Francis Xavier Irwin
Encyclopedia
Francis Xavier Irwin is Titular Bishop
of Ubaza and is a retired Auxiliary Bishop
in the Archdiocese of Boston.
On 20 October 2009, Pope Benedict XVI
accepted his request for retirement from office, submitted on the date of his 75th birthday as required by the Code of Canon Law.
Irwin was ordained
a priest
by Richard J. Cardinal Cushing in 1960 and ordained a bishop on September 17, 1996. He served as Regional Bishop of the North Region of the Archdiocese of Boston
.
He makes his residence at Saint Mary of the Annunciation Church in Danvers, the pastorate of Rev. Gerard L. Dorgan, a former English professor at Saint John's Seminary
in Brighton, Massachusetts
. He will spend his retirement, however, in residence at Saint Raphael Parish in Medford, MA, his hometown.
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Ubaza and is a retired Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
in the Archdiocese of Boston.
On 20 October 2009, Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
accepted his request for retirement from office, submitted on the date of his 75th birthday as required by the Code of Canon Law.
Irwin was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
by Richard J. Cardinal Cushing in 1960 and ordained a bishop on September 17, 1996. He served as Regional Bishop of the North Region of the Archdiocese of Boston
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. It comprises several counties of the state of Massachusetts...
.
He makes his residence at Saint Mary of the Annunciation Church in Danvers, the pastorate of Rev. Gerard L. Dorgan, a former English professor at Saint John's Seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
in Brighton, Massachusetts
Brighton, Boston, Massachusetts
Brighton is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and is located in the northwest corner of the city. It is named after the town of Brighton in the English city of Brighton and Hove...
. He will spend his retirement, however, in residence at Saint Raphael Parish in Medford, MA, his hometown.