James Patrick Shannon
James Patrick Shannon was born on February 16, 1921, in South Saint Paul, Minnesota, to Patrick Joseph Shannon and Mary Alice (McAuliff Foxley) Shannon. He was the youngest of six children in a large Irish Catholic family. His father was born in Ireland and was the owner of Shannon Cattle Company in South Saint Paul. His mother was first married to Fred Foxley, and was widowed with four small children prior to marrying Joseph Shannon. His parents had two children together, James and his older sister Mary.
Jim graduated from Saint Augustine's Catholic School, in South Saint Paul, in 1934, attended Cretin High School from 1934 to 1936, and then transferred to St. Thomas Military Academy, from which he graduated in 1938 Summa Cum Laude, as valedictorian of his class. From there he attended the College of Saint Thomas, in Saint Paul, from 1938 to 1941, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1941 and was again valedictorian of his class, earning a baccalaureate degree with majors in classics and history. From there he entered the seminary and was ordained to the sacred priesthood on June 8, 1946, for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
In 1955, Father Jim he received his doctorate in philosophy in American studies at Yale University. At 35, he was named president of the College of Saint Thomas, in Saint Paul, and was the youngest priest to hold that position. He was a leading figure of Catholic higher education in the United States of America in the 1950s and 1960s.
On February 8, 1965, Pope Paul VI named Shannon as auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and titular bishop of Lacubaza. He was consecrated a Bishop on March 31, 1965, by Egidio Vagnozzi, apostolic delegate in the United States of America. His co-consecrators were Leo Binz, Metropolitan Archbishop of Saint Paul and James Joseph Byrne, metropolitan of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque.
Bishop Shannon participated in the fourth and last session of the Second Vatican Council. From the moment he was appointed bishop, however, he remained out of step with the powerful conservative wing of the US episcopate. When in 1965 he accepted the invitation of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr to participate in the funeral in Selma of a murdered civil rights defender, conflicts arose with his fellow bishops. Two years later, when he spoke publicly against the Vietnam War, he was again criticized for breaking the ranks. In fact, his fellow bishops had not yet published an official document stating their position on the war. Cardinals Francis Joseph Spellman and James Francis McIntyre then complained to the Vatican about his behavior. A representative of the Holy See advised him not to be polemical with the upper-level cardinals and advised him to keep quiet on the theme of Vietnam. "You could have a great career in the Church, you could be an archbishop," he reminded him.
His most devastating reproach to his superiors, however, came in the summer of 1968, after being called to moderate a television documentary, "The New American Catholic," broadcast by NBC. The program examined the effects of the Second Vatican Council, convened in 1962 by Pope John XXIII to "renew the Church and adapt the norm of ecclesiastical law to the needs and thoughts of our time". The program talked about current issues such as marriage for priests and the ordination of women. Monsignor Shannon said he had encouraged open discussions on these issues. Cardinal McIntyre published a press release in which he condemned Monsignor Shannon's comments and the program as a whole. He wrote a letter to the US bishops and to the Holy See in which he accused Monsignor Shannon of heresy. The cardinal also asked for a meeting between bishops to take official disciplinary measures. The vote against Monsignor Shannon's positions for seven to three, with eight bishops abstaining. In his memoir, Bishop Shannon wrote: "My great pride in being an American Catholic bishop has suffered a severe blow that day and has never recovered".
In that same fateful summer, Pope Paul VI in the encyclical Humanae Vitae upheld the Church's position opposing artificial methods of birth control. Monsignor Shannon considered it "a rigid teaching" and believed that birth control within marriage was acceptable. He knew then that he could not support the Pope's teaching. Not wanting to break his vow of obedience, however, he presented his resignation that Pope Paul VI accepted on November 22, 1968 because of his opposition to Pope Paul VI's encyclical Humanae Vitae.
His resignation was a shock to the progressive liberal wing of the Catholic Church in the United States and caused protests and outrage by his supporters, both priests and lay people. In response to his resignation letter, some offered him an assignment in South America. His supporters protested because they considered it a way to exile him.
Within a year of his resignation, Jim civilly married Ruth Wilkinson, a widow whom he had known since 1964. In 1969, the Holy See suspended him a divinis and therefore he renounced his episcopal title. He received a law degree and practiced law in New Mexico, then returned to the Twin Cities region, where he worked in the field of philanthropy. He first became the executive director of the Minneapolis Foundation, a community support trust, then was appointed associate director of the General Mills Foundation and later became the Foundation’s vice-president and executive director, a position he held until his retirement in 1988.
Jim remained a devout Roman Catholic and regularly attended the parish church of the Holy Name of Jesus, in Medina MN. Around the Holy Year 2000, he was privately received back into the Church through the good graces of Pope John Paul II.
Jim was a gentle, passionate believer in the goodness of all people. He brought out the best in everyone. He lived his life by the Golden Rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. He was generous in his time and talent, and would give counsel to anyone who asked and believed strongly in the philosophy of Servant Leadership. He had an abiding faith in and love for the Roman Catholic Church, which he considered his spiritual home.
James Patrick Shannon died peacefully after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage, on Thursday, August 28, 2003, in Wayzata MN, surrounded by his loving family. He was 82 years old.
In addition to his parents, Jim was preceded in death by his siblings.
He is survived by his loving wife of 34 years, Ruth. He is also survived by his stepson, Peter Van Wieren (Elaine); 2 grandsons, Jon and Steven Van Wieren (Starla) and their two daughters Chaney Rose and Katherine Grace, and many, many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews; and his many relatives in Ireland. And to all of his many, many friends he would say, "No one has too many friends," his favorite quotation.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Friday, September 5, 2003, at Holy Name of Jesus Roman Catholic Church, in Medina MN. His Mass was comcelebrated by dozens of priests, with the principal concelebrants being Bishop Richard Pates of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Bishop John F Kinney of Saint Cloud MN, and Emeritus Bishop Paul V Dudley of Sioux Falls SD. Bishop Pates made a statement after the Mass to make it clear that Jim Shannon had been reconciled with the church, saying "He was no longer a bishop, but was in full relationship with the Roman Catholic Church, this was his spiritual home." Interment followed at Holy Name Cemetery, in Medina MN.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to:
James P Shannon Leadership Institute
919 Lafond Avenue
Saint Paul MN 55104
or
The Ecumenical Institute for Cultural Research
2475 Ecumenical Drive
PO Box 2000
Collegeville MN 56321
James Patrick Shannon was born on February 16, 1921, in South Saint Paul, Minnesota, to Patrick Joseph Shannon and Mary Alice (McAuliff Foxley) Shannon. He was the youngest of six children in a large Irish Catholic family. His father was born in Ireland and was the owner of Shannon Cattle Company in South Saint Paul. His mother was first married to Fred Foxley, and was widowed with four small children prior to marrying Joseph Shannon. His parents had two children together, James and his older sister Mary.
Jim graduated from Saint Augustine's Catholic School, in South Saint Paul, in 1934, attended Cretin High School from 1934 to 1936, and then transferred to St. Thomas Military Academy, from which he graduated in 1938 Summa Cum Laude, as valedictorian of his class. From there he attended the College of Saint Thomas, in Saint Paul, from 1938 to 1941, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1941 and was again valedictorian of his class, earning a baccalaureate degree with majors in classics and history. From there he entered the seminary and was ordained to the sacred priesthood on June 8, 1946, for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
In 1955, Father Jim he received his doctorate in philosophy in American studies at Yale University. At 35, he was named president of the College of Saint Thomas, in Saint Paul, and was the youngest priest to hold that position. He was a leading figure of Catholic higher education in the United States of America in the 1950s and 1960s.
On February 8, 1965, Pope Paul VI named Shannon as auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and titular bishop of Lacubaza. He was consecrated a Bishop on March 31, 1965, by Egidio Vagnozzi, apostolic delegate in the United States of America. His co-consecrators were Leo Binz, Metropolitan Archbishop of Saint Paul and James Joseph Byrne, metropolitan of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque.
Bishop Shannon participated in the fourth and last session of the Second Vatican Council. From the moment he was appointed bishop, however, he remained out of step with the powerful conservative wing of the US episcopate. When in 1965 he accepted the invitation of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr to participate in the funeral in Selma of a murdered civil rights defender, conflicts arose with his fellow bishops. Two years later, when he spoke publicly against the Vietnam War, he was again criticized for breaking the ranks. In fact, his fellow bishops had not yet published an official document stating their position on the war. Cardinals Francis Joseph Spellman and James Francis McIntyre then complained to the Vatican about his behavior. A representative of the Holy See advised him not to be polemical with the upper-level cardinals and advised him to keep quiet on the theme of Vietnam. "You could have a great career in the Church, you could be an archbishop," he reminded him.
His most devastating reproach to his superiors, however, came in the summer of 1968, after being called to moderate a television documentary, "The New American Catholic," broadcast by NBC. The program examined the effects of the Second Vatican Council, convened in 1962 by Pope John XXIII to "renew the Church and adapt the norm of ecclesiastical law to the needs and thoughts of our time". The program talked about current issues such as marriage for priests and the ordination of women. Monsignor Shannon said he had encouraged open discussions on these issues. Cardinal McIntyre published a press release in which he condemned Monsignor Shannon's comments and the program as a whole. He wrote a letter to the US bishops and to the Holy See in which he accused Monsignor Shannon of heresy. The cardinal also asked for a meeting between bishops to take official disciplinary measures. The vote against Monsignor Shannon's positions for seven to three, with eight bishops abstaining. In his memoir, Bishop Shannon wrote: "My great pride in being an American Catholic bishop has suffered a severe blow that day and has never recovered".
In that same fateful summer, Pope Paul VI in the encyclical Humanae Vitae upheld the Church's position opposing artificial methods of birth control. Monsignor Shannon considered it "a rigid teaching" and believed that birth control within marriage was acceptable. He knew then that he could not support the Pope's teaching. Not wanting to break his vow of obedience, however, he presented his resignation that Pope Paul VI accepted on November 22, 1968 because of his opposition to Pope Paul VI's encyclical Humanae Vitae.
His resignation was a shock to the progressive liberal wing of the Catholic Church in the United States and caused protests and outrage by his supporters, both priests and lay people. In response to his resignation letter, some offered him an assignment in South America. His supporters protested because they considered it a way to exile him.
Within a year of his resignation, Jim civilly married Ruth Wilkinson, a widow whom he had known since 1964. In 1969, the Holy See suspended him a divinis and therefore he renounced his episcopal title. He received a law degree and practiced law in New Mexico, then returned to the Twin Cities region, where he worked in the field of philanthropy. He first became the executive director of the Minneapolis Foundation, a community support trust, then was appointed associate director of the General Mills Foundation and later became the Foundation’s vice-president and executive director, a position he held until his retirement in 1988.
Jim remained a devout Roman Catholic and regularly attended the parish church of the Holy Name of Jesus, in Medina MN. Around the Holy Year 2000, he was privately received back into the Church through the good graces of Pope John Paul II.
Jim was a gentle, passionate believer in the goodness of all people. He brought out the best in everyone. He lived his life by the Golden Rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. He was generous in his time and talent, and would give counsel to anyone who asked and believed strongly in the philosophy of Servant Leadership. He had an abiding faith in and love for the Roman Catholic Church, which he considered his spiritual home.
James Patrick Shannon died peacefully after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage, on Thursday, August 28, 2003, in Wayzata MN, surrounded by his loving family. He was 82 years old.
In addition to his parents, Jim was preceded in death by his siblings.
He is survived by his loving wife of 34 years, Ruth. He is also survived by his stepson, Peter Van Wieren (Elaine); 2 grandsons, Jon and Steven Van Wieren (Starla) and their two daughters Chaney Rose and Katherine Grace, and many, many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews; and his many relatives in Ireland. And to all of his many, many friends he would say, "No one has too many friends," his favorite quotation.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Friday, September 5, 2003, at Holy Name of Jesus Roman Catholic Church, in Medina MN. His Mass was comcelebrated by dozens of priests, with the principal concelebrants being Bishop Richard Pates of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Bishop John F Kinney of Saint Cloud MN, and Emeritus Bishop Paul V Dudley of Sioux Falls SD. Bishop Pates made a statement after the Mass to make it clear that Jim Shannon had been reconciled with the church, saying "He was no longer a bishop, but was in full relationship with the Roman Catholic Church, this was his spiritual home." Interment followed at Holy Name Cemetery, in Medina MN.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to:
James P Shannon Leadership Institute
919 Lafond Avenue
Saint Paul MN 55104
or
The Ecumenical Institute for Cultural Research
2475 Ecumenical Drive
PO Box 2000
Collegeville MN 56321
James Patrick Shannon
James Patrick Shannon was born on February 16, 1921, in South Saint Paul, Minnesota, to Patrick Joseph Shannon and Mary Alice (McAuliff Foxley) Shannon. He was the youngest of six children in a large Irish Catholic family. His father was born in Ireland and was the owner of Shannon Cattle Company in South Saint Paul. His mother was first married to Fred Foxley, and was widowed with four small children prior to marrying Joseph Shannon. His parents had two children together, James and his older sister Mary.
Jim graduated from Saint Augustine's Catholic School, in South Saint Paul, in 1934, attended Cretin High School from 1934 to 1936, and then transferred to St. Thomas Military Academy, from which he graduated in 1938 Summa Cum Laude, as valedictorian of his class. From there he attended the College of Saint Thomas, in Saint Paul, from 1938 to 1941, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1941 and was again valedictorian of his class, earning a baccalaureate degree with majors in classics and history. From there he entered the seminary and was ordained to the sacred priesthood on June 8, 1946, for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
In 1955, Father Jim he received his doctorate in philosophy in American studies at Yale University. At 35, he was named president of the College of Saint Thomas, in Saint Paul, and was the youngest priest to hold that position. He was a leading figure of Catholic higher education in the United States of America in the 1950s and 1960s.
On February 8, 1965, Pope Paul VI named Shannon as auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and titular bishop of Lacubaza. He was consecrated a Bishop on March 31, 1965, by Egidio Vagnozzi, apostolic delegate in the United States of America. His co-consecrators were Leo Binz, Metropolitan Archbishop of Saint Paul and James Joseph Byrne, metropolitan of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque.
Bishop Shannon participated in the fourth and last session of the Second Vatican Council. From the moment he was appointed bishop, however, he remained out of step with the powerful conservative wing of the US episcopate. When in 1965 he accepted the invitation of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr to participate in the funeral in Selma of a murdered civil rights defender, conflicts arose with his fellow bishops. Two years later, when he spoke publicly against the Vietnam War, he was again criticized for breaking the ranks. In fact, his fellow bishops had not yet published an official document stating their position on the war. Cardinals Francis Joseph Spellman and James Francis McIntyre then complained to the Vatican about his behavior. A representative of the Holy See advised him not to be polemical with the upper-level cardinals and advised him to keep quiet on the theme of Vietnam. "You could have a great career in the Church, you could be an archbishop," he reminded him.
His most devastating reproach to his superiors, however, came in the summer of 1968, after being called to moderate a television documentary, "The New American Catholic," broadcast by NBC. The program examined the effects of the Second Vatican Council, convened in 1962 by Pope John XXIII to "renew the Church and adapt the norm of ecclesiastical law to the needs and thoughts of our time". The program talked about current issues such as marriage for priests and the ordination of women. Monsignor Shannon said he had encouraged open discussions on these issues. Cardinal McIntyre published a press release in which he condemned Monsignor Shannon's comments and the program as a whole. He wrote a letter to the US bishops and to the Holy See in which he accused Monsignor Shannon of heresy. The cardinal also asked for a meeting between bishops to take official disciplinary measures. The vote against Monsignor Shannon's positions for seven to three, with eight bishops abstaining. In his memoir, Bishop Shannon wrote: "My great pride in being an American Catholic bishop has suffered a severe blow that day and has never recovered".
In that same fateful summer, Pope Paul VI in the encyclical Humanae Vitae upheld the Church's position opposing artificial methods of birth control. Monsignor Shannon considered it "a rigid teaching" and believed that birth control within marriage was acceptable. He knew then that he could not support the Pope's teaching. Not wanting to break his vow of obedience, however, he presented his resignation that Pope Paul VI accepted on November 22, 1968 because of his opposition to Pope Paul VI's encyclical Humanae Vitae.
His resignation was a shock to the progressive liberal wing of the Catholic Church in the United States and caused protests and outrage by his supporters, both priests and lay people. In response to his resignation letter, some offered him an assignment in South America. His supporters protested because they considered it a way to exile him.
Within a year of his resignation, Jim civilly married Ruth Wilkinson, a widow whom he had known since 1964. In 1969, the Holy See suspended him a divinis and therefore he renounced his episcopal title. He received a law degree and practiced law in New Mexico, then returned to the Twin Cities region, where he worked in the field of philanthropy. He first became the executive director of the Minneapolis Foundation, a community support trust, then was appointed associate director of the General Mills Foundation and later became the Foundation’s vice-president and executive director, a position he held until his retirement in 1988.
Jim remained a devout Roman Catholic and regularly attended the parish church of the Holy Name of Jesus, in Medina MN. Around the Holy Year 2000, he was privately received back into the Church through the good graces of Pope John Paul II.
Jim was a gentle, passionate believer in the goodness of all people. He brought out the best in everyone. He lived his life by the Golden Rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. He was generous in his time and talent, and would give counsel to anyone who asked and believed strongly in the philosophy of Servant Leadership. He had an abiding faith in and love for the Roman Catholic Church, which he considered his spiritual home.
James Patrick Shannon died peacefully after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage, on Thursday, August 28, 2003, in Wayzata MN, surrounded by his loving family. He was 82 years old.
In addition to his parents, Jim was preceded in death by his siblings.
He is survived by his loving wife of 34 years, Ruth. He is also survived by his stepson, Peter Van Wieren (Elaine); 2 grandsons, Jon and Steven Van Wieren (Starla) and their two daughters Chaney Rose and Katherine Grace, and many, many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews; and his many relatives in Ireland. And to all of his many, many friends he would say, "No one has too many friends," his favorite quotation.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Friday, September 5, 2003, at Holy Name of Jesus Roman Catholic Church, in Medina MN. His Mass was comcelebrated by dozens of priests, with the principal concelebrants being Bishop Richard Pates of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Bishop John F Kinney of Saint Cloud MN, and Emeritus Bishop Paul V Dudley of Sioux Falls SD. Bishop Pates made a statement after the Mass to make it clear that Jim Shannon had been reconciled with the church, saying "He was no longer a bishop, but was in full relationship with the Roman Catholic Church, this was his spiritual home." Interment followed at Holy Name Cemetery, in Medina MN.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to:
James P Shannon Leadership Institute
919 Lafond Avenue
Saint Paul MN 55104
or
The Ecumenical Institute for Cultural Research
2475 Ecumenical Drive
PO Box 2000
Collegeville MN 56321
James Patrick Shannon was born on February 16, 1921, in South Saint Paul, Minnesota, to Patrick Joseph Shannon and Mary Alice (McAuliff Foxley) Shannon. He was the youngest of six children in a large Irish Catholic family. His father was born in Ireland and was the owner of Shannon Cattle Company in South Saint Paul. His mother was first married to Fred Foxley, and was widowed with four small children prior to marrying Joseph Shannon. His parents had two children together, James and his older sister Mary.
Jim graduated from Saint Augustine's Catholic School, in South Saint Paul, in 1934, attended Cretin High School from 1934 to 1936, and then transferred to St. Thomas Military Academy, from which he graduated in 1938 Summa Cum Laude, as valedictorian of his class. From there he attended the College of Saint Thomas, in Saint Paul, from 1938 to 1941, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1941 and was again valedictorian of his class, earning a baccalaureate degree with majors in classics and history. From there he entered the seminary and was ordained to the sacred priesthood on June 8, 1946, for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
In 1955, Father Jim he received his doctorate in philosophy in American studies at Yale University. At 35, he was named president of the College of Saint Thomas, in Saint Paul, and was the youngest priest to hold that position. He was a leading figure of Catholic higher education in the United States of America in the 1950s and 1960s.
On February 8, 1965, Pope Paul VI named Shannon as auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and titular bishop of Lacubaza. He was consecrated a Bishop on March 31, 1965, by Egidio Vagnozzi, apostolic delegate in the United States of America. His co-consecrators were Leo Binz, Metropolitan Archbishop of Saint Paul and James Joseph Byrne, metropolitan of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque.
Bishop Shannon participated in the fourth and last session of the Second Vatican Council. From the moment he was appointed bishop, however, he remained out of step with the powerful conservative wing of the US episcopate. When in 1965 he accepted the invitation of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr to participate in the funeral in Selma of a murdered civil rights defender, conflicts arose with his fellow bishops. Two years later, when he spoke publicly against the Vietnam War, he was again criticized for breaking the ranks. In fact, his fellow bishops had not yet published an official document stating their position on the war. Cardinals Francis Joseph Spellman and James Francis McIntyre then complained to the Vatican about his behavior. A representative of the Holy See advised him not to be polemical with the upper-level cardinals and advised him to keep quiet on the theme of Vietnam. "You could have a great career in the Church, you could be an archbishop," he reminded him.
His most devastating reproach to his superiors, however, came in the summer of 1968, after being called to moderate a television documentary, "The New American Catholic," broadcast by NBC. The program examined the effects of the Second Vatican Council, convened in 1962 by Pope John XXIII to "renew the Church and adapt the norm of ecclesiastical law to the needs and thoughts of our time". The program talked about current issues such as marriage for priests and the ordination of women. Monsignor Shannon said he had encouraged open discussions on these issues. Cardinal McIntyre published a press release in which he condemned Monsignor Shannon's comments and the program as a whole. He wrote a letter to the US bishops and to the Holy See in which he accused Monsignor Shannon of heresy. The cardinal also asked for a meeting between bishops to take official disciplinary measures. The vote against Monsignor Shannon's positions for seven to three, with eight bishops abstaining. In his memoir, Bishop Shannon wrote: "My great pride in being an American Catholic bishop has suffered a severe blow that day and has never recovered".
In that same fateful summer, Pope Paul VI in the encyclical Humanae Vitae upheld the Church's position opposing artificial methods of birth control. Monsignor Shannon considered it "a rigid teaching" and believed that birth control within marriage was acceptable. He knew then that he could not support the Pope's teaching. Not wanting to break his vow of obedience, however, he presented his resignation that Pope Paul VI accepted on November 22, 1968 because of his opposition to Pope Paul VI's encyclical Humanae Vitae.
His resignation was a shock to the progressive liberal wing of the Catholic Church in the United States and caused protests and outrage by his supporters, both priests and lay people. In response to his resignation letter, some offered him an assignment in South America. His supporters protested because they considered it a way to exile him.
Within a year of his resignation, Jim civilly married Ruth Wilkinson, a widow whom he had known since 1964. In 1969, the Holy See suspended him a divinis and therefore he renounced his episcopal title. He received a law degree and practiced law in New Mexico, then returned to the Twin Cities region, where he worked in the field of philanthropy. He first became the executive director of the Minneapolis Foundation, a community support trust, then was appointed associate director of the General Mills Foundation and later became the Foundation’s vice-president and executive director, a position he held until his retirement in 1988.
Jim remained a devout Roman Catholic and regularly attended the parish church of the Holy Name of Jesus, in Medina MN. Around the Holy Year 2000, he was privately received back into the Church through the good graces of Pope John Paul II.
Jim was a gentle, passionate believer in the goodness of all people. He brought out the best in everyone. He lived his life by the Golden Rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. He was generous in his time and talent, and would give counsel to anyone who asked and believed strongly in the philosophy of Servant Leadership. He had an abiding faith in and love for the Roman Catholic Church, which he considered his spiritual home.
James Patrick Shannon died peacefully after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage, on Thursday, August 28, 2003, in Wayzata MN, surrounded by his loving family. He was 82 years old.
In addition to his parents, Jim was preceded in death by his siblings.
He is survived by his loving wife of 34 years, Ruth. He is also survived by his stepson, Peter Van Wieren (Elaine); 2 grandsons, Jon and Steven Van Wieren (Starla) and their two daughters Chaney Rose and Katherine Grace, and many, many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews; and his many relatives in Ireland. And to all of his many, many friends he would say, "No one has too many friends," his favorite quotation.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Friday, September 5, 2003, at Holy Name of Jesus Roman Catholic Church, in Medina MN. His Mass was comcelebrated by dozens of priests, with the principal concelebrants being Bishop Richard Pates of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Bishop John F Kinney of Saint Cloud MN, and Emeritus Bishop Paul V Dudley of Sioux Falls SD. Bishop Pates made a statement after the Mass to make it clear that Jim Shannon had been reconciled with the church, saying "He was no longer a bishop, but was in full relationship with the Roman Catholic Church, this was his spiritual home." Interment followed at Holy Name Cemetery, in Medina MN.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to:
James P Shannon Leadership Institute
919 Lafond Avenue
Saint Paul MN 55104
or
The Ecumenical Institute for Cultural Research
2475 Ecumenical Drive
PO Box 2000
Collegeville MN 56321
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