achieve distinguished community service and leadership levels within the St. Louis metropolitan area.
A native of the Chicago, Illinois suburb of Lombard, he attended Mundelein Seminary and was ordained at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago in 1947 by Cardinal Samuel Stritch. After a variety of pastoral assignments in Chicago, he was named Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago from 1967-1969, and then the Bishop of Mobile, Alabama from 1969-1980. During his tenure in Alabama, he acquired key insights into cultural and racial issues that would be valuable in his administrative and pastoral skills as Archbishop of St. Louis.
During his tenure in St. Louis, May was known for several major accomplishments, including the completion of the domed "New" St. Louis Cathedral Basilica mosaics, described as the largest collection of mosaics in North America and one of the largest in the world. May was also known for his positive impact on race relations, an increased role for women, ecumenism, and liturgical renewal--as well as his ongoing support for the economic and cultural revitalization of the City of St. Louis.
During his administration, May relocated his episcopal residence from the affluent St. Louis County suburb of Ladue back to the Cardinal Archbishop's former home near the New Cathedral Basilica within the City of St. Louis, noting he was "the Archbishop of St. Louis and should reside there."
Archbishop May served St. Louis for more than 12 years before becoming afflicted with a brain tumor. He died a year later. After a wake and funeral Mass concelebrated by nearly all the U.S. Archbishops bishops and Archdiocesan clergy, May's body was entombed in the Archbishop's Crypt in the New Cathedral Basilica immediately beneath cathedral builder, John Cardinal Glennon.
Archbishop May is remembered with a bronze tablet in the All Souls Chapel of the New St. Louis Cathedral Basilica, as well as a street dedication at the Rigali Pastoral Center in Shrewsbury, MO, a southwest St. Louis suburb. The annual Archbishop John L. May Service Award recognizing Catholic high school students who achieve distinguished community service and leadership levels within the St. Louis metropolitan area.
AMERICAN RELIGIOUS LEADER. Most Reverend John L. May was the sixth Roman Catholic Archbishop of St. Louis, Missouri, serving from 1980 to 1992. He also held positions as Preisdent of the National Council of Catholic Bishops and the United States Catholic Conference.
A native of the Chicago, Illinois suburb of Lombard, he attended Mundelein Seminary and was ordained at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago in 1947 by Cardinal Samuel Stritch. After a variety of pastoral assignments in Chicago, he was named Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago from 1967-1969, and then the Bishop of Mobile, Alabama from 1969-1980. During his tenure in Alabama, he acquired key insights into cultural and racial issues that would be valuable in his administrative and pastoral skills as Archbishop of St. Louis.
During his tenure in St. Louis, May was known for several major accomplishments, including the completion of the domed "New" St. Louis Cathedral Basilica mosaics, described as the largest collection of mosaics in North America and one of the largest in the world. May was also known for his positive impact on race relations, an increased role for women, ecumenism, and liturgical renewal--as well as his ongoing support for the economic and cultural revitalization of the City of St. Louis.
During his administration, May relocated his episcopal residence from the affluent St. Louis County suburb of Ladue back to the Cardinal Archbishop's former home near the New Cathedral Basilica within the City of St. Louis, noting he was "the Archbishop of St. Louis and should reside there."
Archbishop May served St. Louis for more than 12 years before becoming afflicted with a brain tumor. He died a year later. After a wake and funeral Mass concelebrated by nearly all the U.S. Archbishops bishops and Archdiocesan clergy, May's body was entombed in the Archbishop's Crypt in the New Cathedral Basilica immediately beneath cathedral builder, John Cardinal Glennon.
Archbishop May is remembered with a bronze tablet in the All Souls Chapel of the New St. Louis Cathedral Basilica, as well as a street dedication at the Rigali Pastoral Center in Shrewsbury, MO, a southwest St. Louis suburb. The annual Archbishop John L. May Service Award recognizing Catholic high school students who achieve distinguished community service and leadership levels within the St. Louis metropolitan area.
A native of the Chicago, Illinois suburb of Lombard, he attended Mundelein Seminary and was ordained at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago in 1947 by Cardinal Samuel Stritch. After a variety of pastoral assignments in Chicago, he was named Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago from 1967-1969, and then the Bishop of Mobile, Alabama from 1969-1980. During his tenure in Alabama, he acquired key insights into cultural and racial issues that would be valuable in his administrative and pastoral skills as Archbishop of St. Louis.
During his tenure in St. Louis, May was known for several major accomplishments, including the completion of the domed "New" St. Louis Cathedral Basilica mosaics, described as the largest collection of mosaics in North America and one of the largest in the world. May was also known for his positive impact on race relations, an increased role for women, ecumenism, and liturgical renewal--as well as his ongoing support for the economic and cultural revitalization of the City of St. Louis.
During his administration, May relocated his episcopal residence from the affluent St. Louis County suburb of Ladue back to the Cardinal Archbishop's former home near the New Cathedral Basilica within the City of St. Louis, noting he was "the Archbishop of St. Louis and should reside there."
Archbishop May served St. Louis for more than 12 years before becoming afflicted with a brain tumor. He died a year later. After a wake and funeral Mass concelebrated by nearly all the U.S. Archbishops bishops and Archdiocesan clergy, May's body was entombed in the Archbishop's Crypt in the New Cathedral Basilica immediately beneath cathedral builder, John Cardinal Glennon.
Archbishop May is remembered with a bronze tablet in the All Souls Chapel of the New St. Louis Cathedral Basilica, as well as a street dedication at the Rigali Pastoral Center in Shrewsbury, MO, a southwest St. Louis suburb. The annual Archbishop John L. May Service Award recognizing Catholic high school students who achieve distinguished community service and leadership levels within the St. Louis metropolitan area.
Inscription
Raised cast bronze letters denote his name and his years of birth and death on the marble crypt front. His galero (Archbishop's hat with tassels) hangs from the All Souls Chapel ceiling in the New Cathedral Basilica.
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